Monthly Archives: April 2019

Books I read in April 🤓

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So ……

Thinking I’d give this a go …..

All the books I read in April …..

Dark Wolf ……A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan 📖

Omega’s Submission (Foxes of Scarlet Peak) book 1 by Aspen Grey 📱

An Accidental Date With a Billionaire by Diane Alberts 👩🏻‍💻 TRC 

Her Midnight Sun by Sofie Darling 👩🏻‍💻TRC 

Red Zone by Janet Elizabeth Henderson 👩🏻‍💻TRC 

The Rookie (Fire’s Edge #2) Abigail Owen 👩🏻‍💻TRC 

Dark storm ….A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan 📖

Dark Predator …A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan 📖

Dark Peril …. A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan 📖

First shift (Bears in Blue) by Mia Taylor 📱

Drawing Bloodlines #1 (The Princeton Allegiant series) by Deborah Garland 👩🏻‍💻TRC 

Mated to the Dragon by Karla Wolf 📱

Dark Lycan… A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan 📖

Young love (Wolves of Gypsum Creek book 3) by Serena Meadows 📱

Triumph (Wolves of Gypsum Creek book 2) by Serena Meadows 📱
Protected by the dragon by Kayla Wolf 📱
Restoration (Wolves of Gypsum Creek) by Serena Meadows 📱
Her white wolf (Wolves of Gypsum Creek) by Serena Meadows 📱
Take me by Lily Harlem 📱
The Billionaire’s Luck (Secret Billionaire’s club) book 2 by Tracey Pedersen 📱
Alpha’s Destiny (Texas Heat) book 1 by Aspen Grey 👩🏻‍💻
His to protect (Bears of Grizzly Ridge) by Elena Aiken 📱

Tease Me  by Aidy Award 📱

Marked by the Vampire (A Purgatory Novel) by Cynthia Eden 👩🏻‍💻


📱read in iBook 
👩🏻‍💻 read on my kindle 
📖 read from a book 
TRC … The Reading Cafe (I guest review on another site) 
I hadn’t realised I’d read so many books. 
Have you read any of these? Have my reviews got your interest? 

I think I may have missed a few 😉 but I’m sure you’ll let me know if I did. And yes I know it says reading on the picture, but I decided to post this at the end of the month, rather than at the beginning of the month as I’m wasn’t sure what I’d be reading at the beginning of this month 📖

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Tuesday’s Post ☕️

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Yay, delivery day 😉just a touch of sarcasm for a Tuesday 😆but I got lucky today, enough people in, so I could concentrate on prepping salads for lunch and for the evening.

Weird weather today, we start of cold and cloudy, by the evening, we’ve had, hot and sunny going to chilly🙄I really don’t know what to wear some days.

Saw this on my way to work today. I do like roses, they have to be my favourite flower. In fact I have four rose bushes in my garden. One for my grandad…. one for my mum …. and one for my daughter (I’ll post them when they are in full bloom) my daughters is the most established (she’s been gone five years now, my grandad two, and my mums first anniversary is coming up)

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Random Thought 💭

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How to be a good friend to someone who has depression.

Man, it’s tricky knowing how to navigate a friendship after you learn that your friend is depressed, isn’t it?

Do you ask about it, or is that seen as nagging or bringing something up at the wrong time? But if you don’t, are you ignoring it and will they think you don’t care? If you take them out for drinks and A Jolly Good Knees Up will that make it worse because of all the alcohol?

What a mindf***.

With one in six of the UK suffering from mental health problems at the moment, chances are that you’re friends with someone who has depression.

Depression has a different effect on everyone, and even those who are going through a severe depressive episode are often able to mask it. If someone you’re close to has talked to you about their mental health, or you might think that they’re struggling and just want to be there for them, there are things you can do. Panic not.

Psychotherapist Emma Marlin has some simple advice: ‘If you have a friend who is depressed, know that person needs connection and contact. Don’t be put off if they don’t return your texts or calls – keep texting and calling. Let them know you are thinking of them and are there for them. It all reminds them that you care.’

‘Don’t be afraid to ask your friend how they really are,’ says Emma. ‘If they say ‘down or depressed,’ say something like, “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m here. I’m listening.” Don’t try to talk them out of how they are feeling or be afraid to ask them just how bad it is.

‘If your friend is opening up to you about dark thoughts or feelings, take it as a good sign because people who talk about suicidal thoughts are much less likely to act on them. If your friend tells you they have formulated a plan to act on those thoughts or feelings, take them to the nearest A&E so they can get the mental first aid they need.’

What about if you live with someone who’s going through depression, though? It can be hard, of course it can, to try to anticipate someone else’s mood. I can’t speak for all of us sad-sacks, but other people tiptoeing around us is not the dream.

If your mate has the norovirus, do you say that they’re bringing it on themselves and it’s not that bad really? If a friend has a chest infection, do you tell them it’s probably not as bad as they’re making it out to be in their own head? (If you do, please give yourself a shake, re-read this piece and then say in the mirror three times, ‘I am a crapbag.’)

Depression is a stagnant, sticky, thick syrupy pool of hell that it’s often near impossible to get out of, and even the most foolish puppy videos in the world won’t shift it. Don’t feel bad if your efforts aren’t making a visible difference – but do rein it in a bit, and just exist with your friend. Be alone, but together – and probably not in a pub, if you can help it, says Emma.

‘If you’re meeting up with a friend that you know is struggling, steer away from just drinking,’ she tells us. ‘Sure, booze will lifts spirits in the short term (which might make you feel more comfortable) but getting a depressed friend drunk is not a kind thing to do as it will make the depression worse the next day. If that person is already taking antidepressants (and you can’t always know this) alcohol, in even small quantities, can make them black out. Meet them for lunch instead or suggest a walk.’

‘If you try to cheer someone up and it’s not working you can actually make them feel worse as they might feel guilty for not responding to your attempts to make them feel better.

‘You need to let them know that you don’t think they’re to blame for being depressed and not being able to go somewhere or do something, anymore than someone on crutches is to blame for not being able to climb lots to stairs or walk up steep hills.’

Yes, depression is complicated and isolating and frightening. It’s f***ing annoying – and you can bet that your depressed mate thinks so, too. They may seem like they’re sacking you off; ignoring messages, declining invites and staying locked in their room – but please don’t leave them. Just knowing that someone’s there for them can save their life.

If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health, you can find a qualified local counsellor in your area with Counselling Directory . Mental health charity Mind also offer counselling services, and you can call The Samaritans on 116123 (UK and ROI). The NHS even have a little quiz you can take. If you can, visit your GP for further advice.

It’s ok to ask for help. There is such a stigma around mental health, and that needs to stop. We can talk about it, it’s ok, please don’t struggle.
Talk to the Samaritans, your GP, anyone that will listen and not judge. Sometimes a stranger is better than family, they don’t know you, so how can they judge?
I’m talking from personal experience, I still find it hard to talk about it. I pretend when everything isn’t alright, so today I phoned a helpline and asked for help. I’ve been hiding it for a long time, been pretending that life is fab. You can’t be happy all the time. You have to be proactive, and today I realised that.
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Monday’s Post ☕️

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Weather wise it was a lovely day. Walking to and from work with the sun on your back.

On a personal note, I’ve found a post that I found interesting. Behind this smile is a sad person, an angry person. Having people taken away from you never gets any easier, they say time is a great healer ….. it’s not, it doesn’t heal, but you manage, and every once in a while you have a down day. But that’s ok. It’s when those days turn into weeks. When people say “you should be over that by now”

So just be kinder to yourself and to one another.

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Book Review 📖

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Dark Wolf …. A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan 

Back Cover…… 

In DARK LYCAN, Christine Feehan journeyed into the heart of the Carpathians, and into the souls of two lifemates stirred by the flush of passion and the threat of annihilation. In DARK WOLF, the breathtaking story continues as the bonds of family are imperiled, and the fate of two lovers lies hidden in the seductive shadows between life and death.

Skyler Daratrazanoff always recognized the miracle that was Dimitri Tirunul, a man beyond any dream that had ever engaged her nights. But she was human. Vulnerable. He was Carpathian. Nearly immortal. She was nineteen. He was an ancient. Yet she held half his soul, the light to his darkness. Without her, he would not survive. Caught between the two warring species, Dimitri has spent centuries hunting the undead to keep his people free, and humans safe. He had survived honorably when others had chosen to give up their souls. But now, marked for extermination by the Lycans, Dimitri found himself alone, and fearing for his life. But salvation was coming. . .

No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to dare mount a secret rescue operation. A teenage girl. A human of untested abilities. But she had something no one else had. She was predestined for Dimitri – as he was for her. And there was nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true. Whatever the risk.


My Review….. 

This has been a much anticipated book by her loyal fans…..

Skyler has been in many books, we first met her in Gabriel and Francesca’s book (Dark Legend) they adopted her as a young girl, she had been horribly abused by her stepfather (mentally and physically) and so Skyler is very afraid of men, it’s taken her a long time to get over a few of her fears. 

Skyler is a psychic and so a potential mate to a Carpathian. She is mage, Carpathian and human. She is also a “lost” child of Razavan (Dark Slayer) her father had been possessed by the mage Xavier to father children to feed off and experiment on. Her mother ran off with Skyler as a child, (escaping Razvan and Xavier) but fell in with the wrong people. She was rescued by Francesca and called “daughter” all she felt was loved and cherished, but there is another who “loves” her …… 

Every day without his lifemate has been pure torture for Dimitri (Fenris’s brother from Dark Lycan) he has known for a few years that Skyler was “his,” the other half of his soul, his light in a dark and colourless life. Feeling helpless as her memories of being assaulted ran though his mind. Not being able to “save” her, knowing his precious lifemate was in the world, and not being protected and cherished by her parents. The beast that calls to him on a daily basis to kill is so strong, but his honour and love for Skyler keeps him on the right path. 

Dimitri has been taken and tortured…. no one knows where he is, and why he was targeted (but in the last book Dark Lycan, we found out😉) wrapped from head to toe in chains, he’s been beaten and starved of blood. His only concern is for his lifemate, if he dies he is worried that the trauma would greatly affect Skyler. 

But Skyler has amazing abilities, she finds her lifemate, and with the help of her friends, they go and rescue Dimitri. Rescuing him was easy, healing him was a lot harder. And in the middle of this we start a war. 

As usual the battles were described in fantastic detail. The banter between Fenris and Dimitri was funny. And it was nice to catch up with a few of the couples from previous books. 
There were a few really sad moments, the laughs kept coming, and one or two Oh My God moments. 

I have to admit, I was disappointed with this book, it wasn’t her usual style. In the UK the age of consent is 16, so I didn’t have a problem with Dimitri claiming his lifemate at an early age. But the connection in other books was always so strong and tender. This book spent so much time finding Dimitri, the interaction between the main characters felt rushed!!! 

And all those spells!! Did we really need them all? I felt they were a page filler, not really necessary to the story. I’m glad Skyler and Dimitri got their story, but if the author wasn’t happy, then maybe she should have waited. 
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Random thought 🤔

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Read on a few blogs and posts on Pinterest recently, so I thought I’d add my thoughts on this tricky topic …….


As bookworms, we come into contact with lots of problems that other ‘normal’ people think are strange. Suddenly we are asked by our unknowing work colleague, what is a TBR? A relative comments that we have plenty of unread books at home without buying another. We start to loose the natural light in our houses because our walls are pilled high with books. We notice our bank balance doesn’t read what it used to and books have suddenly become more vital than food.

We’ve all been there, we’ve all had a worry about whether we will ever read every book we own. Or perhaps if forming an emotional connection to a fictional character is healthy (yes, yes it is). Well, let’s see if this post can help address some of your worrying concerns.

We all have it, the crippling TBR stack, the one that is spilling from your bookshelf as you read this blog post. Maybe it started off life as being one or two books high, maybe it stayed that way for a while, nice and manageable. But then you reached a time where you could buy books for yourself, you were seeing recommendations and new series and you couldn’t help yourself. Your TBR started to grow.

  1. Firstly asses your TBR, do you actually want to read every book that’s on it? (It’s okay to say no)
  2. Okay next remove a couple of those books that you just looked at questioningly.
  3. Now we’re not going to do anything too crazy here. I want you to put those books in a box, maybe in your garage, loft or under your bed.
  4. Forget about the books you took off the shelf.
  5. Now allow some time to pass, try not to buy too many new books though or we’re back to square one.
  6. Okay it’s been a while, a few weeks maybe, are you thinking about those books you took off your shelf? Have you at any point since they have been put in the box thought about reading them?
    If the answer is no then it may be time to give those books a new home. If it’s yes, then you may be beyond my help.

    • A guide to buying less books

    Okay I am not saying I condone less book buying, but sometimes we need to cut down a little. Books can get expensive, but they’re so good, so should we really stop buying so many? I think I’m talking myself out of this point…

    1. When you’re next near a bookshop try and walk the other way.
    2. That didn’t work? Okay, once in the bookshop just try to lightly browse, don’t pick anything up.
    3. Oh, you picked up a book? Okay well maybe just glance at it and put it back.
    4. Ah you quite like the plot and want to buy it? You could just take a photo of the cover and ask for it for a Birthday or Christmas gift?
    5. I see you’re talking to the till, buying the book ay?
    6. Well I tried.

    • Okay so we’ve tried to reduce your TBR, we’ve also tried to buy less books, but what about reading so many books that your TBR never has a chance to get out of control? I think it could be possible! This is definitely going to be the method that will work for you!

    1. Only pick up a book that really excites you, to avoid an accidental reading slump.
    2. Try and read for at least 30 minutes a day if you can. You could always get the audiobook for your current read too so you can listen to it in the car, or whilst you’re doing chores.
    3. Basically read everywhere you go!
    4. Read before bed, this is the best time of day to read in my opinion. It’s when you have the chance to be the least distracted!
    5. Speaking of distraction, put your phone away. Your iPad, your laptop, your TV. Avoid technology, it is the sucker of time and productivity.
    6. Read a series that you own all of the books to, so you can knock off a few books on your TBR at once… providing the series is so good that you want to read one after the other that is…
    7. Start with smaller books to ease you into the mad reading frenzy you shall need to enter to CRUSH YOUR TBR!
    • My thoughts …….
    So ……. I can relate to some of that (yes I’ve got books that I may never get around to reading) and I fool myself into taking them away on holiday (I’m getting better, I don’t always bring them back 😁) 
    🦋

    Sunday’s Post 🦋

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    Didn’t get to visit with my son today. A stomach bug put paid to that idea!! But I did get a few things done at home, so not a great day, but we have to adjust, or I sulk 😉but washing is all done and a majority has been put away. My emails have been sorted, and I’ve put my blog into a little more order. Come up with a few ideas (one I’m posting later) watched the London marathon on and off and listened to some music 🎧

    How was your Sunday? Did your plans change?

    🦋

    Saturday’s Post 🌧💨

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    The change in the weather has been so dramatic (all we are missing is snow, and then we would have had it all!!) this week.

    But on a plus, today I didn’t have to put the delivery away, so I could get on with my job. I prepare the salads for the restaurant.

    Washing needed to be done. And the bed needed clean bedding on. Tomorrow I off to see my son 😊let’s hope for better weather.

    🦋

    Friday’s Post 🌦

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    Yes I know it’s a Christmas cocktail 🤪 but I like to keep you on your toes😉

    I would like to turn this into a bookmark 🤔need to look into that.

    Friday is usually a busy day at work, and today was no exception. I have a little fun helping on starters and even the grill, I usually prep and put out the salad bar, I also do desserts to help the waitresses. And throw in washing up on the potwash area, I’ll turn my hand to most things 😉

    🦋

    Book Review 📱

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    Marked by the Vampire (A Purgatory Novel) by Cynthia Eden

    Back Cover……

    Vampires exist. So do werewolves. The creatures that you fear in the darkness? They’re all real. And the baddest of the paranormals…those who love to hurt humans…they’re sent to Purgatory, the only paranormal prison in the U.S.

    Deadly forces are at work within Purgatory. The monsters are joining together—and their plans have to be stopped. FBI Agent Shane August, a very powerful vampire with a dark past, is sent into the prison on an undercover assignment. His job is to infiltrate the vampire clan, by any means necessary.

    Dr. Olivia Maddox wants to find out just why certain paranormals go bad. What pushes some vampires over the edge? Why do some werewolves turn so savage? If she can understand the monsters, then Olivia thinks she can help them. When she gets permission to enter Purgatory, Olivia believes she is being given the research opportunity of a lifetime.

    Olivia doesn’t realize that she’s walking straight into hell.

    When the prisoners break loose, there is only one person—one vampire—who can protect her, but as Olivia and Shane fight the enemies that surround them, a dark and dangerous passion stirs to life between the doctor and the vamp. Shane realizes that Olivia is a woman carrying secrets—powerful, sinful secrets. Secrets that a man would kill to possess.

    And Olivia realizes that—sometimes—you can’t control the beast inside of you. No matter how hard you try. Some passions can push you to the very limits of your control…and the growing lust that she feels for her vampire…it’s sending her racing right into a deadly storm of desire.

    Welcome to Purgatory…a place that’s a real hell on earth…

    My review ….. 

    Olivia knows there are things that go bump in the night. Werewolves and vampires, she was once chased by wolves, so she knows from first hand. But she also wants to learn how and why paranormals go bad, and maybe she could help them. 

    Shane is a vampire who works with the FBI, he’s been a vampire for centuries, we meet Shane in the first book in the series. (The Wolf Within) I did think he was going to be the informant in the first book (and was nicely surprised to find out he wasn’t) 

    Shane and Olivia meet at the ferry that’s due to transport them to Purgatory (the only prison to hold paranormals) Shane as an undercover prisoner and Olivia as a researcher. But Olivia doesn’t know he’s an FBI agent. All she sees is a dangerous criminal. All he sees is a tasty treat. 

    The story then moves along at a fast pace, who is trying to kill the paranormals? What’s going on inside Purgatory? Will Olivia trust Shane enough to get them out of Purgatory? 

    This is the second book in the Purgatory Series, it can be read without reading the first one (but I do like to read a series in order)😉 you meet characters from the first book, and back info on Shane, but it doesn’t detract from a really good read. 

    🦋

    Book Review 📱

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    Her white wolf (Wolves of Gypsum Creek) by Serena Meadows 

    Back cover …… 

    Her White Wolf
    Bethany is held captive by a cruel, controlling father. 
    Gabriel has spent his life trapped in his shifter’s form. 
    All they ever wanted was freedom, but will love be enough to set them free?


    My review ….. 
    This book has been in the background for a while. 
    Gabriel is Jessie’s twin brother (“third time a charm” main character) he has never been able to shift from wolf to human. Jessie is a black wolf and able to shift. They were separated at birth. Only finding each other once Jessie lived in the mountains. 
    Bethany is Dillon’s brother ( main character in “Restoration”) always followed by her father and servants, Bethany hadn’t seen much of the outside world. Locked to her family for her own safety. Bethany (escapes visits her brother) she gets (injured/lost in the woods) 
    Gabriel is having human thoughts about the lovely human he rescued, but nothing will come of it, this makes him very sad (he doesn’t usually worry, but with Bethany here, he looks at things differently) 
    This I must admit has been my favourite in the series. (I never read the first book) the connection between Bethany and Gabriel, is well thought out, how they are both loners, but don’t want to be alone. 
    Will Bethany be the one to break the curse? Will Gabriel be able to finally walk on two legs as a man? Or always be the white wolf? 

    🦋

    Book Review 📖

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    Tease Me  by Aidy Award

    Back cover …….

    “Fulfill a destiny, save the world and the soul of her mate.”
    Fleur Anthousai, a curvy earth witch, has known since birth that she has a destiny to fulfill. Too bad nobody told her what it was. She hopes her friends, the Troika wolf pack of Rogue, New York, might have finally pointed her in the right direction when she’s invited to the multi-pack mating ritual. Surely, becoming a wolf mate will set her on the path to understanding her own prophecy.
    Steele Zeleny is a green warrior dragon and he’s damn good at protecting the world from the darkness that is the demon dragons, all while romancing the pants off any and all the ladies. All bets are off when a shard of his soul demands that the curviest, sexiest little flower of a witch is his true mate. Something he was never supposed to have.
    Fleur’s destiny and Steele’s soul are more important to the fate of the world than either of them know.”
    My Review……. 
    Tease Me is book 2 in the Dragons Love Curves series. 
    She is a witch with a destiny but no-one will tell her what that destiny entails, frustrated Fleur seeks advice from friends, and then goes to the multi-pack mating ritual, where she meets Steele and maybe they can work out what her destiny is…. 
    Steele is a dragon shifter who has been sent to protect other shifters. He’s good at his job, he takes it pretty seriously. 
    But Steele is also a good time boy, and never says no, he’s up for most things!!! Relationships are not for him, good times only….. Meeting a curvy witch sounds like fun, but meeting her opens up all new possibilities (his dragon half is convinced Fleur is their mate, and won’t stop till she is theirs!!! But she won’t entertain him, what’s a dragon to do to win his mate?? He needs to show Fleur he is serious about her and their future. 
    And the fact they are more important together than alone…… 
    What exactly does that mean? 
    It’s a fun read, a little predictable, some of the story was a little cringeworthy (but it had plenty of laughs along the way) 

    🦋


    Book Review 📖

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    The Birthday list by Devney Perry 
    Back cover ……
    Happily married to her college sweetheart, Poppy lived a blessed life with the husband of her dreams. Then everything changed. She is no longer a wife. She is no longer the envy of her single friends. Now, people look at her with pity as they whisper a single word behind her back…….Widow. 

    Years after her husband’s tragic death, years of pain and sorrow and wishing for the life she’ll never get back, Poppy decides to finish Jamie’s birthday list. She’ll do the things he wanted to most. Because maybe, just maybe, if she can complete his list, she can start to live again. 

    Poppy expects going through the birthday list will be hard. She expects it to hurt. But what she doesn’t expect is Cole. Could the man who delivered the news of her husband’s death and shattered her heart be the one to help her put it back together again?

    My review ……. 
    Poppy has everything she could hope for. She was married to her college sweetheart and seemed to be living the perfect life, that is until her husband is murdered! 
    That event obviously changes Poppy’s life forever ….. 
    Five years on and Poppy is finding it hard to let go still, finding a journal written by her husband she hears his wishes and thoughts. He wanted to do a few things each year until the big 50, and then do something big. But he never gets to finish it, so with the help of family and friends, Poppy decides to complete the list (and maybe finally get on with her life) she decides it needs to be done in a year rather than a few things each year. 
    Whilst doing one of the items off of the list, Poppy runs in to Cole, a familiar face from her past, she finds him attractive and has certain feelings for him, and then feels guilty for feeling that way. 
    Cole had the unfortunate task of breaking the news of Poppy’s death. Bumping into her again, he seizes the chance to help her with her list, he wants a chance with Poppy, so being in her life as a friend seems the best way to start. 

    As they being to get close, Cole’s past tears it’s ugly head and their friendship/romance hits a very large bump!!! 

    It’s a slow burn romance, but that’s ok, she’s grieving for a husband, and this to me seems like a good way of saying goodbye. 

    I really liked the secondary characters and I’m hoping Jimmy and Randal will each get a book. 

    🦋

    Tuesday’s Post ☕️

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    It’s Tuesday, so it’s delivery day at work. Thank goodness it was only a small one. A little overcast today, but still a warm day.

    Day off tomorrow, hoping it’s warm but not too hot. A catch up in the pub seems like a good idea to me 😉🥤

    🦋

    Monday’s Post 😎

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    A Bank Holiday today, most people are off, not restaurants!! We were so busy today, people making the most the weather and an extra day off. Or on their way home from holidaying. But it was lovely walking to and from home to work today.

    How did you spend your extra day off today?

    🦋

    Random Thought 💭

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    Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” in Psychological Review.  Maslow subsequently extended the idea to include his observations of humans’ innate curiosity. His theories parallel many other theories of human developmental psychology, some of which focus on describing the stages of growth in humans. He then decided to create a classification system which reflected the universal needs of society as its base and then proceeding to more acquired emotions. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is used to study how humans intrinsically partake in behavioral motivation. Maslow used the terms “physiological”, “safety”, “belonging and love”, “social needs” or “esteem”, and “self-actualization” to describe the pattern through which human motivations generally move. This means that in order for motivation to occur at the next level, each level must be satisfied within the individual themselves. Furthermore, this theory is a key foundation in understanding how drive and motivation are correlated when discussing human behavior. Each of these individual levels contains a certain amount of internal sensation that must be met in order for an individual to complete their hierarchy. The goal in Maslow’s theory is to attain the fifth level or stage: self-actualization.

    Maslow’s theory was fully expressed in his 1954 book Motivation and Personality. The hierarchy remains a very popular framework in sociology research, management training and secondary and higher psychology instruction. Maslow’s classification hierarchy has been revised over time. The original hierarchy states that a lower level must be completely satisfied and fulfilled before moving onto a higher pursuit. However, today scholars prefer to think of these levels as continuously overlapping each other. This means that the lower levels may take precedence back over the other levels at any point in time.

    So what does that mean to someone who doesn’t have a degree??

    The pyramid represents what you should have in your life.

    The bottom of the pyramid represents the most important part, the foundations as it were. Then going up the pyramid.

    So learning to love yourself I think is a pretty important thing. But self love is a difficult thing if you have no self esteem.

    So each layer is important, it provides building bricks. Without each layer, the rest would tumble.

    That’s my take on the pyramid, do you agree?

    🦋

    Sunday’s Post 🐰

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    Had my sister and nephews over for lunch today. We went up to the cemetery to put flowers on the grave of my daughter and mum (their ashes are scattered together) we sat for a while in the sun ☀️

    It was also my son’s birthday. He was away celebrating, but I got to chat to him, so that was nice.

    Book Review 📖

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    Dark Lycan … A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan

    Tatijana of the Dragonseekers spent centuries encased in ice with her sister, trapped in limbo between life and death, never speaking to a soul other than those who tormented her. Now, she has been freed from her frozen prison by an unknown descendent. Awakened in human form, Tatijana yearns to explore the modern world in which she now lives-a world with more mysteries than she is prepared for. 

    Fenris Dalka has returned to the Carpathian Mountains after a long absence to be with his brother. He is scarred by centuries of battle, and every hard-won victory. But the real reason for his return home could prove deadly if discovered by the wrong man-or woman. Upon his arrival, he is compelled by a beautiful and enigmatic stranger who carries the scent of fresh earth, of forest, of the night itself.

    In time Tatijana and Fenris will discover all that unites them-their secrets and pasts, their predators, and the hot flush of passion that stirs their souls. Yet just as surely, seduced into the silvery darkness of a full-moon night, they’ll also discover everything ancient and evil that exists to destroy them.

    My Review …..

    I’ve waited a while to read about the “aunts”for a while now. The last we read about them was in Lara’s and Nicholas’s book (Dark Curse) they aided Lara’s escape from the one caves as a small child. They sacrificed their freedom to allow Lara to escape. 
    Tatijana is the niece of Dominic Dragonseeker (Dark Peril) their mother was his sister, she was captured and forced to bear children for the evil mage Xavier, she had triplets (the boy was the father to Natalya, her book was Dark Demon) and two daughters, their mother imparted as much as she could to her children, the Carpathian way of life, and spells, anything she thought would help them (I think she knew she would die before she’d see her children grow into adults) 
    They have only known the ice caves as home, and when they became too powerful, they were locked into a dragon form and encased in ice, only being released when their blood was needed. They never thought they’d be freed, they always thought they would die in the ice caves. (But Lara and Nicholas, with Carpathian warriors freed the aunts) They were allowed to finally rest in the soil, they were free, but at what price? 
    The outside world is a strange and frightening place, so much to take in, Tatijana is the braver of the two, and has been exploring this strange new world, she is always the first to investigate….. 
    Fenris is brother to Dimitri (he’s been in other stories, but yet to have his own book) he has come to find his brother and impart important news. 
    Fenris has a secret, one he has hidden for many years and now he needs to be careful, he can’t let anyone find out, to be found out would mean death!! 
    The connection between Tatijana and Fenris is a slow connection, he feels something for her, but he isn’t sure what (yes she’s beautiful, haunting and a little intimidating) but is she his lifemate?
    And what Tatijana? What will she do if they are lifemates? She has been a prisoner since the day she was born, surely she’s allowed a little freedom to see the world? 
    The only problem with that is, the Carpathian men need the other half of their soul, too many are turning vampire. So Tatijana and her sister will be “paraded”around  to find a lifemate!!! 
    This is part of a trilogy inside the series, you do need to read them in order, there is also more to the backstory (the vampires are banging together, and the reason why the Carpathian’s aren’t having children is also becoming more apparent. Oh and we have Lycan’s popping up. And a huge cliffhanger 🥺😮

    I must admit, I’m getting a little bored with all the copious amounts of sex in recent books (yes I know the Carpathian’s have gone without sex for centuries, but do they really need to make up for it in my book?!) The fight scenes are still fascinating to read, the interactions between lifemates or warrior to warrior are still good, I just don’t need to read page after page after page (and in some cases a whole chapter!!) 
    🦋

    Saturday’s Post 😎

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    A very busy day at work today. Saturday is delivery day (we had to hurry to bring it in before it melted.)

    The weather was so hot today, the kitchen felt like the inside of an oven 🥵I think I spent a fair amount of time in the freezer 😉

    🦋

    Book Review 👩🏻‍💻

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    The Rookie (A Fire’s Edge book) by Abigail Owen

    Back Cover …….

    To escape exile, Aidan Paytah has had to prove himself worthy. Every second of every damn day. He fought with everything he had to earn his precarious place on the Huracán team of dragon shifter enforcers. He can’t fail or afford distractions, no matter how temptingly sweet. Total loyalty to the clans and dedication to his team is the only way.

    Sera Morrison lost her parents and her husband in short order, leaving her a single mother running her family winery alone. Nothing could ever have prepared her for the discovery that she’s a destined dragon mate. But once she finds out, there’s only one man she wants—the one who walks away.

    However, the Alliance Council has its own agenda. They want to use her as a political pawn and force a mating that could ultimately kill her to save the High King. Aidan has no choice but to kidnap her, even if it means their close proximity reinforces their own mating bond. And mating with him could end up being a far worse fate for Sera….


    My Review …. 

    I’ve read both the previous books “boss and the mate”. And to be honest, I think you need to read them in order. 
    Aidan was an orphan, and dragons don’t look too kindly on orphans, too many go rogue. Being in Finn’s Huracan’s team is all Aidan wants, well not all he wants…. Sera had been on his mind since they met months ago. But she’s not on his plan, he wants to show the council that an orphan dragon is just as capable of being a valuable members the community as a dragon brought up with family. 
    Sera only wants to raise her son and build her business. But after being made aware there are dragons in the world, Sera doesn’t feel safe anymore. She watched her best friend become a mate to Finn (the team leader) as far as she is aware, the Huracan team are like police, judges and firefighters all rolled into one, and when needed, they will dispense justice. Sera is also aware that some human females are compatible with the dragons, and can mate and be together. 
    So Aidan wants Sera….. Sera wants more from Aidan, but he won’t acknowledge her or their attraction to one another. (But that doesn’t stop him from visiting her in his dreams, in his dreams he can be with her, love her, and talk to her) what’s a girl to do? 
    Sera is then told by Aidan that she is a rare dragon mate, she doesn’t have one brand in the back of her neck, no, she has three!! Three different clans will be introduced to her, and three of those clans include three dragons in this team!!! (Dragons and human women, need to be compatible, if not, then the woman is consumed from the inside out with fire) 
    But Aidan isn’t prepared to lose Sera in a missed matched mating, so he kidnaps her, this is going to make his life so much more harder, how can he prove an orphan dragon to be reliable, if he runs off with his new kings mate?! 
    Being in such close proximity with Sera will surely bring on his own mating bond. But he can’t give in ….. 
    I’m liking this series a lot. A different spin on dragons and their mates. A great team of dragons (that I’m hoping will get stories) and a bad guy that doesn’t seem all that bad (yes he’s starting fires, but he’s trying to save human women from being forced into matings that may kill them) 
    And the mystery dragon? The one who wants a mate and keeps being thwarted? He thinks he’s entitled to a mate …. He almost had Delaney, and then Sera, it’s getting close.  I have my suspicions, I just need the next book 😉

    🦋

    Random Thought 🤔

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    Tell us about books from your childhood that you still love until now. How did you discover it?

    I have always loved to read. As a kid I always had a book in my hand (growing up with four sisters and my parents on a limited budget, money was pretty tight.)

    So my escape was to dive into a book.

    So I thought I’d relive and give you my top ten childhood books. Let me know if you had read any of them growing up.

    My to Ten childhood books (in no particular order) …..

    1. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson
    2. Stig of the Dump by Clive King.
    3. The Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton.
    4. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis.
    5. Famous Five Series by Enid Blyton.
    6. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White.
    7. Watership Down by Richard Adams.
    8. Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm .
      James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.
      Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

    • I’m sure I could have added more. But that’s enough to be going on with. And now I’ve spent time thinking about them, I’m tempted to find cheap copies and read them all over again 😉 simpler times when I was growing up.

    🦋

    In memory of my mum 💜

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    Today would have been my mums 71st birthday. I would have taken the day off work and spent it with her. Spoiling her and having her tell me off for spending too much.

    Instead I worked today, it took my mind off her not being here.

    I miss her terribly, I miss her advice and guidance, I miss her voice and her cuddles.

    The last two years of her life were hard on her, being so ill, watching her slip away in the final year was hard to watch. But I couldn’t leave her to do it on her own, (I say that like I was the only one, my two sisters visited as much as they could, her older grandchildren would stop by to make her smile and my dad visited her daily) I know she would have been there for me. She was there for me when my daughter passed away. Making that decision as a family to place her in a care home was hard, we all wanted her with us, but it wasn’t safe for anyone.

    But I’ll remember her being the wonderful mum she was. Thinking of other before herself. Her laugh and smile kept a smile on my face today.

    Happy Birthday Mum 💋

    🦋

    Book Review 👩🏻‍💻

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    Back cover ……
    My review…..
    A sci fi book (not read one in a while) 
    This reads a little like Johnny mnemonic and total recall. 
    In the future your brain let’s you download and store EVERYTHING you see and hear, and Friday overheard something that she really shouldn’t have!!! Taking a poison to stop the “downloading the hardware” in her brain, she now needs to cross “The Red Zone” to get the antidote, otherwise she’s dead in four days….. and the best man for the job is Striker. 
    He’s a mercenary/smuggler, and a good one, but his team have secrets and abilities that he doesn’t want found out. And helping Friday will bring both Striker and his team under scrutiny, but how can he not? The secrets that she holds in her brain are too important to ignore. And as the story unfolds, Friday becomes important to his team as well as Striker. 
    So what’s Friday seen? Who wants it and Friday erased? 
    What is the secret Striker is so hard to hide from everyone? 
    Will they cross the Red Zone in time? 
    A well thought out story, and nicely written, the characters were really well thought out. The camaraderie between Striker and his team, the chemistry between Friday and Striker, very descriptive and narrated well. 
    I did have a few small issues …. I felt more background was needed with Striker and his team, and maybe a little more on why the Red Zone is called The Red Zone!!! 

    🦋

    Friday’s Post 🐣

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    It’s Friday, so here’s my drink idea. If you try it let me know 😉have you ever been to a house and seen a bookshelf? Have you looked at their books? Wondering if they’d let you borrow a book?

    So my nephew is staying the night. He has an interview at the place I work, so to make it easier, he’s staying the night.

    The walk home again was nice, sun on my back.

    🦋

    Random Thought 🤔

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    Saw this on a blog post recently and thought I’d share ……. 


    As bookworms, we come into contact with lots of problems that other ‘normal’ people think are strange. Suddenly we are asked by our unknowing work colleague, what is a TBR? A relative comments that we have plenty of unread books at home without buying another. We start to loose the natural light in our houses because our walls are pilled high with books. We notice our bank balance doesn’t read what it used to and books have suddenly become more vital than food.

    We’ve all been there, we’ve all had a worry about whether we will ever read every book we own. Or perhaps if forming an emotional connection to a fictional character is healthy (yes, yes it is). Well, let’s see if this post can help address some of your worrying concerns.

    We all have it, the crippling TBR stack, the one that is spilling from your bookshelf as you read this blog post. Maybe it started off life as being one or two books high, maybe it stayed that way for a while, nice and manageable. But then you reached a time where you could buy books for yourself, you were seeing recommendations and new series and you couldn’t help yourself. Your TBR started to grow.

    1. Firstly asses your TBR, do you actually want to read every book that’s on it? (It’s okay to say no) 
    2. Okay next remove a couple of those books that you just looked at questioningly. 
    3. Now we’re not going to do anything too crazy here. I want you to put those books in a box, maybe in your garage, loft or under your bed.
    4. Forget about the books you took off the shelf.
    5. Now allow some time to pass, try not to buy too many new books though or we’re back to square one.
    6. Okay it’s been a while, a few weeks maybe, are you thinking about those books you took off your shelf? Have you at any point since they have been put in the box thought about reading them?
    7. If the answer is no then it may be time to give those books a new home. If it’s yes, then you may be beyond my help.

    A guide to buying less books…..

    Okay I am not saying I condone less book buying, but sometimes we need to cut down a little. Books can get expensive, but they’re so good, so should we really stop buying so many? I think I’m talking myself out of this point…

    1. When you’re next near a bookshop try and walk the other way.
    2. That didn’t work? Okay, once in the bookshop just try to lightly browse, don’t pick anything up.
    3. Oh, you picked up a book? Okay well maybe just glance at it and put it back.
    4. Ah you quite like the plot and want to buy it? You could just take a photo of the cover and ask for it for a Birthday or Christmas gift?
    5. I see you’re taking to the till, buying the book?
    6. Well I tried.

    Okay so we’ve tried to reduce your TBR, we’ve also tried to buy less books, but what about reading so many books that your TBR never has a chance to get out of control? I think it could be possible! This is definitely going to be the method that will work for you!

    1. Only pick up a book that really excites you, to avoid an accidental reading slump.
    2. Try and read for at least 30 minutes a day if you can. You could always get the audiobook for your current read too so you can listen to it in the car, or whilst you’re doing chores.
    3. Basically read everywhere you go!
    4. Read before bed, this is the best time of day to read in my opinion. It’s when you have the chance to be the least distracted!
    5. Speaking of distraction, put your phone away. Your iPad, your laptop, your TV. Avoid technology, it is the sucker of time and productivity.
    6. Read a series that you own all of the books to, so you can knock off a few books on your TBR at once… providing the series is so good that you want to read one after the other that is…
    7. Start with smaller books to ease you into the mad reading frenzy you shall need to enter to CRUSH YOUR TBR!
    My thoughts ….. 
    So ……. I can relate to some of that (yes I’ve got books that I may never get around to reading) I can also leave a book now without hyperventilating. I also talk myself into taking them away on holiday (I’m getting better, I don’t always bring them back 😁) 
    But if no one has an issue with the amount of books I hoard (yes I’m an hoarder) then what’s the issue? 
    My last kindle held HUNDREDS of books, and I knew I would probably wouldn’t read some of them (they were free) and so when my kindle died, I use it as an opportunity to download the stuff I wanted read …. that lasted a few months (I’m a sucker for a free read) so now I look at the book …. 
    1. Is it part of a series ? 
    2. Is it a book that has been split into more than one story? 
    3. The first one was free, how much for the rest of the series?
    4. Wait and buy the paperback. 

    🦋

    Thursday’s Post ☕️

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    Thursday comes around pretty quick, delivery day again 🙄

    But the walk home was lovely 😎 coat over my arm, enjoying the warm weather. And I had the foresight to put washing out on the line. So I’ll grab a drink then bring it all in.

    🦋

    Wednesday’s Post 🌸

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    Day off today. Managed to read a little, washing on the line. Then spent the rest of the day with my friend.

    Lego in the town Center today. Whilst shopping I went into my newly renovated book store ……

    children’s are better laid out, and leads onto the teen fiction section. Ignore the random lady in the picture 😉

    All laid out differently, still not a huge selection of SciFi reading material. And the chairs are missing …. but freshly painted and new carpet.

    Had to take a quick selfie (always a challenge) 😉

    🦋

    Book Review 👩🏻‍💻

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    Her Midnight Sin A Shadows and Silk Novel. by Sofie Darling 

    Like a vengeful Norse God, Captain John Nylander has come from the sea to steal the only home that Callie has ever known. And that might not be all he’s after. 

    Can a Viking …..

    Orphaned as a child, Nylander has never known a real home. Now he is ready to leave the dangers of his past behind and put down the roots he has always longed for. The only thing standing in his way is a lanky aristocratic lady who is more at home on the farm than in the ballroom. And she has secrets . . .

    And a Viscountess . . . 

    Callie, the Dowager Viscountess St. Alban, has poured all her energy into making Wyldcombe Grange her home. Managing an estate is not what she dreamed of, but her late husband’s rejection made it clear that love and a family would never be hers. Now she may lose even that to the sinfully handsome Captain. But Nylander is making her dream again . . .

    Turn passion into love? 

    Nylander inspires a recklessness in Callie that she can’t control. Soon she finds herself conspiring with pirates and contemplating midnight trysts with the very Viking who has turned her life upside down. For Nylander, being with Callie embodies everything he’s always wanted–home. As midnight strikes, will all their secret, sinful dreams come true?


    My review …… 

    I’ve read and liked a couple of this author’s previous books, so I happily dived in …. 

    This is the third book in the “silk and stockings” series. I hadn’t read the two previous books, and didn’t really think you needed to (although there is a connection between Nylander and the Viscount St.Alban)

    Callie has never really known love and affection, her late husband made it clear that he found her repulsive and didn’t want children with her, so she had channeled all her love and energy into the grange (the home she has lived in for the past few years) 

    She has slowly turned it into a profitable asset. 

    But Callie doesn’t expect to be thrown out of her home, and it to be “given” to a friend and to a man that calls the sea his “home” it’s not fair, and in a moment of madness Callie announces she has money and she wants the time to buy her home from the Viscount. 

    Nylander only wants a home, and he’s jealous of any man that is given an opportunity to buy land. He hates London and all it stands for, but a man would be lucky to have land in the country. But being and orphan and of uncertain parentage Nylander knows that landowning won’t really be on the cards for him. 

    Callie and Nylander meet for the first time at the Viscount’s home ….. and it’s not a pleasant meeting (but Callie is hostile towards him as he will be taking her home, Nylander is bemused at her hostility, but not shocked, no one in society has ever had anything good to say to him. 

    Then things take a turn as Lysander collapses, he has malaria!! The Viscount asks Callie to take his friend back to the Grange to recuperate!!! The nerve of the man!!! But reluctantly she agrees….. 

    The story bounces along nicely, a few funny moments, lots of misunderstandings and a little intrigue. 



    🦋

    Book Review 📱

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    His to protect (bears of Grizzly Ridge) by Elena Aitken.

    Back Cover……

    Every Shifter has a mate. She’s his. Now all he has to do is convince her that what they have between them is more than lust—much more.
    When Harper’s life begins a death spiral, she does what any self respecting woman would do—she heads for the mountains. More specifically, Grizzly Ridge. A brand new—and very remote—lodge in the wilds of Montana where the last thing she expects to find is a very alpha, very sexy mountain man who’s more than a little wild himself and doesn’t waste any time reigniting feelings in her she’d long since buried.
     
    From the moment he lays eyes on her, Axel knows the curvy brunette is more than just a guest at his lodge. Much more. Every bear shifter has a mate. She’s his. And whether his brothers believe in fated mates or not, nothing will keep Axel from what’s his. But first he’ll need to convince Harper that what she’s feeling is more than lust. It’s fate.

    My review….. 

    Harper was getting screwed over (and not in a great way) her husband was leaving her for another man (she’d known he’d been gay for many years in their marriage) and was spinning it in such a way that it was her fault, and the company they both owned, well that wasn’t doing too good with the bad publicity she was getting. Harper needed to get away, preferably an island in the middle of nowhere, but her best friend came up with the next best solution, join her as a travel companion to a retreat in Montana (her friend writes travel reviews for a magazine) so Harper goes, with the intention of drowning her sorrows. 

    Axel is a bear with a plan, after being thrown out of their home (by their father who told them to bring his daughter home, they didn’t, and so were banished) Alex and his brothers are creating a new life, one in Montana, they’ve built a retreat and intend on opening it up (trekking in the summer, skiing in the winter) so they need a good review from the writer they have coming to stay for a few days.

    The attraction between Harper and Alex was instant (more on Alex’s side as he’s convinced this woman is his mate) it doesn’t take long for them to do something about this attraction. Harper sees it as a thing to help her get over her husband and his schemes. But Alex is looking at forever, and he doesn’t intend on his mate getting away from him. 

    The other two brothers are very much against Harper and Alex getting together (if it wasn’t for their sister running off to be with her “mate”, then they would still be at the Den with their family) neither believe in forever mates, but watching Alex and Harper together, the two brothers give their blessing. 

    It’s a fun little read. It did have potential to be more. And the next books are about the brothers and their sister. It was free so that was a big plus. 

    Will I read the others ?? I’m not sure 🤔 

    🦋

    Tuesday’s Post ☁️

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    An unusual day today. Did extra hours at work today, it was really busy, so many people wanting to eat out. I don’t work later than 4, so it was interesting to see how it’s different from the day shift. People are still messy😕 how you can make so much mess over a salad card I really don’t understand, and when I bring warm bread rolls out (it looks like vultures descending) they look like they’ve never been fed🙄

    Got the day off tomorrow, catching up with a friend and a little housework (and a little bit of reading) 😉

    🦋

    Book Review 📱

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    Alpha’s Destiny (Texas Heat) book 1 by Aspen Grey 

    Back cover …….

    Alpha, Preston is alone. His character has been assassinated by a vicious rumor and he’s been cast out of Austin, forced to work as a farmhand for the last eight years. He’ll never find a mate—he’s accepted it. But one night, on a routine delivery downtown, Preston encounters a scent that turns everything he knows upside down.

    Kenneth is also alone. Orphaned. Both parents both dead, he’s packed up everything and is moving to Boston to start fresh. But before he does—he heads to the bar for a quick drink to get his mind off things. One quick drink couldn’t hurt…right? 

    Preston is floored when he catches the scent of his fated-mate. But the sweet omega is in trouble. He’s been drugged by the very same disgusting alpha who ruined Preston’s life eight years ago. Jasper Vanderton. 

    Fueled by rage, revenge and the scent of his fated-mate, Preston saves Kenneth from a terrible, life changing experience and rushes him back to the farm. It’s not long before the two realize they’re meant for each other. Preston is determined to put a cub in his belly and bind them together forever, but there’s just one problem—

    Jasper has found them. His family is rich and powerful, and they’re going to buy the farm and force them off the land—or worse. Preston has no choice but to act, but how can he, one alpha, go up against the most powerful family in Austin? 

    …But Preston’s been blessed by a miracle. He’s found his fated-mate and he will do anything to make sure they’re never apart. 

    My review …. 

    Preston dated Jasper briefly, but when Jasper wanted to take it further, Preston refused, and then regretted it, well he didn’t regret turning Jasper down, he just regretted what came after, he was accused of attacking Jasper and forcing himself on him!! 

    So now Preston lives on a remote farm, scraping by (he had plans for the farm, his employer doesn’t want to listen) 
    So after a delivery in town, Preston needs a drink …… 
    Kenneth is going to grab a drink before leaving Austin, he had recently lost his parents, and wants a new start. But he gets more than he bargained for when accepting a drink from a stranger. His drink is tampered with, and Kenneth is about to be attacked!!! 
    Preston rescues Kenneth and realises he is his mate, but trying to convince Kenneth that they are mates proves to be a little bit of a challenge. 
    Jasper won’t let the matter drop, he wants the farm that Preston works on to fire him, he thinks he’s entitled (his family is very well off) and acts accordingly!!! 
    This had so much potential, and to be honest, I almost didn’t finish it. The characters were great, there was a connection (could have been more, and fell a little short) but something was missing. 

    🦋

    Book Review 📱

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    Reluctant Billionaire. Does NOT seek family life…

    Everett Porter likes his life just the way it is. He dedicates himself to the military, saves his money, and avoids his family at all costs. He doesn’t need anyone, or anything, other than his mates in the Secret Billionaire’s Club. No matter what his Grandfather has to say about it.

    None of that will change because of a stupid game the other billionaires have cooked up. A game he didn’t even agree to.

    Working as a nurse with the defence forces, Jillian Harmer has seen it all. The jaded, and the desperate. Shouldering a mountain of responsibility, she’s making plans for an easier life. When Everett arrives in her hospital ward, she longs to accept the crazy offer he unexpectedly throws her way.

    With a stalled night of passion behind them, can the promise of a real family melt this Billionaire’s defences and keep these two together?


    My review ….. 


    This book is part of a series (but they can be read on their own) 

    Everett likes his life, no he “loves” his life, no family, no commitment, only fun, and the military, he doesn’t need anything else, well maybe his buddies in the “secret billionaire’s club” but that’s it. 


    Jillian is a nurse who has seen many injured people come through her hospital. She wants an easier life, and when an old “crush” comes through her doors and makes her a crazy offer, she does take much time to think about it. 

    I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of this story, they don’t really connect for me, the story just doesn’t flow as well as I thought it should. And the ending does leave it open (will we see more of a commitment in other books?!) 


    🦋



    Sunday’s Post 😎

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    Do you have a favourite book that you can go back to? For me I have a couple 😉 I don’t read them as much as I use to (too many new books to read)

    Sunday is housework day. Washing on the line, ran the vacuum round, and changed the sheets on the bed (do love the smell of fresh bedding) read and did a review (that’s on its way) spent time with my dad today.

    Hope your Sunday was a good one.

    🦋

    Book review 📖

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    Dark Storm … A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan

    Awakening after all this time in a world of absolute darkness and oppressive heat, Dax wonders in how many ways the world above must have changed. But it is how he has changed that fills him with dread and loathing. Buried alive for hundreds of years in a volcano in the Carpathian Mountains, Dax fears that he has become the full-fledged abomination that every Carpathian male fears, a victim of the insidious evil that has crept relentlessly into his mind and body over the centuries. But there are some things that never change.

    His name is Mitro, the vampire Dax had hunted all these long centuries. Second in command to the prince of the Carpathian people he is the epitome of everything malevolent, and perpetrator of one of the most shocking killing sprees known to man – and beast. Even his friends and family weren’t safe from Mitro’s bloodlust. Neither was Mitro’s lifemate, Arabejila, an extraordinary woman with extraordinary gifts. But now that Dax has re-emerged, so too has Mitro. The ultimate battle between good and evil has been re-engaged. Between Dax and Mitro, a violent game has begun – one that has marked Riley Parker, the last descendent of Arabejila, as the reward.

    My Review……

    To be honest, I was never sure why this one was written. Yes I enjoyed it, yes more information was added to the back story of the Carpathian’s fight for survival. And it was great to read about another ancient. But it could have been a Novella.

     Anyways…. 

    Dax is an ancient, he had been fighting vampires for a long time, and his last adversary was a master vampire, they had fought for what seemed like forever. Seizing his chance Dax locked both himself and the master vampire together under the Carpathian Mountains. He was prepared to give his life up for his people. He couldn’t let Mitro free …….. 

    Riley and her mother have been coming to the Carpathian Mountain’s for as long as Riley can remember. Her family have been with great magic protecting the mountain’s, there is a family duty that must be done, if not a great evil will be released upon the earth. But time is running out, Riley and her mother need to get there, they know something is emerging …… 

    Dax has woken, something is different …. something is very wrong ….. Mitro is awake!! He needs to waken and finally destroy the master vampire, but he’s worried that he’s already turned himself!! 

    Riley is on the run!!! They killed her mother and now they are after her!! She needs to get to the mountain to say the words to keep the monster contained (she doesn’t really believe the legend, but she promised her mother) 

    The battle between Mitro and Dax is very intense, they know each other’s weakness. But Dax can’t lose, if he does, then an evil will be let lose, and to add to his burden, his lifemate has been found!!! 

    We catch up with a few old characters from previous books. 

    It’s a good read, but as I said it could have easily been just a Novella. 


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    Saturday’s Post 🥳

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    My son is down for the evening. It’s his birthday next weekend (but he’s away) so we are celebrating it this Saturday. His other half sister couldn’t make it.

    he was doing an aptitude test😉 don’t think he did too well.

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    Thursday’s Post 😎

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    I don’t drink tea😝 so I don’t know if I can put a teabag in my shoes !!!

    I like this one. I had hoped as a child I could find Narnia, but sadly all I found was mothballs 🤪

    Weather behaved itself today, and a walk home in the sun was a welcome change.

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    Book Review 📱

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    First shift (Bears in Blue) by Mia Taylor 

    Back cover ….. 

    I wanted her—even if she was a mortal and I was a nothing shifter.
    I’d have one drink and be gone.
    At least that’s what I told myself—but I didn’t expect Lisa to walk through the door. 
    She was a blonde vision and I was a fool to think it could work. 
    I loved Lisa the best way I knew how. 
    I could have done without lying to her, pretending to be a cop.
    But she couldn’t know the truth about me.
    And I had suspicions of my own.
    Especially when Lisa announced her pregnancy. 
    Then Lisa did the unthinkable and a new rage took hold. 
    I found a new love, my mate, the curvy and alluring Stella, a true shifter.
    With her guidance, I will take what is rightfully ours…
    Even if it means hurting my daughter to get it. 

    My review …… 

    it’s a prequel to a new series “Bears in Blue”.
    Reading the back cover I was pretty confused!!! What was going on? Intrigued I started to read …… 

    Paul is a shifter, a good guy but has had a few runs of back luck, he thinks his luck has changed when a gorgeous (mortal) woman enters the bar he is in. He doesn’t mean to lie, but once he tells Lisa what he is, she won’t look at him ever again. So he tells her he’s an undercover cop. 

    The story does jump large time gaps. The next time we meet Paul, it’s his wedding day, he still hadn’t gotten away from his “family” Lisa is still in the dark about what he really does. A Paul is desperate to live a good life and honest life, but he’s in too deep. 

    Again a jump in time sees Lisa telling Paul she pregnant, he’s happy, but wary, mortal women don’t usually carry shifter babies, has she been unfaithful? Does she carry shifter DNA and not know it? Paul is still being told what to do by his boss, Paul is now frantic to get out, but he’s stuck, how can they ever have a “normal” family? 

    Stella has been in Paul’s life for a long time. She is his best friends sister, but she seems to have a hidden agenda (she’s friendly, some say too friendly) as far as she is concerned they should be together and he should just leave the wife and daughter. So she takes matters into her own hands (she’s shown Lisa a video of her “husband”) and now she’s run off with Melissa….. 

    Again we jump and Stella and Paul are in a relationship, he wants his daughter, but no longer feels the same way about Lisa (I think there is more to Stella than meets the eye) Stella wants to take over the “sleuth” (bear group) and Paul is going to help her…. 

    Paul and Stella are now running the “sleuth” their leader disappears and with Stella ‘s help they turn to Paul. 

    And the ending …… well that was a BIG surprise. Will I read on? I really don’t know. 
    🦋

    Book Review👩🏻‍💻

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    An Accidental Date with a Billionaire by Diane Alberts

    

    Back cover ……

    Samantha Matthews turned her back on her wealthy family to focus on social work. Those who know her think she’s the heart of kindness. Those who know her really well know she’s in a never-ending battle to make up for the harm her family’s companies inflict on the world. Which is how she finds herself at a charity bachelor auction of all places.

    But oops, she was supposed to bid on her bff’s brother as a favor and accidentally bid on the wrong guy. Sue her for not being able to tell one stick-in-the-mud CEO from another.

    Backstage, she goes to tell him not to worry about having to go through with a date or anything, but the oafish billionaire cuts her off dismissively. Looks her up and down, hands her a card with his assistant’s contact details, and reminds her that sex is definitely off the table.

    Oh, she’ll call the assistant all right and have her make sure he wears jeans and comfortable shoes and to pick her up at seven a.m. The only “hammering” this guy is going to be doing is at Habitat for Humanity.

    Too bad he turns out to be nothing like she expected.

    My review ……

    I’ve read and liked a couple of this author’s previous books, so I happily dived in ….

    What a chuckle. Reading the description had me smiling. A billionaire with a superiority complex and a reformed high society female. Samantha definitely gets the thumbs up from me.

    Samantha wants nothing to do with the wealthy families she grew up with. Give her the “real” people any day. Sam’s past is full of bad memories and by giving back to certain people, she hopes to be happier in herself.

    So “charity” auctions are her past and not what she does now, but she promised her best friend that she’d bid on the brother to help, but Sam’s not concentrating and bids on the wrong guy !!! Oooops!! So she goes back stage to gently let the guy off the hook, and tell him not to worry about their “date”, but before she can get a word out Taylor cuts her rudely short

    Taylor hates these things with a passion. He knows how things will go ….. his date will want to be the next “Mrs” Taylor or want a business loan!!!! Neither were acceptable, he’d worked hard for his money and reputation, and wasn’t giving either away. But the young lady bidding on him had set his mind whirling, and meeting her in person had set all kinds of feelings off, but Taylor was trying to meet a deadline and wasn’t in the best head zone to deal with this right now.

    So a “date” is set for 9am the next morning, anticipation for Taylor, revenge for Sam. Who gets the better end of the deal ?

    Yes we all know how it goes ….. billionaire bad boy shown the error of his ways with the woman who turned her back on family money. But after reading it ….. yes he’s a billionaire (but one with a past which shaped him into what he is now) and why did Samantha turn her back on her family? (It’s not what you think either)

    It was a fun read, and I’ll happily recommend it for an afternoon read 😁

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    Book Review 📱

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    Take me by Lily Harlem 

    Back cover …..
    Megan’s weekend just took a dangerous, sexy turn…

    What’s not to love about a girl’s weekend in Dublin? Megan Sanders loves being out on the town and out on the pull with her mates, but unfortunately, she’s attracted the attentions of a man with downright murderous intentions.

    Seth Martin knows vampire Samuel Bennington is evil, and only his pack of elite wolf shifters can protect Megan. That is, if they can convince her that she needs their help.

    Soon Megan finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of fear and lust. She’s being hunted for her blood, yes, but she’s also crazy about the guy who has sworn to protect her. But which man will win? Will her blood sate Bennington’s hunger, or will Seth remind her why it’s good to be alive, and give her pleasure beyond anything she’s known before? 

    My review ….. 

    Good time girl Megan, loves to party, and partying with her friends in Dublin seems like a great idea. 
    But she’s attracting the wrong type of attention. A vampire is stalking her, and he won’t rest until she is his next victim. 
    But just when things might take a nasty turn, Megan is rescued by a “dog”, but this is no ordinary dog, Sean is a wolf shifter and is on patrol when he rescues Megan. 
    Whisking her to his home seems like the best place to hide her, until the vampire is caught. And at first that’s all it is, but as Megan and Sean talk, sparks fly and the attraction between them is very strong. But there is something about Sean that Megan needs to know …… 
    But Megan can’t stay with Sean forever (or can she?) she needs to go back home, she had a life and friends, and Sean can’t move to Liverpool where Megan lives (he hunts vampires, and has a pack to care for) 
    But how can she leave when she’s being stalked? 
    This is a short story, it had potential to be much longer, and sort of had an odd end to the book!!! 

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    Tuesday’s Post 🌧

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    seriously?!?! If I’m gagging, I can’t see me sticking my finger in my ear !!!!!

    Delivery day at work (bringing it in when it’s raining is always a challenge) busy day today. It’s the Easter half term, so the restaurant was full of screaming kids!!! Not my idea of fun, but what can you do? (I did suggest closing the doors and hiding) 🤪 can’t believe the mess some people leave behind!!!

    Day off tomorrow 🥳 have a few things planned, and I’m hoping the weather behaves tomorrow (but probably not) need to pop into town for a few things.

    🦋

    Monday’s Post ☁️

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    thinking this would make a great picture for a wall 🤔

    No that’s definitely true 😉

    Really wishing I could walk to work without all the weather gear (umbrella just in case it rains, gloves, scarf and hat, just in case it’s cold) But on the plan side, the walk home was a little warmer and less traffic on the roads.

    Really wanting some nicer weather now.

    🦋

    Book Review 📱

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    Restoration (Wolves of Gypsum Creek) by Serena Meadows.
    Back cover …… 
    Get a degree and get the hell out of Gypsum Creek. Natalie has muttered those words most of her young life, and now she’s finally going to leave this town in the dust of her squealing tires. She. Can’t. Wait. But first, she has to renovate a crumbling old shop and get enough cash to move onto bigger and better things.

    Dillion would love to start a new life, but that’s impossible on the run. Gypsum Creek might be the perfect sanctuary to disappear for a while, but a man like him can’t put down roots, or risk falling in love. Nothing good could come of it.

    Two young shifters, each racing down a different path. But sometimes the very thing you want is the last thing you need, and facing the truth is the greatest test of all.


    My review …..
    Natalie can’t wait to leave Gypsum Creek. Nothing to do, it’s boring, but she needs cash and a renovation of an old home is just what she needs. 
    Dillon is a wolf on the run, he doesn’t stay long anywhere, but Gypsum looks like a place he could lay low for a while. 
    Natalie is David’s sister (his book was “young love”) and she helped him with a conversion of an old store. She loved it and helped with the school also, but Millie’s house was going to be a challenge (it gives her the creeps) they are turning it into a boarding house. 
    Dillon gets an invitation to help with the conversion of an old house into a boarding house. He use to visit Gypsum Creek as a young boy, and had fond memories of Millie and her scary house. 
    Again this story has a slow burning romance, Dillon needs to hide from his father, (why? What has he done? What did his father do?) he would love to stay In Gypsum for a while (especially with such pretty scenery) and Natalie feels it’s time to move on. But with Dillon around …… maybe she could stay a little longer


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    Book Review 📱

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    Protected by the dragon …. A Dragon Valley book by Kayla Wolf.


    Back cover ….. 

    How long can you resist when animal magnetism claims you with the force of a tidal wave? 

    Jessica is running away from her wolf pack, away from a forced marriage. But she ends up in even greater trouble when she finds herself in the Dragon Valley. Everyone knows that dragons are the sworn enemies of wolves.

    But the enemy turns out to be incredibly handsome, magnetic, and intoxicating… Despite the alarm bells going off inside her, she finds herself longing for the heat of his body and his powerful arms… 

    Is she about to do something reckless, with the enemy no less?

    Samuel is an impossibly gorgeous, strong, and muscular dragon prince. His body is chiseled out of stone, but his heart wants a mate. When he finds a wounded wolf, he can’t help but care for her. And fall for her. Hard. But how can he convince her that she doesn’t have to be afraid of him? 

    When Jessica is forced to make a decision that will drive her away forever, Samuel has to face the truth. He knows it’s dangerous, he knows what’s at stake. 

    But she belongs to him. 

    And he’ll protect her.

    Can he fight their way towards freedom and… love?


    My review …… 
    This is the second book in the series. Samuel is the twin brother of the king, Alexander (mated to a dragon main character) 
    It’s been a year since Alexander and Lisa met. And Lisa is slowly bringing the dragons into this century. 
    Jessica is a wolf, and she’s on the run. She is suppose to be marrying another wolf, but she doesn’t want to marry for an alliance, she wants a true love match. She hates the alpha, he’s cruel, and she wants no part of it. 
    Samuel spots an injured woman whilst out, he tries to offer her aid (which is flatly refused) but he’s very intrigued by her, and wants to know more. 
    Swearing to keep her safe from both wolves and dragons (they have been enemies for centuries) Samuel wants his wolf and will fight anyone to keep her. 
    But Jessica can’t trust a dragon, can she? He’s not like the stories they were told as a child. He’s kind and generous. But she can’t stay, she has to return to her village (her sister is in need of help) running from Samuel isn’t what she wants to do, but she can’t ask him for help!!! 
    The second book gives us more background on the hatred between wolves and dragons. 
    I’m hoping we get a few more books in this series, as it’s a fun afternoon read. 
    Can a dragon and a wolf find happiness together? You’ll. red to read to find out 😉
    🦋

    Book Review 📱

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    Young love (Wolves of Gypsum Creek book 3) by Serena Meadows 
    Back cover ….. 

    Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. With five sisters and a mother to provide for, there isn’t room for much else in David Rayburn’s world—despite loud complaints from the women in his hometown. The shifter has a body built for sin but is celibate as a monk. It’s Just. Not. Fair.

    Then she appears.

    A vision of delicious curves and startling green eyes, David has to blink and make sure he hasn’t slipped into some kind of forbidden fantasy. The new woman in town might be as real as his beating heart, but she can never know of his hidden feelings. Their town is being haunted by an angry spirit, and weird things are happening in the woods. David doesn’t have any time or energy to spare for romance, and Michelle is the kind of woman that would catch a man’s soul and never let it go.


    My review …….

    David has a body built for sin, but is as celibate as a monk😂 with a backcover description like that, it made me a little more interested (not your usual good looking bad boy) 

    David lives in Nashville after moving away, the farm that’s been in his family for generations isn’t making any money, so he left to find work, and sends money home, but jessie has asked if he’ll come home as he has some exciting news to share….. 

    Michelle is an aspiring model, she’s also a witch, but Michelle doesn’t want to be either of these, she wants to finish off her masters degree, move to Gypsum Creek and teach. Neither of her parents are thrilled at that prospect, nor is her fiancee. 

    David and Michelle meet and there are a few sparks, but Michelle isn’t interested (as far as she’s concerned David is only looking at the surface) David is thrilled and terrified, why would somebody that brainy and beautiful be interested in someone like him? 

    It’s a slow burn romance, and to be honest, it was a nice change. The author concentrated more on building up the story (rather than fill it with needless sex).

    So will David find out she’s a witch? And will it make a difference? Michelle is growing fonder of David each day, but she really wants to finish her research (and avoid the ex fiancée) and what will she say when she hears wolves live near Gypsum Creek? 

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    Sunday’s Post ☕️

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    A quiet Sunday 😁 time to recharge those batteries, i visited my daughters grave. I did a little bit of food shopping. Then came home for a little housework (just the basics) 😉 then did reading, listened to music and caught up on a few reviews 👩🏻‍💻 would have been nicer if the sun had been out (wanted to read in the garden)

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    Book Review 📖

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    Dark Predator …. A Carpathian Novel by Christine Feehan

    Back Cover …..

    As brutal as the undead he hunted, Zacarias De La Cruz was a master executioner. Now his stark and savage journey is over. After a thousand years in a grey world, he has accomplished everything he set out to do – his brothers are safeguarded, and each has found a woman who completes Them.

    Zacarias has walked the edge of madness. But without a hunt to define him, Zacarias wonders, for the first time in his life, who he really is.

    The answer awaits him back home in Peru, in the betrayal of a woman who is readying her trap, in the vengeance of an old enemy, in the inevitable consequences of a bloody family legacy, and in the deliverance of a lifemate he never could have imagined.

    My Review …..

    Zacarias De La Cruz is an ancient, with old world values. His lifemate would have been a gentle soul, a mother to his children, a light to his darkness. But she has yet to appear, and he honestly knows he couldn’t have a “modern” woman, they want to help their lifemates fight, they no longer want to stay at home cooking and cleaning. All of his brothers since meeting their mates have changed their opinions (they are too soft, he would have put the women in their place and be done with it)

    Marguarita has loved and worked on the De la Cruz ranch since she was little. She loves working with the horses. Her family have always been in their service, they are generous and they are protective of their “adopted” family, if you give your loyalty to the De la Cruz family, you will always be protected. But Marguarita was in the wrong place at the wrong time (a vampire attacked the ranch they thought Zacarias was resting in) she refused to tell the vampire where he was, so he ripped out her throat !!!!

    Their first meeting I found really hard to read. Yes I know he’s an ancient (so you need to approach it that way…. if after 800 years of NO emotion NO colour NO love, how would you be ? An empty shell probably, they have their duty and honour to cling too, they have to kill close friends and even family members that can’t hold on, or seek the dawn) countless centuries of doing that, then having to watch a colour and emotions are leeched out of your body and mind, until nothing is left. So with that thought firmly in place, I carried on …… 

    The thing with this book is that Zacarias doesn’t get instant emotion and colours back, he gets just a little at a time, so at first he is suspicious, who or what is causing this ? And why now ? Why when he faces his decision to face the dawn, does this happen to him…… 

    Marguarita knows the rules, they have been part of the families “caretaker” duties and rules for as long as she can remember….. Above all the De La Cruz family have to be protected …… so seeing the eldest brother sat in a field with the sun rising, gave Marguarita cause for alarm, was he so injured that he was unaware of his surroundings ? She couldn’t take the risk, she had to rescue him. 

    Zacarias is fuming!!!! How dare this puny human female thwart him from his honourable path? Does she not realise that all human and Carpathian’s alike will be in danger, he needs to end this loneliness and empty existence, the darkness has him in its grasp, he can’t wait any longer. And this “lunatic” does know what she has set in motion …… but once he rises …. then she will definitely know!!!! 

    The story is a really well thought out. The author needs us to Understand the ancients a little more (we will be seeing a lot more in future books) how domineering they will be, how cold and aloof they have become. 

    Marguarita brings light and colour to Zacarias, but not in the usual way (is that because she has no voice? Maybe) She  floods him with warmth and love, he can then “feel” and “see” all that she sees and feels. He takes trips down memory lane, he smiles at his brother’s antics, and then his greatest fear …… he had to kill his father (he had just lost his lifemate, and instead of instantly following her into the next life, he turned vampire) his father could only feel emotions when his lifemate was near, and as soon as she died, he lost his reason for living and turned vampire. 

    The part of the back cover description that had me puzzled was (the betrayer who is readying her trap?!?!) well I read the book, and I don’t think Zacarias ever called Marguarita a betrayer, a mage who probably cast a spell on him (he thinks that several times) there is a part where a friend betrays Marguarita’s trust and a ranch hand that betrays the trust of the De la Cruz family. 

    So back to the story, Zacarias can only see in muted colours and has watered down feelings then Marguarita is close, but as soon as she enters his mind, she brings brilliant colours and a full range of emotions. Both have to come to terms with the others characters (Marguarita is fiercely loyal and won’t let anyone hurt him, Zacarias is always in charge and in total control) so finding a balance is a long road, and a few mistakes are made. 

    The way Zacarias is with Marguarita reminds me a little of Jacques and Shea’s book (Dark Desire) how he is always with his lifemate, in her mind, never able to fully leave. 

    We also meet the eldest Manilov brother (definitely a vampire) the vampires are coming together more and more, and now we know why, they have plans to kill the prince and the entire family!! They are amassing data about psychic women (you have to be psychic to be converted) so the women need to be found and protected (but that’s for another book) 😉

    🦋

    Saturday’s Post 🦋

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    looks like a drink you could make for the summer 😎

    Weather couldn’t make its mind up between wind and cold or just a slight touch of rain and cold 🙄 I think Mother Nature can’t make up her mind as what we need to be wearing. The flowers and trees around don’t really know what they are doing either 🤦🏻‍♀️

    🦋

    Friday’s Post ☕️

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    this one actually works 😉

    Cold has almost gone (wish I could say the same for the pain in my ribs) and wishing this weather would make its mind up, at the moment it’s cold and wet. Just want a little warm weather (not too much to ask is it?) 🤨

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    Thursday’s Post 🌧

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    after a busy day at work (delivery day) I’m back home with books and a long cold drink. Was a little strange being back to work after having a few days off (sick) but you get back into the swing of it pretty quick 😉 and weather wasn’t too nice either, cold and wet for most of the day. So glad to be back in the warm.

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    Book Review📲

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    Triumph (Wolves of Gypsum Creek. Book 2) by Serena Meadows 

    Back cover….. 

    A girl with a hidden plan…
    A boy with a guarded heart…
    Their chemistry is undeniable. But are their secrets greater than their love? 

    With his fiery red hair and rosy blush, Danny stands out from the tough, brooding shifters that prowl the mountain. He’s even been called sweet on occasion. But if his enemies are dumb enough to be fooled by a smile, so be it. Few who’ve made that mistake are still around to tell the tale.

    When a woman appears in a broken-down car, Danny finds himself transfixed. She’s beautiful, lost, defenseless…and her deep green eyes dance with secrets. Danny smells trouble—especially when she claims to be looking for his reclusive friend. It’s time for her to leave, if she knows what’s good for her.

    But danger is circling, and Kara is not about to be run out of town by some sheltered country boy. She’s on a mission and she needs his help. It’s just too bad her mounting lies could destroy Danny’s trust forever, and spell disaster for them all.

    Breath-taking, passionate, and emotionally-driven, “Triumph” is the second book of the Wolves of Gypsum Creek series. Lose yourself in this world of supernatural romance, and order your copy today!

    All books in this page-turning paranormal romance series can be read as standalones, and happily ever afters are guaranteed!


    My Review …… 

    Missing the first book, I felt a few steps behind, but I don’t think it would make much difference if you read it or not. 
    Danny is a friendly and helpful person, but after standing with his friend Jessie in a battle, the town don’t want to know young Danny, so he moved up into the mountains, where he helps Jessie. 
    Kara is on the run ….. she’s been running for two years now, and she still can’t escape her stepfather. But her mother told her about this place and about a certain person. She promised her mother that she would find Jessie and tell him how sorry she was, at first Kara didn’t understand. But the more her mother explained to her, the more the request made sense. Her stepfather had found out what Kara was and she’s been on the run ever since. If she can get to Gypsum Creek then Jessie will protect her. 
    On his way back from the town (don’t think he was suppose to go there) Danny spots a vehicle broken down, stopping to see if he can help. And when he goes to help her, an electric shock travels through his body, and she smell so sweet. Danny knows she is someone special to him, but unsure of the how or why. He offers her a lift into town to get the truck fixed. When it can’t he foolishly offers her a place to stay where he lives. 
    Kara knows she should stay in town, but the offer of the place where she needs to be is too great an opportunity to miss. So a lie falls out of her mouth, and so the web of deceit has started spinning. Kara knows she should come clean about who she is, but what if she’s rejected? Who will protect her from the storm coming her way? 
    So how will Kara explain who she is without pulling the family she hopes to become part of apart? How will Danny react when he finds out he was only a way to get to see someone? Was there no connection Kara felt towards Danny? And what of the danger that is racing towards Gypsum Creek? 
    I actually read this one on my phone (what’s why the sign has changed) 😉

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    Book Review 👩🏻‍💻

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    Omega’s Submission (Foxes of Scarlet Peak) book 1 by Aspen Grey 
    Back cover …. 

    Two Men. Both lost. Both convinced true love doesn’t exist. But maybe they can change each others minds?

    Kitchi is a everything an alpha should be. He’s strong, handsome, capable and fierce – a soldier for his pack. But there’s a hole in his life. He yearns for a mate, but after what happened to his father, Kitchi is sure he could never let anyone get close to him. 


    Toby has no one. He never new his mother, and after his father’s injury he left home and made money the only way he knew how –  working at a brothel, seeing alpha after alpha, Toby’s pretty sure true love just isn’t in the cards for him, but when Kitchi catches Toby’s scent, his whole world turns upside down.Toby is the one.Kitchi’s fated-mate. He knows it with every fiber in his body. But Toby is terrified. In his world, alphas are just sweet talkers looking for a pump and dump. Why would he expect anything else from Kitchi?But Kitchi is determined to take Toby away from the brothel, claim him as his mate and put a baby in him. But will Toby let his walls down? Will Kitchi be able to prove his love? Or will they both spend the rest of their lives how they’ve been up until now – alone….

    My Review …..

    This series is a spin off from the Scarlet Mountain Pack series.
    Kitchi was a secondary character in that series. I don’t think it makes much difference if you haven’t read that series. But it may give you more background on one of the main characters. 
    So ….. 
    Kitchi is a red fox shifter he’s an alpha, (now other books usually have alpha’s as leaders only) but he’s happy to live with a group that aren’t all wolves (hence title to the series 😉) He moved out here when all his wolf buddies began to find their “fated mates” he’s happy in his own way ….. oh who is he kidding, he’s miserable, he’s drunk, he’s lonely, he wants his own mate, and is tired of always being alone. Drinking alone in a bar isn’t always the best way to celebrate your birthday !!! So when he gets an invite to somewhere different, Kitchi is drunk enough not to care ….. 
    Toby left home after his mother died and his father was injured, his father was never the same again and Toby became neglected. So running away from home seemed like the only solution. Turning “tricks” in an alleyway has turned into a “brothel” but Toby is numb, so what does he care ? he’s just a piece of meat here, but he has his limits and standards, and if he doesn’t like the guy, or what the guy wants, then he won’t “do him” not at any price. 
    Toby and Kitchi meet in the brothel, Kitchi is stunned, he’s found his mate !! But how to convince the guy, because if he starts spouting “fated mates” around he’s sure this cute mate of his will do a runner. 
    But fate has other plans for them, Kitchi can’t afford Toby’s tag, so they have to say goodbye. 
    Kitchi is heartbroken ….. Toby is resigned, why would an alpha be in a brothel unless he was there for a good time, but he was really hot and smelt amazing. 
    Will Kitchi have his chance again with Toby ? Will he be able to convince him that they are meant to be together? And will they both be able to let go of their pasts and move forward? 


    🦋