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Nourishment not Deprivation!

Have you ever thought you struggle to lose weight even when you don’t eat properly? What about not being able to live without your tea, coffee or chocolate fix on a daily basis? Are you always saying how exhausted you are?

More than likely you have said something along these lines, but did you know that these complaints are often down to a hormonal imbalance?


The Balance Plan by Angelique Panagos tackles how to deal with all those issues and more, whilst offering practical advice, and suggestions for overcoming things like always feeling hungry but never feeling satisfied, or constantly feeling bloated.

Split up into four parts there are recipes, meal plans and full on explanations about how to optimise your hormonal health. To achieve this Angelique has created a six-step method (the six pillars of balance) which include; nourish (eating correctly), balance (stabilising ourselves by planning ahead), nurture (looking after ourselves), cleanse (cleansing our bodies), move (exercises) and restore (pampering).

In addition we hear about how hormones work and what exactly they are, through “The Sassy Six” and how to recognise what is happening to our bodies. From PMS, toxins, to stress and the menopause — major transitions in a woman’s life — it’s all covered.

This is an empowering book which highlights how we should celebrate our feminine cycle, by learning to understand and support our hormonal balance through a journey of gentle consistent lifestyle changes. Yeah, I know that sounds a bit hippy-ish, but it’s not at all. The Balance Plan helps to show us how we don’t need to reach for the pills for a quick fix, only to gloss over what is really happening to our bodies.

This is a thoroughly educational read, that should be on every woman’s bookshelf. Imagine if you can sleep better, enhance digestion, elevate energy levels, lose weight, reduce stress and feel happier. This book plans to help you do just that!
  
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Ross (3284 KP) rated The Poison Song in Books

Jun 6, 2019  
The Poison Song
The Poison Song
Jen Williams | 2019 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fantastic conclusion to a great series
*** Disclosure - I received a free advance copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***


The finale of this trilogy has some ground to cover. The Jure'lia (an alien type race of beings with a connected consciousness) have been beaten back and are in hiding, licking their wounds. The humans and Eborans have an uneasy truce with the knowledge that their common enemy can be beaten, if only temporarily.
The first half of this book continues developing the story, the opening is a really enjoyable revenge visit to her old prison by Noon, and the others are trying to plan how to try and track down the Jure'lia to beat them once and for all. And then we have Hestilion, the immoral immortal, who seems to have sided with the Jure'lia simply out of curiosity or for something to do.
I'll admit I struggled to remember some of the terms and previous storylines and these are possibly recapped less than in the later books of other series. Given the weirdness of the world Williams has built, this did make it a steep remembering-curve (if that's a thing, which it isn't).
However the second half of the story is truly epic. A thoroughly engaging, action-packed assault on the reader's sleep pattern and emotions. There are highs and there are lows, and there are great character interactions throughout.
I'll confess to being slightly disappointed with the final act, I had it in my head that the Jure'lia would be beaten in a certain way, but this did not pan out, and what happened was significantly more simplistic and route one than I had thought.
That said, I really enjoyed the closing half-book of this series and on the whole it has been a really great read of a story in a very unusual and creative world.
  
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Kim Edwards | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry
8
6.6 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
Emotive storyline. Hauntingly beautiful language. (0 more)
Hauntingly Beautiful
This came into the charity shop I work in and as soon as I read the blurb on the back of the book I knew I had to read it.
A Doctor in a snow storm delivers his twins but one is born with Down Syndrome and he decides there and then to tell his wife that she died. He hands over his daughter to the nurse and asks her to take her to a home. She decides upon seeing the home she cannot possibly leave her here and raises her herself.
The book follows through time the lives of everyone the Doctor and his wife raising there son Paul, and the Nurse Caroline fighting for Phoebe to be accepted and have access to an education and equal opportunities.
It starts of in the 60s and we really get a glimpse into the attitudes of the time towards those with Down Syndrome and at times it is awkward to read at times as you cannot believe that it was like this.
With such a explosive secret being kept and the grief that Norah feels after thinking she has lost a child the family is poisoned and relationships turn toxic and the family dynamic is ripped apart.
We see Phoebe thrive throughout her life with Caroline and also the limitations she faces in her day to day life.
The emotive language the author uses means you do feel Norah's loss, you resent David for his betrayal, you can understand Paul's rebellion and Caroline's guilt.
It is an achingly beautiful book which is dealing with an explosively emotive storyline. I really enjoyed it and it is really hauntingly staying with me even after I've finished as I began to imagine how I would feel and what I would do if I was put in that situation. A really good read, possibly to emotionally charged for a sleep deprived and hormonal mother of two boys, one of which does have medical issues do I could relate somewhat too.
  
Depravity (Beastly Tales, #1)
Depravity (Beastly Tales, #1)
M.J. Haag | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
First off, let me say how furious I am that this is a three part series with each novel ending in a cliff hanger. Each novel has enough meat to it to count as individual novel, but they all end in maddening cliffhangers. I loathe cliff hangers more than I loathe serials.

That being said, this series had me from page one and I couldn’t put it down until the very last one. I missed a lot of sleep for it… I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, especially if there erotica involved. This is definitely one of the better retellings of Beauty and the Beast, albeit a very dark one. The female lead is almost raped more times than I can count, abused by her obnoxious sisters, manipulated by an arrogant sorceress, and subjected to dealing with a short tempered man child stuck in a beast’s body. Through it all, Benella stays determined and loved her grit.

There are some themes that may not sit well with some people, especially with the Beast’s treatment of Benella in the second novel. I think they are missing the point of this story, however. The premise is not just about looking beyond aesthetic value, it is about personal growth. While it is the Beauty’s purpose to look beyond outer appearances to appreciate what people have on the inside; it is the Beast’s role to develop from …well a beast to a better person. I feel that most people look past that.

This is a great series for those looking for an adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast and can handle the dark themes and cliff hangers that come with it. If you can accept an anti-hero with faults who falls for a strong woman who can hold her own in a hateful sexist world, then this is definitely the series for you.
  
Baby Teeth
Baby Teeth
Zoje Stage | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
Creepy kid....
This was such a good book I stayed up until 2am to finish it. Even then I couldn’t go back to sleep because I was floored!

What really makes a huge impact in this book were the characters and the tension created between all of them. A beautifully created house wasn’t so lovely on the inside and what you think is a lovely happy family is really not what it seems.

 The plot itself was good. You follow the points of view of Hanna and Suzette. Hanna. Oh my goodness. All you can think of how is it possible that she can be such a horrid rabid creature who does whatever it takes to push Suzette to her limits. Her actions are shocking and it’s hard to believe she’s could be this sweet little girl (or at least to Alex she is). You are constantly guessing what she might have. A psychological disorder? Or is there something more malicious out there? (ie: paranormal).

At times you feel for Suzette. She’s at her limit and she tries to justify Hanna’s actions, blaming herself at times because she thinks it’s due to her lack of being a mother. Now I can understand how she can lash out and snap sometimes at Hanna but sometimes I thought her behavior went too harsh and it didn’t help matters, in fact it escalated and made it worse. There were times when she got whiny and it’s hard to sympathize with any side at this point (Although you could sympathize for Alex as he’s caught in the middle of this ordeal).

This book may not be for everyone, it’s definitely chilling to see a child act like this. Again you have to wonder if there’s something much darker underlying her behavior. I loved the ending, it was so perfect for this book. Definitely recommended for those that want a chilling novel where kids run amok. Keep in mind some parts can be pretty disturbing.
  
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Brian Kapfer (2 KP) created a post

May 27, 2018  
I have never read the 'A Wrinkle in Time' novel, nor had I ever heard about it, and I spent more time in the Library than I did in the classroom. Not until the advertisements did I ever learn that there was a movie, let alone a previous version. It uses the tired trope of of a child(ren) search for a lost family member, but this brings our intrepid heroes into a fantasy world. Disney really geared this flick towards a younger audience, there is not much material for the adults except a decent story and the enjoyment of seeing it with their kid(s). After I started the movie and the basic introduction finished, disaster struck! Oprah appeared and delivered her monologue and her soothing voice put me to sleep, and I missed the rest of the movie. I then had a dilemma because I use dual monitors, one to watch movies and one so I can simultaneously browse Facebook and porn. The problem comes in that I have to minimize the widow on monitor 2, release it from full-screen and then drag it over to monitor 1 where I skip over Oprah and then slide the window back to monitor 2 and then try and full-screen it again. This process is tedious, because the monitor is only 27" and sits the proper length from one's viewing. I do not have very good eyesight, so I have to move the cursor to the vicinity of the little box and move closer to the monitor, go back to my computer, move the pointer closer, and then repeat the process about 12 times. So, instead of that I just restarted the video, watched the intro scenes, muted Oprah and then finished the film. Overall it was an enjoyable experience for both adults and kids.

tldr - Just watch the movie at least once, especially with kid(s). No kidnapping!


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620680/?ref_=nv_sr_1
     
Now You See Her
Now You See Her
Heidi Perks | 2018 | Mystery, Thriller
10
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
What would you do if you leave your kid with your friend, and she suddenly lost it? How would you react if they told you she was on her phone throughout that time? Your friend has many secrets, but hey - SO DO YOU!
In a world full of psychological thrillers about missing girls, this is probably the only one that stands out on its own and reigns them all.

What would you do if you leave your kid with your friend, and she suddenly lost it? How would you react if they told you she was on her phone throughout that time? Your friend has many secrets, but hey - SO DO YOU!

<img src="https://www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Extract-Now-You-See-Her-Heidi-Perks.jpg"/>;

While we have the overrated stories of how a girl goes missing, everyone involved is hiding something, things get intense, and in one moment we find it all out - here Heidi Perks did an extremely great job to spice things up and make this book one of a kind. She blended all these things together so well, that I couldn’t put the book down with intense moments happening on every single page.

The characters were very well formed - I could connect so easily to every single one of them. I loved their backgrounds and the little Easter eggs hidden through that only made sense in the end - PRECIOUS!

The story plot was so cleverly put together, and I greatly enjoyed it! A nice, fast-paced, psychological thriller that will give you the chills constantly, make you start biting your nails again, scroll through the next chapters and forget about your sleep until you’ve finished it!.

Big - intense five-stars from me, and definitely one of the best intense stories I have read in 2018!

A big thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
  
WO
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Connilyn Cossette has a true gift, weaving the history and truth of the Bible with imagination. Enhancing the stories to the point that I feel like I can TASTE the manna, I can SEE the cloud, I can HEAR the shofar blow, and I can FEEL the agony of the Canaanites. A people who have been led to live life a certain way, and they know nothing else.

Allanah and Tobiah have found a place in my heart. A "Culture Clash" of massive proportions and a romance that is so sweet and tender. A Canaanite by birth, will Allanah be able to open her heart to the people who have embraced her as their own? Tobiah is full of compassion and love for his family, but when his path leads him to Allanah, his life ends up going in a direction he didn't expect.

Although Allanah and Tobiah are fictional, there are plenty of REAL people, places, and events in this story. And the truth of God's love, forgiveness, salvation, is very real. There are many challenging issues that come up, but you know what? They really happened, and are still happening today. We can not just brush these uncomfortable things under the rug. I commend Connilyn for bringing these issues to light in a heart wrenching yet very real way.

From beginning to end, Wings of the Wind had me utterly captivated. It is a rare thing for me to read a book this fast. And if it wasn't for sleep and feeding my family, I would have completed this in one sitting. Now I can't wait to go back and read the first two books in the series. I think it is safe to say that all of Connilyn's books, both past and future, will make it to my reading list. Brava Connilyn! I am officially hooked!

I received a complimentary copy of Wings of the Wind from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
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Micky Barnard (542 KP) rated The Marriage Pact in Books

Dec 12, 2018 (Updated Dec 13, 2018)  
The Marriage Pact
The Marriage Pact
Michelle Richmond | 2017 | Thriller
8
7.6 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
Eerie and thought provoking
Wow. I’m a ball of knotted up feelings mixed with adrenaline right now. THE MARRIAGE PACT started as an innocuous, gentle introduction to a newly married couple and turned into a twisted, dark ride. If I could sum it up, I’d describe it as ‘big brother’s stepford wife body snatching cult’ and I mean 1984-esque big brother, not the reality show. I don’t read a lot of suspense these days and this one just compelled me from start to finish, through the good, the bad, the believable and slightly stretched.

Jake and Alice are an opposites attract kind of couple but a match that seems to work. As very newly-weds they’re invited to join The Pact. Alarm bells should have been ringing at 100 decibels but no, Jake and Alice signed up. There was an innocence about their walk into married life, believing the easy road but it was oh, so different. What ensued took my breath away as I got deeper and deeper. I read going to sleep but found myself pumped full of adrenaline and unsettled. The twisty dark nature was unexpected and not in my normal taste, but I couldn’t look away.

It isn’t a perfect read, there are occasional moments of ‘as if’ and the end could have been stronger but I know I am not going to forget this book in a hurry. I enjoyed it, my skin crawled with discomfort and unease, but I enjoyed it. The characters connected with one another and to me, the writing was like a magnet. The storyline was out of the box and I am definitely wanting to try this author again.

So, if you fancy the unusual, you like the bizarre, suspense and married couples, I give you THE MARRIAGE PACT.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.
  
PM
Private Message (Private, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I absolutely devoured this book! I couldn't put the flippin thing down! This story is off the charts hot, the characters are so easy to love, and the twists in the story literally made me yell "shut the f@%k up!"

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book that I pretty much started reading it as soon as it showed its pretty little face on my Kindle screen! From word one I was hooked! I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning reading this proving that I again have an inadequate respect for my required 8 hours of sleep; but oh baby, was this book ever worth it!

Tess is a great character, and she reminds me of myself in a couple of different ways which made me love her even more, yeah? She is the punky rocker girl who is shy and timid and has walls up all around her heart. She is fun to be around but likes to stick to herself.

Ben is just hot, hot, hot!!! He swoops in and knocks Tess right off her feet! She doesn't know what to think about him, and he just zings her with surprise after surprise! I loved the dynamic of their relationship. Ben also shows a lot of character in the way you watch him grow up throughout the book.


This book left me wanting more! I am not sure if this is going to be part of a series or if the author intended it to be a stand alone book. The ending of the book for me could go either way. I am satisfied if she intended it to be a stand alone, but if she were to expand the story that would be amazing! Private Message is now going to be added to my stack of favorite books! I will be re-reading this again and again!