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Hey loves. Summer is here, feels like almost over already. Not as much reading going on with vacation and family in town. July is already off to a better start with reading and listening. But first lets see review what I read in June.
Total physical/kindle books: 6
Total audible: 3
Total books for 2022: 75
Goal: 100 books 20 audiobooks
Title: My Sinful Love
Author: Lauren Blakely
Genre: romance
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Amazon Description: A wildly sexy, emotional, and suspenseful romance novel from #1 New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Blakely…
She was my what if girl. The one I longed for. The one I tried to find again after she left for the other side of the world.
Now, years later, fate has swept the only woman I’ve ever loved back into my life.
With her intensity, her honesty, her passion, Annalise tries to break down my walls, because she’s the one who knew me before my family shattered.
When we collide again, it’s tender and savage, gentle and rough, and makes me hungry for more of this electric, once-in-a-blue moon kind of connection.
If I want to keep her close, I’ll have to serve up the whole truth of where I went and what I did after she left.
But if I do, I risk losing her again, and that’s not a fate I’m ready to face. Not when each day brings me closer to finding the people who ripped my family apart and seeing them put behind bars.
Until the day I learn Annalise is holding the final piece of the puzzle to solving the mystery.
My Review: Book 4 of series. Second chance love with the girl you never thought you would see again. Long distance relationships are hard but when you are a billionaire you can make it work. I could not listen to this quick enough. The underlying mystery keeps you hooked with wanting to know the truth.
Title: Vacation Wars
Author: Meghan Quinn
Genre: romance
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Amazon Description: Prepared for a good time, Tessa is thrilled to spend the weeks before her sister’s wedding at their family’s favorite vacation spot: Santorini. Sandy beaches, stonewashed houses, attractive men—it’s heaven.
But Tessa’s idea of a girls’ trip comes to a screaming halt when her sister thinks it’s high time Tessa finds some love herself. Unfortunately, Tessa forgot about the deal she made back in high school: she has to find her soulmate before her sister’s wedding. Or else.
As she dodges suitors and her sister’s pranks, Tessa finds an ally in the oh-so-dreamy Myles, her childhood crush who just so happens to work at the resort. But Myles is dealing with some family conflict of his own. He’s elated at being reunited with Tessa, but his father’s refusal to acknowledge his interest in the family business and relegating him to only grunt work casts a dark cloud.
As Tessa and Myles help navigate their way through their families’ antics, they begin to realize that their past feelings may have a future—if only they can turn their island fantasies into something real.
My Review: Cute summer read with a summer vacation romance. Even with being predictable I was left entertained.
Title: My Sinful Temptation
Author: Lauren Blakely
Genre: romance
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Amazon Description: Just because you want a woman doesn't mean you get to have her.I've been lusting after Mindy Gamble since the night I met her, but romance was never in the cards. Working to crack a case was the only order of the day. Now, a year later, she's one of my closest friends. The feisty, no-nonsense, sexy-as-hell blonde that I just want to slap my handcuffs on and do bad things to. I resist though, since I need her too much as a friend. Until the night all my resistance cracks, and we fall into bed together. And I start thinking we can maybe find a way to make this work. Until she tells me she's leaving town...
My Review: A short story wrapping all the other 4 books together. This was my least favorite book of the 5, but also a needed wrap up. In general I loved the whole series.
Title: Balances and Barefoot
Author: Angela Hanscom
Genre: parenting
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 5 out of t
Amazon Description: In this important book, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement are vital for children’s cognitive development and growth, and offers tons of fun, engaging ways to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults.
Today’s kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need “rough and tumble” outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. Disturbingly, a lack of movement has been shown to lead to a number of health and cognitive difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion regulation and sensory processing issues, and aggressiveness at school recess break. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses?
Using the same philosophy that lies at the heart of her popular TimberNook program—that nature is the ultimate sensory experience, and that psychological and physical health improves for children when they spend time outside on a regular basis—author Angela Hanscom offers several strategies to help your child thrive, even if you live in an urban environment.
Today it is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees, or spinning in circles just for fun. We’ve taken away merry-go-rounds, shortened the length of swings, and done away with teeter-totters to keep children safe. Children have fewer opportunities for unstructured outdoor play than ever before, and recess times at school are shrinking due to demanding educational environments.
With this book, you’ll discover little things you can do anytime, anywhere to help your kids achieve the movement they need to be happy and healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
My Review: This book has given me a new outlook on how I raise my kids. After seeing on child struggle and giving more outside time and limiting electronics we have seen a major change in behavior and attitude. A must read for all parents, grandparents, teachers, etc. A different look at "When I was a kid things were different"
Thank you Lauren for recommending it.
Title: The Honeymoon Cottage
Author: Lori Foster
Genre: romance
How I Read It: physical book borrowed from library
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Amazon Description: She was fine arranging other people’s weddings… But life had other plans.
When it comes to creating the perfect happily-ever-after, Yardley Belanger is a bona fide miracle worker. From bridal bouquets to matching cowboy boots, the quirky wedding planner’s country-chic affairs have caused quite a stir in the small town of Cemetery. But when it comes to her own love life? She’s clueless.
Completely clueless.
Perhaps it’s for the best. The thirty-one-year-old has poured her heart and soul into her business and doesn’t have time for anything—or anyone—else. And that’s something not even the gorgeous older brother of her newest client can change…right?
All Travis Long wanted was to give his little sister, Sheena, the wedding of her dreams. Ever since the tragic death of their parents, he’s done everything he can to make her feel loved and give her everything she needs. Still…a country wedding? In a place called Cemetery? But Yardley seems to know exactly what to do and how to do it—and Travis finds himself falling for her a little more each day.
Soon Yardley and Travis find themselves being nudged together by well-meaning locals who want to see the town’s favorite wedding planner get her own happy ending.
My Review: Who names a town Cemetery then have a wedding business named after the town? A story of love, friendship, real life not so perfect families, and dreams. Likeable, relatable characters that you want to be friends with.
Title: 1000 hours outside
Author: Ginny Yurich
Genre: parenting
How I Read It: ebook and physical copy, borrowed then ended up purchasing
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Amazon Description: Did you know that the average American child spends 1,200 hours a year in front of a screen? And that outside play can boost children in every area of development? This book has everything you need to reset the balance and swap screen time for outdoor fun!
Challenge your family to spend 1,000 hours outside this year with this collection of games, crafts, and activities, organized by season to help you find something you can do every day. Play leaf pile games, take a hot chocolate hike, make corn husk dolls, go on an animal home hunt, and much more with hundreds of ideas for all ages, abilities, and family types.
No matter how busy you are, this book gives you all the ideas, photos, activity instructions, and inspiration you need to get outdoors with your family all year round.
My Review: I highly recommend the physical copy over and audiobook or ebook so you can see all the pictures and flip to pages, save ideas, and the kids can come up with ideas too. I love that the ideas are separated by season. My kids have already each picked a new activity to do.
Thank you again Lauren for recommending it.
Title: Pretty Little Thing
Author: Tabatha Kiss
Genre: erotica
How I Read It: ebook
My Rating: 2 out of 5
Amazon Description: Clive Snow. A man full of secrets.
Tall, dark, and dreamy. Ex-military.And more than a little off-limits.
A boss can't date her employee. That would be naughty.
By day, he files my paperwork. By night, well...
Let's just say he's the last man I expected to run into at the local you-know-what club.
Off the clock, Clive leads me deeper into a playful world of gags, blindfolds, and... deception.
Is Clive really the perfect man he seems to be? Or is our passion just the beginning of the worst mistake of my life?
My Review: Fun sexy ready, but I just couldn't get into it. I didn't love the characters or their relationship.
Title: Imperfectly Proverbs 31
Author: Autumn Macarthur
Genre: romance
How I Read It: audiobook
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Amazon Description: She's trying to be what she's not. He's where he doesn't want to be.
To help her archeologist sister, geeky Samantha Rose agrees to swap her black T-shirts and diet of pizza and ice-cream for a pretty apron and a summer caring for her adorable twin nieces and their newfoundland dog in Huckleberry Lake, Idaho. How hard can it be?
When Perfectly Proverbs 31, the blog she starts to reassure her sister, goes viral and everyone believes she really is a wonderful homemaker, Sam reluctantly needs to keep up the pretense. If she doesn’t, she risks ruining everyone’s summer. The girls’ oh-so-capable and over-protective grandma will surely swoop in to take them away from her.
Forced by his boss to interview Sam then take a vacation, a month at the lake with nnothing to do but write a fluff piece is burned-out city crime journalist Daniel Novak’s worst nightmare. But he finds Samantha surprising and delightful, as her attempts to impress him with a picnic go horribly wrong. Time with her could restore his lost faith in people — and in God. Except, he has to write the truth in his article.
Can Ms Klutz-in-the-Kitchen transform herself to a Proverbs 31 woman in time to stop him revealing her blog is a fake? And what will happen to their growing love when he does.
My Review: A sweet love story that at times felt a little rushed. Reminds me of a hallmark movie.
Title: Heartless
Author: Elsie Silver
Genre: romance
How I Read It: ebook
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Amazon Description:
Working as a nanny for the world’s grumpiest single dad should have been simple. Except I can’t keep my eyes off him. And he can’t keep his hands off of me.
Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than I am and barely looks my way. Until I get him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then all bets are off—and so are our clothes.
He’s gruff, a little rough around the edges. But broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl’s kryptonite. So who am I to resist?
But it’s in our quiet moments together that he softens. It’s when he takes care of me that I realize his hardened exterior is just a façade. It’s when I watch him go all sweet with his little boy that I really fall for him.
Someone convinced him once that his best wasn’t good enough. But I’ve never felt more cherished than I do in his arms.
My contract may say this arrangement is only for two months.
But my heart says this is forever.
My Review: A forbidden love boss and the nanny. If you don't love cowboys this book may make you change your mind. I stayed up reading later than I should have.
Currently Reading
What are you reading this month?
Your book reading is impressive!! I just started reading again. I only have time when lying in bed at night, but it's better than nothing. I have no doubts you'll crush that reading goal!
ReplyDeleteMost of my reading it at night when I put my youngest to bed. Audiobooks I listen to while driving (with only one ear covered) or while doing things around the house.
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