Review: Books for Benjamin by R.G. de Rouen

 

Genre: Children's 2-8

Published: October 22, 2022

Pages: 32

2022 Literary Titan Gold Award Winner

Benjamin would rather read about adventures in a giant peach than eat one!

Unlike his family members who are happily munching away on scraps, Benjamin is a different kind of worm. He loves to read. Yet, all he finds are old newspapers and magazines full of tomato splotches. Not one to give up on his dreams, Benjamin sets off on a quest to find “real" books.

Witty illustrations by Uliana Barabash are a great accompaniment to this delightful story written by R.G. de Rouen.

Join Benjamin on his book hunting adventure and watch your little ones search for Benjamin’s famous signature in their books!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is a cute little book about an aspiring literal book worm. Benjamin just wants to spend all his time reading, and like I can totes relate to that. He manages to make his way to a library where he marks every book that he reads. When the librarian catches him, instead of being angry with him, she's impressed and books a trip to take him to the Library of Congress, where he continues to read and mark books. 

The illustrations were adorable and colorful and the mark that Benjamin was leaving in all of the books he read made me laugh. While I wouldn't want to read this book to kids ALL the time, I wouldn't mind a few rereads. Overall I give it 4.2 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

R.G. de Rouen is originally from Carmel, California and has been working the past 25 years as an elementary teacher in international schools throughout the world. He is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature in Connecticut and enjoys teaching creative writing skills to his students. Like Benjamin, R. G. de Rouen can't live without books.

Uliana Barabash is an illustrator from Ukraine. She studied at the Academy of Printing and has been drawing since childhood. Her love of children and children's books is evident in the vibrant colors she portrays. Uliana is inspired by all the details that nature has to offer.

Review: Jake and the Biggest Yawn Ever by Chris Hardy

 

Genre: Children's 3-8

Published: January 13, 2022

Pages: 34

When the biggest yawn ever escapes from Jake's mouth and makes his way through the neighborhood, nobody can stop the yawns from happening! Yawn after yawn, one after the other. From squirrels to mice and even coyotes, no one is safe! This soothing bedtime story will get the yawning started and will lull anyone to sleep!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a cute little rhyming story about a great big yawn that starts with a puppy and travels all through the town making everyone very sleepy. I don't know how well the power of suggestion would work on little ones at bedtime and can't really test it out with my kids any more, but it made me yawn near the end while reading, so make of that what you will. 

The illustrations were on the dark side, but as this book is set in the evening, presumably, that is fitting. The more muted colors probably work to keep kids more drowsy and less amped up. And I'm not sure how I feel about the yawn being depicted almost ghost like. Does that mean yawns are really spirits leaving our bodies?

Overall I give this book 4.1 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Chris Hardy, a native of California, decided to finally pursue her long-time dream of writing books that touch the hearts of children and adults alike. "Jake and the Pandemic" was her first book and it was inspired by her nieces' experiences during the pandemic as well as the adorable dog, Jake, who she adopted after the passing of her neighbor. With another three books under her belt ("Jake and the Purple Unicorn," "Jake and the Biggest Yawn Ever" and "Grateful Jake") she is ready for the next round! Her writing goals are to create engaging stories filled with humor, life lessons and education to not only help children but also to help them thoroughly enjoy their book reading experience. When she isn't engaged in her creative outlet of writing, she runs her business that she has owned since 2002 selling natural products. In her spare time, she enjoys going on walks with Jake, playing tennis with her 80-year-old mom, hiking, watching movies, riding bikes at the beach, vacationing anywhere, spending time with family and being grateful for all the good that is in her life.

Victoria Osipova (Wally_LL) is a Russian illustrator and designer and from a young age became very interested in drawing. Every year she attended courses and seminars on creating illustrations. Thanks to her family, she found faith in herself and realized that drawing is a part of her life. Her inspiration is her beloved son and two dogs.

Review: The Sheikh's Christmas Maid by Leslie North

 

Genre: Holiday romance

Published: October 9, 2022

Pages: 176

A holiday fling erupts into a passionate affair…

The snow is falling, the fires are blazing, and Poppy Milenne is hard at work. She and the other house maids are busy preparing for a wealthy guest. But she never dreamed it would be someone young and handsome, like Sheikh Shadid. This playboy prince ignites Poppy’s romantic soul, and kindles her thirst for adventure. But giving in to temptation would mean risking her job…and her heart.

For Sheikh Samir Shadid, Christmas reminds him of a time he’d rather forget. And what better way to do so than with a beautiful woman in his arms. His father may have sent him away for safety, but that doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy himself while he’s here. When the beautiful American maid catches his eye, Samir is determined to seduce her before Christmas Day.

Samir may be looking for a holiday fling, but Poppy soon becomes something more. And the more time she spends with him, the harder he falls in love.

But what happens when the holidays end, and Samir must return home?

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This book was...something. I've been wracking my brain for a hot minute trying to think of something nice to say about it, and I'm coming up empty. The relationship progression is absurd, the storyline is negligible, the twists were super obvious and the sex scenes (even the ones that only occur in the MCs' imaginations) are mediocre at best. I didn't feel any of the characters passion and I didn't really care what happened to them. I just wasn't invested in this story at all. I could continue with my complaints, but I feel like I've beat up this book enough already. 

Overall I give this 1 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.

The truth of the matter is she loves her fictional persona, Leslie North, more than her normal, day-to-day persona! Her bestselling books focus on strong characters and particularly women who aren't afraid to challenge an alpha male. Inspired after years of travel, her stories are set all over the world, from the tough streets of Russia to the beautiful beaches of the middle east.

Leslie fell in love with romance when she first picked up a scrappy, dog-eared romance book from her local library. She began writing soon after and the rest, as they say, was history. She now lives in a cozy cottage on the British coast and enjoys taking long walks with her two Dalmatians, George and Fergie.

Discover her full book list at www.LeslieNorthBooks.com.

Leslie LOVES reader feedback, and if you have any comments, don't hesitate to contact her.

Twitter: @leslienorthbook

Facebook: www.facebook.com/leslienorthbooks

#SneakPeekSunday Review: Radiant Sin by Katee Roberts

 

Genre: Mythology Retelling

Published: February 7, 2023

Pages: 331

There's nowhere more dangerous than Olympus...and no one more captivating than its golden god: Apollo. Keeper of secrets, master of his shining realm...and the only man I am powerless to deny.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Apollo and Cassandra.*

As a disgraced member of a fallen house, Cassandra Gataki has seen firsthand what comes from trusting the venomous Thirteen. But when the maddeningly gorgeous and kind Apollo asks her to go undercover as his plus-one at a week-long party hosted by a dangerous new power player...Cassandra reluctantly agrees to have his back.

On one condition: when it's all over, and Apollo has the ammunition he needs to protect Olympus, she and her sister will be allowed to leave. For good.

Apollo may be the city's official spymaster, but it's his ability to inspire others that keeps him at the top. Despite what the rest of Olympus says, there's no one he trusts more than Cassandra. Yet even as their fake relationship takes a wicked turn for the scaldingly hot, a very real danger surfaces... threatening not only Cassandra and Apollo, but the very heart of Olympus itself.

I received a copy of this sneak peek through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

Y'all! This sneak peek has me so intrigued. Granted I am a sucker for most classic story retellings, at least the well known ones like Greek mythology. The way modern day Olympus has been portrayed here feels very plausible. While I'm not as familiar with Greek mythology as I am with fairy tales, the brief glimpse of political machinations I got in this sneak peek felt pretty accurate as well. Things have never been all flowers and sausages in Olympus and that clearly still holds true here. 

There really isn't much else that I can say about this story as I only had a brief glimpse into it so far, but it has definitely whetted my appetite to read more of it in the future when it becomes available. I also need to check my bookshelves because I think I won a copy of Neon Gods, the first book in the series, through Goodreads a little while back, and if I did, I definitely need to read that sooner rather than later. - Katie 

Amazon

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

Review: The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan

 

Genre: Holiday romance

Published: November 8, 2022

Pages: 237

Being Naughty Has Never Been So Nice! 

When Lyla's father retired as CEO of the toy company which has been in their family for generations, she was meant to receive his shares. Instead, she discovers the company is bankrupt and her father has given her shares to Mason Klaus, an investor known in the corporate world for his cold and callous nature. Much to Lyla's frustration, her only option is to run the company with him, despite their evident loathing for one another. 

When Mason cancels the annual Christmas party, Lyla throws it anyway - only for the event of the season to result in a terrible fire. With the offices and Lyla's credibility ruined, Mason offers her a deal: he'll forget her part in the disaster, but she must join his family for the twelve days of their Christmas holidays. 

Taken to a fantastical winter wonderland, Lyla hopes that she might discover some of the secrets Mr Klaus is hiding, and maybe even a way to get her company back. However, when Mason introduces her to the secret village as his fiancée, she is horrified to realise she has no choice but to go along with the pretence - because the cost of bringing an outsider to their magical land is far too high. 

Can Lyla resist the devilishly handsome Mr Klaus and the enchanting village to win back her company, or will she give into temptation?

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This book has a bit of a The Santa Clause feeling to it, and with the title, that's fitting. Lyla is the 49% shareholder in a toy manufacturing company that has been in her family for years, but her dad sold his shares to Mason Klaus, giving the controlling percentage to an outsider. Mason and Lyla butt heads like nobody's business because he wants to change all the things, including canceling the company Christmas party. Lyla wasn't cool with that so she used her own money to throw a party for the staff at the office. Things were going great until she saw Mason drunk as a skunk in his office and decided she needed to get him home before any of the employees saw him. 

Next thing she knows, she's being whisked away to a mysterious location in her pajamas by a jingle bell. Of course she finds out the location is the North Pole, or Yule rather, and she has to pretend to be engaged to Mason, because otherwise her being there is very much against the rules.

I have very mixed feelings about the way the romance between Lyla and Mason developed. Parts of it felt very natural while other parts very much did not. Like the moment in the cabin after he played the Beast to her Belle felt natural, but his behavior while they were shopping for her didn't. But I mostly enjoyed the way it bloomed. 

There were some mechanics about getting to and from Yule that made aspects of the story not really make sense as well. Like if you can travel to and from Yule by jingle bell, then why couldn't they just go back to Lyla's house to get her clothes? There are other details kind of along those lines that just didn't feel very thought out. 

But this book did give me the magical Christmas feelings I was looking for, so overall I give it 3.9 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Kate Callaghanis an Irish fantasy author. Her debut young adult trilogy, A Hellish Fairytale, began with Crowned A Traitor in 2020. She is currently branching out into adult dark fantasy romance. She loves dark tales, villains, and happily-ever-afters - something you will find in all her books. Chatting with readers is her favourite part of being an indie author.Follow below if you want to learn more about future stories! Signed copies are also available on the author's website.Mailing List | Gain Access To Exclusive News WWW.CALLAGHANWRITER.COMInstagram | @callaghanwriter Tiktok | @katecallaghanwriter 

#31DaysOfChristmas: The Noel Diary

Watched on: Netflix

Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes

Originally aired: 

Directed by: Charles Shyer

Starring: Justin Hartley, Bonnie Bedelia and Barrett Doss

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew information.

 Synopsis

Jacob Turner hasn't been home for almost twenty years not since his mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just sixteen. When a lawyer calls, days before Christmas, to inform him that his estranged mother has passed away and left her house to him, Jacob returns not just to settle the estate but to try and reconcile with the past and the pain and abuse he experienced as a child. Also, maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics. But as it turns out, the house holds more than just difficult memories, Jacob's mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter.

Review

I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a Christmas movie, but since it was suggested for me amid a Christmas movie marathon on Netflix, I'm inclined to say it is supposed to be one. It does not meet my requirements for a holiday movie however, which is sad.

Because it wasn't really a Christmas move, it was fairly unremarkable for me. It was a drama about a woman trying to find her birth mother and a man reconnecting with his estranged father, against his will, at least at first. There were some sparks, but she's engaged and he's a famous author and she needs stability.

I think if I hadn't been looking for Christmas magic when I watched this, I would have enjoyed the story. But as it stands, I was looking for Christmas magic and didn't find any here, so it was a bit of a bust for me.

Rating

#31DaysOfChristmas: I Believe in Santa

 

Watched on: Netflix

Duration: 1 hour 29 minutes

Originally aired: December 14, 2022

Directed by: Alex Ranarivelo

Starring: Christina Moore, John Ducey and Violet McGraw

Please see IMDb for full cast and crew information. 

Synopsis

Love is a gift. But when you find out the man you've fallen for still believes in Santa, do you accept it - or send it back?

Review

Lisa hates Christmas. She is kind of famous as a journalist who hates Christmas in fact. When her daughter gets separated from her dance troupe at an Independence Day event, Tom takes her to his legal advice booth until he can track down her mom. Lisa jumps to some understandable conclusions when she sees her daughter with a strange man, but her mind is put at ease when her daughter explains and shows her that Tom fixed her headband. Naturally they start dating after that.

Fast forward a few months and now it's time for Christmas. Tom really likes Christmas and transforms his apartment into a veritable North Pole, complete with a talking Santa, train, and a ton of tinsel. This seems like a deal breaker for Lisa until her friend points out that the Christmas activities will give her the chance to spend weeknights with Tom too.

This movie features all kinds of Christmas activities including snowball fights with the local hooligan kid, Christmas tree lighting, Christmas tree decorating, and a family cardboard sled building competition. It also has a Christmas Grinch whose heart grows at least one size this season. This movie has just enough Christmas magic to qualify as a Christmas movie for me this year.

Rating