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Dizzy: A Fictional Memoir by Arthur Wooten

I was provided with a review copy of Dizzy: A Fictional Memoir by Arthur Wooten in exchange for an honest review.

Dizzy: A Fictional Memoir by Arthur Wooten follows Angie Styles, a beloved Broadway star, living the dream. At the height of her career, things start to happen to her and she starts to feel things she has never felt before. When the symptoms continue, she seeks medical help and is told that she has a mysterious disease that will be a part of her life, quite possibly until she dies. With the prognosis looming over her head, she is forced to reexamine her life and the people who are a part of it.

I was taken aback when I first started reading the tale of Angie Styles and her inner ear balance disorder. I had never heard of anything like that before and it was heartbreaking to watch as Angie dealt with it and how it greatly impacted not only her life, but her career. This story was definitely entertaining and I think it did a great job at shining light on an unknown disorder that many are not familiar with. I’ve always loved Arthur’s character development and this one shines in that department. Overall, a very good read.

[Rating: 4/5]

Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin

I was provided a copy of Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin by CLP Blog Tours.

Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin is the first mystery novel in the Rose Strickland series and it is a perfect combination of mystery and chick lit. Rose, our main character is a waitress (hence the book title) and is also working her way through school as a part time student. Her best friend and closest confident in the world Axton goes missing one day and what ensues is a mysterious ride. When he doesn’t show up after quite some time, Rose caves and puts herself on the case. Just when she thinks she might have it cracked it turns out that she is being watched by the bad guy, who also happens to be super sexy. Bad and sexy? Not a great combination yet Rose finds herself quite intrigued.

I had so much fun reading this book and am so glad that Terri gave me the opportunity to do so. I loved watching Rose become a sleuth and dive deep into the mysterious disappearance of her best friend. I flipped through the pages quickly in order to find out what would happen next and I must say, I was NOT disappointed. This book is fantastic and I absolutely loved the plot twist – I most definitely did not see that one coming. I cannot wait until the sequel. Overall, a really great mystery/chick-lit that is quite the joyous ride!

[Rating: 4.5/5]

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban is a riveting page turner that tells the tale of a deep and harrowing first love and heartbreak. 17…

Baby Talk: Starting Solids

Boy oh boy! I have definitely let the ball slip on my “baby talk” postings but let me tell you, the past six months have flown by. Ethan will be seven months old after Christmas and I can’t believe it! I will have an update on all of those fun things when that time approaches but for now, I thought I would spend a moment to discuss solids.

Ah! Solids! Yes, it has been such an exciting time in taste testing in our home. But, we have been very lucky that everything has gone so well. Ethan LOVES to eat and has picked up solids so easily. Typically, babies start rice cereal around 4 months but around that time, the FDA released a new study that found arsenic in rice (including baby cereal). So, that kind of threw a wrench in our wheel. At first I decided to just stick with breast milk (yep, nursing is still going very, very well) but slowly, I got a little more brave and began to dabble in a few veggies here and there. I have read numerous books and online articles (yep, I’m that mom) that list tips and suggestions for when your baby starts solids, so we followed the guidelines and got started. We fed him a few bites of the same food for a week to test the waters and then would switch it up the next week, and so on and so forth. At around 5 months we really hit solids pretty head on and started introducing oatmeal cereal (no rice in that one!). We started experimenting with flavors and tastes and I have got to say that my little man loves to eat! His favorites by far are sweet potatoes and bananas. We have steered away from feeding him too many fruits (another tip I’ve read) and have stuck mostly to veggies.

So, at a little over six months, that is what we have been up to food wise. Do any of you moms have any suggestions for me? What types of foods did your baby love at this age?

The Bracelet by Roberta Gately

I received a copy of The Bracelet in exchange for an honest review.

The Bracelet by Roberta Gately tells the tale of Abby Monroe, a newly heartbroken UN worker searching for her purpose in life. After witnessing a brutal murder in her new home in Pakistan, she is haunted by the terrible crime and the image of the victim’s bracelet has made its permanent mark on her memory. She attempts to move past it but struggles. Turns out, this crime was her first introduction into the world of human trafficking. Once she realizes that, she begins working at a local women’s shelter and hopes to help change lives. There, she meets some amazing women with some atrocious stories about their experiences in human trafficking. As she gains their trust, she dives deeper into their stories and then joins forces with a NYT reporter. Together, they attempt to track down the leader of the ring. Will they be able to find out who is responsible for these terrible crimes? And will Abby be able to make her impact on the world?

The Bracelet is not typically the type of book that I would normally read but I am so glad I did. This book will reel you and keep you enthralled for the entire ride. I loved every second and could literally picture each page being turned into a movie on the big screen. Gripping doesn’t even begin to describe it. I am very unfamiliar with the world of human trafficking but this book has made me research a few things already, and I just finished it. Overall, a gripping novel about a sad world that exists … but that many ignore because it doesn’t touch them directly. I would highly recommend this book. A must read.

[Rating: 5/5]

The Bloody Mary Club by Debbie Dyke

Debbie Dyke is on tour now with CLP Blog Tours and her financial thriller The Bloody Mary Club.

The Bloody Mary Club by Debbie Dyke takes place during the stock market meltdown and our main character, Gina Van Story is caught right in the middle of it all in her role as a savvy investment adviser. Over the years, she has been rather successful in tracking the market and taking advantage of incoming trends … and she is eager for one last hoorah. Gina and her three best friends form the Bloody Mary Investment Club and run into corruption and a suspenseful mystery while they try to up their stock portfolios. Will it be worth it? Or will things get more dangerous then they already are?

I had a lot of fun reading this book. I thought all of the characters were very believable and I absolutely adored Gina. She and I are so very different but I was definitely able to put myself in her shoes throughout the book. I loved the stock market aspect and actually found it to be quite exciting (which is one thing I never thought I would say). Overall, this book was not at all what I expected but that is a good thing. This book is suspenseful and I had such a fun time as I flipped through the pages to see what would happen next. I loved the mystery and intrigue and would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun time with a little twist added in there. This book is definitely a fun ride.

[Rating: 4/5]

The Art Of My Life by Ann Lee Miller

I received a copy of The Art Of My Life in exchange for an honest review.

The Art Of My Life by Ann Lee Miller begins as main character Cal is released from jail after being arrested for possession of marijuana. His ultimate goal in life is to become a better man and to have Aly, his life long love, return the feeling. Throughout the course of the book, Cal is faced with many obstacles and he must learn to overcome them if he ever wants to move on and make something of himself. He jumps through hoops to restart his life but nothing compares to what he does for Aly. In an attempt to finally win her over, he uses his grandmother’s old sailing boat to try to lure her in. Will his attempt at starting over be enough to win her over? Or will he never be enough to measure up to the man that she wants?

I really enjoyed reading this story about love, friendship, families, and the path for redemption. I truly believe that everyone deserves a second chance and I was so glad to see Cal trying for his. My heart ached for him throughout most of the story because he definitely paid the price (and then some) for his past mistakes, but it was good to see his determination to succeed and his will to make it all happen. I really enjoyed the characters and I especially appreciated the back story that the author allowed us to visit. Overall, Ann Lee Miller did a great job at creating a solid story about redemption and the power to succeed. It definitely made me think and evaluate my own decisions. A really solid read.

[Rating: 4/5]

Under Her Spell by Eliza Daly

Under Her Spell by Eliza Daly begins with Monica Jackson questioning her self worth after a series of failed romantic relationships and business ventures. When everything she touches goes sour, she begins to question her energy and wonders if it’s her fault that things are the way that they are. She turns to spell casting and hopes that things will change. But when her new event planning company welcomes a new neighbor, things begin to get interesting. Will her spells work? Or will she find that she has had what she’s needed inside of her all along?

I had so much fun reading Under Her Spell by Eliza Daly. Monica is such a hoot and I love the steamy interactions between her and sexy divorce attorney Reed! Such a fun read and it is full of laughs. This book is definitely light and I actually enjoyed that for a change. I also really loved the magic twist. I feel like there have been quite a few books in the past attempt to dabble in magic but fail. This book succeeds in my opinion. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see what would happen between Monica and Reed and whether or not they would be able to see what had been right in front of them. Overall, a great read.

[Rating: 4/5]

The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James

The Boots My Mother Gave Me by Brooklyn James is a great coming of age fiction novel that anybody can relate to. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through life in someone else’s shoes? Feisty tomboy, Harley LeBeau puts in the drivers seat as she puts you in the boots that her mother gave her and takes you a long for a wild ride. Although she is faced with a difficult choice, she chooses to save herself and escape an abuse childhood even though it means leaving her mother and younger sister behind. Along the way she finds her independence, spreads her wings and truly finds herself. She also learns to trust in love and in herself.

The book cover for this one threw me and to be honest, I wasn’t really looking forward to reading it based on that alone. But, that all changed once I cracked it open. The Books My Mother Gave Me is surprisingly deep and thoughtful and examines the dynamics of abuse relationships and what it takes to overcome one. I have always been one of those women who has never why a woman would stay in an abused relationship, but this book definitely opened my eyes and now I feel more compassionate. It is a tough choice especially when children are involved and this book digs deep to make you see that. I loved this story from the get go and Harley is a surprising hero as she stands up to her situation and makes some very solid decisions. Overall, a fantastic read that I highly recommend to any and all women.

And as a bonus, the author has compiled a music playlist that is also available for download. It’s very fun and definitely fits the many moods of the book. You should check it out.

[Rating: 4.5/5]