Ashley

TW: the main character mentions situations involving her abusive ex-husband. 

This story is small town, single mom, and starting over. 

This series keeps getting better and better! Overall this is a great read! I love the characters and the storyline. I see these stories as sweet with a bit of a punch. 

I wasn't sure how to feel about the ending situation with her ex-husband. It was a surprise for me as I saw that part of the story going a different way. This felt a little out of the blue. 

This is the first time I could see all the couples, the characters from the three books, really come together. You see how the relationships have evolved over the series and how close everyone has become. 

While this is the third book in a series it does well as a standalone. The author gives enough background through the story to get to know the characters and their relationships to one another. 

Thank you to the author for an ARC copy. Can't wait for Preston's story! 

I love this series! The author has a way of making the book sweet like a Hallmark movie, but she can write with a punch too. Allie's storyline went through is heartbreaking and there were some tense moments, but I enjoyed every bit. This was a hard book to put down. 
This is the second book in the Freedom Valley Series. You do not need to read the first book before reading the second. 
Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for a review. 

This is a wonderful, heartwarming story of friendship, community and showing love comes around at any age. 
My husband and I have decorated a gingerbread house almost every year since we started dating, and it's a tradition we kept up with our kids. This story holds a special place for me. 
Margi is ready to give up on the gingerbread grotto. Each year brings less money to keep it running and fewer visitors. And just when it comes together it all falls apart. But through new friends and community support it might just come together 
I got caught up in the lives of the characters and the events of the book. The author brings mixes in different generations showing how each generation is alike, but also different. I loved how the traditions are being passed on in the story and grew in a much bigger way than expected. 
This was a wonderful way to start my holiday reads. 
Thank you Love Books Tour for the opportunity to be part of this tour. 

I LOVED this book! It really pulled me in from the beginning. I laughed and cried throughout this story. 

The character are smart, funny, and the banter among them all is great. They form their own club to vent about life, and I enjoyed their club moments throughout the book. There weren't enough of this scenes! 

Jewish and LGBTQ+ representation. 

It does deal with loss of a parent and sexual assault. Check TW. 

Thank you Love Books Tour for the opportunity to read this book. 

The main character leaves Australia after a tragic incident and makes a new home in England. Two years later she still hasn't returned home and hasn't quite moved on. It's only when her new boss enters that she is able to do so. 

This is a beautifully written story showing compassion for hospice patients. We see the importance of letting our loved ones know how we feel and the impact they have even if it is too late. 

I enjoyed the way the author brought it all together. 

Highly recommend picking up this book, but have your tissues ready! 

Thank you Love Books Tour for the opportunity to be part of this tour.

I was drawn to this story because I am currently living as an expat in Belgium. I could relate so much to this story. Moving to another country and trying to learn their language and culture can be intimidating, but the author seems to have taken right to her new surroundings when they moved to France.

I enjoyed reading about a different part of France, a village, and not Paris. The author has come across wonderful friends and quickly became a part of their community.

Ending the story with Neighbor Day, which happened to fall on the anniversary of buying their home, was perfect way for it to come full circle.

If you enjoy a good cozy mystery this is a good pick this fall. 

The author wrote the story in a way that I felt like I was on tour with the band and experiencing these incidents with them. The characters felt familiar and I was immediately pulled into the story. 

Even though this is part of a series, the story stands well on its own.  

Thank you Love Books Tour for the opportunity to read and review this book.

For the age group this is intended for it is cute. I do think the child would need to like and know something about Hans Christian Anderson to enjoy the story a little more. 

The story has more to it than just the author living next door. The story also tells what the main character goes through at school, which can be relatable to other children of similar age. The main character writes poems and I liked that these were incorporated in this story. There are illustrations throughout. 

This is an easy, short chapter book for early readers. 

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the beautiful story of a dancer, Alicia Alonso. What I enjoyed most about this story was that she had the opportunity to leave her home to grow as a dancer. She has numerous opportunities with ballet companies to show her skills and talents and eventually took this back to her hometown to train dancers. When a situation makes it harder for her to dance, Alicia finds a way to keep dance in her life. 

This is a wonderful read for the young dancer in your life. 

Thank you Netgalley and Rebel Girls for the opportunity to read this story.

If your child loves the environment this is a wonderful read. 

Dr. Wangari's legacy is a great example of how taking care of the environment will have a lasting effect in the world. She was able to obtain a Doctorate, but she used her instincts when it came to solving problems. Because she fought to protect the Earth, her children and many others are able to have a better life today. 

This book points out how segregation was different between American and Kenya. While it did exist in Kenya, she was treated much worse in American. This did not stop her from pursing her education. 

Thank you NetGalley and Rebel Girls for the opportunity to read this book.

This is a short easy read for the intended audience, but the author chose the right moments to highlight. From her lack of athleticism, to having a teacher believing in her, to finding the right people to guide her in her journey this story teaches girls how to keep going. Despite the avalanche on Mount Everest, Junko was determined to make it to the top and she succeeded. She did great things for the climbing community in her lifetime to help not just women, but anyone have the opportunity to climb.

Thank you Rebel Girls and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was everything I was hoping for. It is an adult version of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with fake dating.

Millie loses her job of three years and isn't sure what to do now. As she packs up her apartment she finds a dress she used to borrow from another friend, but not just any dress. This dress seems to have its way of bringing the best luck to her friends, so Millie decides to try her luck in Peacock Bay where other friends live.

Peacock Bay is struggling to recover from the pandemic. It is presented as a picturesque area with great surfing and the perfect place to raise families. Her best friend's family owns a hotel run by her brother. To help the hotel Millie and the brother decide to be an instagram couple.

This story shows how ugly side of being an influencer. You see throughout that the characters work hard to maintain their brand and one just won't stray from that. Having sponsors and followers is everything and they fear that breaking from that will ruin them. Millie has been following these influencers for a while now and soon learns that reality versus social media isn't the same. Can Millie cut it as an influencer herself?

She passes the dress on at the end to another friend and I'm hoping that means the story will continue.

It is a must for your summer TBR!

Thank you Sourcebooks, Gilliam Libby and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

4.5 rounded up 

The authors made this story their own, but also kept with what makes the story a classic. The characters and the setting really came together to give us a wonderful retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Even though we know how this story should end, I enjoyed seeing what was next for the characters and how the authors were going to bring it together. 

This is going to be a reread for me, I can tell. I loved how it was done. 

This is the second book in the For the Love of Austen series. While characters from Emma of 83rd Street appear in this book, it does not need to be read first. 

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Have you ever needed to take a break from your life? Thats what happens to Greta and Truman. Both are not loving their current circumstances and thanks to a mutual friend, find themselves living in the other person's home just before the holiday season. 

Audiobook: I enjoyed the narrators chosen for this book. They work well with Greta and Truman's personalities as well as transitions to other characters in the book. I felt like I was in the story.  

Story: Overall I enjoyed this audiobook, but I did enjoy Truman's storyline more. I enjoyed the hunt for something that meant so much to him. Both main characters are wonderful. They love their friends and finally find a way to do what they want. They are friends that are there to help you when you fall. The side characters throughout the story are diverse and add so much more to the book. 

This book has LGBTQ rep, mentions dementia and Jewish representation. 

A great listen for the upcoming holiday season!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Dear Mrs. Prowse: YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

I heard wonderful things about @mrsamandaprowse and grateful to have the opportunity to read her memoir.

Women Like Us was personally relatable in a number of ways. The author put everything out on the table while writing this story, and it couldn't have been easy being this vulnerable while telling her story. As I'm reading I kept thinking that these are the same thoughts I have, the same issues. It was as if she was reading my thoughts. But there is hope. Life can be better.

Thank you Amanda Prowse and Love Books Tour for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The illustrations are beautiful! I love the colors and the artwork.

I enjoy a good spin on Sherlock Holmes and this story did not disappoint. This graphic novel was broken up into three episodes, but the story flowed well with natural stopping points. There are a few pages separating each episode that include bits and pieces from the story, a storybook, summarizing and piecing together the story.

This is a great read for the those who enjoy a mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for the download in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the characters and the author's writing. The story itself was ok. Part of the storyline is around one of the bookshop employees. She is determined to have a controversial poet at the store because she believes it is her father. But when it got to that point there was a brief encounter with her mom and the poet, but it quickly ended. The storylines of the main characters in the story felt this way. Over just as quick as it began. At times it felt like there was too much going on. 

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I can't say enough about this book! NetGalley had it preview on read now and the first five chapters had me hooked! I was grateful to have been approved for the full story. 

This story has everything! A little mystery, a lot of spice, radium and a strong love of family and culture. 

The author brings so much of herself in this story. It's clear how much her culture and family have not only shaped her, but America as well. 

I enjoyed reading about the history of traqueros and how they have shaped their communities. In this story Alex works to keep her culture prominent in their community. Even though the Mexicans had a strong influence there is still discrimination today. 

There is a great cast of characters in the story and the chemistry between Alex and Jeremiah is 🔥. 

The author did a wonder job on this book and I look forward to reading more from her. 

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press for the opportunity to read and review this story.

Overall this was a fun book to read. From beginning to end this story had something going on like there wasn't time to waste. The idea of the makers is different, each family has their own specialty. I liked how they were all brought together, working together for the better.

I am eager to get a copy for our kids to read knowing they will enjoy this story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a great book for a young adult/new adult.

We need more book encouraging 1) young girls that they can do what their counterparts can do 2) show young girls/women that they are smart and strong.

I like that teachers and friends were able to see the potential in Bel. Even though it seemed she was pushed into joining the team, others saw what she was capable of, encouraged her and helped her what she wanted for her future.

This is a book i would approve for our daughter once she is of age.

Brynna Phillips gets roped into joining a coworker for a summer camping trip. The trip takes them to a camp Brynna visited as a teen and she remembers a short lived summer romance with Leroy. After telling Jan the story, she is determined for Bryanna to reconnect. They go searching through Sonoma Wine Country. When Brynna finds his winery, things take an interesting turn.

Overall I liked Looking for Leroy. I love the idea of a second chance romance and the author's writing was good. The characters were well written and enjoyable.

I thought Gina's reaction toward Brynna would have gone in a different direction. She discovered her dad's past relationship with Bryanna before she showed up. I think influence from another character played a part in that.

Brynna's character was back and forth too much on her feelings and gave up easily throughout the story. As soon as she made the decision to do one thing, she changed her mind before the dust settled on the prior decision.

This is a good clean read. It mentioned prayer and God, which I liked.

Thank you Revell, Melody Carson and Love Books Tours for the opportunity to read and review Looking for Leroy.

During WWII many Americans were leaving Paris to return home, but some, like Lucie Giard and Paul Aubrey, stayed behind.

Lucie quit ballet and bought a bookstore so the Jewish owners, who helped raise her, could escape. Despite Americans leaving and books being banned, Lucie stays positive and finds ways to keep the store alive.

I liked how the author used the bookstore to show how limiting reading had become. Authors and titles not in line with German beliefs were being banned and burned. Lucie found a way to use the bookstore to help a greater good.

Paul used to build race cars, but in an effort to keep his business going and help his employees he switches over to trucks. He is now seen as a collaborator, but there is more to Paul than what he allows his former friends to see.

The two meet when Paul brings his daughter to Lucie's store. The two hit it off and help each other in areas of their life, but with the war and the work each is doing on their own now is not the time for a romance.

If you are looking for a Christian story this is a great one. The characters in the story lean on God to guide them through this time as they work for the greater good. Their beliefs are part of who they are and it didn't feel pushed on me as a reader.

I've been drawn to historical books recently within this time frame and this story did not disappoint.

Thank you Sarah Sundin, Revell Publishing and Love Books Tour for the opportunity to read and review this book.