Amanda's Books and More: favorite

Showing posts with label favorite. Show all posts

Thursday, August 29, 2019

The Vexatious Widow

The Vexatious Widow

About the Book:

Title: The Vexatious Widow (Regency House Party: Havencrest Book 2) | Author: Michelle Pennington | Genre: Regency Romance | Pages: 130

Book Description:

A most unlikely temptation.

Mrs. Joanna Thorne infinitely prefers being a wealthy widow to being a miserable wife, but she is constantly swarmed by suitors with eager, insincere compliments. Fortunately, she has become quite adept at handling fortune hunters. When she meets Lord Tyndale at her friends’ house party, she knows she can help him thwart the charming rascal pursuing his niece. But why does it annoy him so? And why does she care for his good opinion anyway?

The last thing Lord Tyndale wants to do is accompany his beautiful, headstrong niece to a house party in Brighton. However, it is the only way to protect her from a disastrous marriage to the wastrel pursuing her. He should appreciate the help of a rather plain and meddlesome but capable young widow, but he finds himself increasingly annoyed as Joanna skillfully captures the fortune hunter’s attention.

She throws his life into disarray, won’t give him a moment’s peace, and drives him mad. So why does he find her so tempting? And why is he dreading the end of this very irregular house party?

Purchase on Amazon

My Review:

Michelle Pennington is one of my favorite genre hopping authors. Every book of hers that I've read, I've enjoyed; from fantasy to contemporary romance, she does them all so well. This time it's a Regency romance and this one has all the feels! There are wonderful characters, a beautiful location, a little bit of suspense, and lots of witty banter. It's a fun clean read. There were some elements that could have been fleshed out further. For example, I thought Lord Tyndale would need to put his fencing skills to good use, but it only gets mentioned and nothing more. I wished the book could have been longer!

More by Michelle Pennington:

Saved by the Billionaire

The Trust of a Billionaire

The Lovely Deep

The Unwanted Suitor

About the Author:

Michelle Pennington

Michelle Pennington spends her days quoting movies with her husband and making messes faster than her four kids. She loves to make magic by stringing words together, but she also creates designer sugar cookies, sings loud in church, and kills too many house plants.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Disclosure: I received an eARC of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Friday, October 13, 2017

3 Blissful Historical Romances and a Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #240!

3 Blissful Historical Romances

Click on the titles below for links to Amazon.
Links are non-affiliate.

Penelope

Only $0.99 on Amazon Kindle!

Book Description:

Leaving behind the rural charms of Finnshire, Miss Penelope Fairweather arrives in London with hope in her heart and a dream in her eye. The dowager, no less, has invited her for a season in London, where she will attempt to catch a husband.

Thus begins our heroine’s tale as she attempts to tackle the London season with all her rustic finesse. Unfortunately her rustic finesse turns out to be as delicate as a fat bear trying to rip apart a honeycomb infested with buzzing bees.

What follows is a series of misadventures, love affairs, moonlit balls, fancy clothes, fake mustaches, highwaymen, sneering beauties, pickpockets, and the wrath of a devilishly handsome duke.

My Review:

Penelope is a romantic historical comedy with plenty of witty dialogues and hilarious scenes. It's all about the delightful countrified Penelope and her misadventures as she enters the London season for her first time. Other wonderful characters are a silly goat named Lady Bathsheba, a kindred spirit named Lady Anne, and the scowling Duke of Blackthorne, named Charles Cornelius Radclyff. It's my favorite historical romance of 2017 and I laughed out loud throughout the book. I wouldn't be surprised if it remains my favorite.

The Fall of Lord Drayson

Book Description:

When Colin Cavendish, the new Earl of Drayson, informs Lucy Beresford that she and her mother need to vacate the house they've called home for the past two years, Lucy is fit to be tied. They have no money, no relations they can turn to for help, and nowhere to go. How dare the earl break the promise his father had made to the Beresfords without so much as a twinge of conscience?

Fate plays her hand when Lucy discovers the earl unconscious and injured in the middle of the road. When he awakens with no recollection of who he is, Lucy seizes the opportunity to teach the earl a much-needed lesson in humility and tells him that he is nothing more than a mere servant. Her servant, in fact.

And thus begins the charming tale of a pompous lord and an impetuous young woman, caught together in a web so tangled that it begs the question: Will they ever get out?

My Review:

The Fall of Lord Drayson is a wonderfully inventive tale where Lucy Beresford, the late-vicar's daughter, turns the tables on Colin Cavendish, the Earl of Drayson, by telling him a wicked lie. She finds him unconscious and discovers that he has lost his memory. When they have a heated exchange of words, she informs him that he is her servant. This lie gets her into quite a lot of emotional trouble, especially when she changes her opinion of him. At one point, she suspects that he knows the truth. Now what will she do? This was an entertaining read with a happily-ever-after.

The Earl's Unsuitable Bride

FREE on Amazon Kindle!

Book Description:

"The Earl’s London Bride” is the SWEET & CLEAN ROMANCE edition of “Amethyst” by Lauren Royal. From a New York Times bestselling author and her daughter!

London, 1666: Amethyst Goldsmith makes dazzling jewelry, but her future isn’t nearly as bright as the pieces she creates. Though custom dictates she wed her father’s apprentice, her heart rebels against the match. In mere days Amy will be condemned to a stifling, loveless marriage, and she sees no way out—until the devastating fire of 1666 sweeps through London, and tragedy lands her in the arms of a dashing young earl who knows a diamond in the rough when he sees it…

Colin Chase, the Earl of Greystone, has his future all figured out. He’s restoring his crumbling castle and estate to its former glory, and the key to its completion is his rich bride-to-be. But the Great Fire lays waste to his plans, saddling him with trouble—in the form of a penniless shopkeeper’s daughter with whom he’s most inconveniently falling in love…

My Review:

The Earl's Unsuitable Bride is an exciting Historical Romance full of adventure and turmoil. The protagonist is a working-class female named Amethyst Goldmsith who is passionate about her trade as a jeweler. There is trouble in her world and falling in love with Colin Chase, the Earl of Greystone, doesn't make things easier. A proper lady would never be allowed to work, no matter how talented she was. Colin has his own problems and needing to marry for money is one of them. Can love win when the odds are stacked against them? This is a great story with interesting characters and surprising adventures.

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

My Latest Book Posts:

Refugees (Mud, Rocks, and Trees Book 1)
FREE on Amazon Kindle!

Refugees (Mud, Rocks, and Trees Book 1) by [Denny, R.A.]

Dog Trouble Blog Tour
Guest Post

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

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Here are the easy rules:

Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

Weekend Linky

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link-ups I take part in.

Friday, April 28, 2017

10 Things About Me and a Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #219!

10 Things About Me

1. I'm an American expat living with my hubby and 4 kids in South Africa. All 4 kids were born in South Africa.

2. My middle name, Allison, means "truthful warrior maid." That's probably why I like strong female protagonists in fantasy worlds.

3. I grew up in Germany and the States. German is my second language.

4. I left the States when I was 18 and went into missions for 2 years. The year was 1993. I got married and have been living in South Africa since 1995.

5. My eldest child, Jeremiah, turns 21 this year. The rest of my kids are girls. The youngest is Amanda and she's 9.

6. My mom blog is named after her: Amanda's Books and More.

7. I have a travel photography blog: 1camera1mom. This blog helps me to continue appreciating where I live.

8. I'm a volunteer reader at the Blind Institute (now called Kaleidoscope). All the reading I do is recorded in a sound room and is made available for the blind, visually impaired, dyslexic, and bedridden. I read a variety of things like exams, text books, and novels.

9. I have a passion for singing and often lead the singing in the house church that we are a part of on Sunday mornings.

10. I love eating good food like Indian and Asian cuisine. My favorites are curry with naan bread, Asian noodles, and sushi.

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on the images to see them at their best.

Do you have anything interesting about yourself

that you'd like to share? Tell me in the comments!

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

My Latest Book Reviews:

Elphie and Dad Picture Book
Get the eBook FREE!

Engella - a short story
Get the eBook FREE!

Engella (The Chronicles of Engella Rhys Book 0) by [Cross, Paul Ian]

Synapses - a Novella

Synapses: Novella by [Erfert, DJ]

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

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Here are the easy rules:

Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

Weekend Linky

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link-ups I take part in.

Friday, August 7, 2015

My Favorite Color Is...

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #138!

My blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on the images to view them larger.

My favorite color is blue.

I love all shades of blue.

Turquoise is awesome too.

It has blue in it!

Once a week, I give a listening lesson to a small class of adults at the YWAM English Language School. This week they have been learning about color idioms. I found a fun 6 video series from BBC on YouTube. Below is the video with the color blue idioms:

Previously, I've shared photos of blue flowers in my garden. If you missed those two posts, you can find them at Blue Flowers and More Blue Flowers.

Here is a peek at those posts:
Click on the images to view them larger.

Whether you write it as
"color" or "colour", what is
your favorite (favourite) color?
Leave me a comment with
a link to your blog and I'll
be sure to visit!

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

My Latest Book Review:

The Contaminants
Book 1 in the New Dakota Series
Science Fiction for middle grade

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

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

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook

I'm also now on Instagram!

Here are the easy rules:

Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

Weekend Linky

This is a blog hop!

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link parties I take part in.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Best Photos and #WW #Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #125!

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on the images to view them larger.

My husband (Robbie), Amanda and Jeremiah - 2014
South Africa

I've chosen a selection of my favorite family photos that I took in 2013 and 2014. My criteria included great scenery or atmosphere. Some of these photos were taken in Florida, U.S.A. and some were taken at South Africa's West Coast. A couple of these photos are also going to be posted on my travel blog, 1camera1mom. I've got a series that I'm currently doing of our December holiday.

Amanda - 2014
South Africa

Samantha - 2014
South Africa

Jessica - 2013
South Africa

Amanda - 2013
South Africa

Jeremiah, Jessica and Amanda - 2013
South Africa

Samantha - 2013
South Africa

Jeremiah, Samantha and Amanda - 2014
South Africa

Amanda and Samantha - 2014
South Africa

Jessica and Jeremiah - 2013
Vineyards on the way to the West Coast,
South Africa

Amanda and Samantha - 2013
Florida, USA

Jessica - 2013
Florida, USA

3 Sisters: Amanda, Samantha and Jessica - 2013
Florida, USA

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

If you like animals, then you'll enjoy my latest post on 1camera1mom. Today's set of photos include some wildlife spotted at South Africa's West Coast as well as pets. I really enjoyed capturing these happy-go-lucky Beagles: Britannia Bay, South Africa - Part 5

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

Now on to my blog hop...

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!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Twitter

Facebook

and

Here are the easy rules:

Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
Link-up your 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.
Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

A Moat is Not a Goat: Review and Giveaway!

A Moat is Not a Goat

Book Review and a

Giveaway of 3 Books!

About the Book

Title: A Moat is Not a Goat: Poems for Clever Little Girls * Author: Elsa Takaoka * Illustrator: Fanny Liem * Publication Date: November 27, 2014 * Publisher: Independent * Pages: 32 * Recommended Age: 4 to 8

Summary (Amazon): This is a collection on 16 beautifully illustrated poems about sweet and charming everyday experiences, especially written for little girls. This book will teach, inspire and empower little precocious lassies, opening their hearts and minds to the delightful world of imagination.

Amazon (Paperback) * Amazon (eBook) * Goodreads

FREE DOWNLOAD OF PAPER DOLLS!

You can download three adorable pdfs of paper dolls created by illustrator Fanny Liem based on A Moat is Not a Goat. Just click on the thumbnail below to take you to the author's site!

My Review

A Moat is not a Goat is a wonderful picture book of poems for little girls! The moment Amanda, my 6 year-old daughter, saw the gorgeous illustrations, she asked me to read it to her.

Our favorite poem was "A Gap in the Track." Amanda's second favorite was the "Pony Car Wash." Her third favorite was "Move Over, Miss Muffet!" and her fourth was "The Mollusk's Daughters."

I learned that octopus belong to the mollusk family. I had no idea. The poems were certainly a lot of fun to read. I recommend this book for girls ages 4 to 8.

The Buzz About the Book

"A Moat is not a Goat - Poems for Clever Little Girls" follows Elsa's interesting writing style of letting the reader have loads of fun, solving fiendish clues and reading aloud rhymes that trip off the tongue with ease." ~ Read it Daddy!

"Each story is told as a poem and takes the reader on a magical journey through a pony car wash, a snow scene, and a strange world deep under the ocean. There’s a visit to the home of the five sisters, a chance to meet a pink-gowned female pirate, and find out how Miss Wafer saves her pie and tea from a snake. Learn about happiness and making up after a squabble, and how losing a tooth isn’t a disaster. What happens when you snip a lock of hair, and how a day in bed with a cold isn’t all it was planned to be." ~ Reviewed by Jane Finch for Readers' Favorite

"Cute rhyming book with beautiful illustrations. I recommend it for bedtime stories. Definitely worth it." ~ 5 Star Review, celestial, Amazon

"This book is full of clever poems that little girls will love. Everything from dreaming about becoming a pirate or a princess to fighting with your siblings is in here. Little girls will be able to relate to every page. The illustrations by Fanny Liem are SUPER adorable to boot!" ~ 5 Star Review, Teddy O., Amazon

"I am a preschool teacher and I am always looking for books that will amaze and excite my students. I think they will love this book." ~ 5 Star Review, Darla W., Amazon

Message From The Author:

Elsa Takaoka

On the first day of National Poetry Month in April of 2014, I set the goal of writing a poem a day. My little girls and I would sit at the kitchen table - my five year-old doodled and my one year-old scribbled while Mommy wrote. As I struggled to find inspiration, I would occasionally glance at my eldest girl, who has been a doodling machine since the age of two and will often draw pictures for hours. Her doodles contained many of her favorite things: twins and mermaids, princesses and pets. But on closer inspection, they also contained stories of brave and bold little girls -girls with real feelings who fought, made-up, cried and got angry. These girls sailed ships, fought beasts and were pirates. These girls were tender and caring, who doodled and read. Her art contained REAL little girls- imaginative, clever and able to do anything they set their minds to. My hope is that I was able to crawl into the mind of a child and bottle up even a bit of the innocent yet powerful confidence of clever little girls everywhere.

Book Website * Author Website * Facebook * Twitter * Google+

About the Illustrator:

Fanny Liem

Fanny Liem is a freelance artist from Jakarta, Indonesia who became captivated with art at a very young age. She credits her talented father for passing on the love of artistic creation. Driven by grit and passion, Fanny learned about digital art on her own, redefining her hobby of drawing to budding career in children’s illustrations. Fanny also taps her feet while enjoying American Country music.

For more information, please visit https://www.behance.net/fannywen

Elsa Takaoka is kindly giving away

3 of her picture books to 1 lucky winner!

The competition is open World Wide.
The books are: A Moat is not a Goat
and two Goo and Spot Books

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of the book for my honest review.

Friday, March 14, 2014

My Favorite Decade and More!

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #73!

To make this hop successful, be sure to visit the last two
links before yours and leave them a sweet comment. Also,
share about this hop via Twitter, Facebook or Google+.

Today I'm combining two
Friday link party prompts.

I was a dork in the '80s

Friendship Friday
Today's Theme:
Anything Goes

and

Finish the Sentence Friday
"My favorite decade was..."

...the '80s. I know, a lot of people will probably say the same thing. The '80s had some great hits like "Tainted Love", "Uptown Girl", "99 Red Balloons" (I knew the original from Germany and heard it more times in German than in English), "Nine to Five" and more. The '80s had no fashion sense and neither did I. I was a dork in the '80s. Plus, I love lots of bold colors and the '80s had them!

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

Who loves reading clean fantasy novels? My friend Heidi Lyn Burke is giving her two eBooks away for free on the 15th and 16th of March. All she wants in return is for you to tell people about her books and / or give a review. I've done a review for the first book and I'm still going to do a review for the second one. You can read my neat review and awesome author interview here!

The Ordinary Knight and
The Invisible Princess
on Amazon

The Dragon's Curse
on Amazon

To find out more, visit Heidi's blog at Typative Mama Cat.

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

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the two links before yours and leave them a comment to make their "Saturday Sweet"! It's really easy and a fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook

Here are the easy rules: