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.

Return to Me

Return to Me

The Restoration Chronicles Book 1

Lynn Austin

Iddo had spent his adult years living in Babylon and eagerly anticipating the return to his home in Jerusalem. When the king announced that any family could return if they wished he began preparations. He was unprepared for how many of his family would choose to stay. Only his grandson, Zechariah, was willing to join him and his wife, Dinah, as they headed back to their homeland. When they arrived, they found the local people unwilling to share their land. What began as an exciting journey, quickly became full of lessons in patience and faith.

I'm not usually fond of Biblical fiction. But decided to give the book a chance. The story was a bit slow in places. Several of the characters were so frustrating at times that I wanted to give them a good shake. But I also learned a lot about the culture and experiences of what happened. There were several things that I felt really opened up my understanding of the story. It also sent me back to the Bible to read the story again. So that was a win. It's not a light fiction book to be read for fun. But if you are willing to really spend some time, it can be an enriching read.

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

Searching for Someday

Searching for Someday

Jennifer Probst

Kate is running a very successful match making business with her two best friends. But somehow she can't seem to find the perfect guy for herself. Enter the very irate brother of a client and Kate finds herself with a potential soul mate. It's too bad he isn't her type and she doesn't date her clients.

In a spin-off from the "Marriage to a Billionaire" series, the author tells a funny and entertaining story about enduring love and magic spells. The people in the author's stories are always full of character and true to life. This story was no exception. I really enjoyed the interaction between the main characters. The friendships between the owners of the business was heartwarming and refreshing, while still being hilarious and entertaining. Probst writes books that are so fun to read that I picked up the next book w/out even reading the back.

I received this book free of charge from Simon and Schuster in exchange for my honest review.

A Slight Change of Plans

A Slight Change of Plans

Dee Ernst

 Kate is finally ready for some changes in her life. Her husband has been dead for 8 years. Her children are no longer living at home. She has decided to downsize her home and start dating again. But despite all of her plans, Kate finds herself in the middle of chaos that wasn't even close to her plans. Thankfully she's learning quickly to roll with the changes and find her new normal.

A very entertaining read that will interest the younger generation as well as those of us a bit older. The author weaves subtle humor, real life situations, and a fun writing style together to make a very enjoyable book. It gave me the feeling of a mature chick lit. 

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

To Know You

To Know You

Shannon Ethridge and Kathryn Mackel

Julia's son young, Dillon, is dying. His only hope is to have a liver transplant. But non of their friends of family have been a match. So he's slipping away while they wait on the donor list to supply them one. Julia's husband Matt convinces her to look up her older daughters that she gave up for adoption many years ago. It's a journey that is fraught with hard decisions, miracles, and heart wrenching revelations.

The authors have done a great job of taking a difficult situation and not only making it interesting, but also applying so many heart lessons. The story of salvation is prominent throughout the story. There are quite a few different stories going on in the book and the authors use flashbacks and different POVs to tell the story. I enjoyed the story, and also felt I learned some things while reading. There are discussion questions in the back of the book. Based on the depth and topics covered in the book, I would say this a great book club book.

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

Poison Alert!

Poison Alert!

My Tips to Avoid Danger Zones at Home

Gina Bellisario

Matthew has a little brother named Owen. Owen doesn't know about the dangers of medicine. So Matthew helps his mom and grandma pick up and clean up all of the dangerous things in their home. They don't want Owen to get sick. Now Owen can have a danger free zone to live in.

Each page is filled with bright and colorful illustrations. The informative story teaches a lesson while also entertaining young readers. Children will learn all about potential dangers in the home and how to get rid of them. The extra information in the bubbles can be read with the story or at a later date for even more ideas and information about chemicals, houseplants, and other things that could pose a danger around the home. The last two pages are filled with more ways to learn. One page has a fun project for making a "green" household cleaner. Another page is a glossary of new or larger vocabulary that a child might encounter while reading the book. The last page has information for further reading.

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

Zeek Meeks

Zeke Meeks vs The Super Stressful Talent Show

D.L. Green

Zeke's teacher, Mr. McNutty, has decided to have a talent contest. Zeke, a third-grader, doesn't consider himself to be very talented. He wouldn't normally care, but a teen idol has promised to coach the winner of the contest. Zeke would love the chance to meet her. Zeke is beginning to get really stressed when he happens upon a discovery. His dog is not very smart, but he mimics everything Zeke does. So Zeke decides to use his dog in the talent show. 

Grade school children will love the humor, black and white illustrations, and entertaining story. Almost every page has an illustration that ties in well with the story and had my son laughing throughout the book. The book is written with larger print and age appropriate vocabulary, making it the perfect book to encourage the reluctant reader. At the end of the story are discussion questions, vocabulary words, a cool experiment, and the link to a really fun, interactive website for kids. My son is in second grade and loved this story.

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

Landmarks

Landmarks

Turning Points On Your Journey Toward God

Bill Delvaux

The author came to a point in his life that he defined as a landmark. He shares this and other landmark stories and the lessons he learned from them. His hope is that all Christians will make the right choices and trust in the right one when coming to these same landmarks.

The book was very entertaining as far as keeping my interest. While I couldn't relate to several of the nine landmarks, I did enjoy the stories and personal experiences that make up most of this book. It appeared to be more of a memoir of the author's experiences that he added life lessons to. This will appeal to the reader that doesn't enjoy the drier theological books and would prefer something in story form.

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

Heaven For Kids

Heaven for Kids

My First Bible Reference for 5-8 Year Olds

Ed Strauss

Heaven is often a hard concept to grasp. Grown ups talk about it, but what and where is it really. The author takes children on a fact finding mission to discover everything the Bible has to say about heaven and what it is like.

Glossy pages, bright photographs, and age appropriate vocabulary will draw children into learning about heaven. Even adults will enjoy a refresher with all of the fun facts the author has pulled together. My only issue was one of theology. This does not detract from the book and is more of a personal issue than anything negative about the book. I would recommend this book to anyone with a child who wants to know all about where Jesus lives.

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