My 4.5 star review of The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

 My 4.5 star review of the Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood.

This 4.5 star book started out very slowly for me and I wondered what all the hype was about. A few chapters in, it resonated with me and I couldn't put it down. The whole book ended up being not only a cute story but making valid points that we could learn from. Great read for those need a women in STEM book for a challenge. I truly liked the characters from Olive who was hilarious at times to Adam who was not your typical hunky hero. Yes he was definitely hunky but he played the grump real well. He ended up being one of my favorite males in a book. I laughed, I cried, I sighed, I ooohed and aaahed. If you like fake dating stories, romance, rom-coms, and so many more genres that this book hit on then it is for you. For me it wasn't a typical romance and I ended up loving it and it was a fast read. I would love to read more about Adam and Olive plus their friends and enemies so I hope that at some point there might be a sequel and am really glad that I finally got around to reading this one.

5 Star review of The Lost Husband by Katherine Center

My review of The Lost Husband by Katherine Center.

This was my second book by Katherine Center and my second book with a 5 star rating. This book grabbed my attention immediately and I did not want to put it down. I read it with a buddy and we both found ourselves missing our stopping points to discuss it and ended up reading it much faster than we expected. I so loved the story. It was beautifully written with a well crafted plot and not a typical romance. The characters were absolutely wonderful and it was so real to me that I could see them all in my head as I read. The author painted pictures brilliantly in words. The characters I was expected not to like I did not like but there were only one or two of those at most. There was nothing I didn't like about this book. I do enjoy books set in Texas as my three children were born there and two are living there now as adults. I found myself laughing and crying; sometimes at the same time.

I would absolutely recommend this book to Katherine Center fans, for fans of books set in Texas and who like non typical romances. I haven't seen it, but I can see why this was adapted as a movie. I know that I am now a Katherine Center fan and will be reading more of her books in the very near future.

The Blame Game by Sandie Jones

My review of The Blame Game by Sandie Jones.

I would firstly like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me an ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This 3 star read was my first book by Sandie Jones and I got into it immediately. I liked the plot and all the twists and turns that I did not expect. Each time I thought I had guess the answer I was proven wrong. Our protagonist, Naomi was an interesting character and unlike any other therapist I have ever read about or known. While I enjoyed the writing I found it difficult to come to terms with how unethically Naomi practiced and it was one of the things that made this a tough one to believe or imagine. I do like how we kept visiting her family home in New York when Naomi was a child. Seems she was a liar as a child and brought that into her adult life too.

I think this is a good psychological thriller and it did keep me in suspense right up until the very last sentence.

I think folks should make up their own minds about this book and I will not say more except that I would like to read another Sandie Jones book to compare.

Dusty by my friend and author N. J. Adel. Warning if you have triggers DO NOT read this book!!!

My 5 star review of Dusty the 3rd book in the Night Skulls series by N.J. Adel.

Firstly I must thank N. J. Adel for my ARC copy of Dusty via Booksprout in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this 5 star read and did not want it to end. It was so good that I read it in one sitting. It pulled me in that much. The book comes with a warning which I will reiterate here....if you have any triggers whatsoever then please DO NOT read this book. It is wonderfully constructed with well developed characters. I would hate to see low ratings from folks because they do not adhere to the warnings. There is extreme sex and extreme violence but it all works so well in this book as it does in each of N. J. Adel's books.

The characters do fall in love quickly in this book but somehow it seems to fit with the darkness and the twists and turns of the plot. Love is truly closely related to hate. Dusty is the ultimate bad boy. Tough but with a kindness and sensitivity deep in him.

This book will be released on September 26th and I would all N. J. Adel fans to preorder and read this. It can be read as a stand alone at this point although it is the third in the Night Skulls series and does end with a cliffhanger.

Thank you for another great read N.J. and I am waiting anxiously for Cameron to read the second half of this story.

Review of Under by Helen Hardt - 5th book in the Follow Me Series

My 3.5 star, rounded down to 3 star review of Helen Hardt's Under. This is the 5th book in the Follow Me series.

I am a huge Helen Hardt fan and I admit that I haven't read books 1-4 in this series as I was gifted this as an ARC in return for my honest comments. Helen Hardt is always a 5 star read for me, so it pains me that I can only give this 3.5 stars which I have rounded down to 3.

I will start by saying that I loved that this book was from Brandon's POV. I really enjoy erotica when it is told from the male perspective. Having said that, the first half of this book reminded me so much of the three 50 Shades books from Christian's point of view that I had a hard time thinking Brandon and Skye. I truly love Dominants like Brandon and I was fascinated with his story once I got through to where I could see it as Brandon and not Christian. Even the cover while being maroon, Brandon's color, I was reminded of the covers of the 50 Shades books.

I have read many Helen Hardt books and I enjoy the way she crafts her stories, especially those in a series and the characters she comes up with.

I think I am going to have to read books 1-4 in the series and then reread this and see if my feelings change towards it. I would hesitate to recommend it new readers of the series at this time but those familiar with the previous books will no doubt enjoy this tremendously.

My 3 star review of The Blame Game by Sandie Jones

I would firstly like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for providing me an ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This 3 star read was my first book by Sandie Jones and I got into it immediately. I liked the plot and all the twists and turns that I did not expect. Each time I thought I had guess the answer I was proven wrong. Our protagonist, Naomi was an interesting character and unlike any other therapist I have ever read about or known. While I enjoyed the writing I found it difficult to come to terms with how unethically Naomi practiced and it was one of the things that made this a tough one to believe or imagine. I do like how we kept visiting her family home in New York when Naomi was a child. Seems she was a liar as a child and brought that into her adult life too.

I think this is a good psychological thriller and it did keep me in suspense right up until the very last sentence.

I think folks should make up their own minds about this book and I will not say more except that I would like to read another Sandie Jones book to compare.

My 4.5 star review of Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

I should like to thank Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

I ended up giving this 4.5 stars. There were parts where I felt it was too wordy but overall got better and better as the book went along. This has everything ... romance, suspense, feminism and the list goes on. Thank you for a book that shows how were women were undermined and not given credit for their work. If I had a daughter that read this and said " I want to be Elizabeth Zott when I grow up", that is the highest praise I can give this book and the wonderful writing. I laughed, I cried, I kept screaming "No" and breathing a sigh of relief when it all turned out just fine.

You don't need to be a science expert to read this. Elizabeth Zott our protagonist does a wonderful job of teaching us Chemistry. If I had encountered a teacher like her, I might have liked science much more than I did.

This is a great read for women of all ages and I am sure will be around and popular for many years to come. I definitely am glad that I read this book and again my thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for introducing me to Bonnie Garmus and her wonderful story.

This is my 5 star review of Huckleberry Christmas, the third in the Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series.

This five star book was as wonderful as the first two in this series. In each book we learn a valuable lesson through faith and belief. Abuse comes in many forms, not just physical and I would like to thank Jennifer Beckstrand for handling the subject as beautifully and sensitively as she did. I so enjoyed seeing some of our friends from the other two books while meeting a host of new folks. Each and every character, good and bad, were so real to me. This book was scenes and pictures in words all the way through from beginning to end. I should love to meet Anna and Felty and I think they would have some interesting and wonderful stories to tell. Toby was one of the most loveable children I have ever read about and I hope we see him growing up in later books in the series. If you are new to Amish fiction this is a beautiful series to start with. You can read this book without having read the first two but I would recommend that you read them so you can meet the matchmakers and their matches who will appear from time to time in the next book. If you are familiar with Amish fiction then this is a fabulous series and author for you to become familiar with. I am excited to take my next trip to Huckleberry Hill.

My 5 star review of a 2 in 1, The Path to Forgiveness. This features Hiding Her Amish Secret by Carrie Lighte and A Widow's Hope by Vannetta Chapman.

My 5 star review of a 2 in 1, The Path to Forgiveness. This features Hiding Her Amish Secret by Carrie Lighte and A Widow's Hope by Vannetta Chapman.

I should like to start by thanking Vannetta Chapman or sending me this 2 in 1 in return for an honest review.

Since Carrie Lighte's story was the first book, I will begin there. This was my first Carrie Lighte book and it will not be my last of hers. This was a 5 star read for me from beginning to end. I am so grateful to being introduced to this author by Vannetta sending me the 2 in 1. I loved the characters. I thought each and every one of them had a unique personality and the plot was beautifully constructed.

The story was written with sensitivity and I found it touching and inspirational. If you are a fan of Amish fiction this would be a great read for you. If you are new and wondering about the genre, this book would be the perfect introduction for you.

Vannetta Chapman's story, A Widow's Hope is book one in the Amish Indiana Bride series and is a reprint so you may have already read this is you follow Vannetta Chapman. For new readers to Vannetta you are in for a treat when reading this 5 star book. This book touched my heart and was written with great understanding and sensitivity. I found it inspirational and wished the characters were real so I could meet them. Having returned recently from my first visit to Indiana's Amish area I could relate to the places in the book that were mentioned and I can still see the buggies and the wonderfully friendly people when I close my eyes. I hope that those who are new to this author and genre will read this and I hope that fans have read it and moved along in the series.

Vannetta and Carrie, thank you both for the privilege and honor of receiving this book and being able to review it, and will encourage my library system to order it and make it available. I look forward to reading more from both of you in the future and know I will treasure this 2 in 1 and it will be read again and again. The next time though, I will be sure to have tissues at my side as these stories found their way into my heart.

My 5 star plus read of Tracy Fredrychowki's The Amish Women of Lawrence County.

Thank you Tracy for my copy of The Amish Women of Lawrence County and for introducing to me a group of women that already feel like friends. Each story was an inspiration to read and each little short story was crafted so beautifully that I now have to go on and read more about each of my Lawrence County friends. I especially loved the introduction where you showed us how we could relate our lives to living more simply and humbly as do the Amish. Each woman had something special to offer and each had wonderful families and friends. This book of short stories was an easy 5 stars and I would have given it even more had Goodreads allowed me to. For those who have never read Amish fiction this book is truly a wonderful way to start your journey in the genre. You will learn so much in this sweet book. If you are an Amish fiction fan I would encourage you to read this book. It will help you in your understanding of the Amish and in the process you will definitely learn something about yourself. Thank you again Tracy for the honor of gifting me this book and in the process teach me things about myself I wasn't even aware of. I look forward to each book and being inspired and humbled while learning and enjoying your beautiful words.

My 5 star read of Jennifer Beckstrand's Huckleberry Summer, the 2nd of the Huckleberry Hill series.

The 2nd book in the Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series and another 5 star read. I have to admit, this one did keep me guessing. This book was so delightfully crafted and plotted. The story flowed from the first sentence to the very last and it was wonderful meeting some characters already familiar from the first book. If you are going to have meddling relative, these grandparents were the very best. I fell in love with them in the first book and love them even more after this one. The chuckle out loud moments were numerous and the pounding heart moments were there throughout the book two. I did like this couple very much and was eager to see how their story would end. If you are an Amish fiction fan you will love this book which can be read as a stand alone. I always read books in a series from the first book even if it is not necessary too. If you are new to the genre this is a great introduction into the Amish lifestyle and culture and I am sure will wanting you to come back for more. I am thrilled that I was introduced to Jennifer Beckstand's books and further of adventures of the Helmuths. I am excited to read the next book in the series.