Monday, April 13, 2020

Colourpop Star Party Glitterally Obsessed








Who loves glitter more than me? The answer is no one. I want to be buried in full-body glitter paint. Ha, sorry for that image! Back to the point, when I saw Colourpop was offering these, I knew I had to get my hands on many as I can. 

This gel-based glitter is packed with a big silver circle (or is a hexagon?) glitter surrounded by small glitter pixie dust. It has a nice mixture of chunk and fine glitter. It does go on sparse and does transfer. I have tried other glitters that stayed the same spot all day and didn't have much fall out. For $8/9, it's pretty affordable and does the job well. I sometimes use this to highlight my cheekbones or brow bone or as a topper for my eyeshadow. However, you decide to use this product, use sparingly and then build up if needed. Definitely looking forward to trying other colors.

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminating Face Oil







I have tried a few Wander Beauty items and they tend to a mixed bag. They work okay but, I have used better products that delivered more promising results. I was hesitant to try this face oil because of that reason. I was conflicted because I love facial oils but, the Wander Beauty brand is kind of lackluster.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I love this oil. They recommend using a few (2-3) drops but, I probably used closer to (10-20) drops. I have a big face and suffer from dry skin. I applied the facial oil either by itself or after applying a sheet mask before bed. When I wake up in the morning, my skin looks refreshed, glowing, and just overall freaking amazing! I get compliments and comments about my skin daily versus my normal, "Are you tired?" comments.

The facial oil is enriched with cast oil, black currant seed oil, niacinamide, and arginine. The oil goes on smoothly and left my skin glowy. When applying the oil, I noticed that it looked like a glittery liquid in my hand. I believe this is one of the reasons why my skin looked instantly glowy. Either way, I am a definite fan of this product and have added it to my favorite product list.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Book Review - A Tender Hope by Amanda Cabot



Photo Credit - Amazon

After Thea Michener's husband was murdered and her baby stillborn, Thea decided there was nothing left for her in Ladreville. She moves with her friend, Aimee to Cimarron Creek to take the open midwife position. Thea has no interest in remarrying and having more children after her husband and child passed. However, when she arrives in town a Texas Ranger is waiting for her on her doorstep.

On his way to town, Ranger Jackson Guthre finds an abandoned baby and takes the child with him to town.  Since he was investigating Thea, he decides this is the perfect opportunity to get to know her better. Jackson is convinced that her late husband was involved in the robbery that killed his brother. As Jackson befriends Thea, he realizes the situation is more complicated than he could imagine. He realizes he will need Thea's help if he wants to catch the criminals behind his brother's murder.

This was my first time reading anything by the author and I found the book to be an enjoyable read. I didn't read the other books in the series and I was still able to follow along with the story.  I enjoyed the mystery elements in the book as it added depth to the novel. I feel like a lot of romance novels just have a bit of back and forth with the main characters without any actual story or character development. The only thing I didn't like or found realistic is that right off the bat, Jackson knew that Thea was innocent. Part of me hoped that she was at least involved the robbery to add in some more drama. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading more by the author.

**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.**

Friday, April 10, 2020

C.Booth Honey Almond Body Butter






Even though the winter season is "over". I still find myself stuck with dry and itchy skin. I leave this by my sink to hydrate my skin whenever it needs a pick me up. It leaves my skin smooth and hydrated. The thick cream though is a bit greasy so, I tend to use a small amount. The body butter is enriched with honey and almond that leaves a sweet delicate scent on the skin.


Thursday, April 9, 2020

Color Club Nail Polish - Mrs. Robinson










The perfect color for Spring! The bright Fuschia creme color goes on smoothly and dries quickly. I used 2-3 coats for full coverage. The nail polish lasted 3-4 days without a top coat before I got chips.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Book Review - Now, Then, and Everywhen by Rysa Walker + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Two time-traveling historians cross paths with each other during a key point of time in the twentieth-century causing them to alter the timeline.

In the year 2136, Madison Grace discovers a key and the origins of Chronos. Chronos is a time travel group that has a link to her family's secretive past. When she makes a jump through history, she returns to her timeline to discover millions of lives have been erased. However, only she and the people on her team notice the change.

In the year 2304, Tyson Reyes is a Chronos historian who travels back in time to view the crucial events during America's civil rights movements. However, a time shift occurs while he is in 1965. He notices events that differ from the history that he is familiar with.

As the pair's path collide, they must work together to prevent the past from being erased. Will they be able to succeed or are they pawns in someone else's game?

I must preface this review by saying, I am not a big fan of time travel and science fiction novels. Mostly because it confuses the hell out of me. I can say that while this novel had a strong time travel theme, it was easy to understand in the beginning. There were some things that were confusing though.  I think they were plot twists that would be revealed later in the story. However, I wasn't a fan of how slow this novel was. I was more than halfway through the book before the time-lapse occurred. I feel like the author is trying to stretch the novel out for another part of the series. I feel that many series are starting to do this and it's a huge turnoff. Each novel should have its own story even if there is a broader story linking the novels. I had a hard time liking any of the characters or even being interested in them to continue reading. I liked that the author included articles but, sometimes, I found them irrelevant to the story (at least that point of time). I stopped reading the novel around a 75% mark because there wasn't enough to keep me interested in learning more.

**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.**




Print Length: 503 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1612189199
Publisher: 47North (April 1, 2020)
Publication Date: April 1, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English


Praise for NOW, THEN AND EVERYWHEN

“Walker (the CHRONOS Files series) opens the CHRONOS Origins series with this ambitious time-travel adventure…a twisty narrative that expertly blends the past and the future. Fans of intelligent time-travel stories will be rewarded.” —Publishers Weekly

“Fans of Walker’s (Courier to the Stars, 2019, etc.) CHRONOS Files series will enjoy seeing the pieces of that mythology falling into place here, but new readers can easily jump in to this origin story with no prior knowledge. An enjoyable, mind-bending time-travel adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews


From the bestselling author of the Chronos series comes a page-turning novel of time travel, fast-paced action, and history-changing events.

When two time-traveling historians cross paths during one of the most tumultuous decades of the twentieth century, history goes helter-skelter. But which one broke the timeline?

In 2136 Madison Grace uncovers a key to the origins of CHRONOS, a time-travel agency with ties to her family’s mysterious past. Just as she is starting to jump through history, she returns to her timeline to find millions of lives erased—and only the people inside her house realize anything has changed.

In 2304 CHRONOS historian Tyson Reyes is assigned to observe the crucial events that played out in America’s civil rights movement. But a massive time shift occurs while he’s in 1965, and suddenly the history he sees isn’t the history he knows.

As Madi’s and Tyson’s journeys collide, they must prevent the past from being erased forever. But strange forces are at work. Are Madi and Tyson in control or merely pawns in someone else’s game?


You can purchase Now, Then, and Everywhen at the following Retailers:
        

Photo Content from Rysa Walker

RYSA WALKER is the author of the bestselling CHRONOS Files series. Timebound, the first book in the series, was the Young Adult and Grand Prize winner in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. The CHRONOS Files has sold nearly half a million copies since 2013 and has been translated into fourteen languages.

In addition to speculative fiction, she occasionally writes mysteries as C. Rysa Walker.

Rysa currently resides in North Carolina with her husband, two youngest sons, and a hyperactive golden retriever. When not working on the next installment in her CHRONOS Files universe, she watches shows where travelers boldly go to galaxies far away, or reads about magical creatures and superheroes from alternate timelines. She has neither the time nor the patience for reality TV.

If you see her on social media, please tell her to get back into the writing cave.

        
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MARCH 30th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW 
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Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Pixi Skintreats Glow Mud Cleanser




The deep pore cleaning mud cleanser is enriched with 5% glycolic acid and aloe vera. It is paraben-free and promises to gently exfoliate and revitalize skin. The creamy cleanser goes on smoothly and washed off cleanly. I didn't notice my face feeling tight or dried out. However, I didn't notice my skin looking different from my normal cleanser.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Book Review - The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones


Photo Credit - Amazon

The novel follows four Native American men after a dark event from their childhood. An entity is bent on getting revenge because of the incident causing the men to struggle and worry about their lives. The four friends are not involved in following their culture and traditions causing them to be placed in the entity's crosshairs.

I love horror novels and I was looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, I just couldn't finish reading it. I finished more than 90% of the book but, I just honestly couldn't be bothered anymore. I found the writing style hard to follow and I had to reread the same sentences multiple times and it still didn't make sense. I found the story to be very slow and I can't say I liked any of the main 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 extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Go To Face Hero Face Oil













I love facial oils! They make skin feel so soft and hydrated. It does wonders for your skin. This lightweight facial oil is composed of 10 plant and nut oils that leave skin hydrated and revitalized. It has almond, jojoba, macadamia, brazil nut, apricot kernel, evening primrose, buriti, rosehip, kiwi fruit seed, and vitamin E oils. It is also enriched with calendula, arnica, and rosemary leaf extracts. The face oil went on smoothly and left my skin feeling glowy and radiant in the morning. The oil has a pleasant but otherwise unnoticeable scent. At $34 a bottle, the facial oil is pretty affordable as it's quite the workhorse.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Book Review - Dark Ink by Gary Kemble

Photo Credit - Amazon


Journalist Harry Hendrick investigates sordid political corruption. He is intrigued to get to the bottom of it when he hears chilling rumors. Mistress Hel is intent on getting revenge. She uses dark arts to get her revenge from past wrongs.

Harry is asked to investigate a string of murders and deaths. The cause of each death hints to supernatural reasons. As Harry digs deeper into the deaths, he realizes that he is caught inside a deadly web. Can he stop Mistress Hel before it's too late?

When I picked up this novel, I didn't realize it was the second book in the series. The novel could be read as a standalone but, I felt like I was missing some backstory on Harry. I liked the creepy atmosphere of the novel and the supernatural theme. However, I can't say that I am a fan of Harry's. I felt like he spent a lot of time trying to focus his desires than actually doing any investigating work. I finished the novel as it was a quick read but, I don't see myself reading more books in this series.


**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.**

Friday, April 3, 2020

Book Review - The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn



Photo Credit - Amazon


Aggie Morton lives in a small town on the coast of England. She is shy but, has an adventurous and imaginative streak. After her beloved father passed away, Aggie hasn't been able to do much. Until she crosses path with a young twelve-year-old Belgian immigrant named Hector Perot. When a dead body was discovered in her dance studio, Aggie and Hector join forces to help solve the crime. The pool of suspects is growing larger and the murder is threatening to tear the town apart. The duo will need to use their deductive skills and their curiosity to help solve the crime before Aggie's beloved dance instructor is charged with a crime Aggie believes she didn't commit.

The book was a cute read for children who love mystery and suspenseful novels. The plot twists and secrets were all very predictable and I was able to guess all of them before they happened. However, I am a grown adult and children would probably enjoy putting clues together to solve the mystery on their own. This novel is perfect for young readers who enjoy mystery novels.


**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.**

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Book Review - A Tangled Web by Leslie Rule

Photo Credit - Amazon

In November 2012, a thirty-seven-year-old single mother vanishes from Omaha, Nebraska. Cari was known to others as a doting daughter, a devoted mother, a thoughtful friend, and a reliable employee. She has never been the type to abandon her duties and obligations. She would never abandon her son or her dying father as he is taking his last breath. However, the texts from her phone indicated a different story. 

In a span of over thousands of text messages and emails, Cari dumps her new boyfriend, quits her promising career, plans to leave her familial home, sell all of her belongings, and give up custody of her son. Her boyfriend, Dave Kroupa, and her manager believe that this behavior is odd for Cari but, still believe and accept her texts at face value. Her mother, Nancy Raney, believes that this isn't the behavior of her daughter. She is certain that her daughter is in danger and reports her missing. The police are skeptical of her claim of someone posing to be her daughter.

Nancy and a handful of Cari's friends are afraid of what happened to Cari. However, Dave is certain that Cari is stalking him and grows fearful of her. He has never seen or heard Cari but, the stalker always remains one step ahead of him. His stalker also seems to be obsessed with his girlfriend, Shanna Liz Golyar. The stalker uses every opportunity available to be verbally abusive towards Liz and even threatens her.

In three years, the stalker sends over twelve thousand emails and texts to their victims. The stalker communicates with Cari's mother, Nancy along with stalking Dave and Liz endlessly. Dave and Liz receive threats of death, vandalism, and burglaries. While the stalker might have sent the messages in Cari's name, the identity of the real stalker is tangled behind webs of deceit and lies.

I wasn't familiar with the case and this was my first "real crime" novel. However, I must say, I am hooked. I didn't read the description of the novel so, finding out how the real culprit was a mystery to me. After a few chapters into the book, I had a feeling of the mastermind was. I was quite surprised that they were able to pull off such a ruse given how Dave describes her. The author wove an enticing read and I love getting the background behind each of the characters. A true gem for a true crime fanatic!

 **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.**

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Book Review - Formula for a Perfect Life by Christy Hayes + Giveaway


Photo Credit - Amazon


College student Kayla Cummings is a hopeless romantic. She has dreams of the perfect life with husband and kids. However, her dreams are dashed after finding out she is pregnant from a one-night stand with her secret crush. Kayla is devasted and unsure of what she needs to do. She turns to her best friends and roommates for advice. The only thing she does know for certain is that she will need to tell the father.

Ben Strickland's future has been written in stone by his parents. He has zero margins for error. He needs to get a decent score on the LSAT since failed the first time. Ben is struggling to juggle his upcoming finals along with his demanding girlfriend Darcy. However, when Kayla shows up on his doorstep claiming to be pregnant, Ben's control on his life begins to further spin out of control.

Ben and Kayla have to work together to figure out how they are going to handle their unplanned pregnancy. Will the be able to forget past hurts and buried secrets to forge a new path together?

The novel is a cozy romantic read. It was a predictable read as there weren't many unexpected surprised or deep dark secrets. There was the usage of adult language that at times felt like a bit much. However, I have been in relationships and heard of stories of women being referred to that way. So, it was a bit realistic. The book would be a good read for fans of cozy heartwarming romantic reads.

**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.**


On Tour with Prism Book Tours
 
Formula for a Perfect Life By Christy Hayes
  
Christian New Adult Contemporary Romance 
Paperback & ebook, 323 Pages
 March 30th 2020

Two practical strangers. One fateful night. Two pink lines.

College senior and obsessive romantic Kayla Cummings' dreams of a storybook life are spun off course by an unplanned pregnancy after a one-night stand with her secret crush. Devastated, Kayla turns to her roommates and best friends for advice. No matter what she decides, no matter how deeply embarrassed, she has to tell the father.

Ben Strickland’s future is written in stone—as long as he gets a decent score on the Law School Admission Test. Feeling pressure from all sides, Ben struggles to juggle his upcoming finals, another shot at the LSAT, and his needy girlfriend Darcy. When the girl he spent a memorable night with weeks ago shows up at his doorstep pregnant, his already chaotic life spins out of control.
With the clock ticking, decisions to make, and a boatload of people to disappoint, Ben and Kayla embark on a journey neither anticipated—a journey where falling in love might be the biggest surprise of all. But when old hurts and buried secrets pose a greater threat to their future than impending parenthood, will Ben and Kayla go their separate ways or forge a new path to happy ever after?

(Affiliate link included.) Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

About the Author
Christy Hayes lives outside Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and dogs. Christy writes Contemporary Romance, New Adult Romance, Christian Romance, and Women's Fiction. When not writing, she’s reading, walking dogs, or stalking her college-aged kids on social media.
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Tour Giveaway
Three winners will receive an ebook of Maybe It's You by Christy Hayes Open internationally Ends April 8, 2020