Book Review - Tidelands (Fairmile #1) by Philippa Gregory

Photo Credit - Amazon

 In 1648 in England, there is a civil war between the king and his people. The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even the remote tidelands. Alinor is a  poverty-stricken midwife and a healer. However, people around her believe she practices magic. They believe she is friends with faeries. 

On one Midsummer's Eve, Alinor decides to walk among the graveyard under a full moon to look for her abusive husband's ghost. Instead, she crosses path with James, who is on the run and looking for refuge. Alinor decides to help James but, little does she know that she is leading her heart into danger.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up this novel. However, I do know that the novel had an interesting premise but, it was unnecessarily long and boring. I felt like maybe 200 pages of the novel was just fluff. The last few pages are when the story finally progresses but, I felt it was more of a cliffhanger for a second novel. Overall, the novel had a good plot but, it was too much fluff to be enjoyable.

 **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Charlie and Frog: The Boney Hand by Karen Kane + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Charlie Tickler just wants his parents to listen and pay attention to him. Francine "Frog" Castle wants to become the world's greatest detective.Together they work to solve unexpected mysteries in their school, Castle School for the Deaf. In their latest adventure, Charlie is accused of stealing a piece of the school's famous history. Charlie and Frog must solve the case before the cursed object lands in the wrong hands.

The novel was filled with fun and eccentric characters including Charlie's parents and grandparents. There was a few juvenile jokes about frozen underwear, missing remotes, and jellybeans. I love that the author showcased people who are deaf or hard of hearing along with including instructions on sign language. My favorite part was learning how to sign my favorite thing in the world (chocolate!). A must read for any child who likes a cozy mystery.

 **Disclosure - I received a free  copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Title: CHARLIE & FROG THE BONEY HAND

Author: Karen Kane

Pub. Date: June 4, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 272

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

All Charlie Tickler wants is for his parents to listen.

All Francine (a.k.a Frog) Castle wants is to be the world's greatest detective.

So begins the friendship of Charlie and Frog, who soon become a crime-solving duo, restoring order to Castle-on-the-Hudson.

Charlie, the new kid at the Castle School for the Deaf continues to find unexpected mysteries in the sleepy town of Castle-on-the-Hudson with Frog, his new friend and crime-solving partner. Just when Charlie thinks everything has settled down, a piece of the school's famous history goes missing, and it's up to the Charlie and Frog to solve the case, before it's too late.

About Karen:

Karen Kane’s path to Charlie & Frog led her from a small village near Rochester, NY, to the bustle of Washington, DC. The people she met along the way inspired her writing with their warmth and humor, especially those in the Deaf community. Karen graduated from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, Karen spends her days as a sign language interpreter at Gallaudet University or lost in the stacks of her local library. Charlie & Frog is her first novel. ​

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 lucky winners will receive finished copies of CHARLIE & FROG THE BONEY HAND, US Only.

Giveaway Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2944/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/3/2019- BookHounds YA- Excerpt

6/4/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

6/5/2019- Twirling Book Princess- Excerpt

6/6/2019- Little Red Reads- Excerpt

6/7/2019- The Suburban Lifestyle- Review

Week Two:

6/10/2019- BookishRealmReviews- Review

6/11/2019- Lifestyle of Me- Review

6/12/2019- Nerdophiles- Review

6/13/2019- Two points of interest- Review

6/14/2019- Owl Always Be Reading- Review

Book Review - Stolen Obsession by Marlene M. Bell + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Annalisse Drury is an antiquities appraiser, whose best friend was recently murdered. The killer is still on the loose but, Annalisse believes her friend's murder is linked to her expensive missing bracelet. The bracelet is said to have an ancient curse that unleashes evil on anyone who wears it, who isn't Persian royalty. 

During a gallery opening, she notices the matching necklace on display. She asks the owner to get rid of the necklace because of its cursed past. No one believes her even after, an unnatural death occurs during the gallery opening. Desperate to get rid of the piece, Annalisse enlists the handsome gallery owner's son to help. Will Annalisee be able to stop the murders before it is the too late?

I found the novel to be an interesting read. The beginning was a bit convoluted and hard to get into. However, towards the middle of the book, it started picking up. The book had a lot of intrigue and plot twists. A very thrilling book!

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Stolen Obsession

(Annalisse Series #1)
By Marlene M. Bell

Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Paperback & ebook, 294 Pages

June 30th 2018 by Ewephoric Publishing

People die, but legends live on.

New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury recently lost her best friend to murder. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act.

Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his mother, feared dead or kidnapped. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?

Hold on for a heart-thumping, thrilling adventure through exotic lands in this fast-moving romantic suspense mystery by Marlene M. Bell.

Praise for the Book

"Debut author Bell delivers a great, slow-building romance, gently examining her characters' painful pasts." — Kirkus Reviews

"An irresistible page turner and a successful melding of thriller and romance. With a splash of international adventure and plenty of surprises, Stolen Obsession is an entertaining read and a great beginning to the Annalisse Series." — Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½

Goodreads│Amazon

About the Author

Marlene M. Bell is an acclaimed artist and photographer as well as a writer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of publications such as, Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living and Sheep Industry News. Ewephoric, her mail order venture, began in 1985 out of a desire for realistic sheep stationery. A color catalog of non-fiction books and sheep-related gifts may be requested at www.marlenembell.com or www.texassheep.com. Marlene and her husband, Gregg reside on a wooded ranch in East Texas with their 50 head of Horned Dorset sheep, a lovable Maremma guard dog named, Tia, and 3 spoiled cats who rule the household.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Google+

Tour Schedule

July 9th:

Launch

Stacking My Book Shelves!

July 10th:

Life as Leels

#bookish

July 11th:

It's All About the Romance

July 12th:

Hearts & Scribbles

fundinmental

An Indie Adventure

July 13th:

Bri's Book Nook

Colorimetry

July 16th:

Two Points of Interest

Wishful Endings

July 17th:

Rainy Day Reviews

July 18th:

Handcrafted Reviews

SilverWoodSketches

July 19th:

Teatime and Books

Deal Sharing Aunt

July 20th:

My Life Loves and Passion

Locks, Hooks and Books

July 21st:

Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

- 1 Grand Prize winner will receive: One signed copy of STOLEN OBSESSION, One lined Journal with handcrafted pen, One set of Wool Dryer Balls, a Pair of Stolen Obsession style earrings and a $50 gift card from Amazon
- 4 winners will each receive: One signed copy of Stolen Obsession, One sheep bookmark, One lined journal and a pair of Stolen Obsession-style earrings-Gold-various styles

- US only
- Ends July 25th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review - Bringing Maggie Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Photo Credit - Amazon

Hazel DeFord has a deep and dark secret that continues to haunt her. In 1943, a young ten year old Hazel was picking blackberries with her younger three year old sister, Maggie.  Hazel momentarily leaves Maggie alone to discover Maggie has disappeared upon her return. 

More than seventy years later, Hazel is still haunted by the guilt while the mystery remains unsolved. Hazel's secret has strained her relationship with her daughter, Diane, who is frustrated by her mother's paranoia and being overly overprotective. Diane's daughter, Meghan, on the other hand, loves her grandmother's affection and attention. When Meghan is hurt in an accident, she decides to use her recovery time to visit her grandmother. However, when she arrives, she finds out her mother has also planned to tag along as well.  Diane and Meghan uncover Hazel's dark secret while visiting. Meghan is a cold case detective and volunteers to help her grandmother uncover the truth behind Maggie's disappearance. Will the three generations of DeFord women be able to survive each other? Will Meghan be able to solve the mystery behind Maggie's disappearance?

The novel had an interesting premise, but it failed to deliver. I felt like the story dragged on and on until the last few chapters and I felt like the book could have detailed some characters better. For example, Hazel and her late husband's relationship; did he know about Hazel's secret? I also felt that Meghan didn't really help much with solving the mystery behind Maggie's disappearance. Her partner had a bigger role in solving it and than she did while the "mystery" was quite obvious from the beginning. I like the author's writing style so I might be open to reading more of her novels.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**