BLOGMAS Day 5: December + Goals

Hello Lovelies!

It's been pretty quiet this year on Writing My Story, it's been an insane year. I've been so busy and this year has just flown by, I keep trying to catch up and it just hasn't happened.

Even though I've been crazy busy I've decided to go out of 2016 with a bang! Keeping with tradition last week I started this years BLOGMAS!

Clean my room at least once a week.

I've been doing good here lately so I'm hoping I can keep it up and keep it clean.

Blog consistently throughout December.

I'm gonna give it a shot this year and see if I can keep up with the schedule I made!

Get my nose pierced?
I've been going back and forth on this for years! I was going to do it last week when I got my bonus from work, but I had to make my car payment, so it didn't happen.

Have a Christmas movie night.
I love Christmas movies, I love all the old classic cartoons and of course my favorite is The Grinch!!!

Finish the paperback book I'm reading.
I really need to finish Catching Fire and I also started re-reading Pretty Little Liars!

Get back in the gym.
Now that I'm out of physical therapy I want to get back in a normal gym routine!

Organize and declutter my closet
I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I still haven't got my winter clothes out yet! It finally started getting colder here about two weeks ago, so far I haven't needed a heavy coat during the day. However, I've been working a lot of 1-10's and so when I leave work at night I'm freezing, so I really need to find my coat and put it in my car!

Start stretching again.

I quit going to physical therapy last month, I felt like I wasn't improving enough to justify spending 2-3 hours there 2-3 days a week. I can do the stretches here and home. I haven't noticed that big of a difference since I quit going, but I do thing it will help loosen me back up.

Give Khan Academy a try.
I really want to improve my math skills, I want to brush up on old skills and master new skills. Also I love history, so I'm hoping their History courses will be what I'm looking for!

Find time to enjoy Christmas music this year.
Last year between working and everyday life I didn't get to listen to a lot of Christmas music. I love Christmas music, so I want to make the time to listen to it and enjoy it this year!

Be more active on social media.
I've been working on this  here recently, I've been trying really hard with twitter, I try to queue enough posts for a week on Tumblr. My problem area seems to be Instagram!

What are your goals for this month?

XoXo,

Lori
BLOGLOVIN  INSTAGRAM  PINTEREST  TWITTER  TUMBLR

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall TBR List

Hello Lovelies,

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This Week's Theme: Ten Characters I'd name a child/dog/cat/car/etc. after.

I decided to go off topic this week, I really wanted to do this week's TTT, but I just wasn't feeling the topic. I missed this year's Books On My Fall TBR List, so I figured why not give it a go this week!

May Goals

Hello Lovelies!

I cannot believe I haven't posted a monthly goals in months! Actually, I can believe it. I didn't realize until yesterday that I only posted Links to Love and Weekly Inspiration posts last month. 

Anyway, here's my goals for May!

Read 3 books.
I've been slacking in the reading department, so maybe this month I can get back to it.

Write 5 blog posts this month.
Last month I posted five times, but I only posted Weekly Inspiration posts and Links to Love. I didn't have any real content. I want to do my best this month and try to branch out.

Get back to blogging.
I want to get back into all things blogging. Reading other blogs, commenting on other blogs, link-ups, posting more, etc.

Work on Blog Design.
I still haven't got my blog design fixed from my major screw up a few months ago.

Finish my FAFSA.
I know, I know, I'm late on this one, but I already had the financial aid office at my local community college tell me that I won't qualify for any free money, my only option is loans.

Send in my high school transcript.
Now this is an easy one.

Work on managing my anxiety.
Here lately my anxiety has been acting up a lot. I'm hoping that this month I can focus on learning to manage my anxiety.

Lose 2 pounds. 
I've been going to the gym for a little over a month now and I can feel myself getting stronger and I love it!

Buy a new pair of shoes.
My current tennis shoes are worn out, between working 8 hour shifts on my feet and going to the gym 4-5 times a week, I need a new pair.

Find a new car. 
Let's be honest my Suzuki sucks, it's time for a new car.

XoXo,

Lori

Snapchat:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Enjoyed Recently

Hello Lovelies!

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme: Ten Book I Enjoyed Recently (last yearish) That Weren't My Typical Genre/Type of Book (or that was out of your comfort zone)

I could only come up with five books for this weeks topic, but I promise they are all great reads!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is a first read for me, I've seen the movies, but I've never read the books. I just started the third section of the first book and I have to say I think the movies did a really good job at staying true to the original story.

Dark Visions by L.J. Smith

I am also currently reading this book, yes I'm one of those people who reads multiple books at a time!  L.J. Smith is one of my favorite authors of all time, I love her Night World Series and I'm still holding out hope that she might finish the last book one day. 

Trail of Secrets by Eileen Goudge

This is a re-read for me, I finished it for the millionth time last month and I still love it just as much as i did the first time.

Rodeo Rescuer by Lynette Eason
I LOVED reading this one, I loved the first one and this one was just as perfect! I would definitely recommend this one if you want a quick, easy read.

Falling Fast by Tina Wainscott
Honestly this book is so good, it could definitely pass for a Nicholas Sparks book!

If you participated in this week's TTT leave your link below!

XoXo,

Lori

Blogmas Day 8: December Update

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you're all doing well, today I have an update for you. I've been mostly absent for the past three months and I'm trying to get back into the flow of things.

I wish I could say I've been off on an amazing adventure, but that's not the truth. The truth is I was burnout on everything. I was working so hard trying to juggle work, school, and blogging five days a week that I wasn't taking care of me.

To be honest I'm still working on taking care of me, but we're getting there. A few different things have been going on that I haven't been able to share with y'all, so why not get it out in the open now?

Back in June my back started hurting really bad, so I went to the doctor, two x-rays, an MRI, a trip to Nashville, and a neurosurgeon eventually gave me the diagnosis of early Degenerative Disc Disease in August. Right now we're treating with physical therapy, and I go back to the doctor in Nashville next month, if it's not better (which it's not) then I'll probably have to get a steroid shot in my back.

 On top of all that I had blood work done in August and I was anemic, again, my doctor is retesting me next week and if it I'm still anemic she mentioned the possibility of me needing an iron infusion, which I'm really not looking forward to.

To top it all off last night I dropped my laptop (15.6") on my foot and I'm pretty sure I broke my little toe. It really hurts and I'm really not looking forward to putting on shoes!

Reading: Trail of Secrets by Eileen Goudge
I've read this book many times before and I'm reading it again, it's an old favorite of mine.

Watching: Dr.Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas
This is my all time favorite Christmas movie, I watch it year round and I can't get enough!

Listening to: Christmas Music

Dreaming Of: A Wonderful Christmas
Sadly I have to work Christmas Eve, which means I'll miss getting to see my family, open presents, and eating a warm meal. But hopefully Christmas Day will be good even though it won't be the same.

Planning: For the future.
I'm working on a few different things right now with school, work, and blogging. I'm trying to get everything done and I honestly don't have enough time to do any of it.

Trying: A new recipe!
A few days ago at work a woman came through my line and she told me about a two ingredient fudge recipe.

Goal Setting: At least 10 blog posts for December.

I want to have at least 10 blog posts for the month of December, I would love to do more, but 10 would make me happy.

I know I'm a week late, but I'm going to do my best to finish Blogmas and do as many posts as I possibly can this month!

That's all for today and I will definitely have a post up tomorrow!

XoXo,

Lori

Currently: July 2015

Hello Lovelies!

I was planing on posting this yesterday, but it just didn't happen. I've been so busy lately, I just haven't had the time to get any writing done, thankfully I have Thursday off and I only work four hours Friday, so I'm hoping I can get some blog posts scheduled for next week, then.

It's been a while since I last did a post of things I currently going on in my life, so I decided to do one today. I think I might start doing one every month, but we'll see!

Reading: Remind Me by Ann Marie Walker
So far I'm really enjoying this book and I'm hoping I can get a review up wither later this week or next week.

Watching: Gilmore Girls & Grey's Anatomy
I restarted my Netflix account last week and so I'm continuing where I left off on these two shows!

Listening To: Cool for the Summer by Demi Lovato

Dreaming Of: Fall & Winter!
It's too hot! I can't wait for fall and winter to get here, boots, hot chocolate, pumpkin everything!

Planning: For the ACT.
I'm retaking the ACT later this year. I didn't do so great on it last year, so I decided to retake it so that I can get more scholarships and financial aid.

Stocking Up On: Simple Cleansing Wipes
I've been having trouble finding these wipes here in the US, so when I found some last week I bought two packs!

Trying: New foods.
Last week I tried broccoli, I still hate it!

Goal Setting: Next month's goals!

I'm making goals for August and I'll be sharing them next week

What's currently going on in your life? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

July Goals

Hello Lovelies!

I hope y'all had a great 4th of July weekend, sadly I had to work the whole weekend, but thankfully I have today off. Honestly I needed a break, the past four days have been rough and last night was it for me.

I just want to take a minute and ask all of you to please be nice to cashiers, we go through a lot on a daily basis and have to deal with some really awful people. If you're having a bad day, stay home, don't take it out on us, we're just trying to make a living.

So that's my little rant for the day, just be nice! Here's my goals for July!

10 Goals!

Finish College Prep Algebra II Part 1.
I was hoping to finish this last month, but it just didn't happen, but it will get done this month!

Finish College Prep American Government.
I'm actually enjoying this one, but at the same time I'm ready to move on to my next course.

Start & Try to Finish English 3 Part 1.
I'm just waiting for my final grades to be posted from my last two courses and then I can start this class, it should be pretty easy.

Raise My GPA.
This is a big goal for me this month, last month my GPA dropped to the lowest it's ever been, thankfully once I get my final grades back for my Vocabulary Studies course it should be back to where it was, if not higher. But still I want to get it even higher than it was before.

Read three books.
I think I read two books last month and I bought four. I think I need to read some more!

Save $100.
I was able to save $30 last month, this month I want to save more. I really need to buy a new laptop, so my plan is to spend the next few months saving money so that I can get what I want and that's going to last for years.

Blog Consistently.
So far this is not off to a good start, this post was supposed to be up yesterday, but that didn't happen.

Get Ahead With Blog Posts.
This month I want to focus on getting ahead with some blog posts, I used to schedule my posts 1-2 weeks in advance, but since I started working I've been letting that slip which is why I only had 15 posts last month.

Start Writing Again.
Can I let you in on a little secret? The truth is, I haven't written a single word for my book since December! I have a very serious case of writers blog going on, I thought that maybe if I stopped worrying about it and gave myself a break from writing it would be easier to figure out the kinks, but it's not working. I think I'm going to just move on and try working on another project, I just want to start writing again.

Read & Comment On More Blogs.
Last month I didn't read that many blogs and I didn't leave that many comments either, I hate that. I hate not reading and commenting on other blogs because it makes me feel like a bad blogger.

What are your goals for July? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Book Review: Leslie Kelly - Oh, Naughty Night

Today I will be reviewing 'Oh, Naughty Night' by Leslie Kelly, copy received from Netgalley via Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

'Oh, Naught Night' is a romance novel, it is 224 pages long and it took me about three hours to read. It is available at Amazon (Kindle) for $2.99, and at Barnes & Noble (NOOKBook) $2.99.

Book Stats

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 224 Pages

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: October 21, 2014





Book Synopsis
Hot for the holidays!

Every Halloween party has its share of eye candy, and journalist Chaz Browning has just spotted a treat he can't resist -- a deliciously wicked witch with sparkly red hair and deep, dark eyes that promise all kinds of sexy tricks. She wants no names. No strings. Just a night of lust-filled magic.

The witch's mask may hide her face, but Lulu Vandenberg knows exactly who Chaz is. They spent most of their childhoods tormenting each other. So the moment Chaz touches her and everything turns to lust, Lulu knows she can never reveal her identity. But desire has a memory of its own, and Chaz has vowed to find his fantasy woman before the holidays end.

What did I think? 3 Stars

Would I recommend it?
If you want a fast-paced, quick read, with lots of sex, then yes I would recommend this book to you. If you're not into books with a lot of sex and sex talk, then you should probably pass this one up.

As for the characters, the chemistry between Lulu and Chaz is there from the very beginning, you can't miss it. I really enjoyed the secondary characters, I enjoyed the relationship between Lulu and Chaz's siblings.

Overall, it was an okay book, I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I've read other books by Leslie Kelly that I liked, so I would definitely read more of her work, and I would recommend you check out some of her other books.

Thank you Harlequin via Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!

Will you be buying this book? Let me know below!

XoXo,
Lori

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Recently Added To My TBR List

Hello lovelies!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's theme: Freebie!

Since this week is a freebie I decided to go with the theme from March 31, I was really busy that week and wasn't able to participate, so I'm really happy I get to do it now!

The theme is: Books I've Recently Added To My TBR List!

Emma Healey - Elizabeth is Missing
Holly Robinson - Haven Lake
Jessica Warman - The Last Good Day of the Year
Janice Kay Johnson - To Love A Cop
Lois Lowry - The Giver
Cassandra Clare - The Mortal Instruments:City of Bones
Emily Halban - Perfect: Anorexia & Me
Ben Elton - Two Brothers
Vanora Bennett - Midnight in St. Petersberg
Brett Anthony Johnston - Remember Me Like This

For this list I just randomly picked books off the last five pages of my Good Reads account, I have 544 books on my GoodReads TBR list

That's it for today, if you participated in this weeks TTT, leave your links below so I can check them out! What books have you recently added to your TBR list? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Top 10 Books I Want to Re-read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish .

This week's theme: Top Ten Books I Want to Re-Read

When I think of books I want to re-read I there really aren't many individual books I want to re-read, most of the books I want to re-read are series, so below is three series and two books I want to re-read!

The Malory Series by Johanna Lindsey (11 Books)

I LOVE the Malory series by Johanna Lindsey, my favorite characters are Anthony and James, I want to re-read this series because a new book was added to the series over the summer and I want to refresh my memory before I read it!

The Thirst/ The Last Vampire Series by Christopher Pike (9 Books or 5 Volumes)

This is another book series I read in Middle School, I finished read the first two volumes (6 books), and I started the third volume, but I never finished it. Honestly I don't really know why I stopped reading it, I think I was going through a lot at the time and I just stopped reading it, I've always wanted to finish it, I just haven't got around to it.

The Night World Series by L.J. Smith (9 Books)

I read the Night World series when I was proabably 11/12, I was going through puberty early and I remember at the time my mom wouldn't let me wear black finger nail polish and I really just wanted to rebel. 

While we were in the bookstore one day I saw the  Night World Series and the books were all black and had dark characters on the covers and I decided that I wanted the books, I really liked the book blurb, but I also wanted them because I knew it would make my mom mad (total badass moment right *sarcasm*). 

So I got the books and I ended up loving them, unfortunately the series was never completed and L.J keeps saying it's coming soon, which she has been saying for about 16 years when the last book came out. Honestly I don;t see the book ever being published, but I still want to re-read the series. I find it funny looking back just six years ago my mom wouldn't let me even wear black nail polish, and now I'm 17 and pretty much my entire closet consists of black clothing!

Trail of Secrets by Eileen Goudge

When I was younger I never could re-read a book, Trail of Secrets was the first book I was ever able to re-read, so of course I would love to re-read it, it's been about five years since I last read it, so I think I'm ready for another round with it.

Perfect by Natasha Friend

I read this book in Middle School and I remember really loving it, so I would love to re-read it so I could share it with you all!

So that's all for today, I hope you enjoyed today's post! What books do you want to re-read? Let me  know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Top Ten Tuesdays: 10 Authors I've Only Read One Book From But NEED To Read More

Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish .
This Week's Theme: Top 10 Authors I've Only Read One Book From But NEED To Read More

Eileen Goudge

Lindsey Brookes

Delores Fossen

Carmen DeSousa
Colleen Coble
Richelle Mead
Kim Harrison
Eileen Cook
Nina de Gramont
Kieran Scott

So there's my Top 10 Authors I've Only Read One Book From But NEED To Read More! What authors do you want to read more from? Let me know below!

XoXo,
Lori

Top 10 Tuesdays: 10 Books I'm Not Sure I Want To Read

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly link-up hosted by The Broke and the Bookish .

This week's theme: Top Ten Books I'm Not Sure I Want To Read

John Green - The Fault In Our Stars

Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Graeme Simsion - The Rosie Project

Dave Pelzer - A Child Called "It"

Laurie Halse Anderson - Speak

Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451

Atul Gawande - Complications

James P. Carse - Finite and Infinite Games

Marti Olsen Laney - The Introvert Advantage

Emile Zola - Therese Raquin

So there's my Top Ten Books I'm Not Sure I Want To Read, let me know below what you think! 

XoXo,

Lori

P.S.  I scheduled this post ahead of time, if I have internet by the time this post goes live then I'll link it up on The Broke and the Bookish's website, if not, then this week I just won't link up.

Book Review: Rachel Harris - Accidentally Married On Purpose

Today I will be reviewing 'Accidentally Married On Purpose' by Rachel Harris, copy received courtesy of Entangled Publishing, LLC via Netgalley.

  

         'Accidentally Married On Purpose' is a Romance Novel , and it is the third book in Rachel Harris' Love and Games series. It is 266 pages long, and took me about an four hours to read. And it is available at Amazon for $0.99 and Barnes and Noble also for $0.99.

Book Stats

Genre: Romance

Length: ebook, 266 pages

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC

Release Date: July 14, 2014

Book Synopsis:

One ring plus one wild night equals one crazy love.

Sherry Robicheaux loves men. She loves love. And she loves an adventure. So when she meets a mysterious man while working backstage at a country music concert in Vegas, she's all about what's happened in Vegas staying there.

Country music superstar Tyler Blue just wants a weekend of anonymity...thought there's something about the spunky waitress with the streaks of purple hair that tempts him like no other. Until the next morning, when they both wake up with fuzzy memories... and rings on their fingers.

Convincing Sherry to maintain the ruse for his public image isn't the hardest part-- it's reminding himself that their time spent playing husband and wife in her small town of Magnolia Springs can't last. Tyler's first love will always be music-- and the road is no place for a sweet downhome girl.

So what did I think? 5 Stars

Like: Everything! Especially the ending!
Dislike: The book cover, I think it could be better.

Age Rating: 15 & Up.
Other than cursing, this is a clean romance, there is sexual tension, but for the most part it's clean.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, this is my first Rachel Harris novel, but I can already tell I'll be reviewing more of her books in the future! I've been trying to stay away from getting invested in any new book series, but I actually want to read the other two books now.

I really love the fact that in Accidentally Married On Purpose you really get to know the characters, you get to know about their pasts and their dreams for the future, but it's not boring. Sometimes when I'm reading I get bored and skip over that type of stuff because it drags on and on, but that didn't happen with Accidentally Married On Purpose, I read every word and not once did I feel like the story was dragging.

If you're looking for a light, easy, clean romance novel, then this is the book for you!

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review!
Will you be buying this book? Let me know below!

XoXo,

Lori

Ten Classics On My To-Be-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish .

This week's theme: Top 10 of My Favorite Classics or Ten Classics on my TBR list.

I chose Ten Classics on my TBR list because I want to start reading more classics. A few years ago I went through a phase where I read a lot of classics, but in recent years the only classic I've read is To Kill A Mockingbird and that was for school.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

So that's my Top 10 Classics On My TBR List, what classics do you want to read? Let me know below.

XoXo,

Lori

Monday Reading

14 Things You Should Know About Eating Disorders.

I've shared before on here that I'm a supporter of raising awareness for eating disorders, so when I came across this, I knew I had to share it.

2014 College Fly-In Programs

If you're a rising Junior like me, then you've probably started looking into colleges and universities. Recently the 2014 Fly-In Program dates and information has started to be released, this is a link to the first round of announcements and more will be added as soon as that information is available.

The Cutest Animals You Have Never Heard Of

No explanation needed.

22 Awesome Things You Didn't Know About Your Dog

Again, there's no need for an explanation.

Random First Line Generator

As a writer, I know how hard it can be to get started, so here's a first line generator to help you out.

That's all for today, I hope enjoyed it! Let me know what you think in the comments!

XoXo,

Lori

Book Review: Johanna Lindsey - A Rogue of My Own (Locke Family Series #3

 Today I will be reviewing ' A Rogue of My Own' by Johanna Lindsey, I bought this book about 3 years ago for $7.99.

         'A Rogue of My Own' is a Historical Romance Novel, set in the 19th century and  is the third book in the Locke Family Series. It is 393 pages long, and took me about 5 hours to read.

   

 As usual here is the blurb from the back of the book.

    "For Lady Rebecca Marshall, a whirlwind of excitement begins when she becomes a maid of honor at the court of Queen Victoria. But when Rebecca unknowingly steps into the rivalry between the Queen's spymaster and a noblewoman who uses the maids as courtly spies, she is soon entangled in a web of deceit with the charming marquis Rupert St. John. The devastatingly handsome ne'er-do-well is cousin of Raphael Locke, with whom Rebecca was once infatuated...... He's also a secret agent of the crown who leads a double life.

     Certain that guileless Rebecca is spying on him, Rupert seduces her--- then, forced to wed, he believes she has set a trap of the worst sort in order to marry into his powerful family! But as he comes to know Rebecca's true heart, his vow of revenge and infidelity becomes a desire to share many passionate nights--- only with his beautiful wife. "

So what did I think?

Like:  It was fun to read. 

Dislike:  Nothing.

Age Rating: 17 and up. Depending on age and maturity.

I will start off by saying that Johanna Lindsey has been one of my favorite authors for many years now, but her new work just isn't as good as some of her older books and series ( The Malory Family Series). 'A Rogue of My Own' is still a great book, it just isn't as great as I was hoping it would be. 

I would describe the book as being a battle of the sexes, with Rebecca and Rupert constantly trying to spite one another. 

I would definitely recommend 'A Rogue of My Own' it's a wonderful book and a great story, it's an easy read, and it doesn't require you to know much about the 19th century. It may not be as great as some of Johanna's other books, but it's still worth taking the time to read!

 So that's all for today, I hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you think in the comments Have you read this book?  Do you have any recommendations?

          XoXo,

               Lori

   

Book Review: Johanna Lindsey- The Devil Who Tamed Her (Locke Family Series #2)

       Today I will be reviewing ' The Devil Who Tamed Her' by Johanna Lindsey, I bought this book about 3 years ago for $5.99.

         'The Devil Who Tamed Her' is a Historical Romance Novel, set in the 19th century and it is the second book in the Locke Family Series. It is 417 pages long, and took me about 5 hours to read.

  

As usual here is the blurb from the back of the book.

     " Ophelia Reid is an incomparable beauty with a reputation for starting rumors and spreading them. Having purposely wrecked her engagement to Duncan MacTavish, a future marquis, which her social-climbing father arranged, Ophelia wants to return to London's marriage mart and make her own choice of a wealthy husband. But on her journey home, something unexpected happens......

      The heir to a dukedom, Raphael Locke, Viscount Lynnfield is -- in spite of his disinterest in marriage -- the most sought-after young lord in England. he instantly disliked Ophelia when she caused a scandal to avoid marriage to his friend MacTavish, but having comforted  her in a tearful moment, he begins to wonder is she's not all bad. So when MacTavish claims Ophelia will never be anything but a spiteful beauty, Rafe bets his friend that he can turn her into a kindhearted lady who will one day make a good match, just not with him.

       With her parents' blessing, Rafe commanders Ophelia's coach and whisks her -- chaperoned, of course-- to his remote estate in the countryside. There, as he tries to show his furious, sharp-tongued "guest" the error of her ways, he discovers the surprising reasons for her bad behavior. Soon his daily lessons with Ophelia take effect and he finds himself irresistibly attracted to her. When Rafe champions the new and improved Ophelia's re-entry to London society, marriage proposals pour in. Only then does Rafe start to wonder whether he hasn't gone and fallen in love with Ophelia himself.     "

So what did I think? 4 Stars

Like:  Ophelia's transformation.

Dislike: The ending. I'll talk more about it below.

Age Rating: 17 and up. Depending on age and maturity.

        My favorite thing about the book is the hidden message in it, I recently finished my English class, so I kinda picked up on this more than I normally would, and I took the time to really think about it. In the book we see Ophelia's transformation from the ice queen into a kind loving woman.

     For me the message of the story is that regardless of a persons past, they can always change. In the first book of the series, and in the first part of this book Ophelia is a terrible person, but she learns to control her anger, and she learns how to trust again.

   The reason I didn't like the ending is because I feel like it could have been done better. It ended too quickly, and I feel like there should have been a little bit more to it.

    Overall, I really did like the book, if your a fan of other Johanna Lindsey books then I would recommend you read this one. Again as a warning most of Johanna Lindsey's books do contain sex scenes, and this book is no different from the rest.

     So that's all for today, I hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you think in the comments Have you read this book?  Do you have any recommendations?

     XoXo,

          Lori 

   

Book Review: Johanna Lindsey- The Heir (Locke Family Series #1)

    Today I will be reviewing ' The Heir' by Johanna Lindsey, I bought this book a few years ago for $7.99.

         'The Heir' is a Historical Romance Novel, set in the 19th century and it is the first book in the Locke Family Series. It is 407 pages long, and took me about 6 hours to read.

       As usual here is the synopsis from the back of the book.

      "    Has anyone in London ever taken part in the coming-out season with less enthusiasm than Sabrina? Luckily, the most sought-after lady in the city has agreed to usher this young, lovely country girl through the perils and pitfalls of her all-important first season.

           Dashing highlander Duncan MacTavish is even less keen to be in London. Having recently learned he is the sole heir of an English marquis, Duncan is now required to assume his grandfather's title and estates- and to marry Sabrina's ravishing, viper- tongued guide, who has been heard to make scathing statements in public about her "Scottish Barbarian" groom-to-be.

          His unwanted betrothal, however, has brought Duncan into close proximity with the enchanting Sabrina- a kindred spirit whose wits delight him..... and whose essence is the exquisite stuff of dreams. But duty, station, and a secret that dwells in the lady's past forbid Sabrina's and Duncan's desired union- unless true love can somehow miraculously find a way.    "

    

   So What did I think?   4 STARS

Like: Nothing in particular stands out.

Dislike: The scene between Duncan and Sabrina in the carriage alone.

Age Rating: 17 and up. Depending on age and maturity.

     I bought this book about 3 years ago, and I recently decided to re-read it because I bought the newest book in the series, and I wanted to refresh my brain before I read the new book.

     My opinion of this book is the same as it was 3 three years ago, I love it as much as I love all of Johanna Lindsey's novels, and I think she is such an amazing writer.

     While I did love the book, I don't wanna give it 5 stars because it wasn't the best book, and because I know Johanna Lindsey has other books far more deserving of 5 stars.

    I think the reason why I loved this book is because the characters relationship was allowed to develop before they fell in love. It wasn't an immediate love story, and neither of them were expecting it.

    While I do love this novel, and the series, I do think Johanna Lindsey can do better. But I actually think I'm just being mean because in my mind nothing can live up to her Malory Family Series.

   

    Overall I think 'The Heir' is a  sweet love story, it's not a steamy passionate love story like most of Johanna Lindsey's books, but I like that.  I would definitely buy this book again, and I'm sure I will continue re-reading it for many years to come.

       So that's all for today, let me know what you think in the comments. Have you read this book?  Do you have any recommendations?
XoXo,

      Lori 

      

Top 10 Popular Authors Whose Books I've Never Read

    I love to read, but most of the time I try to stay away from popular authors. I don't know why, but it's something I've always done. Because of that there are a lot of popular books I haven't read, some I plan on reading eventually, and others I don't really care about.

Here's My Top 10 Popular Authors Whose Books I've Never Read...

     Honestly I don't see myself ever reading the Harry Potter series, and I'm not really interested in any of J.K. Rowling's other books. The only book of Stephen King's that I will probably ever read is 'On Writing', and that's because it has been  highly recommended to me by other writers. I don't see myself ever reading anything by James Patterson either, for the same reason as Stephen King, I'm just not a fan of their genre.

 

  Aside from those I'll probably eventually read books by the other authors listed above, I just haven't got to them yet, and I'm not really in a rush, I have plenty of other books to read before I get to them.

   So that's all for today, don't forget to follow if you wanna see more posts from me. For now I'm going to sit back and wait for the Harry Potter fans to come attack me and tell me all the reasons why I should read the series, Goodbye for now, I'll let you know if I survive the attack!

                                                                             XoXo,
                                                                                 Lori

   

Book Review: Maureen Child- Baby Bonanza

         Today I will be reviewing 'Baby Bonanza' by Maureen Child, I got this book through iTunes iBooks for free. At this time you can also get this book through the Kindle app for free.

         'Baby Bonanza' is a Harlequin Desire novel, and it is part of the Billionaires and Babies Series. It is 186 pages long, and took me 3 hours to read.

         For a while now I've been trying to stay away from series, because I'm not wanting to get into another series at the moment. Technically 'Baby Bonanaza' is part of the Billionaires and Babies series, but the best thing is that the books are meant to be read as standalone novels, none of them are connected, and there are 42 books all written by different authors.

          Since my e-book version didn't have a blurb, here is one from Amazon that I trimmed down.

     "Twins? The startling revelation that his affair with Jenna Baker had produced two little boys was almost impossible to grasp. Tycoon Nick Falco had never considered himself the settling-down type, yet now that fatherhood has been thrust upon him, he was determined to give his sons his name. But their mother wasn't about to let him back into her life.... at least not without those three little words Nick had never, ever said."

What did I think?     4 STARS

Like: No unnecessary characters and story lines.

Dislike: Nothing.

     I really enjoyed this book, and it's probably the best Harlequin novel I've ever read. Most Harlequin novels are too short, and leave you not knowing the rest of the story, but this book really wrapped up all story lines, and ended perfectly.

     What I liked about this book the most is that there weren't any unnecessary characters or story lines, it stuck to the story, and didn't go off course.

     I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read.  This is the type of book that once you start the story line hits the ground running, but you won't feel like you missed out on anything. Before this book I'd never read any of Maureen Child's books, but I will definitely be looking into reading more of her books.

      So that's all for today, I hope you like my little review, let me know what you think in the comments. Have you read this book? What did you think? Do you have any recommendations?

             XoXo, 

                    Lori