Friday, October 29, 2021

RRR presents... FLORA'S TRAVELLING CHRISTMAS SHOP by Rebecca Raisin - REVIEW!

Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're hauling out the holly and untangling those Christmas lights as we play host to a stop on the latest Rachel's Random Resources tour! It features a festive addition to the almost-a-series collection of titles from author Rebecca Raisin. They are loosely connected in the sense of wandering spirits seeking a place to call home, and they do share back with either characters or their experiences, but whether you've read them all or are simply reeled in by today's holly jolly selection, you're in for a great story and won't be lost like a snowflake in a snowstorm. Ready or not, grab the mistletoe, your favorite holiday jammies, and curl up under the blanket...it's time to meet today's blog tour guest and title in the spotlight...


Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop
by
Rebecca Raisin

About the book...
‘Tis the season for mulled wine, mince pies, and magic under the mistletoe…

Flora loves Christmas more than anything else in the world, so she’s gutted when her Scrooge-alike boss fires her from Deck the Halls Christmas emporium. But now she finally has a chance to follow her dreams – and what better place to start than the home of Christmas?

Before she can say ‘sleigh bells’, Flora’s on her way to Lapland in a campervan-cum-Christmas-shop. She can’t wait to spend her days drinking hot chocolate and taking reindeer-drawn carriage rides, but something Flora didn’t expect was meeting Connor, a Norse god of a man who makes her heart flutter and snowflakes swirl in her stomach. There’s just one problem: Connor hates Christmas.

Can Flora convince Connor of the joys of Christmas – and will she find a festive romance along the way?




AMAZON 




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Have you ever wished your life could be like a Hallmark Christmas movie? You know, a heroine looking for a new start in a charming, quaint town, where she happens into a meet-cute she can't identify, develops feelings she can't quite name as does the other party of the meet, obstacles appear that are deftly knocked down, and then one final big hurdle and BOOM...romantic outlook clear and happily ever after straight ahead! Yeah...a life like that where you could live ALL OUT all the time and not worry about if things will work out because without a doubt they will...that would be the life. So...why can't you live that way? Why can't it all work out? Is it silly to pin our hopes and dreams on something that may seem like a stretch to many, but could simply be out of reach do to a lack of faith on our part? Am I asking too many questions because, yeah...I too would love to live that way, but lack the yuletide influenced confidence to do so? Maybe...but I bet I share that sled with many, now back to the book...

Flora is a doll! She is unapologetically HER in everything she does and that's FANTASTIC! She's a great person with a bad track record in work and love, but it's not for a lack of trying. The former...she helps too many people, much to her own detriment; the latter...she doesn't want to compromise herself for someone else. Neither was something I could fault her for, so when she embarked on this new stage in her life, I was right there rooting her on. I couldn't think of a better solution to her problems, and with the friends she has, as well as the ones she makes, she's definitely on the way to a brighter future, come what may. That come what may comes in the form of a "Norse god" type man that would give the Grinch a run for his money, and yet is connected with one of the biggest holiday events in their area. Go figure. The run-ins he has with her range from straight aggravation to heart flutter moments, with a few embarrassing ones in-between, but in the end...there's the hope for a reformed man, there's the chance of a wish granted, and a candy cane sweet ending that is fit for the season.

Start your holiday reading early and get to know the true meaning of Christmas from festive Flora...as she opens hearts one encounter at a time.




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About the author...


Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She's been widely published in short story anthologies, and in fiction magazines. And now she is focusing on writing romance.

Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true love.






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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun.


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Tuesday, October 26, 2021

RRR presents... BROOKLYN MONROE WANTS IT ALL by Karen Booth - REVIEW!

Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today on the blog, we've got Rachel's Random Resources with a spot asking their current tour featuring a woman of today asserting her desires in life to not just have her cake, but eat it too! It's a Contemporary Fiction with humor to boot, and characters you’ll love, so if I've intrigued you, fantastic! Let's get between the epages of today's blog tour guest and ebook of choice...


Brooklyn Monroe Wants It All
by
Karen Booth


About the book...
She can’t hit the snooze on her biological clock forever…

Love, career, kids—Brooklyn Monroe wants it all. Her beauty company? A triumph. Her love life? Total fail. At 42, that makes motherhood her top priority. With no man in her life, she’s prepared to fly solo, but her plan is derailed when a mailing list mishap turns Brooklyn into a someone-get-me-pregnant internet meme. Making her PR nightmare go away entails a soul-baring interview on national TV. And the guy asking the questions? Her all-too sexy ex.

Talk show host Alec Trakas is the king of bad timing. Case in point, his heartbreaking romance with Brooklyn. Alec was all about commitment but Brooklyn was launching her start-up, and forever wasn’t in the cards. Now a shot at his ultimate dream job depends on convincing Brooklyn to spill the secrets leading to her viral celebrity. It sets Alec’s star rising, but puts Brooklyn in a sea of flirty men. Fate has thrown them back together. Sparks are flying. But is the timing finally right? Because having it all might not be worth the risk of losing each other again.




Amazon. |  B&N. |Apple. |  Kobo




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Brooklyn was a gal who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it. She and her sister paid their dues in the business world, under the firm thumb of their mother, no less, took things off path with their own startup, and made a success of it against all odds. True, there was the odd sacrifice along the way, I mean who's personal life doesn't take the back seat to their work life now and again, but while her sister muddled through and found her happy ever after match, Brooklyn just couldn't make a debt in her calendar. Annual gyno appointment later and she's reminded that a woman's fertility has a time clock attached... and hers is ticking towards zero with deafening tocks. Not on one to sit on her laurels because she's always wanted a child, Brooklyn makes it her mission to get the job done, one way or another, man in her life or the scientific equivalent. Smart cookie right? All seemed kosher until a well timed joke kicks her search into high gear in a most cosmically funny and cringe worthy way. Good thing Brooklyn knows how to navigate uncomfortable waters, and who knows... like has a funny way off working with fate for some unexpected but amazing results sometimes.


Unconventional? Yes, but I was rooting for her all the way! From the moment I could see the BIG MOMENT going astray to the reunion that we weren't certain was for the best, but you couldn't help but hold your breath for, I just knew it girl would power through and land on her rock star heels running! Every misstep, every misfire...I tried to see the bright side. The should have been proofed letter, the responses aplenty, the good guy’s reconsideration, the story that took on a life of its own, all went into adding color and flavor to this tale. It showed us a woman's woman not afraid to follow her own path, dance to her own beat and demand the best out of life in all areas. It reminds us that we can have it all, if not exactly in the ways we imagined, and if we're willing to work for it. Whether it's a refocus of priorities, or an acceptance of compromise, anything is possible with a little tweaking.




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About the author...

Karen Booth is a midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on '80s music and repeated readings of "Forever" by Judy Blume. Karen writes contemporary romance and women's fiction, almost always about the dreamy guy you never thought you'd get. Her stories are full of breathless kisses, tearjerker moments, family dynamics, and more than a few things she's glad her grandmother never read.








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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun.




Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!




Monday, October 25, 2021

TLC Book Tours presents... THE WEDDING WAGER by Eva Devon - REVIEW!

HI guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, I'm pleased to be joining TLC Book Tours and a slew of fabulous bloggers on a tour featuring a BOOK BIRTHDAY celebrant, out now via Entangled Publishing!  It's from their Amara line and features author Eva Devon's latest Historical Romance that will captivate, charm, and enchant...while providing both laughter and steam along the way!  Sound like your cup of tea?  FABULOUS...mine too!  Ladies and gents, allow me to introduce today's blog tour guest and ebook of choice...


The Wedding Wager
by
Eva Devon
Entangled Amara

About the book...
All Lady Victoria Kirby wants is to dig in the dirt, take notations, and record history, thank you very much. Bumbling through ballrooms and getting disdained by the ton for her less than ideal looks, on the other hand, is the last thing she wants. But her reckless father has a different idea for her future when he puts up the ultimate ante—her hand in marriage—and loses. Over her dead body.

The Duke of Chase cannot bear to see a woman misused. After all, he saw that often enough as a child. So when he’s witness to a marquess gambling away his daughter to a lecher of a man, he has no choice but to step in and rescue her. Lady Victoria has a reputation for being as tart as a lemon and as bitter as one, too. So, he may have just found the perfect wife to keep a promise he made to himself long ago--to never have an heir. With her, surely, he'll never be tempted to take her to bed and break that promise.

But when he meets the wild, witty intelligent young lady he’s bound to marry, he knows trouble is headed his way... And everything he ever swore to uphold may very well come undone, especially his heart.







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From the opening lines, this book had me hooked.  I mean what other reaction can you have to a Duke having thoughts of murdering one of his own from the ton while gambling for way more than the price of gold?  Exactly...oh, and I side with the Duke; that guy deserved what he had in mind for him and worse!

We begin with a hand in marriage given away like so many poker chips, and while not the best sounding of foundations, it works for both their purposes.  He the notorious rake who wishes to continue his ways while never having an heir.  She the woman perfectly content with her own company that desires to dive into the past not herald a new future.  He has the well known "beauty" and she the plainness that would not draw unwanted attention, nor even the adoration of her own husband.  Ah yes, a union that would be for the poets...err, um...okay, well it would secure both the futures they seek and provide companionship in times of need...HOWEVER, ladies and gentlemen, the heart wants what the heart wants, and closeness can open the soul's eyes to things beyond fancy trappings, and decorations.  As more often than not proved, once you get to REALLY know a person, their true beauty shines...and these two could potentially be a match made in heaven.  If, that is, they can each get out of their own way...

I was whole heartedly glued to the page, and while I guessed where it was going to implode, it did nothing to take away from the moment, nor the steps taken afterward.  Dare I say, I was perhaps even more excited to see where things went having pondered the idea for all the preceding pages!  It's definitely a story of plans going awry, appearances being deceiving, and the ton's knowledge being guided by idle gossip that they believe to be truths instead of actual fact.  Does that work in their favor?  Absolutely, until it doesn't anymore because hearts can change, and feelings, or a lack thereof, grow into something even more noteworthy...like the big "L" word.

All in all, a stunning read that made the epages fly by.  If you're a Historical Romance fan that doesn't mind a bit of steaminess, humor, and misconceptions that need overcoming by characters you won't want to forget, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!



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About the author...


USATODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Eva Devon, was raised on literary fiction, but quite accidentally and thankfully, she was introduced to romance one Christmas by Johanna Lindsey's Mallory novella, The Present. A romance addict was born. She devoured every single Lindsey novel within a few months and moved on to contemporary and paranormal with gusto. Now, she loves to write her own roguish dukes, alpha males and the heroines who tame them.





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Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours and the Entangled Publishing team for the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Entangled Amara, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE TOUR making its way through the blogosphere for more bookish fun!


Monday, October 25th: @a_stylish_bookworm
Tuesday, October 26th: Reading Reality
Tuesday, October 26th: @readingforamoment
Wednesday, October 27th: From the TBR Pile
Thursday, October 28th: The Obsessed Reader and @obsessedread
Friday, October 29th: @whimsyreadswithshelby
Saturday, October 30th: @purrfectpages
Saturday, October 30th: @bookmom22
Monday, November 1st: @olivias.bookish.world
Wednesday, November 3rd: @nerdy_book_lover_1987
Thursday, November 4th: @latestbookcrush
Thursday, November 4th: @emilyisoverbooked
Friday, November 5th: @angelareadsbooks
Sunday, November 7th: @transportedlfl
Monday, November 8th: @bookscallmyheart
Tuesday, November 9th: @readinginfairyland
Wednesday, November 10th: Laura’s Reviews and @laurasreviews_1
Friday, November 12th: @currentlyreadingwithcoffee
Monday, November 15th: Bewitched Bookworms – spotlight
Monday, November 15th: @readingandteaching247
Wednesday, November 17th: @radusreads
Thursday, November 18th: @readingwithmrsleaf
Friday, November 19th: @literallybookedsolid
Saturday, November 20th: @shopcoffeekids


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Friday, October 22, 2021

Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to WHEN THE SKIES CRY by Steve N. Lee - REVIEW!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're diving between the epagesof the second release in the Books for Dog Lovers series from author Steve N. Lee.  You might recall his first title, As the Stars Fall, that we featured right here on the site, and boy was it a tear jerker!  The title on deck today is also a Contemporary Fiction novel, the follow-up to the aforementioned title, in fact, that will equally make and break your heart a THOUSAND times over.  Seriously guys, this author does for dog stories what Nicholas Sparks does for tales of romance!  So, without further adieu, allow me to introduce today's book birthday celebrant and ebook of choice...


by
Steve N. Lee
9781914292118
Blue Zoo

About the book...
Sometimes, the one you’re saving is really saving you.

Harley loses everything when his master dies — his home, his best friend, his reason for living. Day after day, he trudges the streets, trembling from the biting cold, whimpering from the gnawing hunger.

Across town, Rachel has an alimony hearing looming and a make-or-break deadline hurtling toward her, yet they aren’t her biggest worries — her autistic son has withdrawn so far into his own private world, he barely acknowledges she even exists.

Luckily, the magic of life is in the surprises no one ever sees coming…







🐾   💜   🐾   💜   🐾   💜   🐾




I should've known what I was getting my heart into...
...but I just couldn't stop myself.  

Just as he did in the first book, author Steve N. Lee grabs you by the heartstrings and won't let you go.  We open with Harley and his current master in a bad situation.  He's trying everything a good dog knows to do, and even as good as he is, things are going to go much more wrong before they ever start to get better.  He soon learns the world isn't as dog friendly, if you're traveling in a pack of one, but even with those setbacks, even with the world lashing out at him, he still has a heart of gold.  He's still a GOOD DOG.  He shows kindness to a stray pup...one that's awfully familiar (*hint hint*...~whispers~ from the first book!)...and when a human stranger reaches out a hand to him, he accepts it in kind, even to the point of risking his own life to safe theirs. All should be well from there then, right?  Aww, I see you're new to his writing...

The human side of the story is just as tragic and yet just as beautiful.  A mother and her son facing life unlike either was prepared for, depending on one another in ways they can't even fathom, and then at the worst of times...a dog in the road, or rather park.  It's not what wanted at the time, but it just might be what they BOTH need in order to turn their lives around.  Add in a health scare, multiply that by a few, and the confusion that things like that can bring to any family, let alone one living with, and loving someone severely on the spectrum...and you begin to see the lay of the land.  Things get better, and things get worse...just as in life...but they still push through each day, growing, learning, loving, and when they can, laughing.  It sounds like a simple thing, but it can be the very best sound in the world to your heart.  

All in all, a wonderful story that will leave you in pieces, yet you wouldn't have it any other way.  It was harsh, yet genuine.  It seemed like their lot in life to struggle, and yet an angel on four legs was sent their way.  I cried, several times, for the beauty of the tale, and my broken heart from the words spilling forth on the page like so many tears from my eyes.  You wanted to help them understand so much.  You wanted to be there for them to break their falls.  You wanted to undo all the hurts, and losses, and bad times, leaving only the good behind...but if life shows us anything, you have to take the good with the bad because in the end it makes it that much sweeter.



🐾   💜   🐾   💜   🐾   💜   🐾


About the author...

Steve N. Lee

Apart from animals and writing, Steve’s passion is travel. He’s visited 58 countries and enjoyed some amazing experiences, including cage-diving with great white sharks, sparring with a monk at a Shaolin temple, and watching a turtle lay eggs on a moonlit beach. He’s explored Machu Picchu, Pompeii, and the Great Wall of China, yet for all that, he’s a man of simple tastes — give him an egg sandwich and the TV remote control, and he’ll be happy for hours!

He lives in the North of England with his partner, Ania, and two black cats who graciously allow Steve and Ania to stay in their house.


SITE  |   FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER



🐾   💜   🐾   💜   🐾   💜   🐾



Thank you Thursday | Days Of The Year

Special thanks to author Steve N. Lee for the ebook for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or his others works, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is AVAILABLE NOW via Blue Zoo, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!




Thursday, October 21, 2021

RRR presents... WHEN ONLY PRIDE REMAINS by Natalie Kleinman - REVIEW!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're on board with Rachel's Random Resources for another blog tour making its way through the blogosphere. This time around, it's a Historical Fiction, one of my favorite genres, and a new to me author that holds a lot of promise! Ladies and gents, grab your cloak and bonnet, as we make way for today's blgo tour guest and ebook of choice...


When Only Pride Remains
by
Natalie Kleinman


About the book...
A enchanting story of love, loss and healing set in Regency England! For fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Jane Aiken Hodge and Jane Austen.


Can two estranged friends find their way back to each other…?

Regency England
When her father —Major Angus Fairham — returns home from the Napoleonic wars, Prudence is excited to welcome him home to Fairham Manor.

However, tragedy strikes when Angus loses his estate to his close friend and comrade — young Captain Jack Staveley — in a drunken game of cards. Unable to face his loss, Angus takes his own life.

Distraught, Jack tries to restore Fairham Manor to Prudence, but she is too proud to accept his offer.

Overcome with grief and anger, she retreats to her aunt’s house in Bath and distances herself from her once close friendship with Jack.

But as the initial shock of her sorrow begins to dull, Prudence is soon missing the support of her most trusted confidant.

And when they once more find themselves in each other’s orbit, she must decide whether she can put aside her pride and open her heart…




WHEN ONLY PRIDE REMAINS is a historical romantic tale set in Regency England, with a feisty heroine and a moving love story at its heart.







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Is there anything better than a tale that promises romance, with a title that begs you to remember a classic, and a story that draws you in with questions, intrigue, and ultimately the potential sacrifice of one person that holds another so very dear? *contented sigh* Okay, so there might be depending on your mood, but my mood today screams NO...THERE IS NOTHING BETTER!

Pru was a gem, and lived with more freedom than most during this time at her age. Her father was a soldier, so his time away from home left her the "mistress of the house", and introduced the idea of independence to her at a formidable age. Was she uncouth in public? Was she unable to stand head held high at presentations? Certainly not...but given a choice between being at attention, or have a gathering at home, she'd welcome the latter with good friends any time. Jack was the friend she knew all her life, and a stalwart shadow by her father's side. Whether in battle or on the home front, he was true to form...and so when circumstances presented themselves that were grave indeed, he sought to do the right thing. Much like the title though, pride often gets in the way, and so we see our first steps taken beyond the boundaries of Fairham Manor by our lady, Pru. She'll have much to go through in order to find her way, but find it she must, and own it she will, until fate sees her full circle once again.

My only quandary, my only hesitation is the way in which the story was catapulted into some form of action. It was a desperate act that appeared so very suddenly and from what I gathered about the individual, much out of character. Then, we have the very convenient appearance of a long lost relative...or two...or three...with a backstory rather shady and one sided thanks to the unfortunate demise of most others involved...do you see where I'm going? Yeah, I was waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop the entire novel. Did it damper my enjoyment? Perhaps a shade, but it didn't infringe on it enough to pull me away. I wanted to see how Jack's plan would work out. I wished to see Pru back home where she belonged. I desired to know how everything would be tied up by book's end...so there was no stopping me in my determination to turns pages.

All in all, a story to remember filled with heartbreak, unknowns, and new adventures...but sometimes the best of times happen to come from the worst. Historical Fiction fans, take note!




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About the author...


Natalie’s passion for reading became a compulsion to write when she attended a ten-week course in creative writing some sixteen or so years ago. She takes delight in creating short stories of which more than forty have been published, but it was her lifelong love of Regency romance that led her to turn from contemporary romantic fiction to try her hand at her favourite genre. Raised on a diet of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, she is never happier than when immersed in an age of etiquette and manners, fashion and intrigue, all combined into a romping good tale. She lives on the London/Kent border, close to the capital’s plethora of museums and galleries which she uses for research as well as pleasure. A perfect day though is when she heads out of town to enjoy lunch by a pub on the river, any river, in company with her husband and friends.

Natalie is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the Society of Authors and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.






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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun.


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!



Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Walden Pond Press presents... THE TROUBLED GIRLS OF DRAGOMIR ACADEMY by Anne Ursu - REVIEW!

Hi guys and gals!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we've teamed up with Walden Pond Press to bring you the final stop on their current tour featuring the latest release from author Anne Ursu.  Whether you're already a fan of her work, or just now discovering it, you're in for a treat because the title on deck has MAGIC, WONDER, DANGER, and SURPRISES galore!  Combine those fabulous words with characters you'll want to know, and an adventure you'll wish to physically partake in (although reading it IS the next best thing!), and you can't help but see why I'm enthusiastic about it.  So, gather your wits, and remember who you are at heart because today's title is about to take center stage....


by
Anne Ursu
9780062275127
Walden Pond Press

About the book...
If no one notices Marya Lupu, it is likely because of her brother, Luka. And that’s because of what everyone knows: that Luka is destined to become a sorcerer. The Lupus might be from a small village far from the capital city of Illyria, but that doesn’t matter. Every young boy born in in the kingdom holds the potential for the rare ability to wield magic, to protect the country from the terrifying force known only as the Dread.

For all the hopes the family has for Luka, no one has any for Marya, who can never seem to do anything right. But even so, no one is prepared for the day that the sorcerers finally arrive to test Luka for magical ability, and Marya makes a terrible mistake. Nor the day after, when the Lupus receive a letter from a place called Dragomir Academy—a mysterious school for wayward young girls. Girls like Marya.

Soon she is a hundred miles from home, in a strange and unfamiliar place, surrounded by girls she’s never met. Dragomir Academy promises Marya and her classmates a chance to make something of themselves in service to one of the country’s powerful sorcerers. But as they learn how to fit into a world with no place for them, they begin to discover things about the magic the men of their country wield, as well as the Dread itself—things that threaten the precarious balance upon which Illyria is built.



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From the moment I met Marya, I knew she would be a special girl.  Despite all the attention being hefted on her brother, despite all the grief her parents give her, despite all the hard times, heartless moments, and a general lack of love displayed, I just knew that her story wasn't meant to end there.  She was meant for bigger things, and whether or not her own brand of magic was recognized, one day she'd be seen for who she was.

Lucky for her, she has a select group of people that believe in her, and no matter how small, or distant that support may be, it matters.  SHE matters.  In fact, all the girls dumped or rounded up at this girl matter SO MUCH MORE than they can even fathom.  With those tenuous bonds of friendship made frayed to their ends, the quest to uncover the why behind the school, the curriculum (or lack thereof), and just why that terrible Dread is acting more our of sorts than usual seem like a lost cause, but I beg you, put your trust in those that you're told to not trust.  Give a chance to those that have been written off.  Use your noodle and gather your courage for all the times you were second guessed or under minded, and take heart because their world hadn't seen anything yet...and the best kept secret of all is the one hidden in plain sight.

I loved the story, and the characters.  Trying to figure out the angles along the way kept you going, and just when you thought it would go one way, you were back to square one, but if you follow Marya's trail wherever it may lead, you'll be THAT much closer to the answer....and the discovery that she makes that no one saw coming.  I can't wait to see what might be in store for future tales!




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About the author...


Anne Ursu is the author of several books for young readers and is the 2013 recipient of the McKnight Fellowship in Children’s Literature. Anne’s latest book, The Real Boy, is an Indie Next pick and on the 2013 longlist for the National Book Award. She is also the author of Breadcrumbs, which was acclaimed as one of the best books of 2011 by the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Amazon.com, and the Chicago Public Library. It was also on the IndieBound Next List and was featured on NPR’s Backseat Book Club. Anne is also the author of the three books that comprise The Cronus Chronicles: The Shadow Thieves, The Siren Song, and The Immortal Fire.

Anne teaches at Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and lives in Minneapolis with her son and three cats.



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Special thanks to Debbie and the Walden Pond Press team for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to snag your copy today, and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!



October 12 

October 13 

October 14

October 15 

October 16 

October 17

October 18 

October 20



Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!



Tuesday, October 19, 2021

RRR presents... ANIMALYMPICS by Josie Dom - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!


HI there! 
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 


Today, we’re sharing a stop along the current Rachel’s Random Resources tour starring a Children’s book that’s filled to the brim with animal antics in a way you never imagined. It’s a story that takes the animal out of the habitat and puts them in the spotlight, just were their fellow humans would have been actively pursuing their own sport filled dreams if a certain pandemic hadn’t struck. Yes, my friends, you’ve been invited with front row reading seats to the... 


Animalympics 
by 
Josie Dom 


About the book... 
Woodpecker Will presents the Animalympics! Whilst the humans stay indoors, the animal kingdom takes over to hold the sporting event of the century! Join the golfing ostriches, trampolining moles and weight-lifting gorillas (plus many more) in a fun rhyming adventure for all ages. 





AMAZON US | UK 




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That’s right! 

It’s time for the Olympics, only this time the animals take center stage as they show us and each other just what they’ve got! Imagine the cheetahs in the sprint! Take a closer look at a surfing dolphin! Just think what your average house cat could do to a floor routine or on the balance beam! This fascinating and wide array of animals get their chance to shine in events that only humans have dominated...at least until now...and why shouldn’t they! They’ve got talent, they’ve got skill, and with most of us in quarantine, self-imposed or otherwise, they’ve got free run of the place….and after they have the BLAST that they have this time around, there’s only one thing left for them to do. Plan a WINTER version next! 

All in all, it was a fun look at what could be for our fur, feathered, and otherwise adorned animal friends. It reminds us that animals are so much more than what we at times realize, and teaches great lessons in sportsmanship, team spirit, and friendly competition...all while dazzling the eye with colorful graphics filled to the brim with animalistic personality! 





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About the author... 



Josie Dom is a children’s author learning to embrace her individuality. 

Join her in a world of imagination where anything could happen and the most important things are friendship and kindness. 

Josie lives in the small town of Halstead in Essex with her husband Nic Phine (illustrator of the Lum books), their son and daughter, a mixed-up dog (LabLurchTrievOodle) Frank and a big fluffy ginger cat called Mittens. 

Although Josie’s books are too young for her children now, it was their love of stories when they were little which inspired Josie to pick up her pen and create. 

After a lifetime in sensible office jobs, Josie is relishing the opportunity to explore her creative side. 

Josie is passionate about supporting causes close to her heart. Each year, Josie donates 15% of profit on book sales to a children’s charity. 

In 2020, due to Covid-19, Josie penned an Animalympics which she used to raise funds for UK zoos. 








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CHANCE TO WIN
...a signed copy of Animalympics, an Animalympics gold medal plus stickers and bookmarks
 (Open to UK only) 

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.







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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun.



Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Monday, October 18, 2021

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Cynthia Starts a Band by Olivia Swindler - GUEST POST!

HI there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're teaming up with PR by the Book to shine the BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a debut release that speaks to discovering who we really are, what we want out of life, and having the gumption to present that true self to the world.  Along with the spotlight, we've got a special GUEST POST from the author about the authenticity of the story she's sharing, so, if you're ready, let's get this feature started as we present...


Cynthia Starts a Band
by
Olivia Swindler


About the book....

EVEN AMERICA’S SWEETHEART POP-SUPERSTAR HAS TROUBLE FINDING THEIR VOICE IN THE HEARTBREAKINGLY HONEST DEBUT NOVEL FROM OLIVIA SWINDLER

Eleanor Quinn lives a life most young girls dream of. She’s the lead singer of a wildly successful band, dating the most beautiful man in America, and in love with her life on tour. She pours her heart into every song she writes and genuinely enjoys connecting with fans. So, when she disappears after her fiance’s fairy-tale perfect proposal on stage, the world is shocked. Worse yet, he starts telling interviewers that Eleanor is crazy -- possibly even a danger to herself and those around her. As the weeks go by, the world wants to know: Who is Eleanor Quinn really?

But Eleanor needs to find that out for herself.

Broken and filled with self-doubt after the proposal, Eleanor embarks on a journey to regain agency in her life. She needs to reconnect with the Ellie Quinn underneath pop sensation “Eleanor Quinn.” Determined to find herself again, she moves in with her cousin in Seattle, picks a new name, and enrolls in a local university’s writing class. But she starts to realize that running away and starting over isn’t as easy as it seems in movies. Crushed by self-doubt and subconscious fears, ghosts from her past refuse to leave her alone. She realizes the only way forward is to share her version of the past.

Olivia Swindler’s debut novel embraces the values of family, empowerment, and healing and draws on the #metoo movement. Reminiscent of Evvie Drake Starts Over (Linda Holmes) and Searching for Sylvie Lee (Jean Kwok), Cynthia Starts a Band tells the story of starting over, discovering who you are when the world isn’t looking, and summoning the courage to be honest with yourself and the world.




AMAZON  |  B&N




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~~~   GUEST POST with Author Olivia Swindler   ~~~


I have always been a storyteller. From the moment I learned that I could keep my sister's attention if I had a good enough story, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

When I started writing, it took me years to find my voice. No matter what the plot was, for some reason, the story kept falling flat. The words that I was writing didn't feel like me because they weren't me. The stories I was trying to tell were not mine to carry. I knew it. Those who read my words knew it. It was not authentic.

In my mid-twenties, I had an "oh-my-gosh-the-world-is-ending-and-I-will-never-find-love-again" breakup. (Older and wiser now, I wish I was dramatic when I typed those words, but I know that you can find that phrasing verbatim somewhere in a text to my sister). I really thought that my life was over.

I started to tell a few of my friends about my recently ended relationship. After describing something my ex had said to me while we were dating, one of my dearest friends said the words I had been dreading and denying—that he had been emotionally abusive and manipulative.

With the pieces of my broken heart, I refused to believe her. He HAD loved me. I loved him.

A few months went by, and I did my best to forget her words. I moved on with my life. I figured out who I was again. I felt like myself. And then, one morning, I got on Twitter. The #metoo movement had begun, and I found myself absentmindedly scrolling through the tweets. I could relate to almost every tweet. The things these women were calling abuse were things that I had experienced in this relationship.

I fell to the floor and cried.

From my spot on the floor, I wrote what would become the last song in Cynthia Starts a Band, Wasn't Love. I had spent the better half of a year justifying this bad behavior because I thought that the way I was being treated was the way love was supposed to look like. For years, I held onto that song, keeping it as an anthem to myself. It was a reminder of what I had walked through. A testament to my own strength and courage.

And then, after years of writing stories that were not mine to write, the story of Eleanor Quinn, a woman who is escaping an abusive relationship, came to me. The words ultimately wrote themselves.

  • I wrote Cynthia Starts a Band as a beacon of hope for anyone trying to find their agency again.

  • I wrote Cynthia Starts a Band as a love letter to anyone who has felt alone in their pain.

  • I wrote Cynthia Starts a Band to remind myself of the courage it takes to start over.

I hope that through stories like Cynthia Starts a Band, readers feel empowered and remember that they can do hard things. I hope you feel seen. I hope you feel loved.





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About the author...


Olivia Swindler was raised in Spokane, Washington but currently resides in Grenoble, France, as the Communication Coordinator for Young Life in Europe. She spends most of her spare time wandering through the mountains and eating her weight in bread. 

Olivia believes that through fiction we can learn and grow from one another because there is something magical about picking up a book and allowing it to transport you someplace new. Cynthia Starts a Band is her debut novel. She hopes it will create and foster hard, real-life conversations, inspiring readers to have the courage to discover who they are when the world isn't looking


SITE  |  FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM  |  TWITTER



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Special thanks to Leslie at PR by the Book for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today!


Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!