The Monster

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Hey everyone! Today I want to tell you about one of my favorite books of the year. That book is The Monster by LJ Shen and it is available for purchase today (links will be attached  below)! What is most exciting is you can read the book for free on Kindle Unlimited! I was lucky enough to get an advanced readers copy of this book, but all opinions are my own. With that I want to thank the author LJ Shen as well as the publishers Social Butterfly PR for the ARC.

Before I get started on my review, I would like to issue a warning about this book. This is a bully romance as well as a mafia romance, so there is some violence in this book. There is also some drug abuse, mental illness, and manipulation in this book. Another thing worth noting is that there is A LOT of sex in this book, more than LJ Shen’s other books. Keep that in mind when reading or deciding to read this book.

The Monster is the third book in the Boston Belles series. This book focuses on mob underboss, Sam Brennan, and Doctor Aisling Fitzpatrick. From the outside eye Sam and Aisling are complete opposites but, they have more in common than most believe. They both have their fair share of trauma and burdens which works to bring them closer together. However, outside forces and internal forces are also at work to keep the two apart. This book has so many twists and turns and ups and downs.

The Monster is by far my favorite LJ Shen book in the series and of all her books. I really wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I would give a lot of her books 5 stars and have, but this one is way beyond that. I had all the feelings while reading this book and after finishing it I am feeling a lot and am having a major “book hangover”. I can honestly say no other book is like this.

The story line was amazing. It was so intense and captivating and is not like most mafia romances. There were so many twists in it and unexpected occurrences. Not only that but while reading an aspect of the story really got me thinking about my ethical beliefs and whether I still believed what I did after reading that. Along with the story line being amazing there were so many great quotes in the book. I personally highlighted 40 passages and quotes while reading. I do think with the story line the character development played a huge role as well.

The characters were so beautifully written and thought out that they felt real. While reading you are made to empathize with the characters and want to see them have a happily ever after. The writing also makes you feel so much anger and hatred to some of these characters. LJ Shen has a way of bringing all her characters to life but the way she wrote Aisling and Sam was nothing I have ever seen or read.

I honestly cannot recommend this book enough! You will get so many twists and turns throughout the book. This book will bring out so many feelings and is well worth the read. I personally bought my own copies in every possible way (ebook, paperback, audio). This is easily the best book of 2021!

Have you heard of LJ Shen or read any of her books? Let me know in the comments below!

Links to the Boston Belles Series:

The Hunter (Book One):

The Villain (Book Two):

The Monster (Book Three):

Sparrow (Standalone but gives back story):

Trust Me-Grahame Claire Review

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Hey everyone! It has been awhile since I last posted, and I do plan on posting more. Today I am going to get the blog going again by posting a SPOILER FREE review on Grahame Claire’s newest book Trust Me. I was lucky enough to get an advance reader copy ahead of time. However, all thoughts and opinions in this post are my own!

Grahame Claire is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.A writer. A blogger. United by our love of stories and all things romance. There was definitely some insta-love. Hello? Books involved. A little courting. A lot of writing. The result…Grahame Claire. Soulmates. Unashamed of our multiple book boyfriends. Especially the ones that rooted in our  heads and wouldn’t leave us alone. Don’t worry. We’ll share. If you would like to follow her social media I will attach those links for you below.

Trust Me is the second novel in the Free Series. It can be read as a standalone though. This book follows Baker and Holt. They are roommates and are seen figuring out how to live with each other. Not only that but both are living with secrets. Will they figure out a way to live each other with their growing attraction for each other? Will they uncover all the answers they are looking for? Read on for an excerpt!

 

Excerpt:

 

Holt’s coveralls were filthy. He had a smudge of grease on his cheek. His hair was a wreck, strands of it haphazard in opposing directions.

Relief rushed through me even as I stood a little straighter.

“You should lock the door.” He kicked it shut and shucked off his leather jacket, tossing it on the back of the sofa.

My pulse thrummed a rapid beat with every step he took toward the kitchen. His eyes were locked on mine, but I couldn’t read anything but the heat in them. Fury or desire, I didn’t know. He looked exhausted, that much I could tell.

He swiped the glass from my hand and drained half, making a disgusted face when he handed it back to me. “How do you drink that stuff?” He grimaced and went to the fridge, grabbing a beer and twisting the top off.

“Like this.” I made a show of putting the glass to my lips, slowly tipping it back until the dark liquid flowed into my mouth. “Delicious,” I said once I’d swallowed.

His throat bobbed as he watched me. His eyes slid down my body when I lowered the glass to the counter.

“Nice dress.” His gaze lingered at the V where just a hint of cleavage peeked out.

I’d worn the red A-line dress for him. To get his attention. Pathetic.

“That what people who work at a magazine wear?” He pointed his beer toward me, heat burning a trail where his eyes wandered down my body all the way to my heels.

“Only the easy ones.”

“I already explained that,” he said with a hint of impatience.

“I know what easy means.” He had explained and I loved his nickname, but I was still pissy after he hadn’t come home last night. “Apparently you’re well acquainted with the definition.”

He wiped the back of his mouth with his hand. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

I lifted one shoulder to my ear. “Nothing.”

He set his bottle down and closed the distance between us, though he was careful not to touch his clothes to my dress.

“You’d better clarify, Easy. This grease monkey isn’t following.”

I barely heard what he said, blindsided when the scent of motor oil wafted into my nostrils. I gripped the rounded edge of the counter and pressed my lower back into it to get away. It was useless. I was dizzy with the combination of sweat, garage, and Holt.

“I said nothing.” I lifted my chin, as I pretended not to be affected. There was no way I was asking if he’d been with someone the night before. “And stay out of my room.”

“That’s where the only working bathroom is. You knew that when we moved in.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a problem then.” I shrugged, and he scowled.

“No problem.” His voice held dark promise and unspoken desire.

Every inch of me ached for him to touch me, his breath ghosting across my face not anywhere near enough. I clenched my thighs together. That did nothing to stop the throb of heat in my core.

“You stink.” I wrinkled my nose and prayed he believed the lie.

“Then why’d you just inch closer, Easy?”

“I didn’t,” I said indignantly. “Can you back up, please? I have plans.”

He flattened his palms on the stone surface on either side of me. “We have plans.”

I held my breath to keep from taking any more of that intoxicating scent in, but I had to let it go so I could speak. “We do not.”

Holt winked at me, a signature move of the Dixon men. I should have been immune, but I melted. “Sure we do. It’s in our roommate agreement. Friday nights, we hang out.”

I shoved at his shoulders. “What are you talking about?” My voice was shaky, far too affected for my liking. “We don’t have a roommate agreement.”

“Sure, we do,” he said easily. “Did we or did we not agree to be roommates?”

I stared at him a moment. This was a trick question. It was too easy not to be. “Um . . . yes?”

He tapped the tip of my nose and grinned. “Exactly. And since we agreed to be roommates, we agreed to Friday nights. I’m picking this week. Pizza. Beer. And The Walking Dead.”

“Did you get hit on the head at work today?”

“Not that I remember,” he said cheekily.

I quirked my mouth to one side. “Inhale toxic fumes?”

“Probably.” He flashed his perfect white teeth at me.

My gaze dropped to his mouth, and I had to fight desperately to keep from doing something really stupid. Like kiss him the way my lips burned to.

“I have plans,” I said weakly.

“I know. We just went over them. Pizza. Beer—”

I held up my hand. “I got it. I got it.”

“Good.” He dipped his head closer to mine, our eyes locked. His were full of the kind of mischief I definitely wanted a part of.

He rapped his knuckles on the counter twice, and I jumped, narrowly avoiding head butting him. That grin turned knowing before he backed out of my space.

“Wait to change until I’m out of the shower. I need my privacy,” he said over his shoulder as he sauntered toward the bedroom.

I sagged against the counter when he disappeared, blindly feeling around for my wine glass. Once in hand, I downed the rest in one long swallow. Sweet Jesus that man put me in a tailspin.

He couldn’t get that close again. I’d never survive however long we lived together.

I marched down the hall with determined steps.

“We need to establish . . .” I lost my train of thought at the sight of him bare-chested, coveralls hanging off his hips. We had to get that bathroom fixed. Stat.

“Establish?” He twirled his hand in front of him in a finish that thought gesture.

I cleared my throat and dragged my eyes away from those cut abs up to his face. So that wasn’t really a hardship. “Boundaries. We need to establish boundaries.”

He shook his index finger at me. “Yes. I told you I needed some privacy, yet you tear in here like the house is on fire.”

“You can’t get in my personal space again.”

Holt shoved his coveralls off his hips, leaving him only in charcoal gray boxer briefs. “Easy, we live together. You can’t get any more up in each other’s personal space than that.”

If this seems like a book that you are interested in links are attached below! I really hope you enjoyed this post and if you read this book let me know what you think!

 

-A

 

 

 

Connect with Grahame

Facebook: https://bit.ly/2PvwpPc

Twitter: https://bit.ly/31uStPH

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/33AE9ro

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XzMFTI

Instagram: https://bit.ly/33AEla6

Website: https://www.grahameclaire.com

 

Download your copy today! 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fKltZb

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2YePnyz

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/trustmegc

Nook: https://bit.ly/2AUKRwv

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2AUL0Qz

Google Play: https://bit.ly/2NdGAqo
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2Yg4APZ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild at Heart

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Hey everyone! Today’s post is a super exciting one for me. Recently I was given a copy of the book Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker, in return for an honest review. All opinions in this post are my own. Note that there are spoilers for the first book in this post! 

Let me start by saying that I read my first K.A. Tucker book last year and became an instant fan of hers. The first book of hers that I read was The Simple Wild, which just happens to be the first book in this series. If you have not read The Simple Wild I highly suggest you do. For those who have not read it here is a quick recap of the story.

The first book is about a girl, Calla Fletcher, who lives in Toronto. She lives with her mom and step dad and at the time is estranged from her father and has been for a number of years. However, one night she gets a call from her father’s friend Agnes. Agnes tells Calla that her dad has cancer and it may be a good time to come see him. Calla struggles with this at first but ultimately decides to go to see her father in Alaska. Wren Fletcher runs Alaska Wild, a business that charters out airplanes. As Calla is in Alaska she not only builds a relationship with her father she also becomes close to Agnes and Agnes’s daughter,Mable, who are close friends and neighbors of Wren. One relationship Calla does not build on quickly is the one with Jonah, one of the bush pilots for her dad’s company. This book is a hate to love romance so in the end Jonah and Calla do fall in love,however Calla does go back home to Toronto.

After finishing this book I couldn’t wait for Wild at Heart to come out. Wild at Heart picks up with Calla leaving Toronto for Alaska so that her and Jonah can be together again. Throughout the book Calla tries to fit in with her Alaska neighbors and struggles to find her place in this new area. In this book we are introduced to new characters such as Toby, who in the beginning is Calla’s only friend. We are also introduced to Toby’s mother, Muriel, a headstrong woman. Through the book Muriel tries to turn Calla into the “perfect” Alaskan woman who can tend a garden and shoot a rifle. I loved getting to know these new characters but the character that really stuck out was Roy, Calla’s grumpy neighbor. As I was reading I kept wanting to know more and more about Roy’s past.

        What I love about not only Wild at Heart  but K.A. Tucker’s books in general is the way the characters are written. They are written so well that as you are reading you feel every emotion they are. They really bring the story to life. As I was reading this book I felt everything Calla did from the jealousy when Marie, the beautiful Alaskan vet, would talk to Jonah to the fear of when she saw the bear coming up on Mable in the truck. K.A. Tucker and her writing really got me connected to this storyline. I can’t recommend this book enough! It is a must read and in my opinion is the best book of 2020.  I am crossing my fingers that there will be more books in this series because I am not ready to see Calla and Jonah’s journey end.

        If you’ve read The Simple Wild who was your favorite character and who are you looking forward to seeing in Wild at Heart? Let me know in the comments below!

-A

Links to buy The Simple Wild:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Wild-Novel-K-Tucker-ebook/dp/B075RJJY6W/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=the+simple+wild&qid=1582327122&sprefix=the+simple&sr=8-2

Apple Books:https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=1329476506

Nook: https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-simple-wild-ka-tucker/1127208808?ean=9781501133459

Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-simple-wild

Links to buy Wild at Heart:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/386OOcv

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/WildAtHeartKAT

Apple Books: https://apple.co/2FO3v7Y

Nook: http://bit.ly/2NjTgMU

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2FK74fl

Nanny Diary- New Job

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Hey everyone! It has been some time since I last posted. I am hoping to post more though. Today I want to talk about a new job I have.

At the end of last year I started working for a company that works with developmental disabilities. Through this company I began to work with a family that has a few little boys. Since beginning to work for this family I have learned a lot! I have learned to be more patient with the children and also how to have thicker skin.

Moving forward things will get crazy. I am planning on working with this family more. Then in the Fall I have enrolled in online classes through NAU. With all that being said I am hoping to start posting on here weekly. Moving forward I can’t wait to share more with you guys!

-A

Textbook Study Tips

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Hi everyone! Recently I have been studying like crazy and it has been hard to post all the time.  With all that studying came the inspiration for this post. Today I am going to share how I use my textbooks to study. Keep in mind that I do buy all of my books oppose to renting them. If you are renting your textbooks some of these tips may not work for you!

The first thing I use when reading my textbook are highlighters. While reading I use different color highlighters to mark vocabulary terms, definitions, examples of the vocabulary or key words, and any other information I think is important. This makes it easy to spot any important information.  The colors I use are; pink for the section titles, blue for vocabulary/key words, orange for examples of vocabulary/key words, and yellow for any other important information.

The next thing that I use is bookmarks. I like to place a bookmark in every chapter that I read. I do this until I have a test. This helps with studying because I can see what chapters will be on the test. Placing bookmarks in each chapter also help so that I can get to each chapter faster and not have to flip through all of the different pages. I highly recommend using bookmarks because it will make your life so much easier! To see what bookmarks I am currently using take a look at my last post where I talk about my favorite bookmarks.

The last thing that I use is post it notes. I use the post it notes to write thoughts and questions down and stick them on the different pages. Sometimes I will just use a pen and write in the margins but post it notes are also great to use!

These are just a few of the ways that I study. I want to know what you do to study. Let me know in the comments below!

-A

Moxie and Might

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Hey everyone! Today I want to tell you about one of my new favorite Etsy shops.  I was introduced to Moxie and Might a few months ago and have been obsessed since. It is all I can do to not buy everything!

Moxie and Might has quite a bit of different hand made things. Some of the things that you can find on this shop are hand lettered bookmarks, embroidery pieces, and prints. The shop owner is so talented and does amazing work! While she offers different products I really want to focus on the bookmarks. Moxie and Might bookmarks are all hand lettered and most have references to different shows and podcasts.  Some of the themes are; Harry Potter, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, My Favorite Murder, the Office, and Game of Thrones. While these are the ones that are shown on the Etsy page custom orders are also available!  The bookmarks are all laminated and are really holding up! Each bookmark sells for $4 each.

I recently ordered a custom order with quotes from How to Get Away with Murder. They are such great bookmarks and everything I had hoped for. I am currently using all of them. As a college student I am reading textbooks all the time and to add to that the tests cover multiple chapters. That is where these bookmarks come in! I have all these bookmarks placed in the different chapters in each section, and it makes studying so much easier!

I will definitely be buying from Moxie and Might again! Go check out the shop on Etsy and the shop Instagram! These bookmarks are wonderful and you will not want to pass them up. What quote would you want put on a bookmark? Let me know in the comments below!

-A

Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/MoxieandMight

Instagram: www.instagram.com/Moxie.and.Might

Nanny Diary- Spina Bifida Awareness Month

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Hi everyone! October is spina bifida awareness month. In honor of this I thought it would be great time to write about my experience with it.

The first time I was introduced to spina bifida happened a little over a year ago. It was at that time I became a nanny to a baby who has spina bifida. I continued to watch her for the year and still watch her from time to time. It was during that year that I learned a lot about spina bifida and everything it entails. I learned about the different equipment used and all the therapies that are needed.

During my time working with baby I learned a lot and I gained a lot. Even to this day I still get excited each time she hits a major milestone. In fact, I wrote this post while this little girl was sleeping. She had spent the night crawling around and pulling herself into the bath with her sisters! Of course, all of this was done with a huge smile on her face.

Working with this child was so great and it really opened my eyes to spina bifida and other developmental disabilities. It really got me interested in developmental disabilities and I plan to continue my work as a nanny in the field of developmental disabilities!

-A

*Picture from the Spina Bifida Association website.

Fall Tag

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Hey everyone! Fall is just getting started where I live so I thought it would be the perfect time to do the Fall Favorites tag. Read on to see what my fall favorites are!

What is your favorite fall candle?

I don’t have a specific candle that I like for fall. However, I really like Bath and Body Works candles so it would probably be one from there!

What is your favorite drink?

I love the black peach tea from Dutch Brothers!

What is your favorite fall clothing trend?

I love boots! I would wear them all year if the weather was right. My current favorites are from Target and are from the Mossimo Supply Co brand. They are black combat type boots and I can wear them with a dress or jeans!

What is your favorite movie to watch in the fall?

I like Hocus Pocus, but Young Frankenstein is also great!

What Fall television show are you looking forward to?

I watch a lot of TV shows, but I was really looking forward to Chicago Fire. Shows by Shonda Rhimes were on my watch list too!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

I only eat two things on Thanksgiving, and they are rolls and cheesy onions. So good!

What was your favorite Halloween costume?

I liked a lot of my Halloween costumes through the years, but I think the one that deserved more praise was when I was 8 or 9.  I dressed as Raggedy Ann and my dad dress up as Raggedy Andy.

Football, yay or nay?

Yay! I actually know a lot more about football than people think. My favorite NFL team is the Cardinals and my favorite college team is the Longhorns.

I hope you enjoyed this tag and I would love to see what your answers are to these questions! You can answer as many as you want in the comments below!

-A

Stay Hydrated

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Hey everyone! It has been extremely hot out and I am really seeing how important it is to drink water. Those of you who know me know I do not drink water, even though I have at least 100 water bottles and cups. Well I recently added to my cup collection and they really help me to drink more water. Keep reading to see what cups I use to get the daily suggested water I need!

The first cup is my Yeti. I have the 30 ounce cup and it is amazing! I use it up until it is in dire need of being washed. If I am being honest it should have been washed a few days ago. What I love about this cup is that it keeps my water cold for a super long time. This is also great because instead of trying to guess if I drank enough water I can just fill my cup twice throughout the day and know that I drank enough. I love the Yeti cups so much that I ordered two more which I am super excited to get!

The second cup that I am obsessed with is a glass mason jar from Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. This cup is 32 ounces which is wonderful! Just like the Yeti I can fill the cup twice and get my daily recommended water. Another thing I love is that the lids are colorful with different patterns. I really love The Pioneer Woman’s line, and not just because we share the same name…Ann Marie, because you also can purchase more lids and straws. You can change up the look of your cup every day!

These are just two of the cups I own but they are the ones I use regularly. I highly recommend both cups! They both have great designs but they also help to meet daily water goals. What is your go to cup or water bottle? Let me know in the comments below!

-A

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Nanny Diary- Burned Out

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Hi everyone! Today I wanted to share with you the chaotic and busy week I had, and  by the title I am sure you can tell it ended in me being burned out and not feeling to great.

This past week I took on extra hours at work so I was working full time. I also told another family I would do daycare drop off and pick up/bedtime routine. It was very exhausting and I was rushing between the daycare and my job. Even after getting home I did not get to relax like I had hoped. I would begin to do homework and post my blog post for that day. It was not until this morning I realized I was burned out and really needed a break!

Even though I had a crazy week it was also very eye opening and helped me to realize I could make some changes so that I do not get overwhelmed in the coming month when I have to balance a full time job and going to school full time. The biggest thing I realized I could do is do one assignment a day and not all of them on one day. This would not only help me have a less stressful week but I also would do better in school because I am giving my attention to one lesson instead of three. The second thing that I learned is that I am able to schedule my posts to post to my blog by itself. This will make it so that I am not rushing to type and format posts.

At the moment I am working on homework and rushing to type this post. However, I do look forward to trying these new ideas this week and hopefully will be able to relax a little bit! What do you do to ease your work load? Let me know in the comments below!

-A