Alexis Cool as a Cupcake

Alexis Cool as a Cupcake

Cupcake Diaries

Coco Simon

Alexis and her three friends run a cupcake business. They are also dealing with the stresses of being in middle school. Alexis loves her job of running the business. Her friends are more than willing to let her take on all of the financial part while they just bake the cupcakes. But Alexis wants to be cool and fit in at school. And being the boss of her friends is not her idea of cool. So Alexis decides to take a break from business and see if she can improve her coolness rating. But the chaos that ensues has her wondering if maybe she should take her old job back.

The author did a great job of portraying the reality of middle school, while still creating a fun and entertaining story. Young readers will be able to relate to the girls and understand their desire to be cool. The author also addressed the boyfriend issue and handled it well. The doodle style of illustrations at the beginning of the chapters is whimsical and fun. At the end of the book are two puzzles and a list of the other books in the series.

I received this book free of charge from Children's Lit in exchange for my honest review.

Betty & Veronica

Betty & Veronica

Elena Aitken

Addy and Roni are best friends. They are as much family as they are friends. So when Addy gets the same type of breast cancer that killed her mother, Roni promises to stay with her through everything. Addy names her boobs and it's Veronica that is taken off. But she also likens the comic friends to her friendship with Roni.

This is a novella about two best friends enduring something together. This story really hit home with me because of several close friends and family who've had breast cancer. The author did a great job of conveying true friendship and the difficulties of cancer in a short story. While it made me cry, it also made me want to go read more of her books.

How I Met My Spouse

How I Met My Spouse

Reminisce Magazine

These precious little stories were pulled from the Reminisce magazine. Readers would write about how they met their spouse and turn the stories into the magazine to be read in a future issue. The book is only 65 pages, but is well worth the read. Some of the stories are only a paragraph long, but they are fun and heartwarming. It definitely took me back to a time when love was enduring and lasting. A real treat for those wanting to reminisce about the old days or learn about what real love is like. Would definitely recommend for a fun, romantic read.

The Alaska Brides Collection

The Alaska Brides Collection

Tracie Peterson, Mary Connealy, Cathy Marie Hake, Kathleen Y'Barbo

The gold rush brought many people to Alaska's frontier in search of adventure, wealth, and a new life. These five stories are about the men and women who braved the cold and hardships to make a life in the frozen tundra. Filled with love and romance, each story takes a different member of the family and tells their story.

I really enjoyed reading each story. Each one was a bit different because of the different authors, but they all tied in well together. The authors wove the story of Christ and salvation into each story without it coming across as preachy. The romance was sweet and heartwarming. I had favorites and one of the stories was a definite least favorite. But only because I don't care for the "love lost and found again many years later" type of story. The story itself was well written. I'm a fan of most of these authors and enjoyed "meeting" some new authors.

I received this book free of charge from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

The Acquittal

The Acquittal

A Guilty Parties Novel

Pat Simmons

Dr. Rainey Renolds appears to be at the top of the world. His career is great, he has amazing friends and family, and he's financially secure. But with a nasty break up in his past, a father in prison, and some family issues, he's feeling anything but great. He also can't get a certain African beauty by the name of Josephine off his mind. She turned him down over a year ago and he still can't get her out of his system. A seemly sudden decision to go to Africa with the Doctors Without Borders sends him on a spiritual and emotional journey that he didn't expect.

This isn't my usual style, but I'll try anything once. I'm so glad that I did. The story was fun and the writing style is unique. The author has a no holds bared approach to salvation that is refreshing and eye opening. The characters were entertaining and realistic. I enjoyed reading about the history of Ghana and learning more about the customs and worship styles that they have there. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas Bliss

Christmas Bliss

Mary Kay Andrews

Weezie has a bit more on her plate than a typical wedding. It's her wedding and her maid of honor is also about ready to get married. And did I mention that the groom is not in town? Can Weezie get her groom home, her maid of honor's issues settled in time for the baby to arrive, and her mother under control before the wedding is a complete disaster?

This book screamed southern chick lit. The characters were crazy, over the top, and fun. The mishaps were sometimes so out there, but added to the zany feel of the story. The book is part of a series, but came together well for a stand alone book. There were a couple of things I felt a bit lost on, but all in all it would work well by itself. If you like southern charmers or zany chick lit, than pick up this book and enjoy a bit of Christmas.

I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.

Captain Awesome

Captain Awesome vs. The Spooky, Scary House

Captain Awesome No. 8

Stan Kirby

Eugene and his friend Charlie have formed a super hero club after their favorite super hero. Eugene is Captain Awesome and his friend Charlie is Nacho Cheese Man. Their jobs are to get rid of all of the evil, bad guys in their town. They found a scary, spooky house that is the perfect house for their super hero club to take on. Can they figure out what the scary sounds and sights are coming from the haunted house? And who is the mysterious super hero that saves them?

The story flows smoothly and quickly. Young readers will appreciate the suspense and fun plot. The black and white pencil illustrations on every page are age appropriate and fit perfectly with the style and story line. The clues in the story are well placed and the vocabulary is right on target for the age of the intended audience. My seven year old son read this book and loved the story and illustrations.

I received this book free of charge from Children's Lit in exchange for my honest review.