tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9720345147465625712024-03-09T00:57:39.794-05:00Shelley's Book Nook Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing...ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.comBlogger1078125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-49971042452304168002023-02-01T18:18:00.000-05:002023-02-01T18:18:56.887-05:00The One That Got Away by Charlotte Rixon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw86VEfrMuVCBf-PR1DuZXrssRuUgss1U8nm3oijSiEMgMqBIglZm1Yx9lGWPDw4HNAdTj_I0S1uFjsuUteK86zCkbCCCeHpH1mBnEC0qoEjDMfNzJFAnl0TpFF2TlOQhDCVlKlKB8k8p02RCA8WMRobxI_fq7fTbd7v0j8FaaQNBpAGOs8oC_lHC/s398/The%20One%20That%20Got%20Away.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw86VEfrMuVCBf-PR1DuZXrssRuUgss1U8nm3oijSiEMgMqBIglZm1Yx9lGWPDw4HNAdTj_I0S1uFjsuUteK86zCkbCCCeHpH1mBnEC0qoEjDMfNzJFAnl0TpFF2TlOQhDCVlKlKB8k8p02RCA8WMRobxI_fq7fTbd7v0j8FaaQNBpAGOs8oC_lHC/s320/The%20One%20That%20Got%20Away.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>💛💛💛💛💛<br />Print Length: 336 pages<br />Expected Publication: 2 Feb 2023<br />By: Aria & Aries<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60857939-the-one-that-got-away" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-That-Got-Away-Novel/dp/1250285666" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Two years together. Twenty years apart. One day to change their story. 2000. Benjamin’s world is turned upside down the night he meets Clara. Instinctively, he knows that they are meant for each other, but a devastating mistake on their last night at university will take their lives in very different directions. 20 years later, Clara has a high-profile job and a handsome husband. But despite the trappings of success, she isn't happy, and she knows that a piece of her heart still belongs to Benjamin, the boy she fell in love with years earlier. The boy whose life she fears she ruined. When a bombing is reported in the city where they first met, Clara is pulled back to a place she tries not to remember and the first love she could never forget. Searching for Benjamin, Clara is forced to confront the events that tore them apart. But is it too late to put right what went wrong?<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br />I am really surprised that this book doesn't have a higher rating, I absolutely loved it. It was quite different than your usual romance novels and it is a unique take on the second chance romance trope. Benjamin and Clara meet in 2000 and dated for a couple of years. It was an intense relationship. Twenty years later there is a bomb at the stadium where Benjamin has season tickets. Clara sets off to find him in the melee.<p>
There is a lot of heavy subject matter in this book...spousal abuse, sexual assault, addiction and cancer to name but a few. The author handles these situations in a realistic and sensitive manner and I appreciated that. The book is very character driven and they are well rounded and fully flesh out, flaws and all. I really enjoyed the two timelines as we get to see how this couple meets and how their relationship changes over time, it was also great to have the story from both points of view. The chapters are short and I liked that because as soon as I came to a new one I kept repeating oh just one more. Imagine my surprise to find that the author is none other than <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17133246.Charlotte_Duckworth">Charlotte Duckworth</a>, I have loved her books for years. This one is captivating, emotive and I highly recommend it and the author's other works. All. The. Stars.</p><p><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.</i></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#TheOneThatGotAway #NetGalley
</span></b><br /><br /></p><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div><p></p>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-34745059848225733032023-01-30T19:31:00.007-05:002023-01-30T19:31:59.435-05:00The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkXJtIo0S8DNOCoYvvUD8sNimBxWU2QPrXBEV1NVtBevU4E0MSgvkKNkENXz8AV5-ZUmXfaIG6uzeFy5_UtYD6tP1b1dGMfhM5dn4RZLsQBjw-YpCGAFytLKzus0H3SSbi6yECu9597o09D-tCZcu1-nQZxT-F_MkK3U7vlXKIK4Y6etjS-eua1fo/s2109/The%20Lost%20English%20Girl.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2109" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkXJtIo0S8DNOCoYvvUD8sNimBxWU2QPrXBEV1NVtBevU4E0MSgvkKNkENXz8AV5-ZUmXfaIG6uzeFy5_UtYD6tP1b1dGMfhM5dn4RZLsQBjw-YpCGAFytLKzus0H3SSbi6yECu9597o09D-tCZcu1-nQZxT-F_MkK3U7vlXKIK4Y6etjS-eua1fo/s320/The%20Lost%20English%20Girl.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>👧👧👧👧👧<br />Print Length: 416 Pages<br />Publication Date: March 7th, 2023<br />By: Simon & Schuster Canada | Gallery Books<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61273767-the-lost-english-girl" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-English-Girl-Julia-Kelly/dp/1982171707" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Liverpool, 1935: Raised in a strict Catholic family, Viv Byrne knows what’s expected of her: marry a Catholic man from her working-class neighbourhood and have his children. However, when she finds herself pregnant after a fling with Joshua Levinson, a Jewish man with dreams of becoming a famous Jazz musician, Viv knows that a swift wedding is the only answer. Her only solace is that marrying Joshua will mean escaping her strict mother’s scrutiny. But when Joshua makes a life-changing choice on their wedding day, Viv is forced once again into the arms of her disapproving family. Five years later and on the eve of World War II, Viv is faced with the impossible choice to evacuate her young daughter, Maggie, to the countryside estate of the affluent Thompson family. In New York City, Joshua gives up his failing musical career to serve in the Royal Air Force, fight for his country, and try to piece together his feelings about the family, wife, and daughter he left behind at nineteen. However, tragedy strikes when Viv learns that the countryside safe haven she sent her daughter to wasn’t immune from the horrors of war. It is only years later, with Joshua’s help, that Viv learns the secrets of their shared past and what it will take to put a family back together again.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><div>I read and so loved <a href="https://shelleyann01.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-last-garden-in-england-by-julia.html">The Last Garden in England</a> by this author and was so excited to get this one from NetGalley and let me tell you Julia Kelly does not disappoint. This story broke my heart into a million pieces and then put it back together again. The writing was engaging, I could not put the book down until I was done with Maggie and Viv's story. I loved how fiercely Viv loved her daughter and how she found the strength to push back because of that love.<p>
Viv's mother was so manipulative and I loathed her, I love it when a book's character can evoke emotions in me and every single one in this book did that, they were fully rounded, well-developed and believable. I will never understand people who claim to follow God when they aren't kind or compassionate towards others who they believe have sinned. I thought God's teachings were to be loving, kind and forgiving.</p><p>
The book deals with topics of unwed pregnancy, religion, love, loss and second chances. It is about yet another priest abusing his position but in an entirely different manner than usual. What a powerful story that was complex and well-written, I could tell the author did a lot of research. The book is pure fiction but is based on families sending their child(ren) away to safety during the blitz of WWII and I loved every page. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next!</p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#NetGalley</span></b><br /><br /><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.</i></b></p><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-18472064897690500982023-01-29T21:43:00.003-05:002023-01-29T21:43:46.204-05:00Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex<div class="separator"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGf_XUc_Sdb-d309SjwIa1R6p5sIL7i7_mkEJS6pLcxNlAZFITDDbHujgRSYy65VbezRQXUE1Nkom6amfdI2koy-twUV9fNyCSD6QQZFZkHbc0KKU-2ydaAx2lBM82ioejDqa-P9LQcp40xt5bdRv8EStURJQh72ghusrD2owdbwLKeFjrJ8Nthukr/s475/Spare.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGf_XUc_Sdb-d309SjwIa1R6p5sIL7i7_mkEJS6pLcxNlAZFITDDbHujgRSYy65VbezRQXUE1Nkom6amfdI2koy-twUV9fNyCSD6QQZFZkHbc0KKU-2ydaAx2lBM82ioejDqa-P9LQcp40xt5bdRv8EStURJQh72ghusrD2owdbwLKeFjrJ8Nthukr/s320/Spare.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>🫅🫅🫅🫅<br />.ePUB, 450 pages<br />Publication Date: 10 Jan 2023<br />By: Random House<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62296528-spare" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spare-Prince-Harry-Duke-Sussex/dp/0593593804" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on. For Harry, this is that story at last. Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight. At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love. Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br />I liked this book, a lot. Now I admit it will not win any literary prizes, well maybe it will based on its popularity, but it shouldn't. This isn't a bad book by any means, hence the four star rating. I just felt parts were a little boring and read more like a journal than a memoir. <p>
Harry starts his book with the death of his mother, Princess Diana. I was surprised by how emotional and intimate the book was. Her death clouds and eclipses every aspect of his life, good and bad. It broke my heart to read about it. Like his mother, he loves fiercely and believes family is first.</p><p>
I have got to give the man props for putting it all out there, warts and all. He knows his issues and is trying his best to deal with them. He takes responsibility for his actions for the most part, it is a shame his father and brother can't as it is apparent he loves them dearly. I was also surprised by how funny he was, I shouldn't have been as he was always fooling around as a child.</p><p>
The middle section of the book was uninteresting to me. It deals with Harry's life in the military. It describes his training and his deployment to Afghanistan. While I appreciate his service to his country and his Queen I was bored to tears. (Sorry!)</p><p>
I have usually sided with Meghan and Harry because of the simple fact he blames the press for the situation they found themselves in and he blames the family or the firm for not helping or supporting him and Meghan. Just look at the images below from British newspapers and tell me the press didn't have it out for Meghan. It can't be more evident than that. He gives clear and precise reasons why he chose to step down and I can't blame him one bit.</p><p>
<i><b>It's okay for Kate to rub her bump but heaven forbid Meghan should do it.</b></i></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>
<img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-12428" height="230" src="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-211x300.webp" width="160" /> <img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-12429" height="230" src="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2-204x300.webp" width="160" /> <p>
<i><b>And let's not forget when Kate eats avocados all is right in the world, when Meghan eats them she is contributing to human rights offences. </b></i></p>
<img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-12430" height="230" src="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/3-240x300.webp" width="180" /> <img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-12431" height="230" src="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/4-229x300.webp" width="180" /><div><p>There isn't much new in the book but I loved that it was from Harry's mind, mouth and heart. If only we all had someone love us the way he loves Meghan.</p><p><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /></p><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-79491740178044235122023-01-28T19:52:00.002-05:002023-01-28T19:54:10.708-05:00The Family Bones by Elle Marr<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uf7Xsbia2RIKgGZupDEC6WgTXN3CRihB3bvS4JGACM195gL6HUn5imgoOBJyHSSN2lObSQZUhB34qovWsI5LrKwfFeaJMe8lBZ5nHVNMZOPPxxQ1FS84BLCWD2J9XSjP-rU64a9dqZva4xhz5EGYVomkEM8EiDbHttgr4ZJnqDWHdbroCH0zt60R/s475/The%20Family%20Bones.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uf7Xsbia2RIKgGZupDEC6WgTXN3CRihB3bvS4JGACM195gL6HUn5imgoOBJyHSSN2lObSQZUhB34qovWsI5LrKwfFeaJMe8lBZ5nHVNMZOPPxxQ1FS84BLCWD2J9XSjP-rU64a9dqZva4xhz5EGYVomkEM8EiDbHttgr4ZJnqDWHdbroCH0zt60R/s320/The%20Family%20Bones.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><div>☠️☠️<br />Print Length: 317 Pages<br />Publication Date: March 7th, 2023<br />By: Thomas & Mercer<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61027636-the-family-bones" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Family-Bones-Elle-Marr/dp/1542038901" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Psychology student Olivia Eriksen’s family is notorious among true-crime buffs. Faced with a legacy of psychopathy that spans generations, Olivia has spent much of her academic life trying to answer one chilling question: Nature or nurture? Although she’s kept a safe distance from her blood relatives for years, Olivia agrees to attend a weekend reunion. After all, her fiancé is eager to meet his future in-laws, and the gathering may give her a chance to interview her elusive grandfather about the family traits. But nothing is ever peaceful among the Eriksens for long. Olivia’s favorite cousin is found dead in a nearby lake. Then another family member disappears. As a violent storm isolates the group further, Olivia’s fears rise faster than the river. And an uninvited guest is about to join the party. True-crime podcaster Birdie Tan has uncovered a disturbing mystery in her latest investigation—and she’s following it right to the Eriksens’ mountain resort. There’s a deadly twist in the family plot that even Olivia doesn’t see coming.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br /><div>I tried to like this book, I really really did. The book is intelligently written with lots of clinical terms and you can tell the author did a lot of research. I also liked that the premise was so unique, a family reunion of psychopaths where someone goes missing and another turns up dead. Throw a true crime podcaster into the mix and it sounds exciting, right? But this was a slooooow burn of a book and not in a good way. Honestly, I was bored out of my skull. I am getting really tired of thrillers using the "no phones allowed" as part of their plot. Who would allow that rule if they're on a retreat with a bunch of psychopaths!?</div><div><br /></div><div>The book is from dual points of view with newspaper clippings and journal entries. I love a good epistolary novel but this one was like three different books smashed together, it was incohesive. I also had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. Maybe that was the author's intent with a family full of psychotics. I couldn't get into the story itself either and I struggled to finish it. There were no real surprises and I was very unsatisfied with the ending and the book in general.</div><div><br /></div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#TheFamilyBones #NetGalley</span></b><br /><br /><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.</i></b></div></div><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-82002172583424524202023-01-24T19:38:00.000-05:002023-01-24T19:38:28.224-05:00What Have We Done by Alex Finlay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlpq2il7vVeYHDY7pe9QsNG-CjRzzJXGfik4UK2k1jaRtkQJF5CSXVGIjg6QhcAuXel081DcXp63ZiXKhlMPd5Xl6ZpiMYzubU9x8j1O2_nDCdJjEChZ5RTT55bORFT5gU9Q9aBS2_2yoS3WVIYsluCdeW4897L64MJPOHNCGjh7Bv2YaX1ZfPswA/s400/What%20Have%20We%20Done.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlpq2il7vVeYHDY7pe9QsNG-CjRzzJXGfik4UK2k1jaRtkQJF5CSXVGIjg6QhcAuXel081DcXp63ZiXKhlMPd5Xl6ZpiMYzubU9x8j1O2_nDCdJjEChZ5RTT55bORFT5gU9Q9aBS2_2yoS3WVIYsluCdeW4897L64MJPOHNCGjh7Bv2YaX1ZfPswA/s320/What%20Have%20We%20Done.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><span style="-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-color: white; background-image: url("https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/2620.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 1em 1em; color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; padding: 0.15em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="clip-path: circle(0% at 50% 50%);"><span data-offset-key="2ip75-0-0">☠️</span></span></span><span style="-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-color: white; background-image: url("https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/2620.svg"); background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 1em 1em; color: #0f1419; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; padding: 0.15em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="clip-path: circle(0% at 50% 50%);"><span data-offset-key="2ip75-1-0">☠️</span></span></span><br />Print Length: 368 Pages<br />Publication Date: March 7th, 2023<br />By: St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784578-what-have-we-done" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Have-We-Done-Novel/dp/1250863724" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends, a bond forged as residents of Savior House, an abusive group home for parentless teens. When the home was shut down—after the disappearance of several kids—the three were split up. Though the trauma of their childhood has never left them, each went on to live successful, if troubled, lives. They haven’t seen one another since they were teens but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is trying to kill them. To save their lives, the group will have to revisit the nightmares of their childhoods and confront their past—a past that holds the secret to why someone wants them dead. It’s a reunion none of them asked for... or wanted. But it may be the only way to save all their lives.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br />I read and loved both <a href="https://shelleyann01.blogspot.com/2021/02/every-last-fear-by-alex-finlay.html"><b>Every Last Fear</b></a> and <a href="https://shelleyann01.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-night-shift-by-alex-finlay.html"><b>The Night Shift</b></a> by this author. But this one just didn't do it for me, it didn't even feel like Alex Finlay wrote it. I am used to his books being more on the mystery/suspense side of things and this title was more like an action movie. <div><br /></div><div>Five teens find themselves in a group home and become fast friends, 25 years later the secret they've been keeping has been let out of the bag and someone is after them for it. We get multiple points of view from all involved and we also get two timelines. This is my favourite format but it did not work with this book. The past timeline was a little more interesting and believable to me, but when it came to the present it got a little too over the top. </div><div><br /></div><div> I don't mind books that are over-the-top action-packed thrillers and this one started out okay but somewhere around the halfway mark, I started to find it a little too repetitive and unrealistic. I don't mind having to suspend belief for entertainment's sake but having the same thing happen over and over again gets boring. There was just a lot going on and I mean a lot.
There was just too much action and not enough plot or character development for my liking. This book will be a hit for many, I am just not one of them.</div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#NetGalley<br /></span></b><br /><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-85949886159683554272023-01-21T19:40:00.000-05:002023-01-21T19:40:41.349-05:00When the Moon Turns Blue by Pamela Terry<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlgKzg3knk9gqbeHNMDYaMvY5oyaKi8Db2oMeZGD-CzkNn2VJmYEKBB2WrmTtA7cyxB0amkS4rNQ8W4FGf09BBAXCO-oiy0LcYLb-XFceApOUBOq3Y2D0_R05TvtYk8gepRc03yWLbrycIBUXvQ0mpCztvcmEoOYuVVJrWbonwz_aGCkEZBcf1b6R/s400/When%20the%20Moon%20Turns%20Blue.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlgKzg3knk9gqbeHNMDYaMvY5oyaKi8Db2oMeZGD-CzkNn2VJmYEKBB2WrmTtA7cyxB0amkS4rNQ8W4FGf09BBAXCO-oiy0LcYLb-XFceApOUBOq3Y2D0_R05TvtYk8gepRc03yWLbrycIBUXvQ0mpCztvcmEoOYuVVJrWbonwz_aGCkEZBcf1b6R/s320/When%20the%20Moon%20Turns%20Blue.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙<br />Print Length: 320 Pages<br />Publication Date: February 21st, 2023<br />By: Random House Publishing Group | Ballantine<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61155017-when-the-moon-turns-blue" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Moon-Turns-Blue-Novel/dp/0593359208" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />On the morning after Harry Cline’s funeral, a rare ice storm hits the town of Wesleyan, Georgia. The community wakes up to find its controversial statue of Confederate general Henry Benning destroyed—and not by the weather. Half the town had wanted to remove the statue; the other half wanted to celebrate it. Now that the matter has been taken out of their hands, the town’s long-simmering tensions are laid bare. This conflict is especially personal to Harry’s widow, Marietta, who’s never been a fan of the statue. Her brother, Macon, the top defense attorney in the Southeast, is representing Old Man Griffin, the owner of the park where the statue stood. Despite Marietta’s pleas to let the matter rest, Macon is determined to find those responsible for the damage and protect the Griffin legacy—and he’s far from the only person Marietta stands to lose over a statue. Without Harry beside her, Marietta longs to salvage those connections, but the world is changing, and the divide can no longer be ignored.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i> ‘Once in a while the odd thing happens, once in a while the dream comes true, </i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>and the whole pattern of life is altered, once in a while the moon turns blue.’</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Last year I read and loved <a href="https://shelleyann01.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-sweet-taste-of-muscadines-by-pamela.html"><b>The Sweet Taste of Muscadines by Pamela Terry</b></a> so when I saw this on NetGalley I had to read it. Ms. Terry does not disappoint with When the Moon Turns Blue. In fact, I loved this book even more. Southern fiction is one of my favourite genres. This book has everything I am looking for in a good story. There are racial tensions, a dead body and a couple of acts of vandalism all during a Georgia ice storm, what's not to love!? </div><div><br /></div><div> Pamela Terry is a wonderfully beautiful writer, her prose is like a warm hug on a cold day. Her words evoke emotions and there is a lot to get emotional about between these pages. She also writes amazing characters that you can't help but love, or in some cases love to hate. I enjoyed the fact that the town of Wesleyan felt like a character as well. Terry hits hard and truly portrays what the United States has been going through since Donald J. Trump was elected president in 2016. The author managed to do this without getting too political or preachy. I was sad when the book ended and I had to say goodbye to the people of Wesleyan. All. The. Stars.</div><div><br /><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#WhentheMoonTurnsBlue #NetGalley</span></b><br /><br /><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-89937595706317224292023-01-18T19:10:00.000-05:002023-01-18T19:10:15.026-05:00The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDxKfNPWsKCZNIngVfQXWAPziFMvRIoF8FoNImKTKjh2Ia1G8_ghM9Am-494lP4RHQ8pqzJAD7blQYrwZgQkWeKYRCh075_LQXzUJ021EFVfXq09MdbmvkcpXL0k2TXPcQdFSnHhKScp5EN8p-DJbU5LS4fpeik8ScRqO-wLOqIR68TE0hSEl4m2B/s2114/The%20Writing%20Retreat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2114" data-original-width="1399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDxKfNPWsKCZNIngVfQXWAPziFMvRIoF8FoNImKTKjh2Ia1G8_ghM9Am-494lP4RHQ8pqzJAD7blQYrwZgQkWeKYRCh075_LQXzUJ021EFVfXq09MdbmvkcpXL0k2TXPcQdFSnHhKScp5EN8p-DJbU5LS4fpeik8ScRqO-wLOqIR68TE0hSEl4m2B/s320/The%20Writing%20Retreat.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>✍️✍️✍️✍️<br />Print Length: 320 pages<br />Expected Publication: 21 Feb 2023<br />By: Atria Books | Emily Bestler Books<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61273863-the-writing-retreat" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Retreat-Novel-Julia-Bartz/dp/1982199458" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement. But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she’s desperate to discover the truth and save herself.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br /><br /><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.</i></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#TheWritingRetreat #NetGalley
</span></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-59893454501877594652023-01-15T19:52:00.002-05:002023-01-15T19:52:33.822-05:00A Dangerous Education by Megan Chance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4m8Go1lsqh1BvPxKgdyKccpxcYh846K2Z-2a9H9rbMgLCncv5im9nTWrZ66oQwVlpPpvcslOUiWtQbCX6LqpTE1NfHpNEIy-QvKi3XaVRq5ZD1iFfk42NiBMYe7bohSenGx41eBkZyQ8e0D6PJ-SCTezaNT2p1-2phjXZoygS3X1d5EYGtE4PX1ie/s346/A%20Dangerous%20Education.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4m8Go1lsqh1BvPxKgdyKccpxcYh846K2Z-2a9H9rbMgLCncv5im9nTWrZ66oQwVlpPpvcslOUiWtQbCX6LqpTE1NfHpNEIy-QvKi3XaVRq5ZD1iFfk42NiBMYe7bohSenGx41eBkZyQ8e0D6PJ-SCTezaNT2p1-2phjXZoygS3X1d5EYGtE4PX1ie/s320/A%20Dangerous%20Education.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>🍎🍎🍎🍎<br />Print Length: 397 pages<br />Expected Publication: February 7, 2023<br />By: Lake Union Publishing<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60536212-a-dangerous-education" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Dangerous-Education-Novel-Megan-Chance/dp/1542039029" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a><b><br /></b><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Rosemary Chivers is haunted by the choices she made as a teenager—and by those made for her by a controlling mother. Now, in the Cold War era of conformity and suspicion, Rosemary is a modern new teacher at a school for troubled girls, where she challenges the narrow curriculum meant to tame restless young minds. She also keeps a devastating secret. She knows one of the students is the child she gave up. But which one? Ignoring warnings, Rosemary forms an impenetrable bond with the three girls who are the right age: shrewd runaway Maisie, alcohol-indulging Sandra, and overly flirtatious Jean. But these are no ordinary girls, and what begins as an effort to bring closure to her own rebellious youth soon spirals dangerously out of control. Rosemary is prepared to do anything to find her daughter. What she isn’t prepared for are the deadly consequences that come with discovery—or just how wicked wayward girls can be. <br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br /><div>This book ticked a lot of boxes for me and was a slow burner in a really good way. It's historical fiction with a lot of suspense and teen girls gone bad. Add in a touch of dark academia and you have a recipe for a damn good novel. Rosemary Chivers starts a job at a reform school, as suggested by her mother. She is the home economics teacher and falls in with "mean girls" type of clique. A little too late she realizes that being the favourite teacher isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Add in an out-of-date curriculum and a secret she is hiding things get very complicated for her.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was so much tension in this story, it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Rosemary doesn't always make the best decisions and I often felt like shaking her and scream "Don't do it!" I loved the two timelines, especially Rosemary's backstory. What a horrible time in history to be a woman who is aware of her own thoughts, feelings and sexuality. The grief and anger of Rosemary was palatable and carried on through her life in the present. The ending was surprising and satisfying even if I was frustrated with the injustice of it all.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.</i></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#ADangerousEducation #NetGalley
</span></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-82710697272672884222023-01-11T21:52:00.000-05:002023-01-21T21:52:34.532-05:00My (extra)Ordinary Life by Rebecca Ryan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQB8mFp2sI9IpHNZSjTbpkUrZMyOlvGjCCPwHb0kMhSYEoKCZsoFWh26-MaxFhElCC6Q2FkGxx8JNST_FfJQNdCjyV9ZduZVXn2QYfXtfV7-kUBgKec-qs8uhuyBRt7XIY37Atvw2Jnyg40ImhdVK9bfmvuBrwF5-GJEqkssKYM5CPwbpDlc1eSwlb/s475/My%20(extra)Ordinary%20Life.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQB8mFp2sI9IpHNZSjTbpkUrZMyOlvGjCCPwHb0kMhSYEoKCZsoFWh26-MaxFhElCC6Q2FkGxx8JNST_FfJQNdCjyV9ZduZVXn2QYfXtfV7-kUBgKec-qs8uhuyBRt7XIY37Atvw2Jnyg40ImhdVK9bfmvuBrwF5-GJEqkssKYM5CPwbpDlc1eSwlb/s320/My%20(extra)Ordinary%20Life.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞<br />Print Length: 448 pages<br />Publication Date: January 5th, 2023<br />By: Simon & Schuster UK<br /> <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62097837-my-extra-ordinary-life" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.com/extra-Ordinary-Life-Rebecca-Ryan/dp/1398509248" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />When watching a documentary on the average human experience, Emily realises she's the epitome of the typical woman. Her name, her height, her occupation… even her blood group. The only thing unusual about her is that she’s a twin. But her twin died when they were only 8 and Emily can't help but think maybe her sister was meant to live instead of her. Secretly she suspects her sister would have done a better job at life... better than average anyway. So Emily writes a list committing her to live a more extraordinary life… she’ll become a vegan, run a marathon and bungee jump. But the one thing she knows she can’t do though is fall in love… because according to the stats this is the perfect time for her to meet the person she’ll marry. And normal just won’t do. <br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>How do you fail at living when you’re alive?<br /></b><div>This book is such a heartbreaker but by the end, my heart was put back together again. I adore books that can do that. Who among us hasn't felt average or boring at some point in our lives? Emily Turner keeps comparing herself to her mirror twin, Claire and feels she doesn't live up to what she might have made of herself...I think it was survivor's guilt she was feeling. I wanted to shake her and tell her she doesn't need to live up to anyone! I had to keep reminding myself that she is fairly young and still trying to find her groove in life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Emily has the best of best friends in Kaz, they have been friends since childhood, she knows all her secrets and they are flatmates, I loved this character SO much. We could all use a Kaz in our lives. Feeling a little down on herself she asks her year eleven students what makes someone extraordinary and she makes a "Life List" of things to do, one a month for eight months. She also swears to herself that she will not fall in love or meet her soulmate (too average and too normal).</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>That humans can be so unbearably sad and yet so ridiculously happy at the same time really is quite the feat of evolution.<br /></b>The book is told in two timelines and I liked the flashback chapters the best. Reading about Claire and Emily's childhood and their relationship really made me feel like I knew these girls. And even though the subject matter was really sad this book was also very funny in some parts and Rebecca Ryan had a lovely balance throughout the book. I couldn't stop reading as I had to find out how Emily did with each item on her list and in the end, I was really proud of her. I enjoyed this book immensely and it deserves ALL. The. Stars.</div><div><br /><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-75852663759854808702023-01-11T17:34:00.000-05:002023-01-11T17:34:05.520-05:00Maureen (Harold Fry #3) by Rachel Joyce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2GFYJXH3PAv-QU-t3Aq_pNXsOe3H09u4avy_CpS5fVLmXAzPE598GOCehhsqSAZ0r_LRvmbklnNhlWGh6J_RQAhdaetU6HDiRssybXylTNXXK2IqOOG9Ed9Li9KrA5oI6fMVTm_JxvLrdwfypCI8CO6nA96erOg9CMvaNcPs1R04pvP6hLlHXcqQ/s346/Maureen.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="224" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2GFYJXH3PAv-QU-t3Aq_pNXsOe3H09u4avy_CpS5fVLmXAzPE598GOCehhsqSAZ0r_LRvmbklnNhlWGh6J_RQAhdaetU6HDiRssybXylTNXXK2IqOOG9Ed9Li9KrA5oI6fMVTm_JxvLrdwfypCI8CO6nA96erOg9CMvaNcPs1R04pvP6hLlHXcqQ/s320/Maureen.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>💐💐<br />Print Length: 192 pages<br />Expected Publication: February 7, 2023<br />By: Random House Publishing Group | Dial Press Trade Paperback<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61111273-maureen" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Maureen-Harold-Novel-Rachel-Joyce/dp/0593446429" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br /><i>Only she can finish the journey her husband started.</i><br />Maureen and Harold Fry have settled into a quiet life, but when an unexpected message from the North disturbs their peaceful equilibrium, Maureen realizes that it’s now her turn to make a journey. But she is not like her affable, easygoing husband. By turns outspoken, then vulnerable, she struggles to form bonds with the people she meets—and the landscape she crosses has radically changed. Maureen has no sense of what she will find at the end of the road. All she knows is that she has to get there.<br /><br /><b><br /></b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>My Review:</b><br /><div>I loved both The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy from this series but the final one left me feeling very disappointed. I couldn't connect to the main character, Maureen, at all and frankly, I was quite bored sometimes while reading this one. It was very repetitive in the fact that Maureen whines and complains and gets angry over and over again. Rachel Joyce usually writes about the ordinary in an extraordinary way but this one just fell flat.</div><div><br /></div><div>I understand what the author was trying to do giving Maureen a voice to her grief at the loss of her son. While Harold walked during his journey Maureen chooses to drive and we are subjected to a lot of internal dialogue and not much interaction with others and what we do get is complaints and whining. I think that's the biggest difference between these stories.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a short book and I was able to read it in a single sitting and it does not work as a stand-alone. If you've read the other two books you might be curious to read this one just to get some closure of some sort but other than that I cannot recommend it.</div><div style="font-style: italic;"><b><br /></b></div><b style="font-style: italic;">Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
</b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-60929295676691292842023-01-09T19:12:00.000-05:002023-01-09T19:12:26.337-05:00One Day With You by Shari Low<div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtSOgrcQzMsqhDQqgIabYKrOM81p4GVeU7FZppilF2-AxJZdHhQ_t62Bm2JOCWhXgSH0kqvwdJtGOnIxQMftJQ3QyA43z3ZkC1g3MLlvNBRBWQz3-F9AR1y5DkjsQmbgB4K0ogO7Obk-MDW7F9hoSHxvvnq7LOtbhNuJtgkodsw6msZ7-Bvl4fWFL/s475/One%20Day%20With%20You.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtSOgrcQzMsqhDQqgIabYKrOM81p4GVeU7FZppilF2-AxJZdHhQ_t62Bm2JOCWhXgSH0kqvwdJtGOnIxQMftJQ3QyA43z3ZkC1g3MLlvNBRBWQz3-F9AR1y5DkjsQmbgB4K0ogO7Obk-MDW7F9hoSHxvvnq7LOtbhNuJtgkodsw6msZ7-Bvl4fWFL/s320/One%20Day%20With%20You.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳<br />Print Length: 308 pages<br />Expected Publication: January 20, 2023<br />By: Boldwood Books<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62921771" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Day-You-Shari-Low/dp/1804268674" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />One day, five lives, but whose hearts will be broken by nightfall? It started like any other day in the picturesque village of Weirbridge. Tress Walker waved her perfect husband Max off to work, with no idea that she was about to go into labour with their first child. And completely unaware that when she tried to track Max down, he wouldn’t be where he was supposed to be. At the same time, Max’s best friend Noah Clark said goodbye to his wife, Mya, blissfully oblivious that he would soon discover the woman he adored had been lying to him for years. And living alongside the two couples, their recently widowed friend, Nancy Jenkins, is getting ready to meet Eddie, her first true love at a school reunion. Will Nancy have the chance to rekindle an old flame, or will she choose to stay by Tress’s side when she needs her most? One Day with You - two fateful goodbyes, two unexpected hellos, and 24 hours that change everything. <br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br /><div>This is a story that takes place over the course of one day and how all the main characters have interlocking lives. Shari Low writes women's friendship fiction like no other and One Day With You is no exception. As soon as I see a new book by this author I have to read it right away. This book shattered my heart and was such a moving story of two couples who are best friends and when deceit and tragedy strikes two of them have to stay strong for each other and their partners, and the other two have a lot to answer for.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is one of the most emotional books I have read in a long time. I felt so terribly sad for the kindhearted Tress, who is about to give birth to her long awaited baby. And poor Noah, trying to stay strong for everyone but especially Tress while she is in labour and being an honest friend after the baby is born. I felt so much anger towards Max and Anya and their selfishness that destroyed lives. The Nancy storyline was fresh and funny. I was literally laughing out loud at her antics with Val. It was also nice to read about a late in life romance. I loved how this story has wonderfully fleshed out characters and how they acted like real people and the conclusion was very true to life as well. If you enjoy books that evoke many emotions, have lots of drama, and a bit of romance this is the book for you. All. The. Stars.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.</i></b><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#OneDayWithYou #NetGalley</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br style="text-align: left;" /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div><br /></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-86777634206444960452023-01-07T19:47:00.000-05:002023-01-07T19:47:17.463-05:00The Trial of Lotta Rae by Siobhan MacGowan<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60663716-the-trial-of-lotta-rae" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60663716-the-trial-of-lotta-rae" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzfy8zdPHtzm236b7juXQn9_3SPBto5o8yhlfr_tsQrAcpuFQydZRH0DSU4GVRbWf6Mm-Nerk40dWvIwXbHIB3B9AOuBlk-Jj69klYRzPJsGa09swoWD-4lLogDzbxMSTs2fbFB9TtB6fL9Z4GwitY0PXDdQxm-ykqqzWD9y0p1WNH0xNMsYs2o8g/s391/The%20Trial%20Of%20Lotta%20Rae.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzfy8zdPHtzm236b7juXQn9_3SPBto5o8yhlfr_tsQrAcpuFQydZRH0DSU4GVRbWf6Mm-Nerk40dWvIwXbHIB3B9AOuBlk-Jj69klYRzPJsGa09swoWD-4lLogDzbxMSTs2fbFB9TtB6fL9Z4GwitY0PXDdQxm-ykqqzWD9y0p1WNH0xNMsYs2o8g/s320/The%20Trial%20Of%20Lotta%20Rae.png" width="209" /></a></div>⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️<br />.ePUB, 275 pages<br />Expected Publication: January 19, 2023<br />By: Welbeck Publishing UK @welbeckpublish<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60663716-the-trial-of-lotta-rae" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/The-Trial-of-Lotta-Rae/dp/1787397823" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Set in suffragette London. Lotta Rae is a working-class 15-year-old, raped by a wealthy gentleman, who makes the brave decision to testify in court. William Lindon is a barrister about to lose everything. Both have decisions to make that will change the course of their lives and the lives of everyone around them for generations to come.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><div><div>This book was fascinating from start to finish. I loved the emotions it evoked in me, everything from heartbreak to anger. What surprised me the most about the book was that the trial itself wasn't the book's main focus but rather the aftermath. I really liked that about the story as it was a refreshingly new take on a woman scorned and out for revenge after being taken advantage of by men, especially a man who was supposed to be on her side to help her get justice.</div><div><br /></div><div>The writing was exceptional without being wordy. It stayed true to the timeline but you don't need to be a scholar to understand and enjoy it. I also appreciated how Lotta was portrayed as an extraordinary woman with a simple background, proving that you don't need to be rich or highly educated to make a difference in the world. Although not a happy story it is a very real and accurate one that I enjoyed immensely. All. The. Stars.</div><br /><b><i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.</i></b><div><b><i><br /></i></b><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">#TheTrialofLottaRae #NetGalley</span></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-84758796299985245172023-01-02T21:53:00.008-05:002023-01-02T21:53:56.351-05:00 Kindred by Octavia E. Butler<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HyJjfm6HfHO7LUpsUclhv9SDU7mXj-8g3qq5jLmJWwCf1Y0aZgU5wk3B_fcn1R5lw21XTbR6oKl_2UW4posAA9a6b8SGDL7clHxOI9KvL4107EZgaVJOZ5CfVL8cHcWTNXLfOLPwUvhaagvKY63ZFNwdVa8S7jePjK57b8do9qBIMqqTT3UY3HDQ/s400/Kindred.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HyJjfm6HfHO7LUpsUclhv9SDU7mXj-8g3qq5jLmJWwCf1Y0aZgU5wk3B_fcn1R5lw21XTbR6oKl_2UW4posAA9a6b8SGDL7clHxOI9KvL4107EZgaVJOZ5CfVL8cHcWTNXLfOLPwUvhaagvKY63ZFNwdVa8S7jePjK57b8do9qBIMqqTT3UY3HDQ/s320/Kindred.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️🏚️<br />Print Length: 288 pages<br />Publication Date: January 1, 2003<div>(Originally Published in June 1979)<div>By: Beacon Press<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60931.Kindred" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Octavia-Butler/dp/0807083690" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given.<br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>My Review:</b><br /><div>I have had this book on my to-be-read shelf for nine years. It was the release of the Hulu series that encouraged me to read it now. I always have to read the book before I watch the TV show or movie as I like to go into a book knowing very little and let my imagination do the thinking for me. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read this. Science Fiction or Fantasy is not really my thing but I love historical fiction and had heard many great things about this book. They weren't wrong and I was so pleasantly surprised. I also promised myself last year that I would think a little more outside the box, and my usual genres. Am I ever glad I did as I was rewarded with an amazing adventure.</div><div><br /></div><div>What an excellent way to start my reading year, a five-star read! I managed this one in a couple of sittings as I was engrossed in the simplistic writing style and the way the characters were all both good and evil, it made them well-rounded and true to life. I was enamoured with the way the varying relationships were written as well as the dialogue. Butler is a master of the genre and I cannot wait to read her other works. All. The. Stars.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.
</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-87064414891628930642022-12-24T20:13:00.004-05:002022-12-24T20:13:40.002-05:00Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHE28lTPut0hQESqKxFyKEVXEwTE882HDK63dgzpWNQLIThHuy8yVO0mVVACZ9kZqYVZ85iW-Vq5F97Oh2wBQpbx8vImRcYosutlAH08GRGju8T1C_li7gcMIBDqQ5btZz5-6_DQB1zp2gqCXnO4-muQGeeIoybd0KclFFvaGQZU9YdHCtuRxXt0k/s472/Merrily%20Ever%20After.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcHE28lTPut0hQESqKxFyKEVXEwTE882HDK63dgzpWNQLIThHuy8yVO0mVVACZ9kZqYVZ85iW-Vq5F97Oh2wBQpbx8vImRcYosutlAH08GRGju8T1C_li7gcMIBDqQ5btZz5-6_DQB1zp2gqCXnO4-muQGeeIoybd0KclFFvaGQZU9YdHCtuRxXt0k/s320/Merrily%20Ever%20After.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>🎄🎄🎄🎄<br />Print Length: 414 pages<br />Publication Date: October 13, 2022<br />By: Orion<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61203306-merrily-ever-after" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads </a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/MERRILY-EVER-AFTER/dp/1398701416" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Merry has always wanted a family to spend Christmas with, and this year her dream comes true as she says 'I do' to father-of-two Cole. But as she juggles her rapidly-growing business, wedding planning and the two new children in her life, her dream begins to unravel. Emily is desperately waiting for the New Year to begin, so she can finally have a fresh start. She has always put her family first, leaving little time for happiness and love. When her beloved father Ray moves into a residential home, she discovers a photograph in his belongings that has the potential to change everything. As past secrets come to light, will this be a magical Christmas for Emily and Merry to remember?<br /><br /><b><br /></b><div><b>My Review:
</b><br />A Wedding and Christmas all in one book? Count me in! I had no idea that this was book one in a series, the first one being <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58094601-the-merry-christmas-project"> The Merry Christmas Project</a>. This one can certainly be read as a stand-alone but I will be reading book one during next year's holiday season as I would love to know Merry and Cole's backstories. </div><div><br /></div><div> I figured out how Merry and Emily were connected long before the book revealed it but it in no way ruined my enjoyment of the book. It was really lovely to read about them meeting and learning about each other. I loved that the romance wasn't central to the story as Merry deals with running her own business, learning how to be a stepmom and getting ready for her big day. Emily on the other hand is dealing with her father's dementia, starting a new job and has been dumped by her ingrate of a boyfriend. </div><div><br /></div><div>All in all this book was festive, romantic and very realistic. I look forward to reading more by this author.</div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-81406175498868169582022-12-23T20:53:00.000-05:002022-12-23T20:53:10.883-05:00Gifts by Laura Barnett<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUws-cXcyUzeNFJSN_lbm1RJLw4cUEWNJQUlTmVn_0TqaDh2kCX4tjGuq-Y6tmVrhooFi_a5vpVc9DD0Jhn6H-A27ZIttrUQSOGS-FrvJYNAPC0qbToVCheBzJigTXzwhVUaw-3i-Z-G_s_To8EX0vJmYAncth1NPo8Xd3oZ1BnIIO8dl4YA7lA5V/s391/Gifts.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUws-cXcyUzeNFJSN_lbm1RJLw4cUEWNJQUlTmVn_0TqaDh2kCX4tjGuq-Y6tmVrhooFi_a5vpVc9DD0Jhn6H-A27ZIttrUQSOGS-FrvJYNAPC0qbToVCheBzJigTXzwhVUaw-3i-Z-G_s_To8EX0vJmYAncth1NPo8Xd3oZ1BnIIO8dl4YA7lA5V/s320/Gifts.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>🎁🎁🎁🎁<br />Print Length 224 pages<br />Publication Date: November 11, 2021<br />By: W&N<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59348192-gifts" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/GIFTS/dp/1474624405" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br /><i>TWELVE PEOPLE...TWELVE GIFTS...ONE CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER</i>...Maddy runs the bookshop on Market Square. She's struggling to choose a gift (a watch? a wine subscription? a weekend bag? all too much?) for her old school friend Peter, who's just moved back from London following a messy divorce. Peter doesn't have a clue what to get for his teenage daughter Chloe - furious with her mother, she's decided to up sticks and move to Kent with him, but he worries that he really doesn't know her at all. Chloe wants to buy something special for her grandmother Irene, who lives alone on the other side of town. Irene doesn't get out much these days, but she'd really like to find the right gift for Alina, who's so much more than a carer, really - always stops to chat for a bit, have a cup of tea, even if it makes her late. And Alina, meanwhile, has her eye on something for...<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><div><div>This was a wonderful collection of 12 short stories about selecting the perfect gift loved one, the difference with this collection is that everyone knows each other they are all connected in some way, big and small.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I loved these stories, they were sentimental without being saccharine and were about the true meaning of Christmas. Gifts aren't the be all end all of Christmas but when someone puts a lot of thought into something they gift you it means a lot. I was reminded of this the other day with this cartoon and gift my now 33 year old son gave me almost thirty years ago. As the saying goes, it is the thought that counts.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_Dr2QDZ1WgqSiiqnLXVXVKKmBnjG2LpJE_V_V8OHed0hGt0tksbb1RMGEl-EO268_fseQyQ8BwTyiXuJao1Xp0oDY7jc7SgMGU5YROIaqGcdv3BTDQTKaj8PVV_wh7oGE2TlzKD55etAuYKA1SWd7cFA3eJZzCIH85eS9rHMSg-eGWH0gBWGkNNS/s477/Cartoon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="477" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_Dr2QDZ1WgqSiiqnLXVXVKKmBnjG2LpJE_V_V8OHed0hGt0tksbb1RMGEl-EO268_fseQyQ8BwTyiXuJao1Xp0oDY7jc7SgMGU5YROIaqGcdv3BTDQTKaj8PVV_wh7oGE2TlzKD55etAuYKA1SWd7cFA3eJZzCIH85eS9rHMSg-eGWH0gBWGkNNS/w320-h320/Cartoon.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLlpRxHJrcfJTtV8_Ju0GhNqhp_j69QVNa72dK2eaOnKMghzWrrC56TmRh-5IIuP9DflMxLurXRTNM-c6tHR5w3IJOJveI283_nnw7R8yHC30kCB3plKGBYE-JicTI_enlLM2GKxaXGvGTcGMt8E2XJ2DDtFOaOWvIqrILNKZddwE7Lf8rLL5f3Cv/s2048/DerickRing.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLlpRxHJrcfJTtV8_Ju0GhNqhp_j69QVNa72dK2eaOnKMghzWrrC56TmRh-5IIuP9DflMxLurXRTNM-c6tHR5w3IJOJveI283_nnw7R8yHC30kCB3plKGBYE-JicTI_enlLM2GKxaXGvGTcGMt8E2XJ2DDtFOaOWvIqrILNKZddwE7Lf8rLL5f3Cv/w240-h320/DerickRing.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div>As far as I am concerned these stories were a gift. They were a mix of feelings, some happy and others sad. But they all were festive and real and I adored them and I think you will too. Happy holidays everyone!</div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-91551595478580812022022-12-23T12:43:00.000-05:002022-12-23T12:43:26.226-05:00Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiR4sjitakMRqW6NekXHOiIaIpzP7n_QFch9vAG92IJqsKBNRqqiGSR5-Zq5nMufkFoRE2BTz1iUOJbDzzoBpyXNIsQHrA9z4pbX0W5GtIncvCTBdG3-YX6UCbai81_8ydGkk2HXbcJiPAEkXqIMmO1TGHzW4kqmqk1Ty4ZdAxuW5gMrYzhmnz5j3/s475/A%20Holiday%20Romance.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiR4sjitakMRqW6NekXHOiIaIpzP7n_QFch9vAG92IJqsKBNRqqiGSR5-Zq5nMufkFoRE2BTz1iUOJbDzzoBpyXNIsQHrA9z4pbX0W5GtIncvCTBdG3-YX6UCbai81_8ydGkk2HXbcJiPAEkXqIMmO1TGHzW4kqmqk1Ty4ZdAxuW5gMrYzhmnz5j3/s320/A%20Holiday%20Romance.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>☃️☃️☃️☃️<br />.ePUB, 350 pages<br />Publication Date: September 29, 2022<br />By: Bookouture<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61401417" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Romance-hilarious-unforgettable-Christmas/dp/1803145463" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Molly and Andrew are just trying to get home to Ireland for the holidays, when a freak snowstorm grounds their flight. Nothing romantic has ever happened between them: they’re friends and that’s all. But once a year, for the last ten years, Molly has spent seven hours and fifteen minutes sitting next to Andrew on the last flight before Christmas from Chicago to Dublin, drinking terrible airplane wine and catching up on each other’s lives. In spite of all the ways the two friends are different, it’s the holiday tradition neither of them has ever wanted to give up. Molly isn’t that bothered by Christmas, but—in yet another way they’re total opposites—Andrew is a full-on fanatic for the festive season and she knows how much getting back to Ireland means to him. So, instead of doing the sane thing and just celebrating the holidays together in America, she does the stupid thing. The irrational thing. She vows to get him home. And in time for his mam’s famous Christmas dinner. The clock is ticking. But Molly always has a plan. And—as long as the highly-specific combination of taxis, planes, boats, and trains all run on time—it can’t possibly go wrong. What she doesn’t know is that, as the snow falls over the city and over the heads of two friends who are sure they’re not meant to be together, the universe might just have a plan of its own.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br /><div>I loved this book, it was a little different than your usual friends-to-lovers romantic comedy. Andrew and Molly have been plane mates every Christmas for the past ten years. Molly finds herself at a crossroads regarding her career and is going home for Christmas to think things through as her family isn't big on the holiday and she wants to be there for her pregnant sister. Andrew and his family adore the holiday and go out big every year to celebrate it and he can't wait to join them. </div><div><br /></div><div>This year a winter storm cancels their flight and Molly makes it her mission to get Andrew home to Ireland from Chicago. I really enjoyed how we got chapters from the other flights they shared, it really gave me a deep look into where their relationship started and how it changed over the years and how each of them evolved and matured. I could also see them falling in love as the years went by.</div><div><br /></div><div>I loved Andrew's family so much, they are the type of family everyone wishes they had. The banter between the two main characters was fresh, fun and swoon-worthy. The side characters added to the story, which doesn't always happen, so I appreciated that. I also loved the moral of the story, the true meaning of Christmas is being with those you love and Molly and Andrew obviously love each other. This one gave me all the feels, holiday and otherwise and I highly recommend it to holiday read lovers everywhere.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.
</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-4307424869027285882022-12-21T20:06:00.000-05:002022-12-21T20:06:29.066-05:00Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKrlICW_XUcI_NplIuOnJI0SDGxGWuFfXtUDBJkXHr1-OtEfzqzpVR1OIrMhW1g-p8ncR0rzN3O0EhvuPYBA1aY5rerPxFR6UZUVWagGI6lQLRwGxRci_Z4p8wz9D3-MCV0xiw3edNIC2BJ1VBJ40Fb9s_WbiJ1GiC1l17em0kzFjaAZ3VuZQPpdL/s475/Just%20Like%20Magic.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKrlICW_XUcI_NplIuOnJI0SDGxGWuFfXtUDBJkXHr1-OtEfzqzpVR1OIrMhW1g-p8ncR0rzN3O0EhvuPYBA1aY5rerPxFR6UZUVWagGI6lQLRwGxRci_Z4p8wz9D3-MCV0xiw3edNIC2BJ1VBJ40Fb9s_WbiJ1GiC1l17em0kzFjaAZ3VuZQPpdL/s320/Just%20Like%20Magic.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>🎄🎄🎄1/2<br />.ePUB, 368 pages<br />Publication Date: October 4, 2022<br />By: G.P. Putnam's Sons<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59420717" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Like-Magic-Sarah-Hogle/dp/0593539850" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Bettie Hughes once knew the comfort of luxury, flaunting a collection of designer purses and an enviable dream home in Hawaii. That was before she lost all her money. Long obsessed with her public image, Bettie boasts an extravagant lifestyle on social media. But the reality is Bettie is broke and squatting in Colorado, and her family has no idea. Christmas, with its pressure to meet familial expectations, is looming when Bettie plays a vinyl record of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” backward and accidentally conjures up Hall, the Holiday Spirit, in the form of a charming and handsome (if offbeat) man. Once the shock wears off, Bettie knows she’s stumbled upon the greatest gift: a chance to make all her holiday wishes come true, plus a ready-made fiancé. But as some of Bettie’s wishes lose their charm, she finds herself thrown off-kilter by Hall’s sweet nature. Suddenly, grumpy Bettie is finding her heart merry and light. But the happier she gets, the shorter Hall’s time on earth grows. Can Bettie channel the Christmas spirit and learn to live with goodwill toward all men? Or will her selfish ways return as soon as the holidays are over?<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">“He gives his harness bells a shake, to ask if there is some mistake. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">The only other sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy flake.” - Robert Frost</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div>Like the title suggests this book was pure Christmas magic and very much like a HallmarkChritmas movie, which usually isn't my thing, but Sarah Hogle did something here that I very much enjoyed. What I have noticed a lot of lately are stories of characters with (a fake) happy social media life but real life is actually a suck fest. It really is the case a lot of the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found it funny when Bettie wanted to restart her entrance over and over again, with her wild wishes getting more and more outrageous as she goes along. That was the best part of the book for me. Hall has a childlike innocence that I found very sweet. I loved these characters so much but especially Hall he was over the top and very cheesy! Bettie, it took a minute for her to grow on me but over the course of the book, her heart grew three sizes. I guess the old saying that opposites attract is the point of this plot.</div><div><br /></div><div>This book was a combination of the movie Elf (Hall) and the TV show The Grinch (Bettie) Who Stole Christmas. I loved all the old movie references as I am a lover of classic film myself. being my favourite actor of all time and he gets his due in this book.</div><div><br /></div><div>This book surprised me in all the best ways but especially by how emotional it got and gave me all the feels. Three and a half stars rounded up.</div><div style="color: red; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></div></span></div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-78193595477524218012022-12-20T19:42:00.002-05:002022-12-20T19:42:29.673-05:00Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuAqtObdzEgaZfP5j0ApwSxwbx-YhDb_MAE595qgCkALR6yeLo8Wiu9jRY7DrG9ipJXEnneqAhyfl93rCTGQf7cfgOSr1MB6mVatNY8h4KW07KY5xM1ABC6xttZtILeT1uqA7Xh19WHx4lie6SA3SvpAfwplNw5Bfk4OkDxWUj_9lRCMK-bC4wdM0/s2174/Kiss%20Her%20Once%20for%20Me.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2174" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuAqtObdzEgaZfP5j0ApwSxwbx-YhDb_MAE595qgCkALR6yeLo8Wiu9jRY7DrG9ipJXEnneqAhyfl93rCTGQf7cfgOSr1MB6mVatNY8h4KW07KY5xM1ABC6xttZtILeT1uqA7Xh19WHx4lie6SA3SvpAfwplNw5Bfk4OkDxWUj_9lRCMK-bC4wdM0/s320/Kiss%20Her%20Once%20for%20Me.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>👩❤️💋👩👩❤️💋👩👩❤️💋👩1/2<br />Print Length: 368 pages<br />Publication Date: November 1, 2022<br />By: Atria<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60321485-kiss-her-once-for-me" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads </a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Her-Once-Me-Novel/dp/1982191139" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />One year ago, recent Portland transplant Ellie Oliver had her dream job in animation and a Christmas Eve meet-cute with a woman at a bookstore that led her to fall in love over the course of a single night. But after a betrayal the next morning and the loss of her job soon after, she finds herself adrift, alone, and desperate for money. Finding work at a local coffee shop, she’s just getting through the days—until Andrew, the shop’s landlord, proposes a shocking, drunken plan: a marriage of convenience that will give him his recent inheritance and alleviate Ellie’s financial woes and isolation. They make a plan to spend the holidays together at his family cabin to keep up the ruse. But when Andrew introduces his new fiancée to his sister, Ellie is shocked to discover it’s Jack—the mysterious woman she fell for over the course of one magical Christmas Eve the year before. Now, Ellie must choose between the safety of a fake relationship and the risk of something real.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><div><div>This is my first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the fake dating trope through the holidays and mimicked While You Were Sleeping (without the coma). The book was very funny at times so there was a good balance of tension and laughs. When Ellie ends up loving the Kim-Prescott's, wishing they were her real family, things get extra confusing when the girl she fell in love with last Christmas turns out to be her fake fiancee's sister!</div><div><br /></div><div>There is some heavy duty subject matter in the book, child abuse, mental health issues and LGBTQ phobia. But it was handled realistically and sensitively. The characters also felt very real to me, especially Ellie's mom. I loathed her. There was so much about Ellie's childhood and her mom that reminded me of my own. I could understand how easy it would be for her to attach herself to the Kim-Prescott family.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sex scenes were few but done very well and I appreciated that as this is more about love and wanting to belong than anything else. I was rooting for Ellie and Jack right from the start. They made sense together. This is a well written, fun holiday read that takes a unique spin on the fake dating trope, highly recommend it.</div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div><br />
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</div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-73204472511637628462022-12-19T20:06:00.000-05:002022-12-19T20:06:57.468-05:00The Mistletoe Mixtape : A collection of twelve short stories to help you fall in love with Christmas, one song at a time by Sarah Shard Et al.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoSD4Bd2MLH7vPIqZQCQplNN3Pvu4Z8kkX8aLYVoNI6sgysScGoz-uk2NwgAO4-WoEvN5Eoj3d_TGysW9IAUpzlDlAc0sJgd67tfkFT_FKhy-P_ff6VnjM6WKutYGaDouNQHSLTFFIgy7xluag6WjvzoySQ_MxxB0ZgmTyra6fJDvT2z3bsTX0IhN/s475/MistleToe%20MixTape.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoSD4Bd2MLH7vPIqZQCQplNN3Pvu4Z8kkX8aLYVoNI6sgysScGoz-uk2NwgAO4-WoEvN5Eoj3d_TGysW9IAUpzlDlAc0sJgd67tfkFT_FKhy-P_ff6VnjM6WKutYGaDouNQHSLTFFIgy7xluag6WjvzoySQ_MxxB0ZgmTyra6fJDvT2z3bsTX0IhN/s320/MistleToe%20MixTape.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>🎵🎵🎵🎵<br />Print Length 268 pages<br />Publication Date: September 27th, 2022<br />By: Independently published<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62870091" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Mixtape-collection-stories-Christmas/dp/B0BGNDYJT1" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />The Mistletoe Mixtape, the second anthology from The Christmas Collective, is a diverse and inclusive mix of stories, with more swoon-worthy characters, second chances and happy endings. Amongst these twelve Christmas music inspired stories you will discover long lost love, festive fantasy, LGBTQ+ love stories, witty one liners and holiday romances.<br /><br /><b><br /></b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>My Review:</b><br />I loved how diverse this book was. It is a collection of love stories based on songs and there is a least one story everyone can relate to. I felt connected to these characters and that isn't an easy thing to do with a short story. I was cheering these characters on and willing them to find their person. I was happy when they did and felt sad and sorry for them when they didn't. <div><br /></div><div> I appreciated that tough subject matter was dealt with while at the same time being romantic and holding the Christmas magic, that's not easy to do well. As we are all busy during this hectic holiday time, it was nice to be able to read a story or two at a time and put the book down when a story was completed, that's the best thing about a book of short stories, you feel complete even though the entire book hasn't been finished </div><div><br /></div><div>This is the second book in the collection, I have not read the first (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59408511-more-than-mistletoe">More Than Mistletoe</a>) but fully intend to do so. This is definitely a stand-alone as I said it is a collection of short stories and a very good collection at that.</div><div><br /><b><i>I would like to thank my Secret Santa for this lovely book it was so very festive.
</i></b><br /><br /><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-64247139100610199522022-12-18T21:51:00.000-05:002022-12-18T21:51:15.941-05:00Robert's Hill (or The Time I Pooped My Snowsuit) and Other Christmas Stories by Jeremy John <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CQbyIswbbyx2GKqmcq0Ys2f8S1hRZ6RByC3O0LIUKhdQyoKO-w2PENL6UK9Px1ltthCYJOmS-Wy1bIJ1w70cVxJMMjtyrLOopnK6U5uKDwQPmIDTMpfWVAX83niZH2LP1hz8SXbkytH7fNQIaKOrb9-1hU4rR1Mb1AMTJRurVmESWjfUmkyfb2A4/s475/The%20Most%20Wonderful%20Time%20of%20the%20Year.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CQbyIswbbyx2GKqmcq0Ys2f8S1hRZ6RByC3O0LIUKhdQyoKO-w2PENL6UK9Px1ltthCYJOmS-Wy1bIJ1w70cVxJMMjtyrLOopnK6U5uKDwQPmIDTMpfWVAX83niZH2LP1hz8SXbkytH7fNQIaKOrb9-1hU4rR1Mb1AMTJRurVmESWjfUmkyfb2A4/s475/The%20Most%20Wonderful%20Time%20of%20the%20Year.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRVTlQa7ADWGl828c95sPW3LGNVzDYu-hVjv6ucDFdWF-06TR04nb1NKOSPr9kYQNZOS8zYhKk6LIQF1q9mTUFbvKpUBC9FK33Ttq5jsL3nYcgBLVQOU2w69gANuIK3PCw0AT1LI1o5t3lLsc6tsgn9uMkDc0E9Ctt40vgomOYyqDcqMaStmrctPL/s400/Roberts%20Hill.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRVTlQa7ADWGl828c95sPW3LGNVzDYu-hVjv6ucDFdWF-06TR04nb1NKOSPr9kYQNZOS8zYhKk6LIQF1q9mTUFbvKpUBC9FK33Ttq5jsL3nYcgBLVQOU2w69gANuIK3PCw0AT1LI1o5t3lLsc6tsgn9uMkDc0E9Ctt40vgomOYyqDcqMaStmrctPL/s320/Roberts%20Hill.jpg" width="207" /></a></div></div><div><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-color: white; background-image: url("https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f6f7.svg"); background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 1em 1em; color: #0f1419; font-size: 20px; padding: 0.15em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="clip-path: circle(0% at 50% 50%);"><span data-offset-key="6ple6-0-0">🛷</span></span></span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-color: white; background-image: url("https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f6f7.svg"); background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 1em 1em; color: #0f1419; font-size: 20px; padding: 0.15em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="clip-path: circle(0% at 50% 50%);"><span data-offset-key="6ple6-1-0">🛷</span></span></span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-color: white; background-image: url("https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f6f7.svg"); background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 1em 1em; color: #0f1419; font-size: 20px; padding: 0.15em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="clip-path: circle(0% at 50% 50%);"><span data-offset-key="6ple6-2-0">🛷</span></span></span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; background-color: white; background-image: url("https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f6f7.svg"); background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 1em 1em; color: #0f1419; font-size: 20px; padding: 0.15em; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="clip-path: circle(0% at 50% 50%);"><span data-offset-key="6ple6-3-0">🛷🛷</span></span></span></div>.ePUB, 148 pages<br />Publication Date: November 1st, 2022<br />By: Dundurn Press<div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59066613">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Roberts-Pooped-Snowsuit-Christmas-Stories/dp/1459750160">Amazon</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>About The Book:</b><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-style: italic;">Robert’s Hill (or The Time I Pooped My Snowsuit) and Other Christmas Stories</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"> is the perfect collection for Christmas in the real world. No talking snowman or cute woodland animal who saves Christmas (actually, there is a pigeon who steps in and saves the big day). This selection of heart-warming tales is about the true magic of the season: receiving the ultimate gift only to break it immediately; playing drinking games while watching a holiday special; getting divorced over what seemed like the perfect present. </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-style: italic;">Robert’s Hill</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"> even settles the debate on the greatest Christmas movie ever made (that’s not it) and finally explains how the candy cane was invented (no one really knows, so why not make it up?). This collection will be enjoyed by everyone or, at least, anyone who still loves </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-style: italic;">Mister Rogers' Neighborhood</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;">, misses the toys they had as a kid, and thinks pooping your snowsuit is funny.</span></span><br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br /><div>This book was a delight, it was hilariously funny but also warmhearted and loving too. I enjoyed every single one of these stories. Don't let the title fool you it is a lot more sophisticated than it sounds. </div><div><br /></div><div>The titular story <b><i>Robert's Hill</i></b> is about a boy who gets a GT racer for Christmas and poops his pants going down the scary hill. I was in stitches laughing. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>The 12 shots of Christmas</i></b> are exactly that, take a shot every time someone says Ralphie while watching A Christmas Story. The story got funnier and funnier as the movie played, but it was full of love at the end.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>The Christmas Divorce</i></b> was a little sad. It's about a lad making friends with a spoiled rich kid and using him to get what he wants for Christmas. He really wants to get a slot car racing set but instead, the parents get a divorce and he feels responsible for it.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Merry Christmas Mr. Baggins</i></b> warmed my heart. It's about a family ( with three kids!) driving three hours, in their station wagon, to see grandma at Christmas. It is a family tradition to listen to books on tape during the drive. Getting to sit up front with dad was a cause for celebration when mom went in the back to rest. They listen to The Hobbit and bond during the drive. My favourite quote from this story was "There is nothing less helpful than a child trying to be helpful." 🤣</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Christmas in the Neighbourhood</i></b> was by far the most give me all the feels story and was so upliftingly sweet. A taxi-driving dad moonlights as a limo driver and picks up a very special passenger. The famous man invites the driver to dinner with him and afterwards, the driver takes this famous person home with him. They eat and he plays the piano as they all join in to sing along. When you find out who this famous person is, it makes it all the more special.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>The Sweet Things</i></b> is just that, sweet. Candy maker Mr. Bunte is a Swedish man living in Germany and his friend Vincent is the choirmaster at his church. The candy maker offers to help his friend control the twitchy choir boys by teaching him how to make cheap candy to keep the boys busy. It turns out to be sugar plumbs, that have nothing to do with the fruit and hilarity ensues once the boys get the sticky candy.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Never Open a Gift on Christmas Eve: A Cautionary Tale</i></b> is about a young boy who is allowed to open a gift on the 24th. He decides to open the one from his great-aunt in England because he figures someone who has great in their name and lives where royalty is to give an excellent gift...he couldn't be more wrong. Needless to say, she is no longer his "great" aunt. From that year on Christmas Eve gifts just get worse and he starts to think that he is cursed. It just gets funnier and funnier until they aren't and then the perfect gift arrives.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>The Greatest Christmas Movie of All Time Ever</i></b> is about the worst (dumbest) newspaper boss ever. After being asked to write an article with the title of the story it proves very difficult for one reporter. How do you choose such a movie? Again hilarity ensues and a champion is crowned. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Humbug (Noun): Hoax; Fraud; Rubbish; Nonsense; Hard-Boiled Candy</i></b> is the final story in this collection. This one is about traditions and remembering those we lost. Aunt Victoria the oldest living relative reflects on her father recording A Christmas Carol in 1942. Every year the family gathers to listen to the record and has done so for four generations. This was the perfect way to end the book.</div><div><br /></div><div>I love supporting Canadian writers and the author is from Ontario, Canada like myself. This was a most excellent way to kill a few hours and put yourself in the Christmas spirit. I am going to recommend this to everyone who asks for a holiday book idea. All. The. Stars.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.
</i></b><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-47568569465840009032022-12-15T21:35:00.002-05:002022-12-15T21:35:29.419-05:00The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Joanna Bolouri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CQbyIswbbyx2GKqmcq0Ys2f8S1hRZ6RByC3O0LIUKhdQyoKO-w2PENL6UK9Px1ltthCYJOmS-Wy1bIJ1w70cVxJMMjtyrLOopnK6U5uKDwQPmIDTMpfWVAX83niZH2LP1hz8SXbkytH7fNQIaKOrb9-1hU4rR1Mb1AMTJRurVmESWjfUmkyfb2A4/s475/The%20Most%20Wonderful%20Time%20of%20the%20Year.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CQbyIswbbyx2GKqmcq0Ys2f8S1hRZ6RByC3O0LIUKhdQyoKO-w2PENL6UK9Px1ltthCYJOmS-Wy1bIJ1w70cVxJMMjtyrLOopnK6U5uKDwQPmIDTMpfWVAX83niZH2LP1hz8SXbkytH7fNQIaKOrb9-1hU4rR1Mb1AMTJRurVmESWjfUmkyfb2A4/s320/The%20Most%20Wonderful%20Time%20of%20the%20Year.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>🔔🔔🔔🔔<br />.ePUB, 416 pages<br />Publication Date: October 31st, 2017<br />By: Quercus Publishing<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31829534" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Most-Wonderful-Time-Year/dp/178429912X" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Thirty-eight year old Emily has a satisfying job, fab friends, an amazing car and, most importantly, a wonderful flat, exactly 411 miles away from the judgemental, batshit crazy, interfering family she reluctantly sees twice a year. In fact, the only minor stress in her life is her twenty-something neighbour Evan and his penchant for flirting, loud music and even louder sex . . . but he's nothing she can't handle. Emily also has a boyfriend called Robert and it's going really well. So well, in fact, that this year Emily is hoping to take him home for Christmas to meet her family. Finally she won't be subject to five days of nosy questions from her parents and pity looks from her younger married siblings. But when Robert breaks up with her a week before Christmas, Emily is gutted. How on earth is she going to face her family now? Enlisting the help of party boy Evan (in exchange for one month's rent and the use of her convertible) Emily is determined to take Robert home for Christmas come hell or high water, even if it isn't the real Robert.<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><br /><div>I know we all show a fake face to the outside world, especially with social media. But can't we be honest and true with our family? Our main character, Emily doesn't think so and brings home a fake boyfriend for Christmas. This was a surprisingly funny enemies-to-lovers romance. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's sad how we sometimes treat the people we love, we should all start being nicer to each other. Some of the things we say to our loved ones we wouldn't dare say to a stranger. What makes it okay, just because they are related to us? I loved ALL the characters in this book, warts and all. Emily's family weren't perfect but you could tell they truly loved one another. On the other hand, I hated Emily's boyfriend, Robert so much. He was, in a word, terrible. What a sorry excuse for a human being. </div><div><br /></div><div>My third Christmas book by this author (this month) so I had high expectations and Joanna Bolouri did not disappoint, I am now a seriously big fan! I love her style of writing, her realistic characters, and their banter. Bolouri always manages to suck me into her storylines and keeps my butt in the chair flipping pages. This book was sweet, funny and full of love and Christmas cheer. I cannot wait to dig into more of this author's books.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.
</i></b><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-91251247572872509482022-12-13T21:02:00.000-05:002022-12-13T21:02:19.863-05:00A Gift Called Hope by Eva Jordan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOXjNciPRY2U1N-WderJ64Xdmz4-HyNf8NN7BSv-3A0Ynq-qd6CwaozuitZ_MHhXt0NkoYMOkGuKTV60hkupKSypUAkarnbcKt73vhU6x7u8vYdQS2VL8wbMWRKC8jMd9HiZTLIXvH9qKVwktoMRnRfY8HAzB8A0Onr-qISfv-MU06IKoxn7QFky4/s475/A%20Gift%20Called%20Hope.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOXjNciPRY2U1N-WderJ64Xdmz4-HyNf8NN7BSv-3A0Ynq-qd6CwaozuitZ_MHhXt0NkoYMOkGuKTV60hkupKSypUAkarnbcKt73vhU6x7u8vYdQS2VL8wbMWRKC8jMd9HiZTLIXvH9qKVwktoMRnRfY8HAzB8A0Onr-qISfv-MU06IKoxn7QFky4/s320/A%20Gift%20Called%20Hope.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>🎁🎁🎁🎁<br />Print Length, 296 pages<br />Publication Date: October 21, 2022<br />By: Bloodhound Books<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63077467" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Called-Hope-Eva-Jordan/dp/1504081803" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:</b><br />Six-year-old Jack is counting the days to Christmas. But his grandmother is just counting the days until it’s over. For Jill, the holiday comes with painful memories, and she wants only to escape the recent past and its tragedies. She’s moved and started a new life running a food truck in Widmore Bay, a quaint seaside town, in order to flee her agonising history. It’s only for little Jack’s sake that Jill tolerates the tree and decorations. She just wants to spend Christmas with the curtains drawn, reading a book and drinking coffee. But this season, she may stumble onto a miracle that restores joy—and hope—in her heart.<br /><br /><b><br /></b><div><b>My Review:</b><br />
<div>This is not your typical, fluffy Christmas read., but it is a heartfelt and hopeful one that I enjoyed very much. The author deals with some heavy subject matter such as addiction and grief. She does so in a very realistic and sensitive manner. I loved how she mentioned the stigma and preconceptions of people suffering from addiction. Yes, the poor, and homeless do suffer from this problem but so do the upper class and the rich, it does not discriminate. </div><div><br /></div><div>Jack Jr. was an adorable character and also portrayed in a realistic way and I appreciated the author's ability to do so. I liked how the story shed light on how addiction affects everyone around the user, such as family and friends. The book warns of the issues surrounding alcohol and drug abuse without ever feeling preachy.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, this family came together for the sake of the child, but they reaped the rewards as well. They healed themselves all for a little boy at Christmas. The story was also about community and lending a helping hand, but also accepting one. This is the type of book that you will remember and think about long after you finish reading it.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-70785546816569238922022-12-10T19:50:00.002-05:002022-12-10T20:59:35.662-05:00The Sh!te Before Christmas by Serena Terry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9HXQ_bTFTpDdy3V25db-gxMBPD_bgvLDNr6LQtksSo2SrL6QA-jGNLSknIg6gQkwhP1aXAO2b64GvoyicaItCFI3Agexu7XLUGWy66AaP3TnKqHxfhgh9pjSDQwVTpRw1Y1zlYKxFLW2M0Z5vctT3XLXuzFy30A95cCZmwZOJGXmrXO5zrtRhICE/s475/The%20Shite%20Before%20Christmas.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9HXQ_bTFTpDdy3V25db-gxMBPD_bgvLDNr6LQtksSo2SrL6QA-jGNLSknIg6gQkwhP1aXAO2b64GvoyicaItCFI3Agexu7XLUGWy66AaP3TnKqHxfhgh9pjSDQwVTpRw1Y1zlYKxFLW2M0Z5vctT3XLXuzFy30A95cCZmwZOJGXmrXO5zrtRhICE/s320/The%20Shite%20Before%20Christmas.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>🎁🎁🎁🎁<br />Print Length 384 pages<br />Publication Date: November 10, 2022<br />By: HarperCollins Publishers<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63849013" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sh-te-Before-Christmas/dp/0008579881" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a><br /><br />About The Book:</b><br />Christmas time, toddler meltdowns, teenage angst, marriage problems and wine. This year, the perfect Christmas is going to take a miracle…Twas the sh!te before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for … mum! Like every mum, Tara wants a perfect Christmas for her family – but no-one else is lifting a finger and she’s losing her elf-ing mind. From the kids behaving badly (vaping! Potty training! The Nativity!), to a distracted husband acting very out of character, the last straw is Tara’s glamorous, feckless, boundary-less mother moving herself back in for the holidays. Can Tara pull off the holly jolly Christmas of her dreams? Will she deck the halls and not her family? Or is this a Christmas catastrophe waiting to happen?<br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><div><div>This book was so funny! I was completely unaware that the author has a Tiktok called Mammy Banter and apparently she is a viral sensation. I can understand that after reading this book. There are toddler and primary school-aged children in the book so there are a lot of references to pee, wee, and poo but that is the reality of being a mum. I liked that the author showed what is really behind the funny: self-doubt, anxiety, and fear of abandonment to name but a few.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyone who's had to do a full-on Christmas while wrangling a job, kids, a house, and unexpected visitors (while pregnant no less) will relate to what Tara is going through. The best bits were the parts where Nathan and Jax find their elf on the shelf (named wee (because he is small or pees a lot I do not know) donkey) in his crazy situations.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a fast-paced read filled with the crazy mania of the holiday season and is the second book featuring this family. It is definitely a stand-alone but I liked this enough to want to read the first one. That is a compliment to the author.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-76511833920707724842022-12-08T21:16:00.000-05:002022-12-08T21:16:30.844-05:00The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxwFF7NstGJhF9uc2WYdStNHRmlY2LduKFs_6jobUQDG8ZrMN5UpLRSkfy6aPS-DsdFQiC7WT8-fhkcTjN4Tz_BDjuGFF1RtYOTY3HxKHOHaXe2Tf3A9BfE4OcwLzenQQ04PwyrXbLR3wBGFeVTPpRSdWYVMt7e7Ewdj-yfBptxerxwnxSr6hKOXx/s475/The%20Christmas%20Wish.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxwFF7NstGJhF9uc2WYdStNHRmlY2LduKFs_6jobUQDG8ZrMN5UpLRSkfy6aPS-DsdFQiC7WT8-fhkcTjN4Tz_BDjuGFF1RtYOTY3HxKHOHaXe2Tf3A9BfE4OcwLzenQQ04PwyrXbLR3wBGFeVTPpRSdWYVMt7e7Ewdj-yfBptxerxwnxSr6hKOXx/s320/The%20Christmas%20Wish.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>🎄🎄🎄🎄<br />.ePUB, 352 pages<br />Publication Date: November 15, 2022<br />By: HarperCollins<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59947625" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Wish-Lindsey-Kelk/dp/0008544646" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a><br /><br />About The Book:</b><br />Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker is hoping that a family Christmas—countryside, a mountain of food and festive films—will salve the sting of her career hanging by a thread and her heart being trampled on. Because everyone else has their life sorted: even Dev, her boy-next-door crush, is now a tall, dark and handsome stranger with a fiancée. She can’t help wishing her future was clearer. Then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas day all over again. Like Groundhog Day but with eggnog. And family arguments. On repeat. As she figures out how to escape her own particular Christmas hell, Dev is the one bright spot. He might be all grown-up but underneath he’s just as kind and funny as she remembers. Maybe, just maybe, her heart can be mended after all. But how do you fall in love with someone who can’t remember you from one day to the next? <br /><br /><b>My Review:</b><div><div>This was my first read by author Lindsey Kelk, it was full-on dramarama at Christmas and I was so here for it. It was also very funny at times but heartwarming in equal measure. What surprised me the most was the fact that it wasn't repetitive as it had a Groundhog Day like plot. I loved how the romance wasn't the main focus of the story, the family was, and Gwen's relationships within it. Don't get me wrong is she definitely hot for the boy next door but that isn't what the book is about and I liked that about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our main character, Gwen learns a lot about herself and her family as she relives Christmas day over and over again. She learns to appreciate what she has and what her family means to her. I loved her Gran, she reminded me so much of my own feisty Nannie. And the message or moral of the story is a good one, spend more time with those you love, and do what makes you happy. I will be checking out more by this author, she has a huge library of books to choose from. That is the best compliment I can give an author.</div><div><br /></div><b><i>This title is currently available for purchase.</i></b><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-972034514746562571.post-45423474679089090342022-12-08T15:22:00.000-05:002022-12-08T15:22:03.484-05:00Driving Home for Christmas by Joanna Bolouri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi557h8eBhqMfOXJXQx1lc_PEhhW9NbVg-vJ2ZKEbwdSp6-vITDVpsEnf6L97pVZ03RZdF9h7xwR18Nmo2e_uKxSHhm8La7_nwBWhizRHxUdc6DC5-mJlj7zw4vfiVXO-HFqlrmZs382iyik-qOEm7xdUS1yWhkGJSe2L4H7ny22iQuy5QNIuWD3R2x/s390/Driving%20Home%20For%20Christmas.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi557h8eBhqMfOXJXQx1lc_PEhhW9NbVg-vJ2ZKEbwdSp6-vITDVpsEnf6L97pVZ03RZdF9h7xwR18Nmo2e_uKxSHhm8La7_nwBWhizRHxUdc6DC5-mJlj7zw4vfiVXO-HFqlrmZs382iyik-qOEm7xdUS1yWhkGJSe2L4H7ny22iQuy5QNIuWD3R2x/s320/Driving%20Home%20For%20Christmas.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>🚗🚗🚗🚗<br />.ePUB, 268 pages<br />Publication Date: October 1, 2022<br />By: Quercus<br /><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61924393-driving-home-for-christmas" rel="nofollow noopener">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Driving-Home-Christmas-hilarious-festive-ebook/dp/B0BHSFG6LJ" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a></b><br /><br /><b>About The Book:<br /></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Three Christmases. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Two broken hearts. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">One hell of a journey. </span>Driving home marks the start of the holidays for Kate and Ed, who have made this journey every Christmas of their 10-year long relationship. Normally the seasonal hits blare from the car stereo, and they are guaranteed to be wearing ridiculous jumpers in anticipation, but this year a frosty silence fills the car....A massive argument leads to the immediate collapse of their relationship. But the show must go on, so they decide to brave their families together one last time. With three Christmases to celebrate, an old flame waiting under the mistletoe and a shed-load of expectation around their future together, this most wonderful time of year is anything but. There will be turkey, tiffs and tantrums galore, but it's sure to be a Christmas they'll never forget.<div><br /><b>My Review:</b></div><div>I just love books by Joanna Bolouri. I recently read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5110521192">All I Want for Christmas</a> and this one just proves she is now my go-to for all things Christmas. I really liked these characters and their story. It felt true to life. The hurt they felt was realistic and their journey, both physical and emotional was one I could relate to. It was a stark reminder that not everyone loves Christmas as it can be stressful and even sad for some. </div><div><br /></div><div>As much as I liked all the characters in this story...I did not like Ed's mother at all. Yvonne pushed Kate about having children and said things like tick-tock. I have two childless children and I am happy if they are happy. It is not up to our children to give us grandbabies because we want them...WTF? I know this happens in real life as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>The way the book is written was a plus, with flashback chapters we readers are able to get to the bottom of what exactly is going on with Kate and Ed. I loved reading about their early relationship and getting to know them as their younger selves, I was really cheering them on and hoping they'd work things out. This was a unique take on the will they or won't they trope, with a touch of festive magic. I have this author's book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31829534">The Most Wonderful Time of the Year</a> as well and will be reading it as well this holiday season!</div><div><br /></div><i>This title is currently available for purchase.
</i><br /><br /><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:</span></b></div><div><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5599497-shelley-s-book-nook?order=d&shelf=read&sort=date_read" rel="nofollow noopener">GoodReads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StiffShelley" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFAVHDKAU77PVVZM2P3SPIF34CEQ?preview=true" rel="nofollow noopener">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://thebookreviewcrew.com/author/shelley/" rel="nofollow noopener">The Book Review Crew</a></b> | <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/shelleys_book_nook"><b>The StoryGraph</b></a></div>ʚϊɞ Shelley ʚϊɞhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822687932335208688noreply@blogger.com0