Ashley

I read this with our three year old and she asked for it a second time!

I loved how Daniel used his passion as a chocolatier to spread happiness among his friends. This story shows that with a little love, showing someone you care, makes a huge difference. He expected nothing in return, but when his friends noticed when he needed a gift.

Also, who doesn't love chocolate?

Thank you Sandra Bradley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Cocoa Magic!

Natalie Jenner is quickly becoming a must buy author.

Historical fiction is a new genre I have been exploring. What I liked about this story is the depiction of life after the war. The women working at Bloomsbury Books are trying to find their place in the new world. Just a few years earlier they were needed to work while men were off to war, but now they are back to where they started. Only marginally better off than before.

All of the characters in the story are well developed and I enjoyed watching their growth over the story. These women are learning more about themselves and going against what society expects of them. One is figuring out her life after losing her fiancé in the war.

This is a wonderful read and I can't wait to add it to my collection right next to The Jane Austin Society.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Stories: This is my introduction to Katherine Mansfield and this collection of short stories was a perfect introduction. Each one was entertaining in its own way and it is hard to pick a favorite. 

Experience: This collection of stories ranges in time from 15 minutes to 40. It is easy to listen to the stories at once or break them up. I enjoy the extra notes about each story and the guide's thoughts. 

App: Since my introduction to Audrey I have listened to multiple stories. It has quickly become a go to while listening to audiobooks. The app is user friendly. The illustrations with each story are beautiful. 

Thank you Love Books Tour and team Aurey for the opportunity to listen to this collection of stories. 

The app is free to download and stories vary in cost. Compared to others these books are affordable and worth the price. 

I rate this 3.5. It doesn't have anything to do with the subject matter. It had too much spice for my liking. 

This book deals with mental illness, which is pointed out at the beginning of the book. The two main characters are each working through their own mental illness throughout the story and it's what connects them. The author writes it in a way to help the reader better understand what the character is going through past and present. 

Throughout the story we see how the characters have come to terms with their mental illness and how they are working through that with therapy or techniques. We read how the characters would normally act in settings such as big crowds and how they have learned to deal with these situations. 

To me the author also displayed a sense of progression when it comes to how society see mental illness past and present. Walker's former classmates realize now that they were not there for him or didn't realize what he needed, but now they understand. The character's friends in this story recognize and check in with them making sure they are ok. Having this positive support in a story and mainly real life is crucial. 

The narrator was good choice for Aja, but I didn't care for her as much for the Walker. The voice didn't fit what I thought he would sound like. Personal preference. Overall I did like the narrator though. 

Bet on It is a great story. While it deals with heavy topics, it also shows how we can be there for our loved ones. I did like the author's writing style and would read another book written by this author. 

I listened to this as an audiobook at 1x to 1.75x speed. 

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

I'd give this a 3.5. I was drawn to the book for his plot. It seemed like a different type of story than what I have read recently. 

However, I didn't feel the connection with the main character and her love interest. Their relationship came off as more friends with benefits to me. I also didn't care for some of the dialogue between the two main characters. The wording felt immature for the story considering the rest of the story was well written. 

Overall I liked this book. It had a strong beginning and end. I did find myself wondering how the author would lead the main character to solve her problem (in a good way). The author does a great job of setting the scene and you can feel like you are in the story. The characters are relatable and people you would want to hang out with. There are a diverse set of characters as well. 

I would read another book by this author. 

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This review is about the Audrey app and the production of Anne of Green Gables. 

Audrey is a new audiobook app offering a different kind of listening experience. Each story is put together by a guide. The guide includes extras like playlists, questions, pictures, character list, their thoughts and chapter recaps, which are unlocked after each chapter. 

Story Production Review:  This story has a number of narrators playing the characters in the story and I enjoyed each of them. This story includes background sound effects and music. At moments when mixed together, the sounds would drown each other out. Overall I do think these elements elevate the story. 

The bonus content in this story included pictures from the house belonging to the author that was converted into a museum, questions to consider, maps, playlists and even recipes. I can tell the guide put a lot of care into creating this story. 

App Review:  Please keep in mind the app is new. Currently users have little control on the app. This has not hindered my experience of the app and I find it easy to use. Things I would like to see is the the option to control sounds and the option for continuous play.

Audrey is affordable. The app is free to download and stories average around $7.99. The app offers free stories as well. 

I am excited to watch the app grow. I'm reading more classic literature and this app will a great help. 

Thank you Love Books Tours & Audrey for the opportunity to take part in this tour. 

What I liked: the characters were enjoyable. I liked it was broken up into the past, present and future sections. Overall the author writes a good story. 

What didn't work for me: I enjoyed the story, but it was missing connection and depth. It had all the elements for potential, but it could have been so much more. While it is meant to happen around Christmas time the story wasn't heavy on Christmas. This story could have happened at anytime of the year. I didn't get the love connection with the main characters. To me the two were just really great friends. 

If you want a light and fluffy romance this is a good option. I just wanted more from the story. 

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book couldn't catch my attention. The male narrator was ok, but I lied the female. I may try this book another time.