Rolf's Quest by Aubrey Wynne 4 ✭

Title: Rolf's Quest
Author: Aubrey Wynne
Series: A Medieval Encounter, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance, Medieval, Fantasy
Publish Date: February 1, 2017
Pages: 234
Ages: 18 +
Available for: Kindle and Paperback

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

I may or may not have picked this book up because the cover made me think of Jon Snow. I have read a book by Aubrey Wynne before and I loved the sweetness and genuine love that was written in that story so I decided to pick this book up as well. I was not disappointed by this book. It was another very well written story about magic and true love. 

Rolf has to break the family curse and the woman he has fallen for is already attached to another man. They begin having dreams about each other that feel connected. Melissa struggles with her feelings with Rolf and these tales of magic and the great wizard Merlin. 

This book is a fantasy nerd's dream romance. It comes in a nice little love package with a great amount of medieval lore and action. As a self-proclaimed nerd, I approve.

Check out a free preview below. You won't even have to leave the page to read the beginning of Rolf's Quest.

Purloined Pint by E.M. Sorensen 4 ✭

Title: Purloined Pint 
Author: EM Sorensen
Release Date: April 23, 2017
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal & Urban
Total Pages: 407 
Ages Recommended: Mature 
My Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Purloined Pint is a fascinating story about a man who was turned into a vampire after receiving a blood transfusion during the WWII era. The part of this book that hooked me is the chain of events and how they were written so well. It is so easy to follow along with the novel. 

Eddie lives under the radar for decades, working as a PI. He changes his name and moves on so no one suspects something odd from the vampire. He never came across any other vampires so he always assumed he was alone. He never accidentally ran into any or anything since he went home to Seattle after being turned. He gets a job offer from a well-respected vampire who is missing a pint from his storage. This completely flips Eddie's whole world as he discovers that there are more vampires out there, and there's even a community. 

I personally enjoyed this book because I am a fan of paranormal and urban fantasy books. But I can also see if you were interested in books that are also mystery thrillers that this might work for you also. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in those genres. 

Check out below for a free preview that you can read of Purloined Pint, without even leaving the page!

Out of the Shadows by Ashlee Nicole Bye 4 ✭

Title: Out of the Shadows
Author: Ashlee Nicole Bye
Series: Shadowlands
Genre: New Adult & College, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy, Supernatural
Publish Date: April 11, 2017 -This is available as a free Kindle Unlimited read
Pages: 337
Ages: I would say mature high school. 

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Out of the Shadows is a beginning to a whole new world of fantasy that is like a clash of everything colliding with an average normal chick. This story was pretty fantastic. It has its flaws but for now I I would like to chalk that up to the fact that it is the first book in the series. 

The main story itself with Sachi and what begins to happen to her and where her life is going to go even beyond this book is written very well. There is a little make-out which you look forward to, and there is a make-out that you almost wish was there too. Yep, I'm talking the love triangle. But that is only speculation on my part. I'll have to read the next book in the series to know for sure. 

There are so many authors that I can think of in the same genre of this book, and I feel like this book fits in great with all of them. All the different characters, all the mystery back plots, totally remind me of Karen Chance's Cassie Palmer series. 

Ashlee Nicole Bye has written this book with many different points of views that are constantly changing to give you a full perspective of the world. Although at times it seems like you are meeting new characters and then they get discarded right after that scene, you get a really good idea of an actual world beginning to be built. I didn't care for the end, and you will see why. It's another scene with a couple of random characters get dropped into your lap, and then it is THE END. I feel like this would be something to tack on after the book is over. Like a beginning to the next book. BUT, even with all that, it is a great story.

Second book in series: Into the Dark: Goodreads.com Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34336598-into-the-dark 

For a Free Preview, you can click below to read and not even leave the page!

Don't Worry, You'll Be Safe by Edwin Dasso 4 ✭

Title: Don't Worry, You'll Be Safe
Author: Edwin Dasso
Series: Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles book four
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Medical
Publish Date: June 4, 2015
Pages: 232
Ages: Mature

Jack Bass goes on another adventure hunting a murder ring in this fourth book in the series. I really liked this book and the things it brings to your attention. The characters are interesting, and Jack's background has you sucked right in even if you never read the other books.

Jack has had a really difficult past. He discovers his love child after his wife and unborn baby die. It just sounds crazy and shocking. Since he now has his daughter, he is very protective and what he can to protect her. Losing one child and not wanting to lose the other guides him.

This is by FAR one of the best medical mystery books I have read. I've read a handful and none have really caught the true feel to me of a medical thriller. This does it. This is a solid read for sure. This book also calls attention to our many Veterans and the state they are left in. It goes into PTSD which is a very personal topic for me so I would recommend this book for those aspects alone.

If you have Kindle Unlimited you can read this book for free! 

Check below for a free preview read that you don't even have to leave the page for!

Chronological list of all the books in the series:

1. In the Line of Ire
2. Past Aghast
3. Death Management
4. Don't Worry, You'll Be Safe

Sweet Summer Love by Sierra Hill 3 ✭

Title:  Sweet Summer Love
Author: Sierra Hill

Series:  The Sweetest Thing Series 

Genre: New Adult & College, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance

Published Date: January 27, 2017

Pages: 380

Age Recommended:  18+ 

Rating: ✭✭✭

Sweet Summer Love was like reading a soap opera that was solely focused on two characters plot. This was a good book, and a nice summer read. It made me feel nostalgic for how my relationship with my husband was like over 10 years ago when we started dating. The memories of how young we were and how much fun we had as kids. That was one of the main things that I got to take away from the book and I appreciate that.

I say that this book was like a soap opera because it didn't feel super realistic. It was an entertaining read do not get me wrong, but it felt like there was a disconnect. Like oh gasp .... and everything was fine. Granted I did drop a tear, at one part. There wasn't much internal monolog that led you to think there was any TRUE struggle for the character. What struggles they did have was just a brief emotion that their passions took over. And believe me when I say these characters have some passion.

Who knows maybe that's what was intended. There wasn't any dragging out for months like a real soap opera, which thank god for that. This was a fast paced read that I think I finished in a day.

The one thing that I enjoyed the most and it contributed to my personal nostalgia, what how the author wrote who sections in the past. They weren't always written as a memory, it was like reading it as it was happening. This made the feeling come across true and real. In my opinion, these past parts were the best parts of the book. It made ME feel a real emotion and become attached to reading more. I wanted to feel those feeling for the present but it just wasn't there.

I did enjoy this book and I think it is worth a read. I would feel this in the summertime, relaxing. It is definitely a "summer" read.

I received a free ARC from the publisher for this book to give my honest review. 

If you would like a free preview of the book, just check out below. You won't even have to leave the page!

In Skates Trouble by Kate Meader 3 ✭

Title: In Skates Trouble
Author: Kate Meader
Series: Chicago Rebels Series
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Published Date: May 1, 2017
Pages: 143
Age Recommended:  18+ Available for Free on Kindle

Rating: ✭✭✭

This is an ok romance read as a stand alone. But for a novella that starts a series, I would say that it is pretty good.Which I am going to do because I received a free copy to review from the publisher. Yay! Go Me! Before I started the next book in the series, Irresistible You, I wanted to start with the FREE novella that was available for my Kindle. I mean, it is Free and only 143 pages. Gobble Gobble up this book...

It wouldn't seem like much can be accomplished in such a short amount of pages but Kate Meader has done that here. It leads you into being interested in the next book in the series which stars In Skates Trouble's Addison's best friend Harper. Who is a constant throughout Addison and Ford's romance. So as a Novella it successfully does it's job to me.

Addison and Ford have a predictable romance and the conflict wasn't emotionally engaging enough. For what it is, it is good enough. Addison and Ford are both interesting and strong characters, but it was predictable. You could see where the story was going to go by the third chapter. It was something that you could daydream for yourself. I think that's why I do like it because it fits in-line with what is safe and normal to read. This only makes the book ok to me. It doesn't go somewhere else. It doesn't invoke a strong emotion for me. It is just comfortable to me. That is still ok and good, as long as it makes me want to continue the series. Which like I said, I am going to do. 

Since this was only a novella I truly do have hope for the next book in the series. Irresistible You. There is a huge difference when reading something that is essentially a prequel snippet vs. a real whole written version of the series. 

Read a short Preview of the Free Kindle Read below without leaving the page:

More about the series from the Author:
Order of the Chicago Rebels series about sexy hockey players:

0.5 IN SKATES TROUBLE (Ford and Addison) - novella
1.   IRRESISTIBLE YOU (Remy and Harper) - August 2017
2.   SO OVER YOU (Vadim and Isobel) - December 2017
2.5 UNDONE BY YOU (Dante and ???) - novella - February 2018
3.   HOOKED ON YOU (Bren and Violet) - Spring 2018

However, all the Chicago Rebels stories can be enjoyed as standalone novels or novellas. No cliffhangers!

For excerpts, news, and giveaways, sign up for Kate's occasional newsletter at: katemeader.com/newsletter

For exclusive content and early peeks at Kate's books, join Kate's Kittens! 
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Just have to

I just have to talk about a book I just read. Indecent Exposure by Tessa Bailey. LOVED IT. I can't stop thinking about it. I received an ARC from the publisher and I will be posting my review closer to the books release date. But that isn't until JANUARY 2018... and I have to talk about it now. I just keep thinking about the main character Jack and how much he changes through the book. It was beautiful.

I posted a snippet of my review to Goodreads.com because I've been a Goodreads user forever and I feel like I have to say something there. So below is what I posted to Goodreads.com:

Indecent Exposure is a prime example of how I think a New Adult genre book should be composed. When I think of New Adult & College books, I expect to feel hopeful for love or the chance of falling in love, almost still like you're in high school. When you read it, you want to feel like the characters are mature enough to be confident or at least responsible in their lives as if they are finally beginning their life as an adult. Tessa Bailey has captured the time of being hopeful to fall in love and the maturity of having more confidence in yourself and the responsibilities of being an adult.... The rest of my review will be posted onto my blog closer to the books release date: Rozzie ReadsRelease Date: January 30, 2018 I WILL SAY FOR NOW - BUY THIS BOOK

My Open Letter to you

Dear Reader,

How are you today? I hope that you are happy and healthy as you read this. I don't think I have written an actual paper letter since I was in middle school. Seriously. I was a military brat growing up, and to keep in touch with friends in different states I actually use to write letters. I miss that. I wonder do people still do pen pals and stuff like that. 

I should probably introduce myself. My nickname in video games is Rozzie. It is just something I have gotten used to people calling me for over a decade of gaming. Funny Story about the name Rozzie, it is actually my best friends mother's name. I just love her name. It has always seemed so unique to me. I'm probably wrong about that. My real name is Alicia. It really isn't anything special. Call me either, but for the sake of my blog, I'm going to go by Rozzie. (I think) I am thirty-one years old and a mother to two children who drive me quite insane. Honesty, the best policy.

I wanted to start this blog because I am a stay-at-home-mom now and I get lonely reading a lot. Truth Hurts. I love to read in my free time and take a break from the daily repetition. So maybe one of you will be a book buddy with me. Feel free to lurk or even comment on any posts.

I love using my Kindle Keyboard. I adore it. Little screen scratches and all. Although any reader will tell you that having their collection of paperbacks are like GOLD. So I read both digital and paper. However, my children and my family are my priority. 

Sincerely,

Rozzie

Slack a Lackin'

I am slacking. I am not reading all day every day. Recently my best friend was in town. We dyed both of our hair, and for the first time in twelve years did a girly face mask night. I just picked up a thing at CVS. It was in their Korean Beauty section. It felt amazing and since I am definitely NOT a beauty expert or person by any means, this felt like a little self-gift. It this steam/cold mask thing from JJ Young. I loved it. My face felt clean like it has never felt before. I AM SO BUYING MORE KOREAN BEAUTY STUFF. Have you seen the people from South Korea they are gorgeous and look way younger than their true age. Here is to hoping some of that will rub off on me. JJ Young Pore Steaming and Cooling Pack 

I've had to go grocery shopping and the normal family things (cooking, baths, laundry). I started setting up my outline and figuring out my ideas a lot better towards writing my book. I've always wanted to write a book. I am finally going to actually start. Now obviously it isn't going to be good, and it isn't going to go well, but I am going to do it. However, with tonight being Game of Thrones night for the new season premiere, let's just say that tonight won't have much progress.

Currently, I am reading:

1. Indecent Exposure: The Academy by Tessa Bailey - I am so lucky to have received an Advanced Reader Digital Copy of this book from the publisher to read. So far as of this post, I am only starting the book. I am just starting Chapter Two of the book. So far I am amused by Jack's internal monolog. He is such a guy full of himself and his own arrogance.

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine 5 ✭

Stillhouse Lake is a horrific story for any mother to read and imagine herself as the main character. Gwen, aka Gina Royal, was once married to a murderer. She was labeled as "Melvin's Little Helper" but she was acquitted at her trial. The problem with the internet is that people can read into, and believe whatever they want. So she has been trying her damnedest to protect her two children from the people who send death threats. These people are sick as hell and think that punishing Gwen and her kids would be some sort of vigilante right they get. 

As a parent, this can be horrific to think about. People sending you death threats to you and your pre-teen/teen children. Gwen has become very militant in their family procedure. They pick up and move at any sign of complications. They don't trust anyone or anything even. Even police, knocks on doors, and even the mail are not trusted things. So to grill this paranoia into the reader, the beginning of this book can feel a little repetitive and slow. 

Even though it has a slow beginning it does pick up. It seems like all at once everything is changing. The family emotions are changing, they're feeling more at peace, and maybe even normal. They are beginning to trust people and then things turn. A body is found mutilated and missing skin just like her ex-husband use to leave around. Most of the town believes its Gwen or her family and from there on out it becomes a steady pace to the end of the book.

Check out a preview sample right here without even leaving the page.

This is book one in the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine. I decided that I absolutely had to pick this book up not only because it was a Kindle Firsts read but also because I am a fan of Rachel Caine's writing. I have read a handful of her books before. So I had to get while the gettins is good. The next book in the series is Killman Creek.You can pre-order the sequel to the series which will be released December 12, 2017. How about that? A book you can read and the sequel isn't a year away!

You Can't Win Them All Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister 5 ✭

This is another great Rainbow Fish book. I read this to my three-year-old daughter and she loved it. It had a great moral that will help me get her to play with her baby brother much better. The moral is one of those, "can't get everything you want, it won't' always go your way, can't win them all" types.

I am personally a fan of the Rainbow Fish books. They are written really good. They are good talking points. I also like the Duck & Goose books too. I think these are two series that I personally am really happy that I own copies of for my kids.

Wife by Wednesday by Catherine Bybee 4 ✭

Wife by Wednesday is a billionaire baby story that feels realistic and believable with characters you feel like you would meet in real life. I wasn't sure what I wanted to rate it for a review. I decided on a 4-star rating for a few reasons. I'm going to get into the reasons shortly. The reason I decided to pick up this book other than the pretty cover is that I have seen it rated so high on Amazon. At the time of this post, the book has 1653 reviews with an average of 4.3. The other reason is that I saw it listed as a Kindle Unlimited book that had Audible along with it. I haven't listened to a book in some time and I really wanted to especially with how busy I have been preparing for my friends to come to visit.

The characters are both strong willed individuals who are completely honest and up front with each other. They have an easy-going sense of humor and their relationship feels like it builds off a friendship first. They both have so many similarities and it didn't feel like it was forced writing similarities. It just felt like a normal flow because two people you would meet on the street. They make their marriage contract and come up with their plan to meet their mutual end goal and they hit some bumps along the way. Samantha and Blake feel very real when it comes to their personalities and having emotions that feel natural.

The backstory here is Samantha runs a company called Alliance which is a matchmaking company that pairs people up with similar goals. Think of it as pairing people so they won't be lonely and to enjoy a pleasant company of another people Something your business people that don't have time for much would use. Blake wants Samantha to be his temporary wife and she agrees because it so she wouldn't have to worry about the cost of her disabled sister's care. Blake is a Duke who has to marry before his 36th birthday or he does not receive his inheritance. Spoiler alert: he also has to make his wife pregnant according to his father's addendum in his will. So this marriage of convenience turns into an "oh snap, I have to make an Heir with my contract wife". Thankfully they had already begun to build their strong friendship. Their attraction can't be avoided and they are intimate and you know how it goes from here.

If you want a glimpse at a preview of the book just click below and check it out. You don't even have to leave the page.

I did use my Kindle Unlimited Subscription to borrow this book for free. As a mother of two, Kindle Unlimited is simply amazing for me. (#sellout) Regularly this book for an ebook version would cost $4.99 but a paperback copy would cost $5.99 so Kindle Unlimited feels like a steal for a pretty enjoyable read. This is the first book in the Weekday Brides Series. There are seven total books in the series and you can buy all seven for just $14.00 on Amazon in one Kindle Bundle.

Just a note

I have a busy weekend ahead of me. My best friend and her husband are coming to visit us for a couple days. I love our time together. We only get to see each other three times a year. We have been friends since 2004, and as far as our kids are concerned we are family. She's my kids' aunt and I am her four kids aunt. Thankfully, her four kids are not coming. I love her kids but my house is WAY too small for another crew of six people here with our little two bedrooms and family of four.

Family doesn't always mean blood.

The only problem is the cleaning you have to do to prepare for them to come in town. You know, washing the guest sheets, giving the bathroom an extra scrub down, the things like that. The extra corners that have that dust you have been avoiding because no one goes in that room.

There must be no dust. Lol

Needless to say, I am probably going to be a little behind on some of my blogging goals. My current goals are set to blog at least three days a week. I am trying to work up to daily reading but my one and three-year-old like to challenge that during naptime lately.

My Currently "attempting" to read books are:

1. Indecent Exposure: The Academy by Tessa Bailey - I am SUPER excited about this book because I got an ARC copy of this to read from the publisher, HarperCollins. This book is going to be released January 30th, 2018. So keep an eye out for my review in the future to see if I think you should pre-order your own copy. (Paperback Pre-order Link)
2. Wife by Wednesday by Catherine Bybee - This I picked up because it seemed higly rated, it was a Kindle Unlimited book, and it also had audible included with the Kindle Unlimited. I really wanted to try out the audio part of it. I hadn't listened to a book in a while so I wanted to do that.
3. Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram - This I picked because I need round out with a young adult type book. I have read and reviewed a book by Kelly Oram and loved the book. This is also a Kindle Unlimited book. The book from before was Cinder & Ella which was a new telling of Cinderella. It was more current day and I really liked it. It may be why I really wanted to start a blog.

I will say that there is a good chance I may add or remove books before I actually get reviews out for all these. So keep your eye open for future posts.

**Post Edited: 7/14/17 to remove a book from my list. I am no longer interested in reading that book.**

Face Off: Emile by Alicia Hunter Pace 5 ✭

Oh SNAP! This book was great. I am a huge hockey fan myself so this is like whoa... I have totally had this dream before. I go the AHL hockey games at the arena near my house and it's only a couple miles away. So if you are into romance books and you know a decent amount about hockey this is 100% for you. If you like to read about some very flexible men, this is a must read.

Amy used to own her own business where she would organize things for people. It was just about anything and her skills were getting known by word of mouth.  It got to the point she had some high-end clientele and she received an offer to sell her business. Her boyfriend Cameron who was a failed pro football guy turned sports agent, convinced her that this would be an amazing opportunity and she made a few million. Well, maybe a couple more than a few. Cameron is a slime ball and abandons her in a town, takes her car, belongings, and her money. She is left alone with no phone and only the clothes on her back and the $85 in her wallet.

That's how Emile meets her. Emile is a goalie in the NHL for the Nashville Sound. (FYI - My personal favorite player is a goalie. He was smoking hot and I'm sad he isn't on my team anymore. It's all about those pre-game warm-up stretches) Anyways... Emile has a heart of gold and a troubled past. So he sees Amy in trouble and does everything he can to help. His past doesn't hinder him like some predictable male leads in a book. Nope, he has moved on from his past traumas and grown as a person. I love that aspect of his character. The only problem is Amy doesn't want to have Emile hand everything to her because that is how Cameron made off with her money.

I have read a couple sports romance and one of my favorite author's to read was Jaci Burton. So if you like those books this is definitely up your alley. All in all, I sat her with a goofy school girl smile at the end. This felt like the real true love between the characters, and no cheesy lines with an instant *snap* head over heels. The characters develop and you grow with the story. This is a sweet romance with hot sex.

I was lucky enough to get a free ARC type copy of this book to read and I am extremely grateful and very happy that I got the chance to read this before it was published. At the time of this review, the book is available to preorder on Amazon. Face Off: Emile has its release date set for July 24, 2017.

  

Vacation: A Butterfly Farm Day

This weekend, me, my daughter and my mother in law went to this very pretty Monarch Butterfly Farm down here in High Point, North Carolina. The farm was called All-a-Flutter, and we loved this place. It is out in the country on family owned land I believe. I mean, down south you have to appreciate the land and space that people have. Especially when you're like me and live in an old coal mining area where its tiny homes that are on top of each other with maybe a foot of space in between. 

Before I get too far, I want to start off with I TOOK ALL OF THESE PICTURES IN THIS POST. THEY ARE MINE! I am very happy to finally have a reason to get out and use my Nikon D3200 with my new camera lens, (Nikon 35mm f/1.8).

 They start off with a show that informs you and the kids there about all the phases of butterflies growth. I personally loved the little show because it involves the kids and my daughter got to go up on their "stage". Victoria was the caterpillar phase and for only being three years old she did really well. She wasn't shy at all. She went up during the show twice to participate. My "social butterfly", pun intended. 


Victoria loved getting to run around on the open land. They had tons of stuff there for the kids to do like jump rope, balls, frisbees. There was also a made slide, a football throw game, a little rock wall climb station. One of the super awesome parts was the Misting station, which was perfect for the muggy post rainy morning we had. One of the reasons they have all of these side event type things because there is a group by group basis for entry. Depending on how many people are there they can't all fit inside the butterfly habitat area. So you can in you group color/creature hand stamp.

They give you the little sugar sticks so you can feed the butterflies which are so cool. The first picture with my daughter was her holding a butterfly on a sugar stick.We had an older lady actually give Victoria hers because she caught and Victoria was sitting on a bench confused. I was focused on taking pictures of my mother in law and Victoria. Oh, and taking pictures of the butterflies. 

There are also these goats that I think do a little show I'm not sure, to be honest, but that's what my mother in law said they did. There were five of these adorable little guys. However, I am only posting my two favorite pictures. The black and white goat was fricken adorable! I loved it. It kept jumping up on the fence and getting right into my face.