Book Review - ABCs and 123s for Boys by Tom McLaughlin + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

This cute fully illustrated book will teach children their alphabet and how to count. The book is separated into two sections and can easily be read in one sitting or two separate readings. The illustrations were beautiful and diverse. Children will love the rhymes, the characters, and the fun scenes. I am not sure why it says "for boys" but, it can be read to anyone. I am assuming the author and illustrator both have boys and wanted a book "just for them". I liked that the book included a spot for children to write in their names.

**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.**

 

About the Book:

Title: ABCs AND 123s FOR BOYS

Author: Tom McLaughlin

Pub. Date: July 30, 2020

Publisher: McLaughlin Media Group

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 48

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

Free to read with Kindle Unlimited!

Join the ABC fun with ALEX the Alligator to ZACK the Zebra.

Learning is easy when you’re having fun. Kids will laugh and learn when you read this adorable Alphabet and Counting book. Kids will love the fun scenes, rhymes, and characters.

Each letter features a different boy’s name. So, jump onboard with PETE the Pirate and 25 lovable characters that bounce, waterski, and zipline across the alphabet. Plus, kids will find 10 fun counting pages! It’s 48 pages of engaging learning for ages 0-5.

GET 2 BOOKS IN 1 …

• Kids will learn the ABCs and letter sounds

• They’ll love finding and counting frogs and fireflies

Plus, they’ll say “Read it Again!” when you personalize the story with their name at the end!

Book Trailer:

Link:

https://youtu.be/E4MUVgeQ49E

About Tom McLaughlin:

Tom McLaughlin has been writing for years, creating advertising for items ranging from toys and ice cream to enormous construction equipment. Working for a book publishing company, he also promoted New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling books, authors, and illustrators.

Raising three energetic kids, zigzagging cross country on family vacations, and growing up in a typically crazy Catholic family have given Tom years of writing material.

The McLaughlin clan currently lives in a 100-year-old bungalow in the Midwest. When Tom’s not renovating or writing, he’s piloting the crew on another adventure. Or he’s simply in the backyard battling the dandelions and crabgrass. ABCs and 123s for Boys is his first book.

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Amazon | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of ABCs AND 123s FOR BOYS, US Only.

Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21121/?

Tour Schedule:

7/24/2020	Twirling Book Princess	Excerpt
7/24/2020	mehsi_hime	Instagram Stop
7/25/2020	alwaysjoart	Review
7/25/2020	Jaime's World	Excerpt
7/26/2020	Jotted by Jena	Review
7/27/2020	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
7/27/2020	Rajiv's Reviews	Instagram Stop
7/28/2020	fictitious.fox	Review/Instagram Stop
7/29/2020	Hurn Publications	Review
7/29/2020	Hurn Publications	Instagram Stop
7/30/2020	She Just Loves Books	Review
7/30/2020	shejustlovesbooks	Instagram Stop
7/31/2020	Miss Elizabeth	Review
8/1/2020	rainbowrdrgrl	Review/Instagram Stop
8/1/2020	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
8/1/2020	pixiestyxmunchkin	Instagram Stop
8/2/2020	Two Chicks on Books	Interview
8/2/2020	JaimeRockstarBookTours	Instagram Stop
8/3/2020	Little Red Reads	Review
8/3/2020	Little Red Reads	Instagram Stop
8/4/2020	BookHounds YA	Interview
8/4/2020	Bookhounds	Instagram Stop
8/5/2020	The Try Everything/jenifer_reads	Excerpt
8/5/2020	jenifer_reads	Instagram Stop
8/6/2020	Two Points of Interest	Review

 

Book Review - Ready to Trust (Hearts of Oklahoma, #2) by Tina Radcliffe + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Reece Rainbolt is shocked to learn that he has inherited half of the Ballard's family farm next door. He was close to his neighbor but, not close enough to inherit property. Reece is even more shocked when he discovers that he and his ex, Claire Ballard, have a five-year-old daughter together. Claire is devastated that she has to share the farm with Reece, especially since he broke her heart. She is determined to sell off the farm and leave him behind. However, Reece will buy the farm on one condition - Claire must stay the summer to help with the harvest and allow Reece to get to know his daughter.

The book was a quick and fairly straightforward read. I like that there wasn't a ton of back and forth drama of misunderstandings. I do wish that Claire had followed her heart earlier and made more attempts to win Reece over too. I didn't like that she wanted to know more about him without showing her true feelings while he was wearing his heart on his sleeve. I did love that family played an important role in the novel. I look forward to reading more books from the series.

**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

Ready to Trust

(Hearts of Oklahoma #2)

By Tina Radcliffe

Christian Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 224 Pages

July 21, 2020 by Love Inspired

Proving he’s a changed man could be his biggest challenge yet.

Rancher Reece Rainbolt’s shocked to learn he’s inherited half of Claire Ballard’s family farm—and that he’s a father. Now Claire’s determined to break ties with the man who once left her behind. But Reece will buy her half only on one condition: she must stay in town to help with the harvest…and let him get to know his little girl.

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Target | Book Depository 

Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Christianbook | Harlequin

Other Books in the Series

Finding the Road Home

(Hearts of Oklahoma #1)

By Tina Radcliffe

Christian Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 224 Pages

February 18, 2020 by Love Inspired

Some paths need courage to follow…

Can they find their fresh startwith roadblocks around every corner?

To care for her orphaned nieces and nephews, Daisy Anderson moved to a small town for a new deputy position—but now her job could be eliminated. With potential budget cuts looming, her only hope is to work with police chief Mitch Rainbolt to save their department’s funds. But can their fight for her job lead to something neither dared wish for: a future together?

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Target | Book Depository 

Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Christianbook | Harlequin

And coming in December...

(Linked to an Amazon affiliate link.)

About the Author

Tina Radcliffe is the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award-winning author of inspirational romance. She is an ACFW and Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, and a four time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Tina is the author of fifteen inspirational romances for Harlequin HarperCollins.

Website | Goodreads | BookBub | Pinterest | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

One winner will receive a Lily Queen Canvas Totebag (retail value $21.99), a $25 Amazon gift card and a print copy of READY TO TRUST (US/CAN only)

Ends August 19, 2020

ENTER HERE

Book Review - Universe of Two by Stephen P. Kiernan + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Charlie Fish just graduated from Harvard during World War II and he assigned to the Manhattan Project.  Charlie works with some of the greatest scientific minds to design and build the detonator of the atomic bomb. As Charlie works on the detonator, he begins to question the mission and how many lives would be affected by the bomb. Brenda, his girlfriend, is unaware of Charlie's work but, tells him that he should "be a man" and not to doubt his work.

However, once the bombs strike Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both Brenda and Charlie are devastated by the impact of his work. After the war ends, Charlie receives a scholarship to receive a Ph.D. in physics at Standford. They hope that this new opportunity will give them a fresh start. When Charlie starts his classes, his new classmates and professors only talk about the bomb and what new weapons they can create. Charlie feels that he is unable to escape his past. Brenda and Charlie decide to dedicate their lives to making amends for creating the atomic bomb.

The novel is an exhilarating love story that has a major focus on war and music. At times, it can be overwhelming with how much detail the author goes into the bomb-making Charlie does at the Hill and the music that Brenda creates. The author tries to weave a story about the evil that was created and the beauty that music creates. I thought the romantic part between Charlie and Brenda was electric and emotional. I felt the pain and devastation as they did when coming to terms with the Atomic bomb and the war. People who love romantic historic fiction will love this novel of two young adults trying to heal their conscience and find peace in a world they helped changed. The story will leave you breathless and your heart aching for a love so deep and powerful during an uncertain time.

**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.**

Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (August 4, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062878441
ISBN-13: 978-0062878441

Praise for UNIVERSE OF TWO

“Rarely does historical fiction get everything so right as Universe of Two: compelling characters, faithful detail, a story packed with unexpected twists, and a sure, authentic voice that never wavers. In this novel of the dawn of the atomic age and its profound consequences, Stephen Kiernan leads us along a journey of conscience as complex and infinite as the science itself.” —Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Golden Hour

“Stephen Kiernan has pulled off the nearly impossible, reminding us by wrapping a war story in a love story that although we hold the power for our own extinction, we also have the power to redeem, heal, and save. The most tender, terrifying, relevant book you’ll read this year.” —Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family

“Based loosely on the life of mathematician and organ-maker Charles B. Fisk, this fascinating novel delves into the guilt and remorse that wracked him for his part in the development of the atomic bomb. . . . The two main characters are complex and flawed, but when they come together, their world is in harmony.” —Library Journal

“Kiernan recreates the zeitgeist of America leading up to the atomic bomb on a national and personal level: the eager anticipation of wartime’s end, the grimly fascinating science, and the growing sense of guilt and dread. Simultaneously tender and hard-hitting, this riveting story offers much to reflect upon.” —Booklist

"Universe of Two skillfully educates, entertains and enlightens as great historical fiction should . . . . Masterfully researched and exquisitely told." —The Patriot Ledger

From the critically acclaimed author of The Baker’s Secret and The Curiosity comes a novel of conscience, love, and redemption—a fascinating fictionalized account of the life of Charlie Fisk, a gifted mathematician who was drafted into Manhattan Project and ordered against his morals to build the detonator for the atomic bomb. With his musician wife, he spends his postwar life seeking redemption—and they find it together.

Graduating from Harvard at the height of World War II, brilliant mathematician Charlie Fish is assigned to the Manhattan Project. Working with some of the age’s greatest scientific minds, including J. Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, and Leo Szilard, Charlie is assigned the task of designing and building the detonator of the atomic bomb.

As he performs that work Charlie suffers a crisis of conscience, which his wife, Brenda—unaware of the true nature of Charlie’s top-secret task—mistakes as self-doubt. She urges him to set aside his qualms and continue. Once the bombs strike Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the feelings of culpability devastate him and Brenda.

At the war’s end, Charlie receives a scholarship to pursue a PhD in physics at Stanford—an opportunity he and Brenda hope will allow them a fresh start. But the past proves inescapable. All any of his new colleagues can talk about is the bomb, and what greater atomic weapons might be on the horizon. Haunted by guilt, Charlie and Brenda leave Stanford and decide to dedicate the rest of their lives to making amends for the evil he helped to birth into the world.

Based on the life of the actual mathematician Charles B. Fisk, Universe of Two combines riveting historical drama with a poignant love story. Stephen Kiernan has conjured a remarkable account of two people struggling to heal their consciences and find peace in a world forever changed.

You can purchase Universe of Two at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan

As a journalist and novelist, Stephen P. Kiernan has published nearly four million words. His newspaper work garnered more than forty awards — including the George Polk Award and the Scripps Howard Award for Distinguished Service to the First Amendment.

Stephen’s newest novel, UNIVERSE OF TWO, will be out May 5, 2020. He is also author of the novels THE CURIOSITY (now in television series development), THE BAKER'S SECRET (a regional Indie bestseller), and THE HUMMINGBIRD. He has also written two nonfiction books, LAST RIGHTS and AUTHENTIC PATRIOTISM. His work has been translated into many languages.

Stephen was born in Newtonville, NY the sixth of seven children. A graduate of Middlebury College, he received a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He has chaired the board of the Young Writers Project, served on the Vermont Legislative Committee on Pain and Palliative Care, and served on the advisory board of the New Hampshire Palliative Care Initiative. He has spoken and consulted around the country about hospice, palliative care and advance directives.

A performer on the guitar since he was ten years old, Stephen has recorded 3 CDs of solo instrumentals, and composed music for dance, the stage and documentary films.

He lives in Vermont with his two amazing sons.

        

WEEK ONE

AUGUST 3rd MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

AUGUST 4th TUESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW 

AUGUST 5th WEDNESDAY Rajiv's Reviews REVIEW

AUGUST 5th WEDNESDAY TTC Books and More REVIEW & GUEST POST

AUGUST 6th THURSDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT 

AUGUST 7th FRIDAY Reading Adventures of a Book Dragon EXCERPT 

WEEK TWO

AUGUST 10th MONDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW

AUGUST 11th TUESDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW 

AUGUST 12th WEDNESDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW
AUGUST 12th WEDNESDAY A Dream Within A Dream EXCERPT

AUGUST 13th THURSDAY BookHounds REVIEW & INTERVIEW

AUGUST 14th FRIDAY My Fictional Oasis REVIEW 

AUGUST 14th FRIDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review - A Bridge Home: Back to BlueStone River by Virginia McCullough + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Eric Wells recently moved back home to Bluestone River to become the school principal. He finally got his dream of buying a home but, he is afraid of being a father because of his painful childhood. When his high school crush, Amy Morgan returns home with her troubled daughter, Cassie, Eric finds himself drawn to them.

I was very torn when reading this novel, I felt like both characters were hung up about their past. I felt like the romance moved very fast and when they hit a snag, they were both quick to go on the offensive. I feel like they didn't communicate enough with each other. I also felt like Eric was being a hypocrite when it came to Amy and her daughter. He was quick to judge other people (and including Amy) for their actions. For example, he didn't like how one mother "rewarded" a child's bad behavior but, Eric did the same thing with Cassie. The novel wasn't a bad book but, it was filled with flawed characters that I couldn't connect with.

**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

A Bridge Home

(Back to Bluestone River #3)

By Virginia McCullough

Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages

August 1, 2020 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Will a new beginning…

Lead to forever?

What good is a home without a family? School principal Eric Wells finally has the house he’s always wanted, but a painful childhood makes him question his ability to be a father. So when his high school crush Amy Morgan returns to Bluestone River with her troubled daughter, he’s surprised to find he wants to be there for both of them. Will Amy finally give him a chance?

(Affiliate links included.)

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Target | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Harlequin

Other Books in the Series

(Linked to Amazon affiliate links.)

About the Author

Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia McCullough has been lucky enough to develop her writing career in many locations, including the coast of Maine, the mountains of North Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and currently, Northeast Wisconsin. She started her career in nonfiction, first writing articles and then books as a ghostwriter and coauthor. She’s written more than 100 books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell.

Virginia’s books feature characters who could be your neighbors and friends. They come in all ages and struggle with everyday life issues in small-town environments that almost always include water—oceans, lakes, or rivers. The mother of two grown children, you’ll find Virginia with her nose a book, walking on trails or her neighborhood street, or she may be packing her bag to take off for her next adventure. And she’s always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub | Amazon | Newsletter

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card and a $25 Etsy eGift Card
Open internationally for those who are eligible
Ends August 12, 2020

ENTER HERE