Ashley

When the Day Comes is a unique read. 
Libby lives two different lives in two time periods, 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and 1914 Gilded Age New York City. As her 21st birthday approaches she will need to choose one path to stay on for the remainder of her life. She is confident in the path she wants to take, but then there is an unexpected event. 
This book was well written. The author makes a smooth transition back and forth between the two time periods. It was interesting reading the main character's role in both eras as these are two historical points. Libby takes action in both eras to do good for the cause. I liked the twist at the end. 
The story did seem predictable, but I still enjoyed seeing how the character handled the situation. The story has brief situations that were hard to read so check that before reading. 
Overall this was a wonderful read. 
Thank you Love Books Tours and Bethany House Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

The graphics in the book were well done. I like the illusions and within the drawings. The story was simple, easy, but kept with the wriitng of the original stories. 

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Christmas Cookie Wars is a lighthearted, clean holiday romance that everyone will enjoy. 

The main character is a single mom trying to find her work/life balance while also coming to grips with the fact her boys are growing up. She is a relatable and lovable character. 

I enjoyed the small town starting off the holidays with cookie related events. Each of the events was fun to read about and made me wish I could participate. Along the way we see someone is secretly sabotaging the events. I do think this took a backseat to the romance throughout the story and became less of a focus. I wished there had been a little more war or equal parts romance. I did enjoy the romance aspect and was rooting for the character to find love again. 

I lost interest about halfway through the book. Dialog and the storyline became repetitious and went on longer than felt necessary. Overall still a cute holiday romance that shouldn't be missed this season. 

This book does mention death of a spouse/parent, but no details are given. 

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I can't decide between 3 or 4 stars. Overall I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed reading about their vacations, seeing their relationship evolve and the characters. However, the vacation causing their relationship to change was disappointing.

The narrative changes and it can be hard to know who is talking or what is going on.  There is a lot going on in the story, but I found it an interesting story. 

I was drawn to this book for it's title and it didn't disappoint. I was drawn in from the beginning! It made me laugh, smile and cry. It was more than i expected it to be. 

I loved everything about this book. The characters are likable. I was laughing at Swan and Nick throughout most of the book. Their banter and chemistry is perfect. Blah is a sweet, funny grandma and I felt for Swan as she deals with her situation.  

The story is broken up into parts, which are typical points in a romance story. This made the story predictable, but the way the author wrote each chapter/section was perfect. 

I imagine the audiobook version of this is amazing! 

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I don't know where to start! The Emma Project had so much heart throughout the story. I loved the passion the main characters had not just for their work, but that their work was making the world better.

Esha's story could be it's own novella. I enjoyed her part in this story, but there is so much more that could be told.

There are parts of the story that didn't give the right closure. That storyline ended without quietly such as ending their relationship with Jiggy.

I smiled, laughed and teared up reading this story. This is one of my favorite books of 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the digital copy to read and review.

Angelika Frakenstein finds the perfect parts to make the perfect man, but does he desire her? Can she keep him? 

This is the first book I have read by this author and I like her writing style. I liked the author's take on the classic story. She made it her own and I was enjoyed every bit of it. It was fun and a tad spicy while keeping elements of the original. The characters were enjoyable and I wanted to be part of their secret society. I'm not sure how I feel about the resolution of Will's problem. It's logical and makes sense. I think I wanted it to be a miracle. I liked the references, especially in the Epilogue, to the author and the story. This is a wonderful fall read! 

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've been a fan of this author since I read her traveling series and this book did not disappoint. What I like about this author and her writing is that she draws you in from the beginning . The story keeps you wanting more. 

This was an interesting storyline. The main character is from a well off family in the publishing industry. She wants more than this life offers her, so she gets a job at a library on the brink of closing. No one knows who she really is. Funds are lacking and she is unable to purchase anything to update the library. She encounters people in the community who have a bad reputation, but Elodie is the one person willing to give them a chance. She creates the Human Library. The community can schedule time with these human books and hear their story and squash the rumors that have been spread about them. Don't judge a book by its cover. Don't judge a person but what you see. 

This is a wonderful story and a good reminder to not dismiss people based off what you see or hear. 

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read and review this story.

One Perfect Night was short and sweet.

Gray and Cassidy meet on their last night in Hawaii and decide to spend the evening just having fun.The next morning they part ways with only the other person's first name and nothing else.

Four years later Cassidy's interior design company is in high demand. A development company reaches out to her to design hotels they have just acquired. When she meets the owner she discovers that it is Gray. There is something Cassidy has been hiding from him, but she worries how he will react.

I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. The author kept the story simple while still conveying the emotions each character is going through.

Thank you Lorane Hopkins and Love Books Tour for the opportunity to read One Perfect Night.

I read this with my Penguin loving kid and she enjoyed it. It's a middle grade book, but the content was good for our five year old. 

I finished my first read of December and it is perfect! It is sweet and dare I say has some sass? 

Maisey wins an essay contest about her and her fiancé, but there is no fiancé. Jack needs someone to stop his family from setting him up. Can the two fake a relationship? 

I enjoyed Maisey's storyline. She finally gets the answer to something she has questioned and it is bigger than she knew. I liked the history the author added to this part. 

Highly recommend checking out When Sparks Fly this holiday season. Can't wait for the next installment out in the Spring! 

Thank you for the ARC!

Audiobook: the narrators chosen for this story were good choices. They both made their characters feel like actual people and brought out the emotion of the story. 
Story: What I liked about the audiobook was it was told in dual POV. I liked the author's writing style. It was relatable for its target audience and dealt with issues teens face.  The story left off on a huge cliffhanger. Overall I thought it was a well told story. It is appropriate for the suggested age. 
What I didn't like was the slow start. The main characters give their backstory and there was too much. I would rather have seen it come out as the story progressed. We are given their meeting told from both perspectives, but it wasn't a smooth transition from one account to another. 

This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling from the view of Georgiana Darcy. She is entering her third year of Pemberley. Her second year ended in disaster when Wickham Foster gets her involved in a situation she knew nothing about. She is determined to be the perfect Darcy and rid Wickham of her life. 

Audiobook: I enjoyed the narrator chosen for this audiobook. She fit Georgie's personality, how I would picture her, and brought her to life. 

Story: I enjoyed this unique retelling of a classic story. The author merges the classic story with modern elements. through the characters and scenes throughout the story. 

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this story.

*This book briefly mentions an abortion and deals with adultery. Check TW before reading. 
Typically this wouldn't be a book for me. I do not like the idea of adultery and it played a significant role in this story. The author uses this situation to demonstrate how people react, the ripple effect it has on families, and to show the growth that comes from the person it happened to. We all have a choice. 
While this story is mostly from Amanda's POV, we also get POVs from her sister, aunt and mother. The characters are well developed. We see how each one handles a similar situation. We also see the cycle of expectations passed from one generation to the next, but Amanda seems to break away from that. 
The author did a good job telling this story. The transition among characters was clear and the story has a natural progression. The writing was well done. 

Thank you Love Books Tour for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

Thank you to IG Oliver and Love Book Tours for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Butterfly Bee Lady and The Bee is a unique, beautifully written and illustrated children's story. Throughout the story there are lessons that children can take from such as family is what you make it. The Butterfly Bee Lady trusts a Bramley to take care of her children and those eggs see Bramley as part of their family even though he isn't the same as them. This story shows friends stepping up for one another and determination. This is worth reading with the children in your life.

The story was cute. The characters were likable. I was hoping for more in terms of “dramatics”, but the problem came and went quickly.  If you want a clean romance this is a great choice. 

This was told in dual POV, which I enjoyed. It had a male and female narrator. Both did an ok job telling the story.  

Thank you Jenny Proctor for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. 

I liked the characters and the author's writing. The story itself was ok. Part of the storyline is around one of the bookshop employees. She is determined to have a controversial poet at the store because she believes it is her father. But when it got to that point there was a brief encounter with her mom and the poet, but it quickly ended. The storylines of the main characters in the story felt this way. Over just as quick as it began. At times it felt like there was too much going on. 

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Narration: I liked the narrator for the story. She did a wonderful job bringing the character to life and voicing each of the characters throughout the story. 

Story: I liked Gemma, but I did find her to be a bit whiney initially. It felt like the author was over explaining Gemma and her life in the beginning of the story, but it is important information for the overall context of the story. The other characters were truly wonderful and added to the story. 

Gemma has had to make and live with hard decisions and the author writes her in a way that readers can empathize with her. However, for me personally, I think because I don't have the same life experiences I can't truly understand what Gemma is going through. For me I understand why Gemma has these thoughts and feelings, but I wasn't able to connect with the story or character as much. 

Check TW: absent parent, foster care, adoption. These topics are part of the story and the author gives enough information to tell the reader what Gemma's life was like. 

This was a heartwarming story and may be helpful to someone in the same position as Gemma. 

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

How far would you go to make your dreams come true?

I was hooked from the start! It was cleverly written story. The author was creative with the incidents and trying everything together like it could have gone a few different ways. The characters are well developed, and it was interesting to see how everyone was connected. I needed a different type of story and this was perfect. 

Can't wait for the next book! Check out the other reviewers tagged for Killing my Softly. 

A soundtrack of Jimmy Wayne's songs featured in the book has been recorded in character by renowned blues musician Mike Zito. 

Thank you Love Books Tour for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

Skip therapy and buy this book! 

I instantly felt like this book was saying everything I was going through. It was relatable in numerous ways. 

This book was more in depth than I expected it to be in a good way. The main character has a deeper storyline that helps her along. I liked that she sought out more friends and didn't just wait for her friends to come around. I loved that she finally came to realize what a true friendship is and that sometime you just have to let people go. They were there for the season you needed them. 

The characters in the story were great. The author really shows the connection and community through them. 

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book.

This is a good cozy mystery. While the main character is Mairi, the book gives brief narratives of other characters. 

I like that the author included a chart with information on the characters and their whereabouts. Mairi leaves side notes. These details added to the story. 

The ending left on an interesting cliffhanger. 

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

The pictures in the story are beautiful!

This story is a good reminder to trust the process. God gave Noah a task and he listened. While it wasn't ideal at times for the animals they tried to remain grateful. It is easy for us to think about the worst in the situation even though a brighter day is coming. God always has a plan.

This story pulled me in from the beginning. The author did a wonderful job writing the story and creating characters that all seem real. 

The main character is a courageous character trying to make a life for herself. She is orphaned and left in her uncle's care, which then puts her in a few situations she didn't agree to. Thankfully she comes across people willing to help her.

I liked that this story was more than just a romance. She wanted so much more for her life and romance wasn't the main focus. There is a lot of adventure in the story. 

This story does include scenes of violent behavior in the beginning. 

Thank you Love Books Tour for the opportunity to be part of the tour. Please check out other reviewers tagged in this post.

Note: this book does mention suicide.

Would you play a game to win money? What if that game required you to reveal your dirty secrets? What if that money came from a dead man?

Arthur Du Fuss lives on a street with only six houses. He watches his neighbors from inside his house and knows their secrets. Only one has ever bothered to reach out to him. Arthur has created a popular game and with that came a fortune, but he doesn't have a family and leaves his fortune to one of the neighbors. Arthur has decided to take his own life and once he does the lawyer has instructions on how to proceed. One of them will take home his fortune, but only after they have played the game Arthur set up for them.

The neighbors come together in the lawyer's office 1) not knowing that they were all invited and 2) not knowing what to expect. They are given an out, but no one leaves. While the book mentions the game goes on for a while, the reader only gets snippets of the game. Bigger moments. But, I do believe that the game wasn't just the game. I believe Arthur set it up to go beyond that night. Like a domino effect. Within 24 hours the rest of the neighbors have taken action.

If you are looking for a twisted thriller this is it! I couldn't put it down and read it in a day. I was left thinking “wow” and “what did I just read?”.

Thank you David Palin and Love Books Tour for the opportunity to read and review Let the Game Commence.