Americans Royals by Katharine McGee

*Disclsoure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.

The duty. The intrigue. The Crown. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee imagines an alternate version of the modern world, one where the glittering age of monarchies has not yet faded--and where love is still powerful enough to change the course of history.

My thoughts-

This was a fun fictional take on history. What if America was a monarchy ruled by the Washingtons instead of the democracy it has always been? What would our royal family be like? Since I am a big fan of the royal family, particularly princes Wlliam and Harry, it was fun to step into this imaginary world with princesses Beatrice and Samantha and prince Jefferson. Each of them have a different role to fill to do their duty to their country, but they are all young and love abounds. There are so many romantic stories going on here, it is a romantic's dream book, so I definitely enjoyed it. I thought the ending was a little abrupt and the characters stories weren't tied up neatly the way I would have like so I am crossing my fingers for a sequel! Since I have been interested the royal family (both current and historical) for much of my life, I did see a lot of parallels in this story vs. the English royal family, but it  was interesting to see it kind of expounded upon and how the players of the story felt since we can never actually get into the brains of the actual royal family. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys following the royal family, romantic story lines, or young adult ficiton. 

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

’Tis the season for change and Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is embracing it, returning from the States to live in the charming village of Letherby and working with her best friend, Suze, in the gift shop of Suze’s stately home. Life is good, especially now that Becky takes time every day for mindfulness . . . which actually means listening to a meditation tape while hunting down online bargains.

But Becky still adores the traditions of Christmas: Her parents host, carols play on repeat, her mother pretends she made the Christmas pudding, and the neighbors come ’round for sherry in their terrible holiday sweaters. Things are looking cheerier than ever, until Becky’s parents announce they’re moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch—unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocados—and ask Becky if she’ll host this year. What could possibly go wrong?

Her sister demands a vegan turkey, her husband  insists that he just wants aftershave—again, and little Minnie demands a very specific picnic hamper: Surely Becky can manage all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old-boyfriend-turned-rock-star and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are far from clear. But as the countdown to Christmas begins and her big-hearted plans take an unexpected turn toward disaster, Becky starts to wonder if chaos will ensue, or if she’ll manage to bring comfort and joy to Christmas after all.

My thoughts-

You know how some retail stores start putting out Christmas decorations the second the 4th of July is over, even though we still have Thanksgiving and Halloween to get through? That's me with books set during Christmas time, I am itching to read them mid-July every year and I am always excited to read the first one to kick things off. Christmas Shopaholic was a great novel to kick off my Christmas reading because it's a familiar character so I can easily dive into Becky's world. This book was hilarious. The whole book was laugh out loud funny and although I am not one to re-read books usually (there are just too many good ones out there that I will never get around to if I do that) this is definitely one I could see myself re-reading in the future. I love all of the shenanigans that Becky gets into in this book, and I am hoping that we get more of her adventures from Sophie Kinsella in the future!

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publiser via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book- 

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

My thoughts-

I went through a period where all I wanted to read were dystopian novels, but they became so popular that they started coming out in droves and the qualilty of work was not as high as some of my favorite dystopian novels, so I stopped reading them all together afer a few disappointing series. The Grace Year

 sounded like it wasn't going to be the exact same book as so many other dystopian books over the last decade have been so I reluctantly picked it up. I am so glad I did. This was a breath of fresh air in the dystopian world. I absolutely couldn't put it down. It reminded me of a cross between The Giver and The Hunger Games. There were some interesting twists that I enjoyed being revealed and I thought the cliff hanger was excellent although now I can't wait for whatever is next in what will hopefully be a series! I absolutely recommend The Grace Year to anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction. 

The Family-Friendly Keto Instant Pot Cookbook by Anna Hunley

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Popular keto blogger Anna Hunley, of Keto In Pearls, presents scrumptious, family-friendly keto recipes for your Instant Pot.

The ketogenic diet is taking the world of healthy eating by storm, but cooking for a ketogenic diet can be cumbersome. You can’t rely on processed or quick-cooking high-carb options, like pasta or rice, for a fast meal, and you don’t always have the time to labor over a hot stove.

The Family-Friendly Keto Instant Pot Cookbook helps you feed your family enjoyable low-carb meals quickly and effortlessly. With the Instant Pot’s ability to cook food in a fraction of the time, you’ll have your family sitting down at the table to eat in no time. (And with only one pot to clean too!)

My thoughts-

I am always on the look out for healthy recipes for my family and if they fit in with a low carb life style even better! I do not limit my kids to low carb foods only but it is nice to have meals throughout the week that can be eaten by everyone and that everyone loves. There are so many excellent recipes in this book. Everything from a new spin on crack chicken (a keto fan favorite) to all kinds of soups and main dishes and desserts. I am pretty sure my kids would eat nearly all of the many recipes in this book. I love that they are meals the whole family can love and not kid-centric staples like chicken nuggets and hambugers. While those things have their place, it is nice to have more options that we can all enjoy together. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys low carb cooking or who want some new healthy recipes for their families.