Samantha's Birthday and a Linky

Samantha's 19th birthday was the other day and we got to celebrate with her when she came home for a visit from uni. We also had lunch with her and my mother-in-law at the Spice Route in Paarl and I just posted photos from that day on 1camera1mom.

***************************

Here's a peek at
my latest post

on 1camera1mom:

Celebrating Samantha's Birthday at the Spice Route

*********************

My Latest Book Reviews:


Romano Family Series Books 5 and 6

*********************

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

I would love for you to follow me on

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up any family friendly post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• And, I'd love it if you could share about this hop on social media.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a weekly Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

*********************

*** If you want to comment, then please make sure this page's permalink loads as http and not https! Also, my blog is hosted by Blogger, which uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. And, it's best viewed in Google Chrome. ***

*********************

Read More

Romano Family Series Books 5 and 6

Kiss Me at Midnight

Purchase on Amazon

My Review:

Kiss Me at Midnight (Book 5) is a fabulous romance that isn't easy to put down. It has characters that will stir your heart and it will make you sigh happily with just enough suspense to keep the story moving.

Filipe Romano is the new owner of SoliMar beach resort, which comes with an aquarium that isn't making any money. He has plans to fix it up in order to sell, but when he finds an old childhood sweetheart that he left behind years ago working there, he begins questioning his plans.

Celeste Ferreira knew Filipe growing up, but hasn't seen him since her brother's funeral. She was a teenager then, but now she's a single mother and works at the SoliMar Aquarium. Life has been hard, but she keeps going with a positive smile for her son's sake. Becoming reacquainted with Filipe brings a whole gamut of emotions her way, which complicates her life further. She wonders why he left in the first place and he struggles with having to face the past.

This is a clean romance and another wonderful edition to the Romano Family series. Each story is a stand-alone, written in chronological order.

Marry Me at Dawn

Purchase on Amazon

My Review:

Marry Me at Dawn (Book 6) is my favorite book and the final one in the Romano Family series! The story is a page-turner, which gets so intense toward the end that my heart was pounding! It's a well-thought-out marriage of convenience that had me rooting for both Damian and Gabriela. The characters are memorable, even though I did want to hit Damian upside the head when things started going downhill. Gabriela and Claire are wonderfully written. Baby Claire is a good introduction for soon-to-be parents with all the sacrifice and joy that babies bring. Luke is an awesome friend and he needs his own romance story!

It was good that cultural differences and challenges were briefly noted. There were a couple of quick scene changes, but one was particularly abrupt when Damian's mom takes Gabriela shopping. I was hoping that Gabriela would be able to put some of her advertising expertise to good use in helping Damian, but things never went that direction. I would have liked to have seen more of the Romano cousins. The epilogue felt a bit rushed with naming off Romano family members.

Even though this is a clean romance, there is sexual tension between Damian and Gabriela. Those parts were fun to read, but I would suggest that it's better suited for older teenagers and up.

My Reviews of Books 1 - 3:
A Clean Romance Series

My Review of Book 4:
Keep Me at Christmas

About the Author:

Lucinda Whitney

Join the Readers Club at http://lucindawhitney.com/claim-your-free-book/ and receive a free ebook copy of Hold Me At Twilight! Lucinda Whitney was born and raised in Portugal, where she received a master's degree from the University of Minho in Braga in Portuguese/English teaching. She lives in northern Utah. When she's not reading and writing, she can be found with a pair of knitting needles in winter, or tending her herb garden in the summer. She also works part-time as a substitute teacher. Visit her website at www.lucindawhitney.com

Disclosure: I received ARCs of both books. These are my honest and voluntary reviews.

Read More

Sisters at the Beach and a Linky!

Nana and Ziggy watching the girls

I have 3 girls and my eldest is a boy. They all get along fairly well. Today's photos are of the sisters having fun at the beach. Jessica recently found out that she made it into the cheerleaders for the University of Cape Town. My other news is that Samantha, my middle daughter, turns 19 tomorrow! She's at Stellenbosch University, so we'll celebrate with her over the weekend. Remember, you can click on the images to enlarge them.

Jessica and Samantha, with Ziggy
and Amanda in the background

Samantha and Amanda did some
boogie boarding with their dad.

***************************

Here's a peek at
my latest post

on 1camera1mom:

Simply Bee in Hopefield

*********************

My Latest Book Posts:


Departing (Earth's Only Hope)




Follow Me on Instagram!

View this post on Instagram

Today's Sock Sunday feature is Dragon Tide: Desperate Flight (Book 3). ~ Author Sarah K.L. Wilson has an active imagination and spins one adventure after the next inside each story! This series has a younger voice. Princess Seleska is imature, but tries hard and has a good heart. The books are easy to read and a lot of fun. Heron, her friend and a blacksmith apprentice, is always helpful and caring. However, their guide is dying and might not make it to the critical meeting point. The young dragon Nasataa isn't always easy to control and he could get them caught by accident. They are also being hunted, so they face dangers along the way. I recommend this series for a younger audience. #socksunday #whatimreading #weekend #reading #fantasy #youngadult #middlegrade #books #fiction #adventure #bookreview @sarahklwilson

A post shared by Tina Morley (@tinarobmorley) on Oct 6, 2019 at 8:19am PDT

*********************

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

I would love for you to follow me on

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up any family friendly post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• And, I'd love it if you could share about this hop on social media.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a weekly Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

*********************

*** If you want to comment, then please make sure this page's permalink loads as http and not https! Also, my blog is hosted by Blogger, which uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. And, it's best viewed in Google Chrome. ***

*********************

Read More

Departing (Earth's Only Hope Book 1)

Departing

by Joynell Schultz

About the Book:

Title: Departing (Earth's Only Hope Book 1) | Author: Joynell Schultz | Pages: 284| Genre: Science-Fiction | Recommended Ages: Young Adult and Up

Book Description:

Live or die, stay or go, the choice is meant to be easy...

I can either board an alien spaceship with my fellow criminals or rot in prison on a dying Earth.

The spacecraft's captain, a handsome alien who looks remarkably human, has been visiting me in my dreams for over a year. He has given me the companionship I need during my time locked up in solitary confinement and the way he holds me in the dark makes me forget the Earth is on the brink of extinction.

In the midst of another ice age, humanity will be wiped out soon, but the alien spacecraft gives hundreds of us another option. If I get on that ship, I have a chance at surviving.

And I’m a survivor.

Only a deadly disease is spreading among the aliens and has already wiped out three-quarters of their population. It appears to be a virus, but as the aliens continue dying despite all precautions, I begin to wonder if the disease is something else.

How do I keep the man I’ve fallen in love with safe?
And if he dies, along with the rest of his alien race, how will us humans manage a ship filled with unknown technology?

But if the disease also wipes out the humans on board, none of this will even matter.

Books in the Earth’s Only Hope Series:

Connecting (Prequel): Available in the Rogue Skies Box Set

Departing (Book 1): Available now

Surviving (Book 2): Coming this fall

Returning (Book 3): Coming this winter

Purchase on Amazon

My Review:

Wow! This was an unputdownable story! It gripped me from the beginning right through to the end! Nothing is as it seems and no one is perfect. Does love conquer all or will survival instincts have the last say?

Even though this is Book 1, there is a prequel novella called Connecting in the Rogue Skies collection. It's also a good story with different main characters who get mentioned in Departing. There was a good stopping point in both the prequel and first book, but the adventures have only just begun! I can't wait to read further!

Disclosure: I received an ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Related Posts:

Rogue Skies

Validated by Valentine's

About the Author:

Joynell Schultz

Joynell Schultz manages the family zoo (literally!) and writes romantic speculative fiction in her (nearly non-existent) free time. She's a pharmacist by training (boring!) but prefers to hang out with zebras and bears or some imaginary characters.

Website

Read More