Book Review - Full Fusion (The Fusion Series, #1) by NJ Damschroder + Giveaway

Photo Source - Amazon

Roxie Sebastian is like every other teenager except she doesn't always feel like she belongs and she is missing something. While, she has a caring family, a loving boyfriend, and supportive friends, she can't help but feel that disconnected from the world around her. When on shopping trip with her friend, Lincoln, she narrowly manages to escape death when brilliant light misses her and blows up Lincoln's car instead. After seeing the brilliant light, she is drawn to it and can't help but feels she needs the light. However, it seems Lincoln knows more than he is letting on about Roxie and the light that almost killed them. What secret is Lincoln hiding? Why is the light so important to Roxie?


This young adult paranormal novel was an interesting read. The author did a good job making the characters feel authentic and age appropriately in their dialogue. The plot was fast moving and interesting but I felt like the description in the back gave away most of the important part of the story. Instead of being a description to entice readers into reading the book, I felt like it was a summary of the entire book. Overall, an interesting book for those who like paranormal novels but skip the description on the back otherwise you might ruin the book.

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

About The Book:
Title: FULL FUSION (The Fusion Series Volume 1)
Author: NJ Damschroder
Pub. Date: June 4, 2014
Publisher: Dragonsoul YA
Pages: 322
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Eighteen-year-old Roxie Sebastian lives a charmed life, and she knows it. Too bad she can’t feel it.

All her life, she’s felt disconnected from the world around her. Everything changes just before graduation, when she’s drawn to an eerie, brilliant light-which narrowly misses her as it blows up her friend Lincoln’s car. Clearly someone’s after Roxie, and finally Lincoln tells her the truth: He and Roxie are angels, beings from another dimension, and that light is her soul, separated from her human body in a traumatic birth.

Once a skeptical Roxie rules out the other possibilities-like Lincoln created this delusion to escape his abusive father-she accepts her gut-deep knowledge of the truth. But someone has been screwing with her light, using it to commit crimes, and their actions are about to cause irreparable damage to two worlds: the one she lives in, and the one she can’t remember.

Aided by her best friend Jordan, her boyfriend Tucker, and Lincoln, Roxie tracks down the criminal and uncovers many more secrets not only of her past, but of the history of their race on Earth. And then Roxie faces a horrible dilemma-the only way she can stop them from ripping apart both worlds is to fuse with her light…which could be tainted by the evil with which it was used.

About NJ:

Natalie J. Damschroder is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance, with an emphasis on romantic adventure. She has had 24 novels, 7 novellas, and 16 short stories published by several publishers, most recently with Soul Mate Publishing, Entangled Publishing, and Carina Press. She recently debuted her Fusion Series, a young adult paranormal adventure series, with Full Fusion, as NJ Damschroder. Learn more about those books here.

Natalie grew up in Massachusetts, and loves the New England Patriots more than anything. (Except her family. And writing and reading. And popcorn.) When she’s not writing, she does freelance editing and proofreading. She and her husband have two grown daughters, one of whom is also a novelist. (The other one prefers math. Smart kid. Practical.)

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
 

Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a Box Set of the FULL FUSION Series, US Only.
Rafflecopter Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2710/

Week One:

3/19/2018- Caffeine And Composition- Interview

3/19/2018- A Gingerly Review- Review

3/20/2018- Twirling Book Princess- Excerpt

3/20/2018- The Underground- Review

3/21/2018- Elley the Book Otter- Guest Post

3/21/2018- Wonder Struck- Review

3/22/2018- Am Kinda Busy Reading- Review

3/22/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

3/23/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview

3/23/2018- two points of interest- Review

Book Review - The Innkeeper’s Daughter by Michelle Griep + Giveaway

Photo Source - Amazon

As a loyal officer of the law, Alexander Moore must go undercover as a gambling wine merchant. He was hesitant to take the mission but as he owes the General Ford, he agrees to take on the mission to find the traitor. As the master of disguise, Alex manages to convince Johanna Langely that he is a rouge but they both feel that there is more to their friendship than they want to believe.

Johanna is the proprietress of a failing family inn and she is financially struggling. When she crosses path with the roguish but dashing Alex, she is afraid of letting her guard down and trusting him. But she sees that her younger brother, Thomas and her mother are taken with the kind Alex. Will Johanna be able to let down her guard and trust Alex? Will Johanna be able to save her family's inn? Is Alex willing to follow his heart and pursue Johanna or will he follow General Ford's directive instead?

The novel was an interesting read but I felt it moved a bit slow for my liking. While, I did like the characters and hoped that they would get their "happy" ending, I felt like something was missing. I did feel like Johanna's character was a bit lacking as she is often portrayed as a failure from causing accidents to not being at the inn when her family needed her. I would have preferred a strong and dependent female heroine. 

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

About the Book

Title: The Innkeeper’s Daughter

Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction

Release Date: March 1, 2018

A London officer goes undercover to expose a plot against the Crown

 
Dover, England, 1808: Officer Alexander Moore goes undercover as a gambling gentleman to expose a high-stakes plot against the king—and he’s a master of disguise, for Johanna Langley believes him to be quite the rogue. . .until she can no longer fight against his unrelenting charm.

All Johanna wants is to keep the family inn afloat, but when the rent and the hearth payment are due at the same time, where will she find the extra funds? If she doesn’t come up with the money, there will be nowhere to go other than the workhouse—where she’ll be separated from her ailing mother and ten-year-old brother.

Alex desperately wants to help Johanna, especially when she confides in him, but his mission—finding and bringing to justice a traitor to the crown—must come first, or they could all end up dead.

About the Author

Michelle Griep has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes—except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones while rambling around a castle. Michelle is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and MCWG (Minnesota Christian Writers Guild). Keep up with her adventures at her blog “Writer off the Leash” or visit www.michellegriep.com.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away a grand prize of a signed copy of The Innkeeper’s Daughter and a $25 gift card from Barnes & Noble!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cb72

Julep Nail Polish - Rae

Well, I am late for this review, this nail polish is apparently from 2014! The Radiant Orchid Creme finished nail polish was the Pantone® 2014 Color of the Year. It was a lush color and provided full coverage with one swipe, but was gorgeous with two.

Book Review - The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Photo Source - Amazon

In 1950, Idlewild Hall is the place for girls that no one wants. It is home to troublemakers, the outspoken, and illegitimate girls. In the small town, the boarding school  is rumored to be haunted and when one of the young boarders suddenly mysteriously disappears nothing will be the same again.  

In 2014, it has been twenty years since journalist Fiona Sheridan's older sister's death, but Fiona is having a hard time letting it go. She makes frequent trips to the overgrown fields where the ruins of Idlewild Hall sit. When Fiona hears that someone is buying Idlewild Hall and reopening the school, against her better judgement Fiona decides to take on the story. While researching her story, Fiona comes across a shocking discovery that someone would do anything to keep buried. Who is behind the murders of the two young women?

I love how interesting and thrilling this story was. It was a modern day ghost story and the fact that two young women lost their lives around a school that should serve as sanctuary made this gruesome tale even more delicious. I love the strong female friendship along with the many plot twists. A highly recommended read for anyone who loves thrillers. Also, if you are reading this at night, be sure to keep a flashlight handy. ;)

**Disclosure - I won a free unedited copy of this book and was not requested or required to leave a review**

Book Review - Soul's Prisoner (Portraits of Grace #2) by Cara Luecht + Giveaway

Photo Source - Amazon

In 1891, Rachel is trying to survive the cruel winter in Chicago. She left her simple, quiet farm life to become a teacher in Chicago, but when things don't go as she planned. She ends up taking a job as a laundress at a local asylum. As the asylum's laundress, Rachel is able to access the deepest and darkest crevices of the asylum such as the labyrinthine like basement. During a particularly bad winter day, Rachel is unable to return to the boarding home that night and spends a night in the employee area of the asylum. However, Rachel witnesses a devastating secret that might put her very life in grave danger.

Jeremy, Rachel's brother is busy trying to get settled down that he barely has time for anything. But when he receives a letter from their mother desperately asking Jeremy to check on Rachel since no one has heard from her since she left the farm. Jeremy will stop at nothing to find his little sister since he feels responsible that he didn't check in on her sooner. Will Jeremy be able to find Rachel? What is the secret that Rachel stumbled into?

The novel gives readers a glimpse of the dark nature of asylums during the 19th century. It depicts the condition and hardships some of humanity's most vulnerable must have faced on a daily basis. The book was a captivating read and it kept me on the edge of my seat. It was filled with a strong cast of characters who are willing to do what is right regardless of their station in life. The novel is the second book in the series and can be read as a stand alone.

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

About the Book

Book Title: Soul’s Prisoner

Author: Cara Luecht

Genre: Historical fiction with some suspense and romance

Release Date: December 15, 2015

Chicago, Winter, 1891

Rachel is in danger. She’s seen too much.

She creeps along the cement walls through the dank underbelly of the asylum. She’d never planned to leave her quiet farm life, never thought she’d find a place in the city, never imagined she’d be in the kind of danger that would have her cowering in Dunning’s cold, labyrinthine basement.

Jenny has finally found her place. After a childhood of abuse, she has friends, a real job, and her only wish is to give her adopted son the kind of life she never had.

A life of stability, without the risk and uncertainty of a father.

But when Jeremy, Rachel’s brother, stumbles into their warehouse, asking for help to find his missing sister, Jenny’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble.

About the Author

Award winning author, Cara Luecht, lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin with her husband, David, and their children. Cara graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Currently, Cara is studying for a Masters of Divinity at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Cara is giving away a grand prize of a signed copy of Soul’s Prisoner and sketching art supplies!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/cb74

Chuda by Dr. Elena Ocher Healing Hydrating Cream

The thick hydrating cream promises to help hydrate and heal dry and damaged skin. According to the instructions a  small scoop of  the creamy product is all that is needed to see results. The cream was easy to apply and but it was on greasy side. I didn’t know any difference between this product and my normal lotions but my skin was softer and hydrated.

Book Review - One More Moon: Goodbye Mussolini! One Woman's Story of Fate and Survival by Ralph Webster

Photo Source - Amazon

In the year 1934, Elsa and her husband, Paul are living a comfortable life in Italy. However, all that begins to change when their daughter, Mela tells them of a hotel called Pensione Alexandria that is on sale. Elsa and her husband are suffering through some financial issues and decided that the hotel might be the answers to their troubles. When, the war breaks out Italy and Germany joins forces which cause a strain on travelers and when the situation gets worse, it makes it harder for Elsa and her family to escape. Will Elsa and her husband, Paul be able to escape the war?

Elsa's grandson writes her story through her voice and invites readers into her journey to escape the Italy before they follow the footsteps of Germany to imprison their fellow Jewish countrymen. The novel was written very beautifully and was told in an interesting way. However, I felt like in the beginning, the book was going to be about the two women  they found in the fields or a bit more detailed about Elsa's journey. Instead, it felt like I was reading a lot of fluff and not enough meat bones about her journey. Overall, it was still an enjoyable book and I look forward to reading more from the author.

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

Book Review - Someplace Familiar by Teresa Tysinger + Giveaway

Photo Source - Amazon

Livy Johnson decides she needs a fresh start after her relationship crumbles with her abusive ex. With her fresh start, she can mend her broken heart and follow her dreams while becoming her true self. As luck would have it, she comes across a listing for her grandmother's old home in the small community of Laurel Cove, North Carolina. Livy believes the distraction of restoring her grandmother's cottage along with the happy memories from her childhood will help heal her ailing heart.

Jack Bowdon, the owner of Bowdon's Supplies, is nursing a broken heart along with being afraid to open up his heart and love again. He crosses past with his childhood friend, Livy, and offers to help repair her home. He hopes to spend time with Livy will help cheer him up. Will Livy and Jack be able to repair their love lives? Will they be able to get over their past?

The novel was an interesting read. It was about two simple people who are trying to find themselves and love while being true to God. The story was a bit slow moving for me along with having a lot of fluff and being very predictable. I felt like the last 50 pages in the book was used to stretch the page count of the book. In my opinion, if the book had the same material, but across less pages, it would have been more enjoyable.

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

About the Book

Book Title: Someplace Familiar
Author: Teresa Tysinger
Release date: May, 2017

Artist Livy Johnson needs a fresh start. That’s what a broken heart and forgotten dreams can do to a person. On little more than a whim, she reclaims her grandmother’s old home in quaint Laurel Cove, North Carolina and vows to restore its original charm. When she literally collides with childhood friend, Jack Bowdon, Livy wonders if she’s back for an entirely different reason.

Jack can’t believe his childhood crush is back. As the owner of Bowdon’s Supplies, and once again the town’s most eligible bachelor, he offers to help Livy with repairs. Together they embark on the project – and an undeniable whirlwind romance.

But it’s not all smooth sailing. Can they survive the destructive pain of their pasts and discover God’s grace waiting to renovate their hearts?

About the Author

Teresa Tysinger is a wife and mother transplanted from North Carolina to North Texas. When not working as the Director of Communications for a large downtown church, she writes charming southern romances inspired by grace. Her debut novel, Someplace Familiar, released this summer. She also is a contributing writer for the Fort Worth Moms Blog (part of the national City Moms Blog Network). A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Religious Communicators’ Council, and the Association for Women in Communications, Teresa has spent over a decade committed to telling stories of faith through written word. She loves coffee, caramel, and stories with happy endings.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Teresa is giving away a grand prize of a gift basket that includes a signed copy of the book, an Original Painting by Author’s Sister (artist Cyndi Browning), and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/ca5b

Eslor Chlorophyll Lifting Mask

The lift mask is packed with natural milk proteins, seaweed extracts, minerals and plant extracts. I applied the gel like mask and waited 30 minutes before washing off. It promises to help tighten skin and help reduce the look of fine lines. My face did feel tight, but the wrong kind, like it needed moisture when I removed the mask. I didn’t notice much of anything after removing the mask maybe a bit glowy but not soft or hydrated. Do note, that while the packaging makes it look like a lot of product, it’s actually pretty small when you pop out the white inner layer.

Book Review - Waking Isabella: Because Beauty Can't Sleep Forever by Melissa Muldoon + Giveaway

Photo Source - Amazon

Nora is an assistant research who feels like her life hit the wall. She is going through a divorce and feels like her life is missing something. After coming across a photo of a friend who was surrounded by two men in the vineyard, Nora realizes she is jealous of her friend and hopes that her life changes for the better. However, instead of sitting around and moping, Nora decides to create a documentary about the rebellious Medici princess, Isabella. While working on her documentary, Nora explores the history of two strong independent in the past and hopes that she can use them as a guiding source for her own life. Will Nora be able to have the life she always wanted? Will she be able to use Isabella as a source of empowerment?

The novel starts off with the murder of Isabella by her estrange husband and then switches to modern day with Nora. At first, I loved the concept of meshing the past with the present with a common thread uniting the two. However, when it started doing that for multiple characters and sometimes the novel would switch time without much of a warning and it became hard to keep track of.  While, I am not a dual language speaker, I do enjoy reading novels that have some dual lingo as it helps readers feel immersed in the culture. I would have found it helpful in the author included a dictionary of the Italian terms because I feel like I missed out part of the story when I couldn't understand all of the Italian bits and it was a bit overwhelming to constantly use Google Translate. If you are an Italophile, and/or enjoy art and history, this would be a treat to read.

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

Book Details:
Book Title:  Waking Isabella: Because beauty can't sleep forever by Melissa Muldoon Category:  Adult Fiction,  250  pages Genre: General Fiction Publisher:  Matta Press Release date:  December 2017 Format available for review: print & ebook (mobi, ePub, PDF)
Will send print books out: internationally Tour dates: Feb 19 to March 23, 2018 Content Rating: PG-13 + M (The story begins with violent rape and murder scene, touches on themes of miscarriage, murder, Nazi violence during war, adultery) ​  

Book Description:
Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.

 

Meet the Author:

Melissa Muldoon is the Studentessa Matta—the crazy linguist! In Italian, “matta” means “crazy” or “impassioned.” Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence.

Melissa promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog, Studentessa Matta (studentessamatta.com). Melissa began the Matta blog to improve her command of the language and to connect with other language learners. It has since grown to include a podcast, “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano,” and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Tours, which she co-leads with Italian partners in Italy.

Waking Isabella is Melissa’s second novel and follows Dreaming Sophia, published in 2016. In this new novel about Italy, the reader is taken on another art history adventure, inspired by Melissa’s experiences living and traveling in Italy, specifically Arezzo, as well as her familiarity with the language and art. For more information about Waking Isabella and links to Melissa’s blogs and social media sites, visit www.MelissaMuldoon.com.

As a student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home, she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she’d never need it again, but after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized something was missing in her life. That “thing” was the connection she had made with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a life-changing event. Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency—a path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in countless ways. Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. When Melissa is not traveling in Italy, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Melissa designed and illustrated the cover art for Waking Isabella and Dreaming Sophia. She also curates the Dreaming Sophia blog and Pinterest site: The Art of Loving Italy. Please visit the Pinterest page for pictures of Arezzo, the Giostra del Saracino, and all the places we go in Italy in both books. Visit MelissaMuldoon.com for more information about immersion trips to learn the language with Melissa in Italy, as well as the Studentessa Matta blog for practice and tips to learn the Italian language.

Connect with Melissa:Website ~ Twitter ~  Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Youtube 

Book Review - Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano + Giveaway

Photo Source - Amazon

Rachel Bishop is renowned James Beard award winning chef who owns and is the head chef of fine dining restaurant. Things look like they are going her way when she suddenly become a target of a smear campaign, which causes her to be bought out by her business partners. Suddenly, Rachel loses the only thing she knows and she will stop at nothing to get her life back even if she has to enlist the help of the journalist who set the whole thing in motion. 

When Alex pens the opinionated piece, he never realized it was going to end up viral. He was only hoping to revive his own career and not destroying Rachel's career. They both realize they will have to work together on creating a memorable Saturday Night Supper Club, if they can generate enough positive buzz for Rachel. Will Rachel be able to work withe man who destroyed her life? Will their idea be enough to help Rachel?

I found this book rather enjoyable. I love the strong, supportive female friendships along with the quirky brother and sister dynamic. I also found the love dynamic between Rachel and Alex fun and lighthearted. However, I found some of the things Rachel did cause me to be disappointed in her. For a strong woman, who always had a plan in play, I found how she got herself in hot water could have been prevented. The ending was understandable, but it still left me a bit disappointed as I wanted a completely different outcome for Rachel. However, this was a good read, especially for those in the foodie scene.

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

About the Book

Title: The Saturday Night Supper Club

Author: Carla Laureano
Genre: Christian fiction/romance fiction

Release Date: February 6, 2018
Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard Award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back . . . even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.
Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t…

About the Author

Carla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carla is giving away a grand prize of a $200 Visa Card for the winner and a friend to attend a cooking class!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c9b4

Book Review - Honey by David Ezra Stein

Photo Source - Amazon

Bear has waken up from his winter nap and only has one thing on his mind -- honey! Sadly, it is too early for Bear to indulge in the delicious treat. Bear tries to preoccupy himself with other things he loves to do, but once hear hears that buzzing sound, Bear knows it is time for a delicious feast.

I read this cute children's book with tots I volunteer with. They were beside themselves when I told them I had a new book for them to read together. They love the colorful drawings with a playful looking bear. My only qualm was there was two words that might be a bit over the reading level of the targeted demographic. Other than that, it was a lovely book and cute book.

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