
How to Walk Away
Book
From the author of Happiness for Beginners comes an unforgettable love story about finding joy even...
women's fiction fiction romance

Sacred Marriage
Book
Happy is good. Holy is better. Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person....
Marriage

Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #1) in Books
Aug 2, 2022
Book
Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Book 1)
By Laini Taylor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reread
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
When you start a book and realise you have already read it but continue because it was so good! Well this was better the second time round. All the emotions came flooding back and I love that a book can have that effect on you. Rereading Karou and Akivas story was just as enjoyable as the first time the world building and story is just beautiful. I really like this authors style.

Influenced
Book
A MILLION LIKES vs. ONE TRUE LOVE Bryce Bauman is one half of a famous influencer couple…until...
Contemporary MM Romance

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Jun 5, 2022

Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated Reluctant Rockstar (Reluctant Rockstar #1) in Books
Aug 6, 2023
Usually I write a little blurby bit, but I'm not going to here, I'm gonna jump straight in!
Cos, this book right?? It's so freaking good!
It's not ever so smexy, but it has passion and emotion. It's not explicit but it has steam! There isn't much drama, save for the idiot ex-manager and Martin making his decision. It's not very long, some 95 pages, but I'll come back to that bit shortly.
And all that is why I loved this book! Finding yourself after such a long time is what this is all about and Martin, once he makes the decision he does, he and Simon are a couple, after such a short space of time, and Martin leaving to finish what he needs to do gives them time to miss each other, even though they are in constant contact.
Back to the length of this book. I would probably have said, as I've done before, that this book is too short. However, I don't think this particular book would work as a longer piece, I really don't. It's the perfect page length for this story, for Simon and Martin to fall in love.
It's full of emotion and love, and gave me the biggest warm and fuzzies feeling I've had in a long time!
First I can see of this author, I want more if they are all this cute!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere

Cruising Right into Love
Book
À new life brings hope. But will it also bring Victor pain - or the love he craves? A chance...
Contemporary MM Romance

A Rose In The Blitz (Sisters of War, #1)
Book
Escape into the dramatic world of London during the Blitz in this sweeping family saga of love, war...
Historical Fiction Historical Romance World War II

BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Reluctant Duchess (Ladies of the Manor, #2) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
About the Book
By the year 1912, Lady Rowena has suffered much and is determined to flee the terrors of her life in the Highlands of Scotland. Yet she reluctant to submit to the schemes designed for her escape. In a rather unconventional way, Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, sweeps in and saves her from a daunting future. With the Duke, Lady Rowena has the chance of a new life, new love and a new hope that she never thought possible. (Please tell me I am not the only one who started humming the Star Wars theme song just now.) Yet she is plagued with nightmares of the past. Afraid that she will never be worthy, convinced that no one could care about her. Rowena also discovers that Brice is involved with a treasure that brings sorrow wherever it goes. Will Brice be able to help her see the true worth and the beauty that lies within her? Will she find her confidence, her voice and maybe fall in love along the way? Can they overcome the "curse" of the Fire Eyes, together?
"Be whoever you want to be, and be it with confidence."
- The Reluctant Duchess (page 156)
My Thoughts
While I have no personal understanding of the exact situation that Lady Rowena experiences, I know full well the horror of emotional trauma. I avoid talking about our experience in my reviews because, books are my escape. I didn't want the stress, the
trauma, to slip into my posts. But after reading this book, I felt that I needed to share just a little bit. We have been through a lot with our son (medically) since he was born two years ago. He underwent a lifesaving Bone Marrow Transplant (non cancerous diagnosis) at 9 weeks old and everything that goes along with that: being isolated because he is immune suppressed, constant doctor visits, being hospitalized with even the slightest hint of a fever and so much more. Thankfully we are now at the tail end of our journey. He made it through his first cold and was not hospitalized! (Although he had a quick visit to the E.R. per his protocol.) But the effects of the last two years remain. For me, the thought of having to spend the night in the hospital with my son has brought on severe anxiety. Going shopping alone is a real challenge for me as well. While this may seem trivial to some, it is very real for me. What Rowena undergoes, and what I have experienced ( although different triggers) can be explained as PTSD. Because of this, I feel it only fair to give a heads up that separate from Rowena's experience, there is a heart wrenching circumstance near the end of the book that involves a child. I was caught quite off guard with it and know that can be a sensitive subject. This book was a very hard read for me emotionally. It is not a comedy, however I did laugh out loud a couple of times. Love, faith, hope and joy can be found in The Reluctant Duchess as well. I love Brice's faith, that he is actively listening to God in every situation. He acts on the voice he hears, and even though he may misinterpret the words on occasion, he does not let the condensation of his peers sway his faith. Overall, I really enjoyed this second book in Ladies of the Manor. Because it helped me to see myself in a new light. Roseanna captured the essence of the story beautifully. I absolutely LOVE her use of accents throughout the dialogue. All through the story we are reminded of the truth: Where LIGHT is, darkness cannot abide. Do not let the fear of the past distort your view of the future. I understand first hand the effects that can linger after a traumatic experience. But please, do not suffer in silence. Reach out to those who love you. And find hope for the future.
Brice ducked his head a bit, caught her gaze.
"And if you really want to spite them, do you know what you should do?"
He leaned closer, pitched his voice low.
"Thrive. Be happy."
- The Reluctant Duchess (page 156)
I received a free print copy of The Reluctant Duchess from Bethany House Publishers, through Celebrate Lit, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Merissa (12995 KP) rated The Last Dragon Rider (The Wild Realms of Véneanár #1) in Books
Sep 21, 2017
This is very well written, with excellent descriptions throughout. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The ending, whilst not expected, certainly left me wanting to know more. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!