If You Ever Need a Friend ~ Review

If You Ever Need a Friend
An Alebrije Story
By Nadine M. Fonseca
Art by Lourdes Villagomez

If You Ever Need a Friend is a picture book with a lot of color. The story opens with Joaquin just having a tough time of it. He finds it hard to find a place where he is comfortable in school. 

One day he is transported to a strange and fantastical world. Here he learns about alebrijes. Could an alebrjie help Joaquin overcome his obstacles and better handle the stresses of the day?

For Joaquin the answer is yes. And we are taken through the process of designing and bring an alebrije to life.

What are alebrijes you ask? Alebrije are created companion animals who help children (or people) handle their emotions.

This is like an imaginary friend/playmate to help a child overcome the stresses they are currently confronting. This made me think of that favorite toy or blanket that a child insists on taking with them everywhere. It is an interesting concept designing a friend to a specific need. 

This book provides historical references so that one can ,ore fully grasp this concept and the cultural significance it plays.

There is also a short glossary of words that are in Spanish so a fun learning opportunity as well. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Joaquin is having a hard day at school. He struggles to speak up in class even though he knows the answers, he doesn’t feel included when trying to play soccer with his friends, and he ends up sitting alone during recess—feeling invisible.

But when he investigates a strange shimmery light by the playground slide, he is transported to a special forest filled with fantastical creatures known as alebrijes, or magic companion animals.

His friend, Imogen, introduces Joaquin to several alebrijes, and the special creatures share the ways they help people manage their emotions. One creature roars like a lion with Imogen when she feels angry and needs to let it out. Another one helps Noemi blend into the background like a chameleon when she is feeling nervous and needs a moment to herself. A third alebrije has big ears to hear all of Tío Andres’s worries.

Joaquin learns how to identify his needs and create an alebrije specifically for him, and when he returns to school, he is no longer feeling alone or invisible. With his new, fantastical friend helping him, Joaquin’s hard day is now one of his best yet.

Fractured Memories ~ Review

Fractured Memories

Badge of Honor #1

By Lynn Shannon

When she was fifteen years old, Felicity Capshaw witnessed the murder of a dear friend. She has no memories of the incident. Now, she is a Texas Ranger, and she's returned to her hometown to reopen the cold case that has haunted her for years. Partnering with Detective Noah Hodge, Felicity hopes that they'll finally be able to get answers to Brooke's murder.

But it soon becomes apparent that someone wants to keep the past and its secrets buried, and they are willing to kill again. If only Felicity could remember what her mind locked away all those years ago. Because if she doesn't remember soon, she may become another victim of an elusive killer.

Fractured Memories is an action-packed Romantic Suspense read. The characters have depth, and the reader is quickly drawn into the story. There is peril and violence/murder, but nothing graphic. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to teens and tweens looking for something different from their typical young adult reading selections. Overall, this is a good read; perfect for fans of Love Inspired Suspense.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion, All thoughts expressed are my own.

Enter the Instagram Giveaway at https://www.instagram.com/p/DA5MyaVtekI/ Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. on October 15, 2024.

Series: Badge of Honor #1

Release Date: September 27, 2024

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

What she can’t remember will kill her…

As a teen, Texas Ranger Felicity Capshaw witnessed a murder. The traumatic incident—and the accompanying amnesia—has affected her entire life. She reopens the cold case, but the investigation is cut short when she’s assaulted and nearly killed.

Detective Noah Hodge is no stranger to loss. He’s buried his parents and his wife. All he wants is to raise his daughter and keep his hometown safe. When the killer targets Felicity, Noah commits to protecting her, even though each second in her presence makes him question why he’s locked away his battered heart.

As Felicity’s memories return, the threats escalate. Can Noah help her uncover the truth? Or will the killer silence her forever?

The Sign of the Calico Quartz ~ Review

Welcome to the Blog Tour for 

The Sign of the Calico Quartz audiobook by Jan Drexler, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

The Sign of the Calico Quartz

The Sweetbrier Inn Mysteries #1

By Jan Drexler

Narrated by Gillian Wiggin

After working all over the world, the Sweetbrier Inn in the Black Hills seems like the perfect change of pace to Emma Blackwood. The chance to get to know her Aunt Rose is a bonus. Everything seems perfect, even with the grumpy chef, that is until she finds a body in her room.

Emma is sure she can help Deputy Sheriff Cal find the killer. Cal is less sure, and everyone is a suspect, even Emma, until she's not. 

Solving a murder isn't as easy as Emma thought it would be. Especially when more murders occur. And there are several suspects in Emma's opinion. But who is most likely the murderer? Emma just needs to dig deeper with her new friend, Becky. She's sure together they can figure it out.

This is definitely a cozy mystery. There is a warm feeling throughout even though there are bodies to contend with. I love the interactions between Cal and Emma. And I absolutely adore Thatcher, everything is better when there are dogs involved.  

The narration by Gillian Wiggin is great. There are shifts in the reading when the dialogue switches between characters, making it easy to follow. The story is well paced and engaging. At just over seven and a quarter hours it is the perfect length of a commute or an all day listen. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I would provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book

Title: The Sign of the Calico Quartz
Series: The Sweetbrier Inn Mysteries
Author: Jan Drexler
Narrator: Gillian Wiggin
Publisher: Swift Wings Press
Audiobook Release Date: July 24, 2024
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Solving a murder is easy, right? All you need to do is follow the clues, and they will lead you to the culprit. 

 At least that’s what Emma Blackwood thought before she and her cat, Tim, came to the Black Hills to work in Aunt Rose’s Sweetbrier Inn. Before she found a dead body in her living room. Before the hunky Deputy Sheriff accused her of murdering the poor guy. And before the real killer put her name on their list of victims. 

For this fan of Agatha Christie and a plethora of television crime dramas, it’s an intriguing situation that demands her skills. Investigating might not be as simple as it looks in fictional mysteries, but Emma’s organized mind and OCD tendencies start making sense of the clues…until she finds a second body with no apparent connection to the first. 

Sifting through evidence is easier with the help of her new friend, Becky, who provides baked goods for the inn, and Aunt Rose is always willing to take time from writing her mysterious memoirs to give support and advice. Wil, the inn’s chef, moves things along with a barbed comment or two, and Tim the cat and Rose’s corgi, Thatcher, make themselves available for fuzz therapy and to point the way to another clue. 

The list of suspects grows as Emma learns more about the inn’s guests and their reasons for visiting the Black Hills. From the honeymoon couple to Mysterious Montgomery, to the famous reality show ghost hunter, to the gold seekers, no one is the person they appear to be. Even Rose’s good friend Clara is hiding secrets in her pink chenille bathrobe. 

But as Emma pursues the investigation, things start to get personal. Can she identify the murderer before disaster strikes?  

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon (Audiobook)| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

More Books In This Series

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About the Author

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband, where she enjoys hiking and spending time with her family. She spins stories of History, Mystery, and Sweet Romance. Her works include several historical romance novels, including the award-winning Mattie’s Pledge, and The Sweetbrier Inn Mysteries cozy mystery series.

Connect with Jan by visiting jandrexler.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates. Those who sign up for her newsletter will receive a free e-book copy of The Sign of the Calico Quartz!

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Tour Giveaway

(1) One winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card!

The full tour schedule is linked below. 

The giveaway begins at midnight October 8, 2024, 

and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 15, 2024. 

Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway and 

given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of the prize. 

US only. 

Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

The giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Goose Princess ~ Review with Snippet

Goose Princess

Beyond the Tales #4

By Tricia Mingerink

 

This is the book I've been waiting for since book three came out. And it was so worth the wait. Unfortunately, it is the final book in the Beyond the Tales series. 

Keziah has been cursed since she was eight days old to not be able to talk to anyone. Through creative reasoning, she has figured out a way to communicate indirectly, but it only works if others are paying attention to her. Now she and her four brothers are fleeing to a safe and hidden location. 

Why are they fleeing? Well, her brothers have all fallen to their curse. All four of them are now geese! Not the best condition to be in when you are the princess and princes of a country under threat from a neighboring country.

But Keziah's plan to protect her brothers is brought to a halt when they come across High King Alexander being hunted by the very people they are trying to hide from. What's a princess to do? Why help her king, of course. 

 

Then there is the whole breaking several curses to deal with, while saving the kingdom, and being selfless. Can we just say this book is packed full of danger, adventure, and learning to trust the Highest King? Well, it is, and it is such good reading.

This series must be read in order to fully appreciate everything. And if it has been awhile since you've read the books, I would recommend rereading them again before reading Goose Princess. I loved seeing Alex's transition throughout the series and how he grew as both a person and a king.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Before he can have peace, he has one last curse to face.

In the three years since he woke from his enchanted sleep, High King Alexander has faced multiple curses, nearly died, and re-united the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia. He has watched everyone around him find peace and happiness. Is it finally time for him to secure happiness for himself?

When an old enemy strikes once again, Alex finds himself on the run, hunted in his own kingdom, and all alone except for the most unlikely ally: a princess who can't talk to people and her gaggle of goose brothers.

With his enemies closing around him, Alex must make a choice. Will he rescue his best friend or save his kingdom? And, after everything he suffered, does he even want to be the high king or is this his chance to walk away and pursue his own happy ending?

Goose Princess is a retelling of the Goose Girl and Wild Swans fairy tales. Enjoy this fourth and final book in Beyond the Tales, a Christian fantasy fairy tale retelling series!

Snippets:

Ezra glared with his tiny black eyes, as if utterly unrepentant that he’d just bitten the high king. Again.

“What are we, helpless goldfinches?” Josiah gestured to himself. “We’ll be geese, Mother. Geese. With sharp beaks and everything.”

Meddling with Mistletoe ~ Review

Meddling with Mistletoe

By Liz Johnson 

Whitney Garrett's ideas always seem to go wrong, and this time, it will cost her if she can't find an oven to use. She committed to selling her pies when her oven goes out. It is cold enough to double for a refrigerator. (Okay, that is an exaggeration.) With her landlord gone for several weeks, she is in a pickle or a whole lotta pie. What's a girl to do when saving for culinary school and putting down a sizeable deposit on her booth? Why call on a friend, of course.

Marie Sloan is up to her knees in things that need to be done at the latest an hour ago. When Whitney asks to borrow The Red Door Inn's oven and kitchen, Marie is more than willing to make a trade. Whitney will watch her kids and make breakfast for the Inn's out-of-season guests. Her need for a working oven is so great that Whitney agrees.

Whitney never expected the mess of emotions and clumsiness Aretha Franklin Sloan's nephew Dan would cause her to become. It is not good when she is facing deadlines, but something about Dan discombobulates her. But Whitney is flabbergasted when his Aunt Aretha asks Whitney to help nudge Dan towards a romance with Ruby. How's a girl who has never had a romance of her own supposed to help steer someone else into one?

As time goes on, Whitney wonders if someone else, someone like her, would be a better fit for Dan. But Dan's aunt has decided who Daniel should fall in love with, and it is not Whitney. Whitney and Dan's feelings don't merit consideration. But when Mistletoe's involved all plans are off.

This is a Christmas story about second chances, first loves, and meddling aunts. And in case you are wondering plenty of kissing once the mistletoe is put into play. This book can be read as a standalone title. Reading the author's previous books set in Prince Edward Island at the Red Door Inn are not necessary to read this book. So if you are a fan of Christmas romance this book could be for you. 

I have to admit this book just didn't grab me. I couldn't get invested in the characters. And Aretha really annoyed me with her attempt to control her nephew's life and force a romance. But maybe it's just me.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, if she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees, with a catch: Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

The inn is busy with holiday guests--including Aretha Franklin Sloan's perpetually single nephew Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is definitely not the right woman for Daniel--and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.

Cuddle up for some warm holiday cheer as New York Times bestselling author Liz Johnson explores the unforeseen 

consequences of meddling with mistletoe when love is on the line.

A Noble Purpose ~ Available Now

A Noble Purpose

Cornerstone Series #1

By Laurie Lucking

Princess Verena is twenty-five years old and has no desire to marry. But her father has decided that the time has come for her to marry and not be an embarrassment to the family. The embarrassment comes from the fact that she shows no joy or enjoyment in anything. The first man to make Verena laugh will be her husband and the future king. Can anyone see the problem with this? Obviously, the king cannot.

Princess Liesel is not going to sit around and do nothing. She will do anything to help Verena return to the person she once was. Even track down a guard who is stationed far away. If he could make her sister smile and laugh, he may be able to do so again.

Liesel sets out to find the one man who might bring her sister happiness. But the journey is not easy. There are unexpected dangers that Liesel, her maid, and her ever-faithful guard must overcome just to find Sir Jonas. Can they convince him to return with them?

Now, this was a lovely story about the bonds of sisterly affection. I also found it interesting how Verena's father felt she needed to be fixed because of a personality difference. As someone with a different personality from the rest of my family, I know that comments like, "I don't know where that comes from." or "Well, I always react such-and-such way." can be hurtful. So I'm sure her father's comments about her more solemn personality were not helpful, based on her reactions. I loved how Liesel accepted her sister's opposing personality.

This is an easy and satisfying read. It is acceptable content-wise for all readers over twelve. This was a sweet retelling of Hans, Who Made the Princess Laugh, and the first book in the multi-author Cornerstone series.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

To help her miserable sister, Princess Liesel must survive the elements, danger…and her grumpy guard.

Princess Liesel’s older sister, Verena, hasn’t smiled in years. Desperate to improve her low spirits, the king declares that the man who can make Verena laugh will earn her hand in marriage.

But his plan seems doomed to failure from the start. Each unsuccessful attempt only makes Verena more despondent, and a set of mysterious masked suitors raises suspicions about a plot by an enemy prince. When Liesel discovers her sister still harbors feelings for a guard who was sent away years before, she embarks on a desperate quest to find him, both for the sake of Verena’s future happiness and their kingdom’s safety.

As increasingly dangerous challenges hinder Liesel’s journey, she begins to wonder if they’re more than coincidence. Will she and her travel companions even make it to Verena’s former guard, let alone convince him to return with them?

With each impediment drawing her closer to her own surly knight, more than just her sister’s happily-ever-after may be hanging in the balance.

A Noble Purpose is a New Adult Christian fantasy Hans, Who Made the Princess Laugh retelling and is Book #1 in the Cornerstone Series. Each book can be read as a standalone.

Curse of Silence ~ Available Now

Curse of Silence

The Roumaterra Chronicles #3.5

By Erin Halbmaier 

Daphne as the eldest daughter has been given the duty of spy. To aid her in this undertaking she becomes the possessor of the family's handlerchief. 

Yes, I heard you. This no ordinary handkerchief. No, this one has a special power. It allows the bearer to assume another's identity. 

Unfortunately, a servant observed this little bit of subterfuge in reverse. And said servant usurped Daphne as "princess."

Now said usurper is trying get all helpful and get "Princess Daphne" engaged to a prince. Sigh!

With her voice gone and abandoned to fend for herself, Daphne manages to get hired to tend a baron's sheep. No one knows who she is! 

When her best friend, Raoul is forced from fake Daphne's side along with her ever faithful dog, Daphne just might have a chance. Now she must convince Raoul tat she is the true princess. She just cannot print it or write it out thank you very much curse. Silent scream of frustration.

This was one of those books that kept me turning the page. I had to know what happened next. Snowball effect, and ended up reading into the no-so-wee hours of the morning. But it was SO worth it. This is an excellent and engaging Goose Girl retelling. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own. 

About the Book:

A princess with a magic handkerchief. A flirtatious baron’s son. The maid who turned their world upside down.

As the possessor of her family’s handkerchief, Princess Daphne should be uncovering the truth behind her father’s murder. But she lacks confidence as a spy, and her mother is sending her off to a neighboring kingdom to look for a husband. It means months lost from her mission, but at least her faithful dog and best friend will be with her.

Raoul has been Daphne’s best friend since they were children. But she always laughs off his attempts to confess deeper feelings, and now his father has given him an ultimatum. She’s always been out of his reach, but if Raoul can’t change her mind in the next six months, he’ll lose what little chance he had.

When a kitchen maid catches Daphne alone, she steals the handkerchief and uses it to swap their appearances. The only way to undo it is for Daphne to tell someone who she is, but the curse prevents Daphne from both speaking and writing.

Will Daphne find a way to free herself from the curse? Or will the maid win, leaving Daphne a mute shepherdess forever?

Curse of Silence is a clean, no-spice retelling of The Goose Girl. It is part of The Roumaterra Chronicles, a series of interconnected, standalone fairy tale retellings perfect for readers of Brittany Fichter, Celeste Baxendell, and Annette K. Larsen.