Month: May 2022

Review: Gray Hair Don’t Care

Posted on by Cindy
Review: Gray Hair Don’t CareGray Hair Don't Care (Never Too Late, #1) by Karen Booth
Published by Karen Booth on February 2, 2021
Pages: 276
Goodreads


Everything went wrong. And then she went gray.

At 47, newly divorced makeup artist Lela Bennett is dreading her next steps. Dating. Meeting people. Not letting herself go. But then she runs into Donovan James and tries something different-sleeping with her sexy crush from college. Unfortunately, in a post-orgasm stupor, Lela confesses she was in love with Donovan all those years ago. He responds by leaving while she sleeps. The next morning, her gray hairs are practically taunting her. She knows she has to get it together. Forget men. Embrace her age. Own her gray.

Donovan James is a marketing genius, but his ex-wives will tell you-nothing freaks him out like feelings. Three years after his one-night stand with Lela, he's focused on his daughter's lifestyle company, but unprepared to meet the face of their new beauty brand. It's Lela. With stunning silver locks and new confidence, she's no longer swayed by his charms. When business starts booming, the universe seems intent on throwing them together time and again. And suddenly, two people convinced that romance was behind them are wondering if love could be what's next.

This past year I stumbled upon Rachel’s Random Resources book tours and I am so happy I did because I have been discovering some really good new to me authors and some really good books. Thank you, Rachel.

I am on a blog tour for the Never Too Late trilogy this week. The books in this trilogy are: Gray Hair Don’t Care, Brooklyn Monroe Wants it All, and It’s a Wdow Thing.

The first book in this trilogy is Gray Hair Don’t Care and it’s a second chance at love, later in life romance. I have to say I love this second chance a love tropes.

I can actually say that I fall into the demographic for this book. I am around the same age as the main character in the book. I really enjoy reading books where I know I can relate to the main characters. Even though this is fiction it’s really relatable.

This was a pretty quick read (less than 280 pages) that I managed to read pretty much in one sitting. Once I started I didn’t want to stop. I love the cover and I love that it takes place in one of my favorite cities, New York.

The main character is Lela and she is 47 years old. She is newly divorced and is dreading putting herself out there again. The one thing that has been constant is her love of weddings. One day while she happens to be out and about in NYC she stumbles upon a wedding. It’s while she is there she spots someone from her past. Could it really be Donovan after all these years?

It is indeed Donovan and he spots Lela. Donovan and Lela were best friends in college. What either of them doesn’t know is that they each had feelings for each other. Unfortunately, something or should I say someone came between them and then ended their friendship.

He goes over to talk to her and from there they reconnect over dinner and that leads to an amazing night. Which sadly is short-lived when Lela wakes up the next morning to discover Donovan high-tailed it out of there without saying something to Lela. This is not the first time Donovan has done the exact same thing to her. Lela thought this time would be different but nonetheless, it still hurts. I think this was the kick in the pants she needed to make changes her in life.

And changes she did make from deciding to go gray (which I applaud her because so many times I tell myself I should just go with it but don’t have enough guts to go gray) to finally making her dream of a cosmetic line come to fruition. She manages to catch the eye of a company that wants to bring her brand into the fold. She quickly realizes the name behind the company and that is Donovan’s daughter. What are the chances of Donovan being a part of this company? What will happen if these two cross paths again? Could they keep it professional?

I am excited to continue on with this trilogy and check out the back last of Karen’s books.

From reading the synopsis of the other books I believe that each of the books will have a new main character with possible crossovers from the previous books making appearances.

Review: I Am Able To Shine

Posted on by Cindy
Review: I Am Able To ShineI Am Able to Shine by Korey Watari, Mike Wu
Published by Two Lions on May 1, 2022
Pages: 40
Goodreads

An affirmative, empowering story about embracing your identity and finding your voice, inspired in part by debut author Korey Watari’s experiences growing up Asian American, and illustrated by her husband, Mike Wu, Pixar artist and creator of the Ellie series.

I am beautiful.

I belong here.

What I do matters.

I am able to shine.

Each night Keiko whispers to her crane, “I wish to change the world.” She is kind, and she has big dreams. But at times she feels invisible; she knows some people misjudge her. Keiko is also loved, so she perseveres and stands strong. Over time, her confidence grows, she shares more of herself, and she helps lift up others—and eventually lead them. She understands that no matter what, she can shine.

I quickly have to thank Amazon Crossing Kids for providing I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu for my review today. I just attended an online book event and this was provided to all attendees.

I am Able to Shine is written by a husband and wife team, Korey Watari and Mike Wu. This is a debut picture book and the first time they worked together. Mike is an author, Pixar artist, and illustrator.

The illustrations are bright and colorful.

The main character of the book is a girl named Keiko and all she wants is to change the world. She is a spirited girl with a head full of ideas.

Keiko knows she is different from the other girls and each day she gives herself daily affirmations to motivate herself. She is determined to shine bright throughout her life. I should say that I applaud Keiko for being proud of who she is and her Japanese heritage. As the story progresses you see Keiko stepping away from the shadows and speaking up.

I love the message that if you believe and put your mind to it you can do and be anything you want to be.

I definitely recommend this picture book. I also loved the note from the author at the end of the book.

Review: Pruett and Soo

Posted on by Cindy
Review: Pruett and SooPruett and Soo by Jorge Lacera, Nancy Viau
Published by Two Lions on March 22, 2022
Pages: 40
Goodreads

Pruett is from Planet Monochrome, where everything is black, white, or gray; everyone follows the rules and walks in straight lines; and they never, ever ask or answer questions. But then Soo arrives from Planet Prismatic. She’s bursting with brilliant colors! She zigs and zags all over the place! When she asks Pruett questions, he finds he wants to reply…and his whole world starts to change.

With a palette that shifts from grayscale to full color, this engaging story reminds us that what you feel defines who you are—and, sometimes, a friend can help you see that best.

I quickly have to thank Amazon Crossing Kids for providing I Am You: A Book About Ubuntu for my review today. I just attended an online book event and this was provided to all attendees.

Pruett and Soo are written by Nancy Viau, who is the author of several books, and illustrated by Jorge Lacera who has worked as an artist/art director at major gaming studios and entertainment companies. He currently lives in Canada with his family.

The picture book takes place on Planet Monochrome. It’s a little planet tucked away that no one notices. The main character is Pruett and for the most part, he follows the rules. Which consist of being calming, blending in, don’t wear color, not playing tag, and not answering or asking questions. Basically staying inside the lines.

Then one day a new student arrives and her name is Soo. She is from the planet Prismatic. Soo is bright and colorful and very curious. To everyone around her, she is breaking the rules. Soo is struggling and wants to go home because this new place is dull. She is the kind of girl who likes to color outside the lines.

What will Pruett do? He really likes Soo and wants her to fit it, will he break the rules for her? Will he bring color to Planet Monochrome?

This was such a cute picture book and one I have to recommend. I loved watching how slowly color was introduced into the story.

 

Review: I Guess I Live Here Now

Posted on by Cindy
Review: I Guess I Live Here NowI Guess I Live Here Now by Claire Ahn
Published by Viking Books for Young Readers on May 24, 2022
Pages: 416
Goodreads

A journey to the place where trends are born--Seoul, Korea--where Melody Lee unwillingly moves with her family and must start a new life, a new school...and maybe a new romance.

Melody always wanted to get to know the Korean side of her Korean American heritage better, but not quite like this. Thanks to a tiny transgression after school one day, she's shocked to discover that her parents have decided to move her and her mom out of New York City to join her father in Seoul--immediately! Barely having the chance to say goodbye to her best friend before she's on a plane, Melody is resentful, angry, and homesick.

But she soon finds herself settling into their super luxe home, meeting cool friends at school, and discovering the alluring aspects of living in Korea--trendsetting fashion, delectable food, her dad's black card, and a cute boy to hang out with. Life in Seoul is amazing...until cracks begin to form on its shiny surface. Troubling family secrets, broken friendships, and a lost passion are the prices Melody has to pay for her new life, but is it worth it?

Before I begin my review I quickly have to thank Penguin Teen Canada for graciously providing me with an eArc of I Gues I Live Here Now by Claire Ahn. This is a young adult debut.

This was a fairly quick weekend read for me. I really enjoyed reading this although I have to admit I was starting to get thirsty and hungry from reading the book. There are a lot of drinks and food mentioned. I definitely would read future books from Claire. I have to say that I loved the description of Korea and all the food. I had to admit I googled what they were and in doing so it made me even hungrier. I also goggled the places and they were beautiful to see.

Our main character Melody lives in one of my favorite cities in the world, NYC with her mom in a very small apartment. Her dad lives in Seoul to run the family law firm and visits them a few times a year. Melody struggles to have a connection with her dad since he is never there.

Melody is a junior in high school and she is hoping that next summer she will land an internship at one of the best interior design companies. Things seem to be going on track for Melody until one day, Sop (her best friend) and Melody are caught smoking weed. Her mother is furious. Then what seems to be a blink of an eye her mother informs Melody to start parking because they are moving to Seoul. Melody is shocked and feels like it’s her fault for the sudden move. Her mother reassures her that’s not the case but you can’t help but wonder why was this move so sudden? She won’t give Melody the reason why this sudden move is happening. I know I was curious why it did happen out of the blue.

Upon landing in Seoul, Melody is shocked to discover that her father is rich and has a luxurious lifestyle that she knew nothing about. At first, Melody struggles with her new life in Seoul and the one she left behind in NYC. She is struggling in school ( her father has put her in a private school and expects her to achieve all A’s) and the high expectations from her family to be perfect and to follow in her father’s footsteps to be a lawyer. She doesn’t want that, she wants to be an interior designer. How can she prove to them that this is her passion and that landing this summer internship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?

I loved that this had a little element of romance to the book (a slow burn that is very typical of first love) but I think the thing I loved the most was Melody discovering things about her parents she never knew about and that it ended up bringing her parents and her closer than when she first got there. How much do we really know about our parents before they became parents? Do we know how they grew up, what their dreams were etc?

I only have one question and that is will there be a sequel to this? I am curious to know what Melody is going to do with the summer internship. Is she going to take it or will she spend the summer in Seoul? The book ended so abruptly and I was sitting there in shock. There definitely has to be a sequel right?

 

Review: Just To See

Posted on by Cindy
Review: Just To SeeJust To See by Florian Pigé, Morgane de Cadier
Published by Blue Dot Kids Press on May 3, 2022
Pages: 40
Goodreads

Fans of Peter Brown and Jon Klassen will cherish this inspiring story about exploration, curiosity and an unexpected discovery

There are wonders all around us……Why not go see what you can find?

Every day, perched high up in her tree house, a girl surveys the distant forest through her binoculars. She knows every plant and animal.

But look! A strange new tree appears, towering above all the others. Where did it come from? Is it really a tree?

Intrigued, the girl sets off to take a closer look. Just to see…

Whimsical illustrations bring humor to an inspirational story about staying curious, finding wonder in nature, and seeing the familiar in new and unexpected ways.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss from the publisher.

Before I begin my review I just quickly have to say how gorgeous this book is from the outside to the inside of the book. The cover is bright and colorful. Very eye-catching if this was sitting on a shelf and I would definitely pick it up to see what it is about.

Just To See is written by  Morgan de Cadier (author and artist from France) and illustrated/artist by Florian Pigé. I just checked out Florian’s work and it’s beautiful. I would definitely purchase his artwork and in fact, I am eyeing a few pieces.

The illustrations are stunning. I love the pale color palette that was used. You can’t help but look around as you read the book.

The main character in the book is a little girl who knows the forest inside out and one day in her treehouse she spots something new in the forest that wasn’t there before. What could it be?
The adventurous little girl decides to go and check it out. What could it be? It’s a deer that never lost his antlers. She decides to climb them to see what she can see. What will she see as she climbs the antlers? You will need to pick up the book to find out.
I definitely would recommend this picture book. If I had a little one I know I would be instantly adding this to our collection.
I have to mention that when I went to submit my review on Edelweiss this was attached to the book:
Blue Dot Kids Press books are printed with vegetable inks on responsibly-sourced paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council™. From the sale of every book, we donate to environmental causes through our membership with 1% for the Planet. Through our annual Earth Day Initiative with our partner One Tree Planted, readers have the opportunity to plant trees—over 1,000 trees planted to date!
I love that. It’s nice to see a publisher doing that.

Review: Grown Ups

Posted on by Cindy
Review: Grown UpsGrown Ups by Marie Aubert, Rosie Hedger
Published by Pushkin Press on June 3, 2021
Pages: 160
Goodreads

Ida is a forty-year-old architect, single and struggling with a feeling of panic as she realises her chances of motherhood are rapidly falling away from her. She’s navigating Tinder and contemplating freezing her eggs – but tries to put a pause on these worries as she heads out to the seaside family cabin for her mother’s 65th birthday. That is, until some supposedly wonderful news from her sister sets old tensions simmering, building to an almighty clash between Ida and her sister, her
mother, and her entire family.
Exhilarating, funny, and unexpectedly devastating, Grown Ups gets up close and personal with a dysfunctional modern family.

I have to admit that I am not quite sure how I stumbled upon Grown Ups By Marie Aubert translated by Rosie Hedger book. This is a super quick read that I read in one sitting. It’s just about 160 pages. After reading a few heavy books lately it was nice to read something light. I have to say that I do like reading short stories and don’t read nearly enough of them.

Our main character is Ida, a forty-year-old single architect. Ida is starting to panic, realizing her chances of being a mom are slowly dwindling down the older she gets especially with no man in her life. She never seems to make the connection with a man. She is a bite envious wondering why it’s just not happening. I could totally relate with Ida and wonder why things don’t happen for you.

But as I read the book I was starting to see Ida in a whole other light, she was a little bit egotistical and I didn’t vibe with her and the same goes for her sister Marthe. She is a stepmom of Kristoffer’s daughter, Olea and she basically could care less for the little girl. The little girl knows this and is not afraid to bring it up. Why her dad stayed with her is beyond me especially knowing his daughter wasn’t happy. It was heartbreaking to see how Marthe would treat her. I also felt like Ida was the same way because as she is traveling on the bus to get to the family cabin she is annoyed about a toddle being loud. Although her interactions with Olea could be seen as sweet but are they?

Ida is spending her holiday with her family (Marthe, Kristoffer & his daughter, and her mom & mother’s boyfriend) and she wants to tell the family of her plan to freeze her eggs in hopes of having a child one day but before she can say anything Mathe announces she is finally pregnant after years of trying. The only thing is not everyone is happy about it. Then if that isn’t enough of an announcement Marthe makes another one that doesn’t sit well with Ida. What will Ida do? 

I don’t want to give too much away since it’s really a short book.

Sadly I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would.

Release Day Blitz: I Do or I Don’t

Posted on by Cindy

I am so excited that I DO OR I DON’T by Rob Edwards is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC from Rob & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out
the giveaway info below.

 

About the Book:

Title: I DO OR I DON’T

Author: Rob Edwards

Pub. Date: May 18, 2022

Publisher: Rayn Media Inc.

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 284

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, iBooks, Kobo

 

Beautiful Brooke Winthrop, and brash Becca Dodge are known in Hollywood circles as the Queen B’s for their meteoric success. They are the host and producer of I Do or I Don’t, the number-one-rated reality television show in the country. It is a whirlwind courtship show that ends every episode at the altar where two people must decide, on live TV, whether they will say the words that will change the rest of their lives.

One unlucky bride says, “I do,” only to be murdered by the groom on their honeymoon. The distraught father of the bride holds Brooke and Becca accountable. He manages to kidnap them and produce his own internet show based on the format of their program. Brooke and Becca are run through the scenarios they put their couples through. They must use these brief moments to prove their innocence or be killed in the last episode.

 

Excerpt:

“Just so you all know, with the good press we’re getting and the increase in applications, I’m contemplating pushing the network to give us either Sunday night or Thursday night, too.”

“Are you serious?” Brooke said.


Becca looked up. “It’s either that or two hours on Tuesdays.

We need to make hay here. With our numbers the way they are, sponsor rates are at a premium. That gives us leverage for a mid-season renegotiation. I say we go for it.”


“Hell, yeah,” Amantha said and others at the table chuckled.


The door opened, and a young girl walked in and rushed over to whisper to Amantha. Brooke had seen her before but didn’t know her name. She just knew she was Amantha’s casting associate.

Amantha listened and turned to Becca. “So, apparently we have a woman who’s not comfortable with any of the ten individuals we’ve supplied her with. She’s in tears and is begging RuLanne for a few more applications.”


Becca shook her head. “No way. That’s part of it. You may get lucky, or you may not. Tell her that we’re sorry it didn’t work out for her and send her on her way.”


“Hold on,” Brooke said. “Becca, can’t we give her another five or so? We’re supposed to be helping people find love.”


“No, we can’t,” Becca leaned forward. “And don’t think for a minute that it’s our job to help people find love. We’re here to put on a show. If suddenly we start giving extra applications for people to go over until they find someone, they’ll never make a decision, and we’ll never have a show.”

 

“Oh,” George said. “You mean that show we have about helping people find love?”


Becca glared at him and then turned to RuLanne. “Do this. Go tell her we’re sorry we can’t give her more applications to go through. But promise her ten seconds on the next broadcast so she can tell all her family and friends. Then get her name to the editors and tell them I said to put her in, or I’ll have their ass. Clear?”

RuLanne nodded and rushed back out.

As soon as the door closed Becca slammed her hands on the table and stood. “The name of this show is not called ‘Finding Love.’ It’s
called I Do or I Don’t and don’t think for a minute that anybody watching this show is hoping for the former.

There’s a huge segment that is hoping to see someone say, ‘I don’t,’ because watching a train wreck is a shitload more entertaining than watching someone else’s happiness.” She pointed at George, glaring. “And, George Crone, if you argue with me one more time in
front of the crew, your ass will hit the pavement so fast you won’t know what happened. And you can just keep on bouncing because you aren’t getting back in.

Got it?” George closed his laptop quietly and rested his hands on top of it. “Got it.”


The door burst open, and Alanna Gates, Fiona’s little sister and Becca’s personal assistant rushed in. “Miss Dodge,”

“What?” Becca shouted, impatiently.


“Ehhh…” Alanna paused briefly at the harshness of her boss’s tone. “I think you all should come see this right away.”

“See what?” Becca asked. “We need to finish this meeting.”


“Kristine Haddock, the bride from the show the other night.”

Alanna looked around the room.


“She’s dead.”

 

About Rob Edwards:

The majority of Rob Edwards working life has been in the
video and film production world, giving him ample experience with storytelling
and the creative process. He has written throughout his career and has won
national and international awards for his work.

He is now transforming his efforts to the page, rather than
the screen.

Rob lives in the mid-Michigan area with his bride. Together they enjoy traveling, foodie adventures, wine tasting,

He currently works as a Media Development Specialist and teaches video post-production.

​
Rob loves hearing from readers, so please feel free to contact him. 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Giveaway Details:

1
winner will win a $10 Amazon GC, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway