The Sassy Bookworm
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Neat cover on this book!
I am giving this one 4 stars solely on being entertained. This author's books are always highly entertaining and always have me furiously flipping the pages. Was the plot a little “meh”? Yes. Was the ending anticlimactic? Again yes, however this author never fails to suck me into his stories, so sometimes a book just being entertaining is enough.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Great cover on this one.
I found this one to be an entertaining read. Decent writing. Held up well as a standalone. Well paced. A plot with plenty of red herrings and kept me guessing until the end. Likable (for the most part) characters. I found it a little sus that Grayson decided becoming a fugitive was a better option than you know, hiring a lawyer and trying to clear his name within the parameters of the law. Then again, Sadie (his girlfriend) didn't seem to have any issue with commiting crimes in the name of clearing her boyfriends name, soooo.
⭐⭐⭐ – Great cover on this one!
This book was honestly a mixed bag for me. The first half was decent. I enjoyed the quirky characters he meet and the oddball situations he found himself in. Then we are hit in the face with a sexual assault and the book goes completely off the rails. I really felt like the aftermath of the SA was just glossed over. I don't remember a single person suggesting he file a police report. or even mentioning calling police. Not to mention, this was the US. How did he even get treated without any insurance?! Then the entire Araceli interactions were cringe x 10 and gave me whiplash. And the ending was a brief half a page that didn't offer us any closure or wrapped up any loose ends.
⭐⭐⭐.5 – Love the cover of this book!
I adored this author's Cajun Country series, so I was excited to dive into this new one. Especially since I love anything set in New Orleans! Alas, this one just didn't “wow” me as much as the other series. I loved the setting. The mystery was fine. There is a great cast of quirky and likable secondary characters. And I loved the addition of the vintage recipes.
My main issue was Ricki herself. She was just so obnoxious and unlikable. From her weird obsession with ridiculous murder scenarios (and murderers) to her nasty attitude whenever the police lady didn't jump on whatever outrageous theory she cooked up that hour. She annoyed me the entire book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Lovely cover on this one!
The Leaping Hare Wellness Almanac was honestly a pleasure to review. The graphics were beautiful and calming. The book is well laid out with each month broken down into “reflection, movement, gratitude, nature, journaling, rituals, craft, recipe, meditation, affirmations, visualisation, stargazing...and more..” There are plenty of activities (yoga poses, nature walks, breathing exercises, journaling prompts, recipes, crafts etc.) that help keep you engaged throughout the months. This would honestly make such a lovely gift!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Gorgeous cover on this one!
This book was absolutely fantastic. From the artwork to the incredible amount of information within. Split into three sections (Goddesses, Heroines, and Monsters) with at least 15 “women of myth” in each section, there is a lot here to keep you entertained. From pronunciation, appearance, symbols, to an overview and a “what's her story” section. This is truly a very thorough covering of mythical women. An absolutely amazing book that would make a beautiful gift for anyone wanted to learn more about this subject.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Book Lover's Guide to Paris is the perfect guidebook for literary buffs looking to explore all Paris has to offer in that regard. Well laid out with plenty of photographs and maps and choked full of information on such greats as Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac, Marcel Proust, and many more. Plus, there is an entire chapter dedicated to bookshops and biblioteques (libraries). As well as a short chapter on places to stay. This will definitely be coming with me when I visit Paris!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Great cover!
What a highly entertaining read this turned out to be! Well written. Fast paced. Works well as a standalone. With an intelligent and engaging plot. Plenty of red herrings to keep the reading guessing. Intriguing and well developed characters. I have honestly never read a book where the main character is a dwarf! I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Great cover on this one!
This was a solid start to a new cozy mystery series. I so seldom get into cozy series from the first book, so that was a pleasant change of pace for this reader. The writing was great. I loved the setting. The plot was engaging. I loved all the historical information. The characters were okay. That is the one aspect that left me a little “meh”. However, it is the first book, so I expect the author will develop them more as the book progress. I am looking forward to see what they get up to in the next book!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐.5 – I love the cover on this one!
Overall I enjoyed this one. It started out strong. I loved the setting (Detroit) it brought back a lot of memories since I was born and raised across the river in Canada. I mean, they even included Boblo where I worked as a teen! However, halfway through I started to get annoyed by how repetitive it was. I get it, Violet wants to be a “modern woman” and own a car. I got it the first 50 times it was mentioned. I didn't need to be banged over the head with another 50 times. Same with Melanie and her “promotion”. I also started to find Violet a little...unlikable. She came off a little self centered towards the end.
⭐⭐⭐ – Love this cover!
I mostly enjoyed this one. It kept me hooked and turning the pages. That said, I also found it quite predictable. I had most of the story figured out very early on. However, that could be because it reminded me of a book I read a while back (can't remember the name) that had a similar plot. In any case, like I said, it was an enjoyable way to pass a few hours!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Great cover on this one!
I am a huge fan of middle-grade books, and this one was such an entertaining read. It was well written. I loved the setting. I loved the archeological aspect. The plot kept me engaged. The characters were likable and intriguing. If I had to be nit picky, I'd say it was maybe a tad bit too long. I found that it dragged a little towards the end. Overall it was a great read. I am sad that this appears to be the last book in the series. I will definitely go back and read the previous books!
ARC Vua NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐ – This cover is just is not doing it for me
So this one was okay for me. It held up well as a standalone. It was decently paced. I loved the setting. The characters were (mostly) likable. The plot kept me guessing until the end. All good things. However, I am a very nitpicky reader. That is to say if I run across something that doesn't make sense or is straight out wrong, it sticks in my head.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Very cool cover on this one!
This was my introduction to the Daisy Tannenbaum series (and J.T. Allen), and it was a super cute middle grade read. It was well written and well paced. Held up well as a standalone. I adored the Paris setting. The plot was engaging, and had some heartfelt moments. The characters themselves were very likable. However, I do think Daisy and her friend's read like they were older than 12. (and 15?). I also thought the ending felt a little rushed, but overall this was a quick and entertaining read. I'll definitely keep my eyes out for the next in the series.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Great cover on this one!
With prices rising on everything lately, I am always on the lookout for great, quick and tasty vegetarian/vegan dishes. This book gave me that is spades!
This cookbook is divided into the following chapters...
– BREAKFAST– BRUNCH– LUNCH– DINNER– SNACKS– SWEETS– CELEBRATIONS
There is also an introduction that covers things like “key ingredients, q&a, and equipment”. The recipes themselves are well laid out and easy to follow. There are plenty of photographs making it a visually pleasing book to flip through.
I have tried a few of the recipes and loved the “mocha caramel” overnight oats. The ‘cheesy broccoli waffles” were also super delish. “chickpea tabbouleh with lemon tahini” made a great lunch dish to share with friends. The “cashew cauliflower and spinach daal” was loved by even my pickiest eaters, and the “orange cardamom layer cake” got all thumbs up from everyone that tasted it!
This is definitely a cookbook you will be reaching for again and again!
ARC Via NetGalley
