Book Review for Fix Me When I Fall: A second chance Hollywood makeover romance... by Zoe Forward

 

Fix Me When I Fall: A second chance Hollywood makeover romance... by Zoe Forward

Published:   September 23, 2024

Taken from Goodreads:  I never should've agreed to do Ryan Brandt.
I know it’s best I never see him again. He ruined my everything. My career. My heart.

I have little choice when his movie career implodes from one too many PR fiascoes. I've been assigned to spin his disasters and make over his life. If I don't, my life in the career fixing business is over.

Now his intensity and seductive scheming are set on me. I refuse to cave to it.

Mackensie Parker is mine. I forgot until she burst into my life full of accusations that my smoking hot action movie career was about to crash.
I never should have touched her. Falling for her will ruin my life. Again.

There’s too much at stake. The problem is our chemistry is instant. Combustible. Something neither of us can resist. Before I know it, she’s under my skin.

 

My Thoughts:  Fix Me When I Fall is a super quick read.   The surprises are small and the story moves as expected.   I expected a HEA and that is exactly what I received.  It is the perfect book to read after reading a heavy or deeper book. 

Second-chance romance is one of the genres I enjoy.  Zoe Forward did a great job writing this one.  I liked the history of Makensie and Ryan.  The twists and turns of their relationship seemed real to what you read in the movie star magazine at the grocery store check-out.  There was fake relationships, friendships that did not move past that label, and feelings that were too hot to smother.

Thank you Zoe Forward, author, for a copy of the book in exchange or my honest review.

 

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

 

Meet Zoe Forward(taken from her website):  USA Today bestselling author, parent, wife, veterinarian, chocolate lover. Author of spicy paranormal and contemporary romances. Zoe Forward brings readers the perfect combination of action adventure, romance, humor and a bit of magic.

Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.

You can find her residing in the South with a menagerie of four-legged beasts and two slightly wild kids.

 

She loves hearing from readers!

Children's Book Review for The Poop Factory by Lori Patterson, Daniel Limon (illustrator)

 The Poop Factory by Lori Patterson, Daniel Limon (illustrator)

Published:  September 17, 2024 by Blue Balloon Books

Taken from Amazon:  Inside the poop factory on Hummingbird Lane was a big, giant poop—Barry was his name.

Barry and his friends have spent enough time in the poop factory and now they must venture their way out. While his friends are light and airy, Barry’s large size calls for extra effort to squeeze him through the tunnel. Luckily, with the help of healthy foods Barry makes it out!

This playful story teaches readers how to deal with constipation in a fun-loving manner. With education and entertainment woven together, The Poop Factory is an excellent story for any young reader to enjoy.

 

My Thoughts:  I enjoyed reading this book about Poop.  I never thought I would say those words.  The story was fun and entertaining.   I would hope that when the grown-up reads this book to the child, they would discuss the story. The healthy aspect of the story is hidden a little in the context and needs a little bit of pointing out to the younger ones. 

The bright pictures and fun characters will entertain any child who picks up this book.   What child does not love to say the word poop and to read a book about it?

Thank you Blue Balloon Books for a copy of the book for my honest review.

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5 W’s of Writing a book and being an author…

 

Who?   Who are you besides a children’s book author? 

Hi! I’m Lori Patterson and I’m currently in my moming era. My priorities these days focus on spending time with my family, taking care of life logistics, and improving our homestead. I also love volunteering at my son’s school. I am able to volunteer in the library this year, which has been so much fun and helpful to learn more about the children’s book world! 

I am also a lifelong avid student of different energy healing and spiritual modalities. I am a certified Wellness Counselor, Inner Voice Facilitator, and Emotional Code Practitioner. I love practicing healing on myself, my family, and a handful of clients. 

I also love to travel, and have fun and interesting experiences. My husband and I have been to all seven continents together. He’s been a huge catalyst for adventure in my life.

I have had previous experience in marketing, professional development, and recruiting for the legal and consulting industries. I also have a degree in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University. 

I am proud to be able to call myself a children’s book author now. Honestly, it was never something I thought about doing before last year. However, this path now makes perfect sense to me since I have an innate love of children’s literature, performance, and humor.

 

 

What?  What helped you decide to write a children’s book? Or how do you decide what to write? 

After experiencing a health issue with my son, I was driving home after taking him to school. My mind was quiet and my heart was open. I thought of a poem about the health situation- the words just started flowing out of me and they made me laugh. I immediately wrote the verses down in my phone. I had actually never thought seriously about writing a children’s book before. However, I just had a strong knowing that I should turn the poem into a book. I knew that other parents had experienced the same situation and that constipation is a prevalent health issue in kids. I want parents to have this story as a resource and an extra tool in their belt. I really want to make kids laugh as well. The lesson in the book is really important and if you get the kids laughing first, I think they’ll be more invested in engaging with the lesson. If they don’t get the lesson the first time around, it’s still important to give kids the gift of joy and laughter, and hopefully instill a love for reading! 

 

Where?   Where do you do most of your writing? 

I’ve come up with my most favorite ideas in quiet places where my mind can be calm. These places include the car and the shower! I’ve worked on edits and storyboarding in my home office. 

 

When?   When do you do most of your writing?  How do you find the time in a busy life?  

I set an alarm for 8 minutes to write from my inner voice. From my certification as an Inner Voice Facilitator, I learned how to be still, put my awareness in my heart, breathe out any thoughts, and connect to the voice inside of myself. Then I sit in connection, listen, and write. Writing for 8 minutes doesn’t seem overwhelming to me and I know I’ll usually have the time to do that. Sometimes I stop the alarm to keep on writing, and sometimes writing for 8 minutes is all I can accomplish.

 

 

Why?   Why do you write?   Do you write books other than children books?  

When I was about 5 years old, a babysitter gave me a book with a corresponding record. It was “Free to Be You and Me” by Marlo Thomas and friends. Each author recorded their story or music so kids could listen and follow along. I really loved all of the songs and stories in the book. I think I memorized each one of them, and I still know Carol Channing’s “Housework” poem by heart. 

This experience as a child really curated my love for the arts and performing, and inspired me to pursue acting in school as a teenager. I write now because it fulfills that creative spark within me and it also connects me to my inner most being. Being able to connect with kids through storytime of my own book is something I cherish. I hope my book can spark creativity within other kids who are inspired by humor and the arts. 

I have not written any other books besides children’s books. However, I don’t know what might be in store for me around the corner. I try to keep my heart open and follow any internal sparks that light me up inside.

Book Review for Lightning in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

 Witch of Wild Things series #2

Lightning in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Published:  October 15, 2024 by Berkley

Genre:  Romance, Magic

 

Taken from Goodreads:  Gifted—or cursed—with the power to influence the weather, one woman must embrace her wild heart in the next electric romance from the author of Witch of Wild Things.

Teal Flores is desperate for two things—control over her gift of weather, and a date to her ex’s wedding. The first isn’t possible until she finds her long-lost mother, but the second has a very handsome last-ditch solution: Carter Velasquez.

Carter needs Teal too. His chance at receiving an inheritance is dependent on him being married by age thirty (blame his traditional Cuban grandmother), so who better to pose as his wife than Teal? But fake marriage and cohabitation prove tricky when mutual attraction charges the atmosphere—quite literally for Teal, whose volatile emotions cause lightning strikes.

Together, Teal and Carter embark on a quest to find her mother and the answers she’s searching for. But along the way, they’ll discover something even better: a love that can weather any storm.

My Thoughts:  I was not sure about this book.  I picked it up a couple times and could not quite open it up and start reading it.  I have finally picked it up and read it… actually, I devoured it.   I enjoyed all of it.   The family dynamics, the witchy characters, and the romantic relationship.   The time was just right for me to read this book and I am so glad I did not wait any longer.

Teal (what a cool name) is a fun character… and she is a character.   She has witch powers, and the weather changes with her emotions.  I felt for her, she had quite a bit of insecurity and could not work past it.   She carried grief for things that had happened but were not actually her fault.   Her relationship with Carter was full of history and drama.   There were bridges to be mended and feelings to be dealt with.  It was perfect that they did not forgive and forget, instead they worked it out and became exactly what they both wanted.

Lightning in Her Hands is a unique and entertaining book.  I am looking forward to more in this series.  I have not read any other books in this series but I definitely would like to read book 1 and am looking forward to others in this series. 

Thank you Berkley for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

 Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

Meet Raquel Vasquez Gilliland:  Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a Mexican American poet, novelist, and painter. She received an MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in 2017. She’s most inspired by fog and seeds and the lineages of all things. When not writing, Raquel tells stories to her plants and they tell her stories back. She lives in Tennessee with her beloved family and mountains. Raquel has published two books of poetry. Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is her first novel.

 

 

Cover Reveal for Pretend for Me by Stephanie Napolitano

 

Stephanie Napolitano has revealed the cover for Pretend for Me!

Releasing November 18, 2024

Cassie had always wanted a family of her own. Growing up in foster care only made her yearn for what she never had: a sense of security, comfort, and love.

Matthew coveted nothing more than a name: to be somebody to someone. In his pursuit of it, he risked the one person who had always been his real. Real love. Real family.

Childhood love didn’t stand a chance against the desire for something more. When one of them gets handed the opportunity for a fresh start, it means leaving behind the other.

An unexpected encounter ten years in the future forces them to face what happens when the lines of real and make believe are crossed. Can they find their way back to one another without pretending?

Photographer: Cadwallader Photography
Cover Designer: Smaldo Designs  

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Yq4mEX

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Uhm1fA 

Meet Stephanie Napolitano

Stephanie is a storyteller blessed (and sometimes cursed) with an overactive imagination. She loves creating flawed characters, navigating flawed worlds, crafting stories that make people feel. When she's not writing, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her son, immersing herself in a good book, or exploring nature on long, peaceful walks. After experiencing her own headache, she now writes her own happily-ever-afters, creating worlds where true love and hope are possible.

 

Connect with Stephanie

         Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/snapolitanowrites/

Amazon | https://amzn.to/4f9WDAJ 

Goodreads | https://bit.ly/3YtRQ7x

Release Blitz for Born to Make You Smile by Annella Savo

 

Born to Make You Smile by Annella Savo is now live!

He's kind and charming and the only man to ever spark my desire.
But I'm two decades younger than him...and his employee.
 
Being inexperienced with men at twenty-three shouldn't be a big deal. I've just never been overly attracted to anyone, and I've been busy dealing with a mountain of debt since my mother died.
 
I refuse to lose the house she left me. Especially since my widowed neighbor and his daughters have become like my family. But my feelings for him are getting out of control.
 
Gavin Brinley. Kind, caring, handsome, and that English accent? I can't keep from fantasizing about him. But I should. He's forty-six. He knew me when I had pigtails. He's my boss, and I need every cent of that paycheck.
 
But he's the only man to ever kindle my sexual appetite, and I don't know why.
 
Kissing him that first time is a really bad idea. Attending a work conference together is even worse. He's teaching me about my hidden, wild desires, and I can't believe the things we're doing together.
 
We're both ready to take a risk and go public, but he absolutely cannot find out about my secret night job, or the trust we're building will be destroyed... 

 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://a.co/d/arKryhj    

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3zQKtwZ 

 

Meet Annella Savo

Annella Savo is a Canadian author with a passion for writing romance stories that explore unconventional love, friendship, and family.

She writes about honest characters who fight for what they want, against all odds.

She was born and lives in Toronto, Ontario with her husband and three children.

In her spare time, you can find her with her family, listening to music, gardening, playing with her dog and enjoying some home cooking with a fine glass of wine.

 

Connect with Annella

Website | http://annellasavo.com  

Goodreads | https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/177283559-annella-savo  

Amazon | https://amzn.to/46WgWhX

Instagram |  https://www.instagram.com/annellasavo/     

Book Blitz for Penalties and Proposals by Anne Kemp with a GIVEAWAY

 

Penalties and Proposals
Anne Kemp
(Love on Thin Ice)
Publication date: October 17th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

It only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch. When life hands me reformed hockey star Noah Beaumont, AGAIN, am I supposed to make cider or is there a sweeter surprise in store?

Willa: I never wanted to see Noah Beaumont again. EVER. When I kicked him off my set after he showed up intoxicated, his PR team tried to blacklist me. I made it over that hurdle, made a name for myself, and I’m heading to Maple Falls to cover a charity ice hockey team that’s making headlines…only to find out I have to work with HIM.

But this Noah seems different. He’s reformed and seems to be determined to show me he’s changed. Can I trust him, or will he be the same disaster I remember?

Noah: I’ve spent years trying to make amends for my past mistakes, questioning if I still belong in the world of hockey or if it’s time to step back, be ‘normal’. But seeing Willa again brings everything into sharp focus. She’s the woman who’s haunted my thoughts since the day I met her.

Now, she’s here in Maple Falls, and I’m determined to prove I’m not the same man she remembers. I want her to see the real me, the man I’ve worked so hard to become. Can I convince her to give me a second chance?

Penalties and Proposals is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It’s a second chance enemies to lovers story with forced proximity in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Content warning: This IS a lighthearted and fun romantic comedy, but there are subjects mentioned in this book like parents passing away and former substance abuse.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“Is this the only table you have available?”

My eyes cannot be deceiving me. I’m standing in a restaurant with no one else in it, save another couple at the opposite end of the room. Surely the only table they have for me to sit at is not the one that happens to be directly beside Noah? Not to mention the fact the place is small enough I’d practically be sitting at his table anyway, the tables are that close to one another.

The young girl looks at me woefully. “I’m really sorry, but we’re full with reservations tonight.” Her tone is apologetic, and she’s young, so I’m not going to debate the situation … but still. The odds. I flex my hands, stretch my fingers, and take a deep breath, trying to fight back my irritation when I see a sliver of my tattoo under my sleeve.

Believe. Ha. I almost snort out loud. How about I believe I’m Harry Potter and I cast a quick spell to time travel to another restaurant in another town altogether?

“What about the bar?” I nod my head toward the old wooden bar where an older woman is busy making drinks and watching me through narrowed eyes. “Looks like there’s space there.”

“Our bartender isn’t on duty for another hour.” When I shoot her a questioning look, obviously confused by the woman pouring herself a soda from the beverage gun, the young girl stammers. “I’ve been asked to not have anyone sit there until his shift begins.”

So this fact leaves me to be seated by the blight that plagues me. Yes, I’m being ridiculously overdramatic, but the thought of chewing my dinner and having to stare at Noah, or work hard to look anywhere in this room besides at Noah, turns me off in the biggest way. Like a light switch after a big night out. I didn’t go to that party tonight because I wanted some time alone, time to myself to plan out the schedule I need to juggle in the days ahead.

“Fine,” I say with a sigh, pulling out my notebook and phone. When I look Noah’s way, he’s watching me, his expression frozen. I can’t read him, but he could be as weirded out that I’m about to be seated beside him as I am. I’ll save us both the trouble. I pick the chair where my back will be facing him and pull it out and settle in.

The hostess hands me the menu and asks for a drink order before she disappears from sight. I make a mental note to apologize to her. Poor thing. It’s not her fault she’s seated me next to the devil.

“Hi, Willa.” Of course his voice is like hot chocolate. The devil’s would be velvety and delicious. My instincts tell me to ignore him, but I’m here to work. I can hear my mom’s voice in the back of my mind telling me to play nice.

I pick up the menu and fake peruse it. Fake because of course I can’t think about anything else right now except that he’s right there.

“Hello, Noah. Fancy running into you at dinner.”

“A man’s gotta eat,” he responds.

“No doubt, but when I heard about the party happening in town tonight, I figured you’d be the first one signed up to be there.” I flip a page of the menu a little more aggressively than intended and manage to rip it a tiny bit. Must. Breathe.

“Contrary to past reports, I’m not the guy who goes to all the parties any longer.”

I want to turn around and face him, see the look on his face, but the stubborn part of me refuses. He’s the one who is engaging me; I can only imagine that eventually my lack of wanting to chat will catch on and he’ll focus on something else.

“So, you’re telling me a leopard can change his spots. That’s nice,” I manage to say, doubt dripping with each word. Holding my menu up in the air for him to see. “But, the jury’s still out as far as I’m concerned. If you’ll excuse me, I need to decide on my meal.”

There’s a pause before he answers. “Of course, sorry. I’ll leave you to it.”

A weight slides off my shoulders. Was it really that easy? I decide it has to be and go about choosing my meal, landing on the lasagna, then turning my attention to my notebook. This was to be a planning session for Noah’s photos amongst other work, and I intend to stay focused, even if he is right behind me and I can hear him breathing.

Author Bio:

Anne Kemp is a bestselling author of romantic comedies. She loves reading (and she does it ridiculously fast, too!), gluten-free baking (because everyone needs a hobby that makes them crazy), and finding time to binge-watch her favorite shows. She grew up in Maryland but made Los Angeles her home until she encountered her own real-life meet-cute at a friend's wedding where she ended up married to one of the groomsmen. For real.

Anne now lives on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, and even though she was married at Mt. Doom, no…she doesn’t have a Hobbit. However, she and her husband do have a terrier named George Clooney and when she’s not writing, she’s usually with them taking a long walk on the river by their home.

You can find Anne on her website - come say hi! She’d love to hear from you: www.annekemp.com

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Available Now! Harmonizing Hearts by Adina D. Grey

 

Title: Harmonizing Hearts

Series: Darkest Symphony Series Book #1

Author: Adina D. Grey

Genre/Tropes: Rockstar Romance; Second Chance; Instalove 

Release Date: October 18, 2024

Cover Design: Taylor Dawn from Sweet 15 Designs

Jackson thought he was immune to love, hardened by a life shuffled between foster homes. But Emma, with her fiery hair and sharp wit, broke through his defenses, leaving a mark deeper than desire. She was a whirlwind that disrupted his life's rhythm, and just as their tune began to harmonize, she vanished, taking a piece of him he never knew he needed. Now, Jackson is on a mission to reclaim his stolen heart and the fragment of his soul that Emma unknowingly carried away. Prepared for the fight of his life, he's determined to win her back—if she'll have him.

Emma lives by one rule: never mix work with pleasure. A rule she's dangerously close to shattering when she's tasked with training the new band she scouts and signed with SMD. The chemistry is undeniable, and the forbidden taste she had now leaves her craving more. But when life throws her a curveball, she's faced with a pivotal choice that could upend her world. Is Emma brave enough to choose love, even if it means changing everything?

 

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