Book Review: Purrfect Magic (Whisker Witchcraft, #1) by Samantha Coville

Title: Purrfect Magic (Whisker Witchcraft, #1) 

Author: Samantha Coville 

Stars: 2 

Review:
Puurfect Magic is in need of better editing.  The story lacks focus, characters readers will like and the odd thrown in F word that doesn't really work with this style of writing the author is using.
The characters are flat, wanna be Harry Potter style of story telling but lacks creative energy and desire to keep reading this series.
The author tries her best to create a world of Witches at this all girl school with a girl who is from a famous family and everyone knows her.  Her roommate tries hard to prove she is worthy of the school while Harper flakes off her classes.  The story lacks flow, stand out characters and imagination that is needed for a world of magic.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Samantha Coville Purrfect Magic

Synopsis:
Magic is one thing. Three balls of fluff and fur are a completely different story.
The prestigious and highly selective Jourdemayne Academy of Witchcraft only accepts twenty-five new students every year. But Harper Bishop has been virtually guaranteed her acceptance to the magic academy since the day she was born. One of the many perks of being the daughter of two legendary Warlocks.
But attending the academy was never her dream. Magic, quite frankly, bores Harper out of her goddamn mind. She wants to get out, see the world, experience life in all its glory. Passing on the school isn't an option, however. So she arrives for her first day and begins the countdown to freedom.
Until three tiny kittens start speaking to her telepathically.
Which isn't normal, even for witches.
Now it's not just surviving boring spell classes that Harper has to worry about. Something evil and powerful is coming to the Academy and only Harper and her magical kittens can stop it before it destroys everything in its path. What's the worst that could happen? 

Kindle Edition, 137 pages

Published August 30th 2019

About The Author:

Samantha Coville is a fantasy author and college senior at the University of Central Florida. Her lifelong love of reading evolved into a passion for writing during the third grade. And then at the age of sixteen her debut novel, Blood Oath, was released. When Samantha isn't writing, she's either watching movies with her fiance Marsean or bowling with friends.

Book Review: This Earl of Mine (Bow Street Bachelors #1) by Kate Bateman

Title: This Earl of Mine (Bow Street Bachelors #1)

Author:  Kate Bateman

Stars: 4

Review:

A unique approach by a young 

heiress, to retaining her wealth and obtaining her independence, leads to an interesting marriage. However her new husband, whom she believes is to be transported the next day, is not the seemingly character of I'll repute she believes she is marrying. He is the second son of an broke and destitute Earl, whose brother has become the Earl, following the old Earl's death. As things become clearer and budding love begins to blossom will both parties to this hidden and sham marriage realize the truth of the matter.

I have rated this book 4 stars and must say it was an enjoy read from start to finish.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Thank You to Frank for the Review

Synopsis:
The first book in a new Regency romance series, an heiress and a rogue accidentally end up in a secret marriage of convenience.

In a desperate bid to keep her fortune out of her cousin's hands, shipping heiress Georgiana Caversteed marries a condemned criminal in Newgate prison. The scoundrel's first kiss is shockingly heated, but Georgie never expects to see her husband again. Until she spots him across a crowded ballroom. Notorious rogue Benedict Wylde never expected a wife. He was in Newgate undercover, working for Bow Street. To keep their marriage of convenience a secret, Wylde courts Georgie in public, but the more time they spend together, the more their attraction sparks. Could an heiress with the world at her feet find happiness with a penniless rake? Kate Bateman's This Earl of Mine is a delightful start to the Bow Street Bachelors series, with witty banter, dynamic characters, and swoon-worthy romance.

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Expected publication: October 29th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

About The Author:
Kate wrote her first historical romance in response to a $1 bet with her husband who rashly claimed she'd 'never finish the thing.' She gleefully proved him wrong. When not traveling to exotic locations 'for research', she leads a not-so-secret double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK, each of which has up to 2.5 million viewers. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England, and writes despite three inexhaustible children /monsters and a number-loving husband who still owes her that dollar.

Book Review: Apple Cider Slaying (A Cider Shop Mystery #1) by Julie Anne Lindsey

Title: Apple Cider Slaying (A Cider Shop Mystery #1) 

Author: Julie Anne Lindsey

Stars: 5

Review:
Julie Anne Lindsey is able to write cozy mysteries that readers will be able to connect with as they move from character, murder and trying to solve the case before granny is thrown in jail.
The story moves quickly while giving reader a town farm that will have readers wanting to visit.
The author writing style has changed and evolved in a more confidante writer as readers start with her new series that is a cant miss. The characters come alive on the pages as readers connect with everyone in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Julie Anne Lindsey Apple Cider Slaying. 

Synopsis:
Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny's beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. But any way you slice it, it's struggling. That's why they're trying to drum up business with the "First Annual Christmas at the Orchard," a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike--until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny's long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: October 29th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

About The Author:
Julie Anne Lindsey is an award-winning and national bestselling author whose bookish heart was once torn between the love of her two favorite genres: toe-curling romance and chew-her-nails suspense. Now, she gets to write both, and she's loving every minute. She’s published more than twenty-five novels since her debut in 2013 and currently writes series as herself, as well as under multiple pen names, for Harlequin, Kensington, Sourcebooks and Crooked Lane Books. When she's not creating new worlds and fostering the epic love of fictional characters, Julie can be found carpooling her three kids around Northeastern Ohio and plotting with her shamelessly enabling friends. Julie is represented by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency and is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America. She is the 2019 Director of PAN for RWA’s Kiss of Death chapter. Learn more about Julie at julieannelindsey.com

Book Review: 50 Hikes with Kids California by Wendy Gorton

Title: 50 Hikes with Kids California 

Author: Wendy Gorton

Stars: 4

Review:
As a parent of children 1\2 who love the outdoors and others who want to see but not get dirty.  This book is a great introduction to families who are looking for a vacation away from crowds and theme parks.
It was an advance copy so it wasn't complete and it has issues that will be fixed I assume after it is published. 
This book will inspire parents to find a love for the outdoors as well as a vacation to California that will have everyone enjoying the adventurous outdoors.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Timber Press for the advance copy of Wendy Gorton 50 Hikes with kids California. 

Synopsis:
Award-winning author and educator Wendy Gorton is back with a brand-new guide to hiking with kids—this time in California! Family-friendly, fun, and trustworthy, 50 Hikes with Kids: California is handcrafted for parents and caregivers who want to spark a love of nature in childhood and beyond. The guide highlights the most kid-friendly hikes in California. Each route is under five miles with elevation gains of 900 feet or less—perfect for little legs. Every entry includes the essential details: easy-to-read directions; a detailed map; hike length and elevation gain; highlights to see along the way; bathroom access; and where to grab a bite to eat nearby. Entries also include full-color photographs and fun activities that will keep kids engaged and having fun along the trail. Not just another guide book, 50 Hikes with Kids will help nurture a life-long appreciation and reverence for the natural world.

Paperback, 284 pages

Expected publication: October 29th 2019 by Timber Press

About The Author:

Wendy Gorton holds a master's degree in learning technologies and is a former classroom teacher. She worked as a National Geographic Fellow in Australia researching Tasmanian devils, a PolarTREC teacher researcher in archaeology in Alaska, an Earthwatch teacher fellow in the Bahamas and New Orleans, and a GoNorth! teacher explorer studying climate change via dogsled in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Today, she is a global education consultant who has traveled to more than fifty countries to design programs, build communities, and train other educators to do the same.

Book Review: Christmas Past by Mary Burton

Title: Christmas Past 

Author: Mary Burton

Stars: 3

Review:
I love Mary Burton Stories she is able to bring the dark and light to her stories but this one feels forced, the characters fall flat and lacks the suspense that usually Mary Burton is known for. While the story is a short story/Novella it lacks story that is engaging from her past books.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Mary Burton Christmas Past.

Synopsis:
Photographer Nicole Piper just received a very unwelcome Christmas gift - a letter that holds clues to an elusive killer's identity. Uncovering the truth means enlisting homicide detective David Ayden's help, and embarking on a road trip that will take them both into the heart of danger and desire.

Kindle Edition, 100 pages

Published November 21st 2013 by Penguin (first published December 20th 2012)

About The Author:
Mary Burton, whose latest novel is Hide and Seek, loves writing suspense, getting to know her characters, keeping up with law enforcement and forensic procedure, morning walks, baking, and tiny dachshunds. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels. Library Journal has compared her work to that of Lisa Jackson and Lisa Gardner, and Fresh Fiction likened her writing to that of James Patterson.

Mary is routinely featured among the top ten writers in Amazon’s Author Rankings for romantic suspense. Upon publication, her novels, including 2018’s Cut and Run and Her Last Word, consistently rank high on the Kindle eBooks Store Bestseller List.