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Midlife Magic (Not Too Late #1)
Midlife Magic (Not Too Late #1)
Victoria Danann | 2020 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
224 of 230
Kindle
Midlife Magic ( Not Too Late Book 1)
By Victoria Danann
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The day after my forty-third birthday, my husband announced he was trading me in. His words, not mine. The news was unwelcome at the time, but honestly? I needed a good goosing to get up and find my way to the door.

So. I was freed from the manual of expectations authored by my ex that had, over the years, grown into an encyclopedia of what a wife "should" be and do. The freedom was the good news. The flip side was less happy. Due to living in a state not friendly to discarded wives, I was also relieved of the financial 'security' I'd spent a lifetime accruing.

Starting over? I didn't plan on it. Didn't see it coming. But pulling a sheet over my head and waiting for the end didn't seem like my style. Granted. I wasn't sure what my style was because I hadn't thought about freedom of expression since I was twenty.

I'd never been a fan of optimistic adages like 'it's not too late', but that was before my life was divided into two parts; everything that came before the mysterious package and everything after. Fate shot me with a lightning bolt of attitude adjustment and thrust me head first into an adventure that was unforeseeable to say the least. If you'd told me what my life was going to be like, I would have used every synonym for crazy you've ever heard.

I 'inherited' a curious antique store in a tiny, picturesque English village where the world of fae magic lives side by side with the mundane. But that's far from all. Eight times a year, I receive magical dignitaries and magical lowborn alike and mediate their disputes; some comical, some deadly serious.

It may be too late for super shiny hair, going without a bra, or sleeping eight hours without a potty break. But it seems that it's not too late for navigating magical politics, expatriating, romance, and saving the world.

Perfect for fans of everyday heroines over forty.

I absolutely loved this book! It was just so much fun. The characters were all interesting and well written the story was just a joy to read. It was lighthearted and definitely a good book to read for the end of a crappy year. I think I smiled all the way through. It brings the magical and mundane altogether in a small English village. So worth a read especially if you need cheering up.
  
All I Ever Wanted
All I Ever Wanted
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fun, enjoyable book with great characters
Callie Grey is turning thirty, and her life simply isn't going as planned. She's not married--or even dating--and now her boss, Mark, whom she's loved for years, is marrying Muriel, a perfect specimen from California. Even worse, Muriel is honing in on Callie's territory at the advertising agency where she works. Her mother runs the family business: a funeral home, where Callie's thirtieth birthday was held (sharing space with a wake). Her father, meanwhile, is trying to win her mother back, despite the fact that she hates him for cheating on her--when Callie was eight. Hester, her sister, despises all men due to said cheating incident. And no matter how hard she tries, Callie can't get over Mark and the five weeks they "dated." Still, it seems like maybe that could change when she meets Ian, the town's new sulky but handsome veterinarian. But can Callie put the past behind her to find her own happiness? And is Ian ready to move on himself?

So, as part of my reading goals for 2019, I'm going to try to read more books that I own. I've been "practicing" a bit here at the end of 2018, and ALL I EVER WANTED was part of that. I read two of Higgins' recent releases lately and really loved them, so decided to go with this one. While I didn't find it quite as modernly witty and wonderful as those two (a few scenes describing characters' weight and a few other things rubbed me a bit wrong), it was still a really enjoyable read.

Well, I read another romance recently and while it was good, I just couldn't fall fully for the characters. Not the case here. While I worried a bit early on that Callie would be too much of a whiner, she grew on me quickly. Higgins is just so good with the slow build of her characters and storylines. You get the gruff but charming Ian and all these wonderful scenes that make you smile. Her books have just the right balance of sweet and funny (there always seems to be a classic dinner party scene that makes me laugh out loud). There's a great moment where Callie and Ian are on a hike, and a wonderfully humorous time where Callie dates someone who is, yes, a human hair artisan.

The point is, we really get to know the characters--their flaws and foibles plus their good sides--and it just helps make the story. I care about them. I know Callie's family (a great cast of ancillary characters, including her grandfather and nieces), I know her backstory, and we even get to know Ian's tale. The book deals, deftly, with some complicated emotions and heartache along with the fun and fluff. (And well, there's an incident with a wild turkey that's pretty awesome.) And because we get these two fleshed out characters--even if we know they are probably destined to get together--we're invested along the way to find out how and why. That's what I love about Higgins. It's not just some token scenes along the way to an inevitable conclusion. There's real meat and depth, along with humor. And I really enjoyed the ending, too.

Overall, this is just a fun, enjoyable book with some depth to back itself up. The characters are interesting, and parts of it will make you laugh out loud. I recommend it, and I'm glad I picked it up off my bookshelf!
  
Fire in His Blood (Fireblood Dragon, #1)
Fire in His Blood (Fireblood Dragon, #1)
Ruby Dixon | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com
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&#x1f31f;&#x1f31f;&#x1f31f;1/2 STARS
"Fire in the blood" was a surprisingly delightful read.
I have previously read Some of Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarian series and loved them.
This, in my opinion, was on an equal par with them and I do Love a sexy dragon shifter so I was on to a winner straight from the get-go.
This story is set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future, where a few years previously rifts opened up in the sky and through these tear's came the dragons.
laying waste and destroying cities, Humanity is in hiding and the worlds gone to pot, everyone's only out for themselves.
Enter our gal Claudia, after being caught scavenging and thrown into a cell she earns an awful fate.
To be used as dragon bait, to see if she can tame a dragon.
Convinced she is going to be Scooby snack Claudia is astounded when the gold dragon flashes into a human, well almost human looking, he has claws and fangs and a kind of dappled skin and horn-like protrusions on his head.
With an inability to communicate there at a disadvantage.
The dragon "Kael" is his name recognises Claudia as his mate.
And she seems to help hold the madness at bay for him, the madness all dragons are afflicted with since they were pulled through the rift.
Claudia and Kael start a comical but sweet courtship, where he brings her dead goats and spit roasts her meals, he even offers to eat her enemies sweet ay?
Kaels just desperate for his Claudia to give him a chance.
But she still can't get her friend and sister Amy out of her head, needing to do something to rescue them from there life at the fort.
I found myself smiling a lot through this as these two found their way.
It was lovely just to read some uncomplicated fun romance.
was their slight repetitions and an annoying whiny heroine here, Oh Yes!! but honestly, that didn't really bother me as Buff Hunky Kael with the dragon heart of gold certainly made up for it.
He was a sexy Sweetheart even in his dragon form, he adored his Claudia and was prepared to do anything to assure her happiness.
Thankfully Claudia got less annoying as the story progressed and by the end I actually quite liked her.
so if you're looking for a lighthearted read with some sexy shifting and a dragon the size of a bus give this a go, it really was an enjoyable read and a great start to a new series.
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Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
  
Nine Perfect Strangers
Nine Perfect Strangers
Liane Moriarty | 2018 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
9
6.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
Laugh-out-loud funny (2 more)
Engaging characters
Great plot
Pacing a little slow (0 more)
My Rating is 9/10! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love this book. It's a funny, entertaining, and imaginative book about the issues that affect many people from all walks of life. It's also a definite must-read for all Liane Moriarty fans out there.

Nine people, of all ages, have booked into a health resort called Tranquillum House for a break. They are all going there for their own reasons. Located in Australia, Tranquillum House is a "boutique health and wellness resort" where a new you awaits. The resort is owned and run by Masha, a ruthlessly ambitious Russian. She is a former company executive who, ten years prior, experienced a near-death experience leading to her to choose a different life direction. However, Masha, assisted by her loyal staff members, Yao and Delilah, has a dark and sinister agenda for her nine new customers, although she is driven by good intentions.

The guests get a lot more than they bargained for with their ten-day cleansing programme of diet, light exercise, therapy and spa treatments. First, we are introduced to Frances, a romance novel writer whose career has taken a nosedive. Then Tony, who is divorced and has recently lost his much-loved dog has booked into Tranquillum House for weight loss. Lars, a divorce lawyer, is a regular guest of health resorts. Ben and his wife Jessica have won millions on the lottery, but their marriage is in jeopardy. The Marconi family, Napoleon, a teacher, his wife, Heather and their daughter Zoe have booked in for stress relief and appear to be weighed down by grief and guilt. Carmel, a divorced mum of four girls, has lost her husband to a younger woman and is troubled by her very low self-esteem.

All of the characters are wonderfully developed and are all so hopeful for their stay at the health resort. Their interactions with each other are fabulously entertaining, particularly those including my two favourites, Frances and Yao. Frances, for me, was hilarious and I loved the portrayal of the obsessive and infatuated Yao. Masha, exotic, charismatic and narcissistic, has plans for all of the guests that she truly believes will transform their lives and will reward her a glorious and promising future.

Humour and wit in are both in abundance in this novel where people with little in common with each other come together in circumstances where they form unexpected bonds with one another. There are, however, some terribly sad experiences for some of them, including Masha, that eventually became apparent by the end. I did find the pacing a little slow at times but it picked up during a very suspenseful second half of the novel. I couldn't really guess how this book would end but I absolutely loved the way the story was concluded.

Whilst "Nine Perfect Strangers" might not be everyone's favourite novel by Liane Moriarty, including mine, (I think "Big Little Lies" is a better book), it was still a hugely enjoyable read. Overall, I would say that Liane Moriarty has created a book with engaging characters, a surprising plot and some very insightful writing, which I am extremely pleased I have read!
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Salt to the Sea in Books

Dec 17, 2018  
Salt to the Sea
Salt to the Sea
Ruta Sepetys | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

“We survivors are not the true witnesses. The true witnesses, those in possession of the unspeakable truth, are the drowned, the dead, the disappeared.” </i>– Primo Levi

World War Two has got to be the most well known and talked about period of history. Despite it not even being a century ago, it is already taught in schools around the globe. However a lot of events are omitted from our history books. A lot of people, including those alive at the time, have no idea of some of the situations Europeans found themselves in. Ruta Sepetys, despite having only previously written two novels, has become known for her stories about the lesser-known aspects of the Second World War. Her third book, <i>Salt to the Sea</i>, is no different.

In 1945 things were not looking great for the people living in Germany. Their greatest concern was the invading Russian army, resulting in thousands of Germans evacuating their hometowns. Four characters in their late teens/early twenties narrate <i>Salt to the Sea</i>: Joana, Florian, Emilia and Alfred. Their varied nationalities – Lithuanian, Prussian, Polish and German – help provide a range of opinions about the war, but regardless of who they believe to be the enemy, whether it be German or Russian or both, they are all figuratively in the same boat.

Joana, Emilia and Florian meet each other amongst a group of refugees trekking to freedom. A lot of trust is involved especially as no one is willing to reveal his or her true story. It is clear that each character is hiding something personal, something to do with the war, yet they all rely on and help each other to continue on their journey.

Naturally, being a war story there is masses of death and destruction. Set in January, the weather conditions are just as dangerous as the Russian soldiers. It is the end of the novel that contains the most shocking of events: a sinking of a ship that kills 9000 passengers. The most severe maritime disaster ever, yet it is doubtful that readers already know about it.

Despite being a work of fiction, Sepetys sticks to the facts in her heavily researched novel. She shocks the reader with the severity of the situation, and may even bring some to tears with the outcome. She has not sugar coated anything. Some storytellers save the innocents from harm, but this was not the case in <i>Salt to the Sea</i>. In war, no one can choose who lives and who dies. Millions of innocent people perish.

The short chapters keep the story flowing quickly. It is shocking, gripping and engaging. There is a brief notion of romance but this is not focused on and thus does not detract from the factual storyline. There was a hinted connection between characters in this novel and those in <i>Between Shades of Grey </i>– one of Sepetys’ earlier novels, however this is not a sequel or part of a series.

With the help of maps showing the difference between Europe now and Europe in 1945,<i> Salt to the Sea</i> is highly educational. Although aimed at young adults it is suitable for older generations as well. Whilst containing shocking content, you are certain to fall in love with Sepetys’ writing.