Summer and Rose Candle Trio - Sea Breeze, Sweet Fig, and Lavender

I love candles and when I came across this set for $45, I thought it was a bargain. However, the listing didn't have the size listed so, I thought these were going to be a decent size. Instead, the candles (2.5oz) were the size of a shot glass or the small candle from Nest. Overall, the candles had sweet and summery scents but, the scents were not very strong. For the price, I think these were overpriced as the quality and scent were poor. I find Bath and Body Works candles to have a stronger scent and last longer than these.

Doucce Luscious Lip Stain - 615 Passion Peach

 The Doucce Luscious lip stain goes on glossy but dries matte. It promises a full coverage application and to last all day. It took a few swipes before I got full coverage and after an hour or two, I noticed that the top layer rubbed off. However, my lip had a faint stain. I didn't like that the color didn't apply smoothly or evenly. The next time I am going to use a lip scrub so, that could hopefully help with the application. Overall, it's not my favorite lip stain but, I would be open to trying a different color.

Book Review - The Good Detective by John McMahon

Photo Credit - Amazon

Detective P.T. Marsh was a rising star in his police department in Mason  Falls, Georgia. Until the death of his wife and son. After their accident, Marsh has been making a series of bad decisions, including helping a woman confront her abusive boyfriend. The next morning he is called to the scene of his new murder case, only for Marsh to realize it was the very man he beat up last night. He knows the man was alive the night before but,  he can't remember all of the details from the night prior.

The body of a black teenager is found in a field with a rope around his neck. While investigating the murder, he realizes he might have killed his number one suspect for the murder.  With racial tensions and media scrutiny rising, Marsh is facing against the clock to solve this murder and to prove his own innocence. Is there something more sinister behind the teenager's death? 

I thought the book had an interesting premise. I enjoyed that the author mixed a few different topics such as racial tensions, murder, and superstition to create a unique plot. However, I felt that the writing fell flat. I didn't feel connected to P.T. Marsh or really cared for any of the characters. 

**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 any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**  

Book Review - The Extremely High Tide! (Secrets of Topse) by Kir Fox and M. Shelley Coats + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Talise is well versed about the ocean. She knows more about the ocean than any kid and adult in Topsea. She is currently the only bathymetrist in Topsea. Talise can predict important things about the sea like the next tide or the beginning of Seaweed season. However, Talise has a hard time understanding her classmates' behavior.

Talise discovers a message in a bottle. She realizes its blueprints for boats and the message was meant for her. Talise feels there is a reason for the messages while her classmates think she is being silly. Unsure why she needs to build a boat, she begins to build the boat. Who is sending Talise these massages? Will she be able to build the boat in time?

The book was an interesting and creative read. It was filled with eccentric and bizarre jokes like searching the beach for teeth. However, I don't feel like I am the target audience for this book because of the book's humor. Although, I can see this would be the perfect zany book for a child who likes this type of humor. I did like that each character had a chapter dedicated to them so, the reader could learn more about them. Overall, this would be a great book if you love zany and wacky humor, if not, you would be better off skipping.

**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 any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**   

About the Book:

Title: SECRETS OF TOPSEA, BOOK 2: THE EXTREMELY HIGH TIDE!

Author: Kir Fox & M Shelley Coats

Pub. Date: January 8, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 208

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

Talise knows more about the ocean than any kid in Topsea. Any adult, too. As the best-and only-bathymetrist in Topsea, Talise is able to predict important things about the sea, like the next tide (Severely Low with a threat of Wildcard) or the arrival of Seaweed Season. What she can't predict, however, are her classmates' behaviors. Sometimes it's as if they're speaking different languages.

When Talise discovers a mysterious message in a bottle, her classmates believe it must have been sent by someone stranded on a deserted island. (Not to be confused with a dessert island.) But Talise is convinced the message is meant for her. And it's telling her to build a boat.

Everyone seems to think Talise is just being silly. Even Talise isn't exactly sure why she has to build the boat. And who keeps sending those strange messages in a bottle, anyway? All Talise knows is that she'd better finish building her boat fast, because an Extremely High Tide is coming? 

About The Authors:

Kir Fox (Kirsten Hubbard) and M. Shelley Coats (Michelle Schusterman) are great friends, longtime critique partners and ardent consumers of the strange and unusual.

Find Kir!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Find M!

Website | Instagram

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of SECRETS OF TOPSEA, BOOK 2: THE EXTREMELY HIGH TIDE!, US Only.

Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2876/?

Tour Schedule:

Week Two:

1/14/2019- Loie Dunn- Excerpt

1/15/2019- Daily Waffle - Spotlight

1/16/2019- Twirling Book Princess- Excerpt

1/17/2019- BookHounds YA- Review

1/18/2019- Two points of interest- Review

 

Book Review - The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson

Photo Credit - Amazon

Fatima is a royal concubine in the royal court of Granda, the last emirate of Muslim Spain. Hassan, her best friend, is the palace mapmaker. Hassan has the power to draw maps of places he has never seen and bend the shape of reality. When representatives from the Spanish monarchy arrive to negotiate the sultan's surrender, Fatima becomes friends with one of the women, Luz. However, she didn't realize that Luz will see Hassan's gift as a threat. Fearing for their lives, Fatima and Hassan escape the palace. Will Fatima and Hassan be able to escape Luz?

At first, I thought this novel was going to be a historical fiction novel but, it slowly became a fantasy novel instead. The novel was written beautifully in the beginning but halfway in the book, I started losing interest in the book. I felt like the story was a bit slow and boring. I found the parts with Vikram, the jinn to be the most interesting part of the story.  After finishing more than 75% of the book, I lost interest in the book and couldn't finish it.

**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 any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**  

Book Review - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Photo Credit - Amazon

Alicia Berenson's life looks perfect from the outside. She is a famous painter and is married to a famous fashion photographer. Together they live in a beautiful house in a posh area. However, one night Gabriel returns late from work and Alicia shoots him in the face five times. Then, she never speaks another word.

After Alicia refuses to talk, the public imagination runs wild and casts Alicia as a villain. The price for her artwork explodes. She is cast as the silent patient. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist and is anxious to work with Alicia. He is determined to have her talk and unravel the mystery behind her husband's murder.

I found the novel to be a spellbinding read. At first, I thought the book was going to have the predictable twist that Alicia was set up. However, I was surprised by how many interesting and unpredictable twists the novel had.  I questioned every character and if anything the narrator told us was really true. Overall, one of my favorite books this season and I can't wait to read more books by the author.

**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 any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**  

Book Review - An Improbable Pairing by Gary Dickson

Photo Credit - Amazon

Scott Stoddard is an American graduate student traveling to Switzerland. On board a ship, his path crosses with Countess de Rovere, a recent French divorcee. Scott is smitten by her charm and looks. The pair begins a simple flirtation and soon evolves into a serious love affair. As their love affair progress, they face criticism because they have so many differences.

The premise of the novel seemed interesting as it is about a younger man courting an older woman. However, I felt like this novel fell flat. The author spent more time discussing the food, clothes, and the atmosphere than the story. I was almost 90% through the book before I decided it wasn't worth reading anymore. There was almost no plot and the characters were bland. If you like cozy reads that go more into haute couture than story, then this is the book for you. 

**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 any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**  

Book Review - The Last Romantics by by Tara Conklin

Photo Credit - Amazon

Fiona Skinner is a renowned poet who was asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work, The Love Poem.  Fiona relays a story about her family and the betrayal that slowly rips apart her family.

It all began when her father passed away unexpectedly. Her mother unable to cope with the loss and the demands of a young family locks herself in her room. Her children began calling this time "The Pause". They had to learn how to take care of themselves and became loyal to each other. Two decades later,  the siblings have to rely on each other once again. Will they be able to rely on each other and move on from the past?

I thought that this book was an easy read. However, while reading this book, I was reminded of my required school reading of books by Hemingway and Faulkner. It isn't because that this book or Faulkner or Hemingway are bad books but, they felt a bit bland and boring, especially, when you are required to read them, instead of reading them for pleasure. The characters were interesting but, I wasn't really invested in them. Overall, I felt like it might be an enjoyable book for some but, it wasn't my cup of tea.

**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 any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**