Review: Love at the Salted Caramel Cafe’

Love at the Salted Caramel Cafe’ by Angie Ellington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fall romance great for a couple hours escape. The story moved along quickly. It is a clean romance, I might term it a cozy romance. I recommend it for some relaxation reading.

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Review: Mushing is Murder

Mushing is Murder by Patti Benning
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a fast and easy read. It is perfect for when you want to unwind but are short on time. I was kept guessing, changing who I suspected a few time. I like the back story of an adult daughter moving home to help her aging parents. It is a very real scenario. What made it even better is that the family is flawed. They suffered a tragedy that split them up. They are healing but it’s not been an overnight lovefest. It is going along in a real life fashion. I like that. There is a possible love interest but, in this book at least, it wasn’t pushed heavily. It is set in small town Alaska and has mushers as part of the story! I adore that. Those dogs are amazing! I love reading about their care. This book had enough going on that I plan to read more in this series.

I came across this book while looking for a different one that was set in Alaska. I have not read anything by this author before. I did see that she has a few series and I want to look into those. I have read books put out by Summer Prescott Books and have enjoyed them. The editing of this small publishing company has been solid. I borrowed this book from the Kindle Unlimited program.

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Review: If the Broom Fits

If the Broom Fits by Sara Bourgeois
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the story. I like the characters, the town and I loved Meri. I will read the next book in the series because I enjoyed it. It was a fast, fun book.
What I didn’t like were the typos. This author has an entertaining book and a series full of promise. I would recommend that she finds someone to do some editing for her. It is difficult to catch the typos yourself. Your brain knows what you are saying and will correct it while you read. It would benefit her to have someone comb through this book and then update it.
If you are the type of reader that absolutely cannot read with typos, this wouldn’t be a good match. If you can ignore them, then I would recommend reading it for a light hearted afternoon of reading. The book takes about 2-3 hours to read, (fast readers will probably be done in an hour or so). I liked it well enough to give the next book a shot, (maybe a couple more), though I will borrow them until I see the typos have been fixed.

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Review: When Smiles Fade

When Smiles Fade by Paige Dearth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a difficult book for me. I had never read this author before so I had no expectations for the story. The first 30% of the book was the hardest for me to get through. I had a lot of memories to work through. I had to go slow and take breaks with other books. I always came back, though. I was invested in the children of this book. All of them, not just Emma, Gracie and Izzy. Their story is heartbreaking and compelling. Sadly, it is a realistic one. If you haven’t known abuse, you may think the author is over the top. Maybe. The book is fiction. Abuse does happen, though. You may think that no one could get away with doing those things to their children. It is harder in some places, today, but it still happens. Even here in the USA where we like to believe that we protect our young. How many times have you questioned someone at the park about a child’s injuries? How many times do you accept your neighbor saying, “she is clumsy,” or, “he likes to roughhouse.”? How many times has your child mentioned a classmates injury and you just said, “that’s too bad.”. See how easy it is? Yes, after too many injuries, we may start whispering about it or possibly ask a deeper question. What happens then? They move. “A better job in a different state.” “Moving back with family.” “Buying a house.” Then it can start all over. This book will open your eyes to a very real problem around the globe. Children are the future. They should be valued not damaged.
I really liked Emma. I liked how the author took us inside her head and heart. I also liked the glimpse into Gracie. If I had a wish for this book, it would be for a companion book of Gracie’s journal. The story gripped me. After I got past the first 30%, I found myself eager to know what was going to happen next. I was hoping for a better life for Emma and Gracie. I won’t give away anything by saying more on the plot twists. There are several. They were surprising to me. The last 70% of the book was easier for me to read. It actually went fast because I didn’t want to put it down. A problem I had with it concerns Izzy. I found myself confused on time passing with her character. I felt like it went too fast and became easily confused about her age. It tripped me up a little.
Please heed the warning of the graphic nature of this book. It is not for everyone. If it is not something you can handle, then, pass it up. If you aren’t certain, please get the sample or check with your library. I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. All opinions expressed are my honest feelings regarding the book. At first I wasn’t certain I wanted to read another book by the author, (due to the explicit scenes). Now though, after having time to breathe and reflect, I think I will. I know what to expect and I know to give myself time. I think the author will captivate me with another heart searing, emotional, gripping read. Give the author a try. I would say, if you do but find yourself thinking it is a DNF, stay with the story until after the 30% mark before deciding if you can or can’t finish it. It is brutal but the author does let you breathe.

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Review: Bewitching

Bewitching by Sandy Moffett
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

I started off reading the series that I believe goes with this book. Then my son was deathly ill and I couldn’t concentrate on anything but him. Once he was on the mend, I thought, I would pick up where I left off. I didn’t count on the exhaustion and mood flipping that would follow his recovery, made worse by my own autoimmune disorder that I neglected. I ended up in a funk where I would pick up books, read a page and then put it down. Every single book. Even ones I was loving, (at least I knew it wasn’t the books). I truly was despairing at gaining back my reading interest. Then I picked up this one and was swept away!

This story captures my reading spirit and revived it! I loved Constance and her aunts. The aunts were so adorable! Stefan was a perfect book boyfriend; handsome, intelligent, kind and a bit mysterious. I don’t want to go into the plot because it is a novella. It’s too easy to give away too much..and there is a big plot twist! I kept returning to it every chance I had. I found myself wishing I had carved out time to read it all at once. If I were to guess, I would say you could read it in two or three hours. Make the time! You will get caught up. Read it.

I would like to say this about the book in case it is an issue for anyone. There are hot scenes. I found them appropriate for the book, (but that is my taste). If that is something that you prefer not to read, you might want to choose a different book. Otherwise, enjoy them. They are a part of a very interesting storyline.

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Review: The Darkwater Bride An Audible Original Drama

The Darkwater Bride An Audible Original Drama by Marty Ross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love the performance of this audiobook. The story, though, was over the top for me. It was a creepy tale but a little too much on graphic, gritty, violence and sex for my taste. I don’t mind stories that are graphic, as long as I feel it is necessary to the story. I listened to the whole story, though, because I loved the performance. If you don’t mind graphic and gritty, this may be your story. I would tell you to listen to it for the performance. It is more like listening to radio drama over an audiobook. Listen to the sample and remember it does have scenes that could trigger sensitive listeners.

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Review: Crêpe Expectations

Crêpe Expectations by Sarah Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this mystery. It is the first book I read by Sarah Fox although it is the 5th book into the series. I did not feel as though I missed anything by jumping in so late. The mystery was well done with a couple of mini mysteries popping up. This enhanced the story for me. I think one of the mysteries might have been spun off of prior books, (not at all certain of this), but the second was solely related to this one. I like the characters and friendships. I do want to go back and read the previous books to catch me up on them.

I had something going on with my eyes during my reading, (it still is. I think spring allergies). The story is captivating and without the eye issues I would have probably finished in one day. I read it during a readathon so I had time blocked, (I blocked 5 hours as it is a good length.). There are some super delicious recipes in back that I can’t wait to try. I usually try to do one for the review, but the eyes. I won a copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. The review is my opinions from reading the book.

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