Review: The Dental Health Cook Book: How listening to your dentist can help you lose weight

The Dental Health Cook Book: How listening to your dentist can help you lose weight by Stephen Hudson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am really having a hard time with starring this book. It has a lot of information. I liked that and the presentation of it. The recipe part though needs more, in my opinion. I like the recipes included. They went from extremely simple to easy to make. I didn't see any that were very complicated so anyone not comfortable in the kitchen would be able to make them. Unfortunately, in my review copy the ingredient amounts weren't there. This complicates things for inexperienced cooks. There were a few recipes that I tried, guessing and adjusting the ingredient amounts. These turned out well and were tasty, tasty. I would like to see nutritional information added, especially calorie counts since this is cookbook that can help with losing weight.
Though the author makes mention the legal blurbs about entertainment purposes, he makes valid points about eating and dieting. I do believe you can lose weight and become healthier following the diet advice given.
I heard about this book from Reader's House on Twitter. I received an ecopy of the book from the author for review purposes. The final version may be different from the pdf copy. Review based on my honest opinion and thoughts of the book.

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Review: Grooming Mr. Right

Grooming Mr. Right by Tonya Kappes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a cute romance! Tonya Kappes is a favorite author of mine. Her books are so lively and fun. Time really flies while I read them.
Grooming Mr Right brings Luvie back home from New York City to Kentucky. She goes from fashion designer to pet groomer. Her life isn't turning out to be what she hoped it would be. Can she find love in the town she grew up in or is she better off in New York City?
Tonya Kappes has a down home, comfortable writing style. You open a book and immediately feel at home. The characters are colorful and sometimes trouble but are always a hoot to get to know. Grooming Mr Right is the first book in the Bluegrass Romance series. It is a quick afternoon read. The romance is sweet and fun with sprinkles of spicy kisses and hot embraces. The characters are funny, quirky and caring...good people that you enjoy spending time with. Grab a cold drink, a beach towel and head outside to get some sun while you enjoy an afternoon of fun reading.

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Review: Going Gets Hot

Going Gets Hot by Rachelle Ayala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rachelle Ayala is one of my favorite authors. She writes entertaining stories that also enlighten. Every book I read by her has been fun and informative. I either learn something I didn't know or I see people and situations from a different angle. Going Gets Hot is no exception.
In high school there were two subjects that made me glassy eyed...math and chemistry. They are useful, no denying, but boring to me. In Going Gets Hot we follow the story of two scientist, Chad and Amber. When I saw they were scientist, I thought to myself, oh no, no, don't take me there. But the author did and I enjoyed it! The story was achingly sweet, though it had enough spice to keep things interesting, and funny. Getting to know Chad and seeing things from his perspective, made me think of the geek loving guys from my school days and see them differently.
The story moves quickly as things in Sapphire Falls tend to do. It took me awhile to read only because I had real life interfering. I would say that you could easily finish this at the beach or on a rainy afternoon. There is sexual activity, (it is not erotica though), so if you prefer it clean this is not your book. The author does have those, too, (check out The Have a Hart Series). If your looking for a spicy n sweet read for a quick escape, definitely get this book!
**I received an ecopy of this book from the author for ARC reading. The review is my honest opinion regarding the story. The released book may contain differences from the ARC copy. **

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Review: Black Tied

Black Tied by Rachelle Ayala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Rachelle Ayala's first book into the paranormal romance genre. It is a fresh entry into a saturated genre. Since Sookie Stackhouse struck gold for HBO the genre has exploded. We have plenty of vampires, shifters, dragons, fairies, witches, gods and even unicorns represented. It is hard to come up with something new in this arena. That is exactly what Ms. Ayala did though with Black Tied.
Black Tied takes on the lesser known gods with barely a nod at the major players, and adds in Chinese culture for a delightfully entertaining adventure. The kitchen gods and their fire fighting son are the main gods in this story. When Johnny becomes captivated by Sapphire while fighting a fire in her grandmother's kitchen, he discovers the family's missing Wok of Ages. This sets of a chain of events that will have the reader laughing out loud while wondering if Sapphire and Johnny will be able to work through everything, and everyone, that stand in the way to love and wok. With vivid characters, (who reminded me of several people I know), and a blending of mythology with culture the story balances then blurs reality and fantasy. Black Tied is an entertaining contemporary romance with sweetness and hints of spice rolled into a paranormal egg roll. It is a new favorite of mine. I would definitely recommend it!
this may date me but I would like to add that the characters reminded me of a blend of Bewitched and Josie and the Pussycats. Sapphire and her friends are Josie and the Pussycats while Lao-Lao and Johnny's parents made me think of Endora and Darren's parents. If you remember those shows and enjoyed them, give this book a try. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series!

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Review: Strangers In Another Country

Strangers In Another Country by Lawrence G. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book came to my attention through BookTasters. It is different from my usual picks. It is a collection of short stories about life. I enjoyed them. I felt that they rang with honesty. The stories deal with some of life's heavier topics; love, loneliness, racial discrimination, feeling you don't belong anywhere. Yet I did not find the book depressing.
The stories are set in the late 1960's and the main characters are West Indian. The settings are London and Sweden, (my point of view is as an American - I have not been to London or Sweden and speak of things as I see them in the U.S.). I felt they were relevant today, which is sad. You would think with so many years gone by that things would be more balanced with equality. I think books like this one need to be read. It opens your mind to things that still need to be changed. It was, for me, a listening to the other side of things...without anger. In my opinion, this is when we can figure things out. When there is no angry accusations, just listening and reflecting. My favorite story in this collection was Betty and The Black Puppy.
The book is not that long and can easily be read in one afternoon. The stories are not connected so you can also choose to read them between appointments or while riding to work. They are stories that you will want to think about, so give yourself time for that.
Thank you to BookTasters and the author for bringing the book to my attention. A pdf copy was loaned to me for review purposes.


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Review: Lacking Shades of Grey: A collection of Poems - Volume 1

Lacking Shades of Grey: A collection of Poems - Volume 1 by Nicole Settimi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awhile back I reviewed a book titled, Addictarium, also written by this author. That book contained poetry written by the author. In my review, I had written that I hoped the author would someday offer her poetry in a book. Here it is and it is everything I hoped it would be.
These are not fluffy love poems. They are raw, emotional poems that take us inside the worlds of drug addiction and mental health. They are not for the weak. They are not for those who wish to see either of those worlds in black and white. This book is very aptly named because those worlds are grey. They are worlds of love and glory battling with hate and shame; colored by deceitful promises, blind belief, hope and despair. The author of these poems holds nothing back.
If you are an addict or you know an addict, these poems will speak to you. It may not be what you want to hear, for the truth seldom is, but they might just be what you need to hear.
Through the two books this author has written, I have come to know a little about her. No one who bares their soul and pours their blood out in their writing is truly able to stay hidden. I am humbled by her painful honesty. I think the author is an amazingly brave soul. I wish her the best on this path she walks.
Thank you to the author who sent me an ecopy of this book. I chose to review it. The review is honestly written. The recommendation of this book is sincere.

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Review: Look Behind You

Look Behind You by Sibel Hodge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed listening to this book. There were parts of it where I think the author tried too hard and I did roll my eyes, (I took off a star for this). I try not to do spoilers so I have to leave that you to find on your own. There really wasn't too many times, for me, so it did not ruin the book for me. The bad person is bad from the start and you know it. The other suspects, including Chloe, are not so in your face. This had me believing I had it figured outright away only to question it later on. It is easy to believe the awfully bad person is always the one who did it so these surprises were welcome. The story moves at a fast, smooth pace. I didn't feel jerked around anywhere. My jaw did drop toward the end.
I really enjoyed the narrator on this. I thought she did really well with the pacing and giving voices to the various characters. A big plus, she didn't make me feel sleepy at all. I listened at night on a readathon weekend. Normally I try to balance reading and listening so I don't fall asleep. With this story and narrator, there wasn't a spot I wanted to stop at.
I would tell my friends to give this book a try, especially those with an interest in mental abuse and those who enjoy unreliable character narrators.
Thank you to Amazon for providing a copy of this book to Prime customers.

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