iRead Book Tours – Cindy's Love Of Books

Review/ The Dan Diaries

Posted on May 16, 2018May 16, 2018 by Cindy

Book Details:

Book Title: The Dan Diaries by D.D. Marx (The Beyond Series Book #4)
Category: Adult Fiction; 200 pages
Genre: Chick-Lit
Publisher: Beyond Dreams Publishing
Release date: April 6, 2018
Tour dates: May 14 to June 8, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 (minimal swearing)

Book Description:

Dan Sullivan was the best friend of Olivia Henry when his life was taken in a tragic car accident. Shocked to be on the other side, Dan navigates his way by learning his new role in eternal life. His first assignment is as Olivia’s guardian angel. He has the crucial role of guiding her to her pre-defined destiny. Dan’s death throws Olivia into a tail-spin which causes her to veer way off course. He understands the enormity of the challenge when he hears the mechanism by which he can communicate. He’s only allowed to use signs and symbols to get her attention and cannot interfere with her free-will.

Every time he thinks he’s close, something throws her off track. He’s forced to start over by convincing her to trust in their enduring, unbreakable bond. Olivia can feel Dan’s presence but is still reluctant to believe the messages he’s sending. She is fearful of falling in love again at the risk of losing another soulmate. Can Dan persuade her to trust in his love from afar so she can finally receive the happiness she truly deserves?

This is the fourth book in The Beyond Series and the previous ones are: Beyond Believing, Beyond Love and Beyond Forever. If you click on the book titles it will take you directly to my review of the books. I don’t know if this is the last book in the series or not as I tried to look it up and so far nothing comes up.

Like the previous books this was a super quick read and I managed to read it in one sitting. Although as I am reading this I didn’t want it to end. I would definitely read more from this author in the future. I loved reading her books.

I have to say that this was the perfect book to read at the end of the series because this is Dan’s story and he filled in so many gabs that were missing from the book. The book is all about Dan but you do see Olivia and the previous characters in the book.

The book begins with Dan’s tragic car accident. You get to see things in his perspective and how he manages to cope with what has happened. He is hurting just as much as the ones he’s left behind. The one thing Dan doesn’t want is for his life to make this huge impact on the ones he left behind. So he has been tasked by God himself to help Olivia get throw this and show her that there is life after death and that even though your loved one is gone physically they are there in spirit.

There is rules that Dan has to follow to get Olivia to believe this and the ways he does this makes you realize that things like this can really happen in the every day world. I know this because after my aunt passed away quite suddenly 18 years ago I was really upset and questioned things like most people do when someone dies suddenly. I was very much like Olivia asking for a sign that things are okay and sure enough she gave me that sign I was looking for. Whenever I am in doubt I ask my aunt and she reassures me with a scent of her favorite perfume. So I am a bug believer that even though they aren’t here physically they are with us spiritually.

If you are looking for a light fun read then I highly recommend this series. But you need to read all the books in order to fully follow along with the story.

Thank you Laura from iReads Book Tour for allowing me to be a part of this book tour and for sending me a copy of the book to read for my review.

Review & Blog Tour/ The Supreme Macaroni Company

Posted on August 7, 2014 by Cindy

The Supreme Macaroni Company Format: Hardcover
Published by Harper Collins USA on November 2013
Pages: 352
Goodreads

In The Supreme Macaroni Company, Adriana Trigiani transports readers from the cobblestone streets of Greenwich Village to lush New Orleans to Italy and back again while exploring the tricky dynamics between Old World craftsmanship and New World ambition, all amid a passionate love affair that fuels one woman's determination to have it all.

For over a hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This ancient business partnership provides the twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the schoolteacher turned shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret.

But after the wedding celebrations are over, Valentine wakes up to the hard reality of juggling the demands of a new business and the needs of her new family. Confronted with painful choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: "A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything." Now the proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves—the bitter and the sweet of life itself.

Romantic and poignant, told with humor and warmth, and bursting with a cast of endearing characters, The Supreme Macaroni Company is a sumptuous feast of delights: an unforgettable narrative about family, work, romance, and the unexpected turns of life and fate.

I received this book for free from publisher/pr firm in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I just quickly want to thank Laura (Library of Clean Reads) and Italy Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of this tour. I actually received The Supreme Macaroni Company late last year and I never got around to reading it until now.

I first heard about The Supreme Macaroni Company last year when I was lucky enough to go to BEA and get invited to Adriana’s house for a breakfast with a few other bloggers. I was thrilled to have been invited because I am a huge fan of her books. I just have to say that Adriana is amazing both as a person (who invites complete strangers into your home? Thank you Adriana) and as an author. I was in complete aw of her before meeting her and more so after meeting her. She is completely genuine what you see is what you get. She opened her home to us and made us all feel completely welcome like we were her dear friends. I have enclosed a photo that was taken that morning.

The Supreme Macaroni Company is the third book in the Valentine trilogy (Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine).

I have read the previous books but I think you could read this as a stand alone if you haven’t read the previous two. I found there to be enough information to get you through the book. Plus for me it was a while ago that I read the previous two so I forgot alot about the books but reading this I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

While I was reading the book I felt like I was a part of the story because Adriana can transport you right into her book world. The way she rights literally makes you feel like you there. She describes it all so perfectly.

The Supreme Macaroni Company begins almost where Brava, Valentine has left off. Gianluca (who is 54, lives and works in Italy) has just proposed to Valentine who is 36. Valentine pulls every story out of the book not to accept his proposal but Gianluca manages to convince her. You can see that he truly loves her and would give her the world.

Their engagement is short and within a few months they are married. Her family is thrilled because she is the last one to get married and its a big deal in the Italian community and family.

Now if you are expecting a day at the beach and everything is peachy then you are wrong. They go through ups and downs and that is very common in marriage. The only thing that bothered me was how Valentine and Gianluca never had any discussions before getting married about where they would live, working, family etc. If your married you know how important that is.

I don’t want to spoil the book too much if you have yet to read this and want to and its always hard when you review the second, third etc book in the series.

So all I will say is will the age difference impact their relationship? What happens when Gianluca yearns to go back to Italy? Will Valentine make the move or demand they stay in NYC?

After reading the book I wish I was in NYC.

Sheila from Book Journey, Adriana and myself

Meet the Author:

Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. Her books include the New York Times bestseller The Shoemaker’s Wife; the Big Stone Gap series; Very Valentine; Brava, Valentine; Lucia, Lucia; and the bestselling memoirDon’t Sing at the Table, as well as the young adult novels Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight. She wrote the screenplay for Big Stone Gap, which she also directed. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Connect with Adriana here: adrianatrigiani.com
Twitter: @adrianatrigiani
Facebook: facebook.com/adrianatrigiani

Book Tour Schedule:

Aug 4 –   Suko’s Notebook – review
Aug 4 –   Ivory Owl Reviews – review
Aug 5 –   I’d Rather Be At the Beach – review
Aug 5 –   One Frugal Girl – review
Aug 6 –   Studentessa Matta – review
Aug 7 –   Cindy’s Love of Books – review
Aug 7- Savings in Seconds – review
Aug 8 –   Moonshine Art Spot – review
Aug 11 – Il Mio Tesore – review
Aug 11 – Cherry Blossoms – review
Aug 12 – PIX Me! Photography – review
Aug 12 – Lady in Read – review
Aug 13 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – review
Aug 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – review
Aug 14 – View From the Birdhouse – review
Aug 15 – Melina’s Book Blog – review
Aug 15 – Library of Clean Reads – review

Review/ The Verona Trilogy Blog Tour

Posted on June 20, 2014June 19, 2014 by Cindy

Title: The Lens and the Looker
Series: The Verona Trilogy #1
Author: Lory S. Kaufman
Publisher: Sands of Time Publishing
Pub Date: March 2011
Pages: 322

About the book:

It’s the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences (A.I.s), have finally created the perfect post-dystopian society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiencing the same degradation. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.

In this first of a trilogy, we meet three spoiled teens in the year 2347. Hansum almost 17, is good looking and athletic. Shamira, 15, is sassy, independent and an artistic genius. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.

These three “hard cases” refuse the valuable lessons History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.

Title: The bronze and the Brimstone
Series: The Verona Trilogy #2
Author: Lory S. Kaufman
Publisher: Sands of Time Publishing
Pub Date: July 2011
Pages: 334

About the Book:

What could go wrong in the 14th-century for three time-traveling teens? How about – EVERYTHING!

Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th-century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention of the rich and powerful.

But standing out can get you into unexpected – situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.

Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disastrous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed – at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.

Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona – and it is threatening to consume everyone. Do they have a future in this past?

Title: The Loved and the Lost
Series: The Verona Trilogy #3
Author: Lory S. Kaufman
Publisher: Sands of Time Publishing
Pub Date: Feb 2013
Pages: 314

About the book:
A quest for lost love. An adventure of many lifetimes.

Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln are three 24th-century time travelers desperate to return to 14th-century Verona and reclaim their medieval family’s shattered lives. It is a mission fraught with danger and the risk of unexpected consequences for themselves and their worlds. For all three, it is a matter of the heart. For one, though, it is truly the only thing that matters, as the fate of his eternal love and the life of their unborn child is the prize to be won – or lost forever.

In this, the final book of The Verona Trilogy, our three time travelers go on the boldest adventure of their lives. They will face hardship, tragedy, and threats from sources they couldn’t have imagined – all in an effort to wrestle a future from the steely grip of an unforgiving past.

I was going to do separate reviews of the books but instead decided to put it all into one post.

I was lucky enough to get the books a few months ago so I was able to sit back and enjoy the books without feeling rushed. One of the great things about taking part in this tour is being able to read one book right after the other and not having to wait for them to come out.

I really enjoyed reading the three books considering this isn’t a genre I read a lot of. The books consist of time traveling. The story takes place in Medeval l Italy in the 24th century and the year is 2347

Three teenagers (Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln) are being forced to attend History Camp due to their behavior and this is their punishment. So the purpose of the history camps are to make young people about hard labour and behavior. Hmm I wonder if that exists somewhere in the world because there area few people I would love to send there.

These history camps normally work but not for these three and they are then forced to go to an Total Immersion History Camp and they back to the 14th century (1347) and live in Italy where they will be taught to behave and respect people. Things are always different then they were then right?

I think these three were hell bent on being disruptive and at times I wanted to reach in and slap the backs of the heads. They didn’t appreciate anything in my opinion and they reminded me so much of people that I know today who think the world owes them.

Each book picks up where the previous one ended which I really enjoyed because it all flowed and didn’t leave me wondering what had happened.

I thought Lory did a great job with the story line and didn’t make it feel like this was a too far fetched series. I felt like I was learning something every time I read the book. A little history lesson so to speak.

I think the older group of kids would really enjoy reading this series and I think it would make a perfect summer read. The only down part is that they might zip through this rather quickly. I probably could have zipped through this one but I wanted to take my time because there was a lot of information.

I don’t want to get to much into my review because I am sure I will spoil it.

To see the other blogs who have participated and are participating on the tour please CLICK ON THIS . Thanks Laura for allowing me to be a part of this tour and a huge thank you to Lory for sending me his books to read for the tour. Lory also graciously signed my books for me. Thank you.