Review | Mirka Andolfo’s Un/Sacred Vol 1

December 4, 2020December 4, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

Angelina, a voluptuous angel, and Damiano, a mischievous devil, are madly in love. But, while she does not intend to give in to temptation, he would very much like to… This is the tale of their bizarre and spicy daily life!

A sex-positive–and incredibly funny–slice of life…full of angels, devils and gags!

The collected edition of Mirka Andolfo’s Un/Sacred Vol 1 will include a bonus section with cover gallery, sketches, and other behind-the-scenes material!

This is definitely for mature audiences only and honestly fell a bit flat for me. It’s basically the same general situation told over and over again with the same results. The colors are super saturated and I felt like it was just too much of the same, while also being pretty intent on really pushing the narrative of the stereotypical characters. This one just wasn’t for me, I’m sure that it has its own demographic and there were certainly some humorous moments, but just not my cup of tea.

Review | Dog-Eared by Duncan Wu

December 3, 2020December 3, 2020 DeAnne2 Comments

Dogs are at once among the most ordinary of animals and the most beloved by mankind. But what we may not realize is that for as long as we have loved dogs, our poets have been seriously engaged with them as well.

In this collection, English professor Duncan Wu digs into the wealth of poetry about our furry friends to show how varied and intimate our relationships with them have been over the centuries. Homer recounts how Odysseus’s loyal dog recognizes his master even after his long absence. Thomas Hardy wrote poems from a pooch’s perspective, conveying a powerful sense of dogs’ innocent and trusting nature. And a multitude of writers, from Lord Byron to Emily Dickinson, have turned to poetry to mourn the loss of beloved dogs. Rich and inviting, Dog-eared is a spellbinding collection of poetic musings about humans and dogs and what they mean to each other.

I always enjoy poems about animals and had previously enjoyed other collections I found, so I was excited to see this one pop up. I really enjoyed the biographical information about each author and the animals that they had in their lives, but I was somewhat disappointed when a good number of the poems weren’t necessarily about dogs, and maybe had only a few lines or a mention of dogs. I was really hoping all of them would have dogs as the central subject, but I did enjoy the variance between styles and subjects overall.

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | Pretending by Holly Bourne | Review

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

In this hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel perfect for fans of Fleabag, a woman struggling to move on after a traumatic relationship pretends to be “the perfect girl” in an act of vengeance that goes awry when she finds herself emotionally compromised.

He said he was looking for a ‘partner in crime’ which everyone knows is shorthand for ‘a woman who isn’t real’.

April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal – yet she can’t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she’s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. Until she realizes that what men are really looking for is Gretel.

Gretel is perfect – beautiful but low maintenance, sweet but never clingy, sexy but not a slut. She’s a Regular Everyday Manic Pixie Dream Girl Next Door With No Problems.

When April starts pretending to be Gretel, dating becomes much more fun – especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?

This is my first experience reading a book from Holly Bourne and overall I did find it to be an emotional and impactful read. The absolute win for this book was how April was written and the glimpses we got into her psyche and how she worked through things. Did she always take the right path or do the right thing? No, but who does. Since this is the first time I’ve read anything by Bourne I can’t speak to how alike it is to her other books, but the writing style was easy to get into and flowed really well in my opinion.

Be aware that there are definite trigger warnings for sexual assault, rape and doubting self worth. It is an emotional story and while there is definitely a lot of humor thrown in, I wouldn’t necessarily call it light hearted or a light read. It definitely is tackling a number of issues that can be triggering to people, or may be more on the emotional side for people, so know that going in.

Overall I did feel it was an important story to tell, if at times hard to confront, and did enjoy the reading experience. In the times we are in it is a good story for when you are wanting to examine things that are happening in current society, and how someone who is healing from assault (as well as other lifelong issues) can come back from that and continue to live their lives.

Holly Bourne is a bestselling UK-based YA and Adult Fiction author and is an Ambassador for Women’s Aid. In 2019, she was an Author of the Day at the London Book Fair, and was named by Elle Magazine’s weekly podcast as one of “Six Female Authors Changing the Conversation in 2019”. Pretending is her US debut.

SOCIAL LINKS | Author website | Twitter: @holly_bourneYA |
Instagram: @hollybourneya | Facebook: @Holly.BourneYA

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | A Soldier Under Her Tree by Kathy Douglass | Review

November 29, 2020November 29, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

Tis the season…for a second shot at love. Could a fake boyfriend be her real hero this Christmas?

When her ex-fiancé shows up at her shop—engaged to her sister!—dress designer Hannah Carpenter doesn’t know what to do. Especially when her former fling Russell Danielson sees her plight and rides to the rescue, offering a fake relationship to foil her rude relations. The thing is, there’s nothing fake about his kiss… But when things get real, will the sexy soldier once again stop short of commitment?

I’m definitely in the mood for sweet Christmas stories, especially romances, right now and this one perfectly hit the spot. The pacing was good and the writing flowed really well so that this story just flew by. I did enjoy the characters and the progression that happened throughout the story with their own personal issues and growth over the span of the story. I really enjoyed Russell and Hannah as a couple and felt like everyone felt realistic and well developed.

Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally – both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions. After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small town contemporary novels she enjoys reading. Kathy loves to hear from her readers and can be found on Facebook.

Happy reading!

Review | The Complete Notes from the Universe by Mike Dooley

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020 DeAnneLeave a comment

The New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Possibilities brings “his signature wisdom, wit, and warmth” (Mike Robbins, author of Nothing Changes Until You Do ) to this inspirational collection based on his bestselling Notes from the Universe trilogy, featuring a new foreword, introduction, and fresh, invaluable truths.

For the first time ever, the hugely popular Notes from the Universe trilogy is presented in one volume, making it even easier to share the love and wisdom of Mike Dooley’s Universe.

Since 2000, Mike Dooley has created empowering and positive affirmations to remind us that we have power over our lives and a say in our destiny. In order to bring about change, we must simply ask and show up. His insights can help you harness the metaphysical laws of the Universe so that you can be swept off your feet and carried along, as divine intelligence puts the right people in your path at just the right time. Soon you can find yourself living in a physical world that mirrors the life you thought could only exist in dreams.

Now, you can discover fresh and inspirational notes in this ultimate volume, spread goodwill, and bring happiness and hope to your everyday life.

Since I had previously read one of Mike Dooley’s works I was excited to get to pick up another of his titles. This one compiles all three books from the Notes from the Universe trilogy, which contained all of the “notes” that Dooley sent out starting in 2000. Most of the messages are humorous, poignant and positive. They can range from a few lines to a full page in some instances. This is a perfect book to use as something that you pick up each day and read a random passage from it. It also reads really well if you decide you want to read a chunk at the time.

Happy reading!

Review | Custom Built by Chantel Fernando

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando brings you Fast & Fury: A sexy new series fully loaded with intense emotions and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

After losing her job, saying goodbye to a lifelong dream, and having an all-around cruddy year, Bronte Pierce needs a break. A job at Fast & Fury might be just the thing to reset her life, even though she knows nothing about custom motorcycles. But taking a job isn’t the same as keeping it, and her fresh start quickly turns into a fresh nightmare.

Starting with her boss. Crow is hard-headed, stubborn and brutally honest. He may be easy on the eyes, but he runs with an MC, and he’s anything but friendly to Bronte. She suspects he has a softer side—just not for her.

Her whole life, Bronte has known that the only person she can truly count on to save the day is herself. But when a single murder turns into a conspiracy and the threat to her life is more than she can handle alone, it’s Crow who comes through—and her newfound family might just become her greatest strength.

When this book first starts you are immediately sucked into the difficulties Bronte is experiencing, and man does she go through a lot in a short period of time. This definitely serves to establish her character and perseverance. The story is very fast paced and there are many things that happen very quickly.

The mystery and suspense element to the story was enjoyable and this is one of those stories that can easily be consumed in one sitting. I really enjoyed Chantal Fernando’s writing style and will definitely be picking up more of her works in the future.

Chantal Fernando is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book.

Connect with Chantal Fernando | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Happy reading!

Blog Tour | The Boy, The Wolf and The Stars by Shivaun Plozza | Review + Mood Board

November 22, 2020November 20, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

A boy and his pet fox go on a quest to find a wolf who has eaten all the stars in the sky before the Shadow Witch destroys the stars and removes good magic from the world forever.

Long ago, the land of Ulv was filled with magic. But that was before a wolf ate all the Stars in the night sky, ridding the world of magic and allowing Shadow Creatures, beasts made of shadow and evil, to flourish. Twelve-year-old Bo knows the stories but thinks the Stars and the wolf who ate them are nothing more than myths—until the day Bo’s guardian, Mads, is attacked by a giant wolf straight from the legends. With his dying breath, Mads tells Bo that Ulv is in danger and the only way to prevent the Shadow Creatures from taking over is to return the Stars to the sky.

And so Bo—accompanied by his best friend, a fox called Nix, a girl named Selene who’s magic is tied to the return of the Stars, and Tam, a bird-woman who has vowed to protect Bo at all costs—sets off on a quest to find the three magical keys that will release the Stars. But Bo isn’t the only one who wants the Stars, and the friends soon find themselves fleeing angry villagers, greedy merchants, and a vengeful wolf. And all the while, an evil witch lurks in the shadows and time is running out.

After reading the synopsis of this one, I knew I wanted to pick it up. It looked like just the middle grade fantasy I was craving and promised to be a fun adventure. It was all that and more. I did not expect to fall in love with some of the characters as much as I did or sympathize with some of their plights as much as I did. Bo really has his own internal struggles that he battles with more of the book, which also tie into a lot of the core theme of the story.

The story flowed so well and turned this book into such a quick, enjoyable read. I was seriously bummed when I finished it because I wanted to read more about the characters and their lives – not because the story was lacking, but because the characters and world were woven so well. If you’re looking for a fun fantasy adventure, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

As part of my experience I decided to do a mood board, enjoy!

Shivaun Plozza is an award-winning author of books for children and young adults. Her debut novel, Frankie, was a CBCA Notable Book and won a number of awards, including the Davitt Awards and a commendation from the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award. Her second novel, Tin Heart, sold in three foreign territories, received two starred reviews, and was nominated to ALA’S Best Fiction for Young Adults list. Her debut middle-grade novel, The Boy, the Wolf, and the Stars, is forthcoming in 2020 from HMH Books for Young Readers and Penguin Random House Australia. She is a frequent contributor to anthologies, and when she is not writing she works as an editor and manuscript assessor.

AUTHOR LINKS | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour – here! Thanks again to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

Happy reading!

Review | Lighthouse Ghosts by Norma Elizabeth

November 21, 2020November 20, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

Thirteen tales of ghost haunting American lighthouses. Includes photographs of each lighthouse by Bruce Roberts. The lighthouses included are:

Old Presque Isle Lighthouse on Lake Huron, Michigan
Plymouth Lighthouse, Massachusetts
Heceta Head Lighthouse, near Florence, Oregon
Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Michigan
St. Augustine Lighthouse, Florida
Batter Point Lighthouse, Crescent City, California
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Outer Banks, North Carolina
Seguin Island Lighthouse, near Georgetown, Maine
Seul Choix Point Lighthouse, Lake Michigan, Michigan
Old Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, Gasparilla Island, Florida
Minots Ledge Lighthouse, near Scituate and Cohasset, Massachusetts
Point Lookout Lighthouse, near St. Mary’s City, Maryland

Anyone who knows me know that I have a special love for ghost story books, especially those that have a good mix of the factual history and the stories that have been passed down. I did feel that this one had a pretty good mix of those two elements, but there were some portions where the writing didn’t blend or flow as well as I would have liked it to. Still I did find all of the stories enjoyable and it’s a good addition to my ghost story books collection.

Happy reading!

Review | Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

November 19, 2020November 19, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

In Be Prepared, all Vera wants to do is fit in—but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there’s one summer camp in her price range—Russian summer camp.

Vera is sure she’s found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the “cool girl” drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!

I enjoyed this cute representation of how someone can feel like they’ve finally found the place where they are going to fit in, only to find out that they don’t really and that making friends is about more than being similar to people. This is the first title I’ve read by Vera Brosgol and I really enjoyed not only her art style but her story telling in general. She perfectly captures so many facets of what girls (and children in general) experience in their pre-teen ages – especially when they feel like they can’t fit in with anyone. I did really enjoy the experiences shown at camp and all the emotions Vera went through.

Happy reading!

Review | Ozy and Millie: Perfectly Normal by Dana Simpson

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 DeAnne1 Comment

Millie is one unusual fox, and she knows it. She comes up with highly unusual thoughts, invents ingenious excuses to get out of her homework, and her classmates are not always sure quite what to make of her. But thankfully she has Ozy, one of the most loyal friends anyone could ask for. Together the two of them, their friends, and Ozy’s dad, Llewellyn (who happens to be a red dragon) enjoy various misadventures, whimsical conversations, elaborate schemes, and delightful bouts of mischief. Whether they’re navigating cliques, inventing new games, or just trying to make sense of life, Ozy and Millie are the perfect companions for upper middle grade readers as well as fans of Dana Simpson’s bestselling Phoebe and Her Unicorn series.

I didn’t know this web comic existed, but now I’m glad I do. The adventures that Ozy and Millie have are adorable and the two of them seem to balance each other well. Plus other characters, such as their parents, were great voices in the comics as well. I loved the art style and how vibrant the colors were. These comics are great for all ages and I do really enjoy that they included a glossary in the back for younger readers to learn about words they may not know and people mentioned.

Happy reading!