Falling in Love on Willow Creek by Debbie Mason

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher 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-

Fall in love with thelatest Highland Falls romance about a single mom-to-be's surprise delivery and the undercover FBI agent who rescues her and her heart in the small town of Highland Falls.

Single mom-to-be Sadie Gray will do anything to find her younger brother before the law catches up with him. Even if it means returning home to the small town of Highland Falls with a baby due any moment. But when that moment comes sooner than expected, and Sadie finds herself stranded on the top of a mountain—in labor--she couldn’t be more grateful for the park ranger who finds her and helps deliver her daughter safely. Soon they’ve formed a tight friendship, and while he may be hinting at more, Sadie isn’t planning to stick around after she finds her brother.

FBI agent Chase Roberts wasn’t looking for love when he agreed to go undercover as a park ranger to find an on-the-run informant. But he can’t help being drawn to beautiful, warm-hearted Sadie and her sweet baby daughter. He’s always longed to put down roots and start a family. But how can he hope to keep Sadie’s trust when she finds out that his job is to arrest the brother she’s been looking for? 

My thoughts-

I have really liked all of the books in the Highland Falls series so far and Falling in Love on Willow Creek fell right into line. I don't think any of the books in the series will top Christmas on Reindeer Road for me, but I really enjoyed this one. I liked the mix of suspense with the traditional romance elements of the series. It kept me turning the pages to find out what happened. What I love most about small town romance series is that we get to know pretty much everyone in town, so it feels like you are living there and a part of the action yourself. I will be looking forward to the next book in the series!

The Dating Dare By Jayci Lee

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher 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-

No serious relationships. This is the one rule Tara Park made for herself and it has been working swimmingly, thank you very much. The occasional fling is fine, especially since she’s busy with Weldon Brewery. But when Seth Kim, temptation personified and her best friend’s new brother-in-law walks into her life, Tara might be willing to bend her golden rule…but only for four dates—the four dates she agreed to after a few good rounds of beer and a game of truth or dare. It’ll be fun. No biggie.

Seth Kim can’t believe Tara agreed to his dating dare. He’s leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings attached fling seemed like a nice little distraction for both… But their secret dates, while sweet and sexy, always hit roadblocks straight out of a romantic comedy. Thankfully, their non-dates and chance meetings are smoother, frequent, and heated. However, the more Seth sees of Tara, the less willing he is to let her go—and what was supposed to be a fun little game turns into something that neither of them are ready for.

But sometimes, the best things in life are the ones we never see coming.

My thoughts-

This was such a cute love story. Both Tara and Seth have been hurt in the past, and Seth is about to leave to move across the world for a job in a month, but when they both find themselves attracted to one another a no strings attached fling sounds perfect. As the story unfolds and they inevitably begin to fall for each other, we learn about their pasts and why they are both so reluctant to trust someone with their hearts. I loved the story from start to finish. It was a cute story of two people figuring out with the right person, the stuff from the past bad relationships is irrelevant. I listened to this as an audio book and absolutely recommend it, the narrartor was great. If you love romance, you will love The Dating Dare.

Food Saved Me by Danielle Walker

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher 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-

Diagnosed with an extreme form of ulcerative colitis at 22, Danielle was terrified she’d never be able to eat all the wonderful, great-tasting foods she loved growing up or host warm, welcoming gatherings with family and friends. So when the medicine she was prescribed became almost as debilitating as the disease itself, Danielle took matters into her own hands, turned her kitchen into a laboratory, and set to work creating gut-healthy versions of the foods she thought she’d never be able to enjoy again. Three New York Times bestselling cookbooks later, Danielle has become a beacon of hope for millions around the world suffering from autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and chronic ailments.

Now for the first time, with stunning transparency about the personal toll her illness took on her physically, emotionally, and spiritually, Danielle reflects on everything she’s learned during her decade-long journey toward healing—including the connection between gut health and overall well-being, the development of her favorite recipes, and the keys for not simply surviving her autoimmune disease but thriving despite it. Through her resilience, Danielle tells a story that provides hope—hope that despite your ailments or hardships, you can live a full, happy, and healthy life without ever feeling excluded or deprived.

Food saved Danielle Walker. And it can save you, too.

My thoughts-

Many years ago, a friend of mine told me about Danielle Walker's first cookbook. I was trying to cut gluten out at that time to see if it would help some of my own issues, so I thought it was a good place to start. Her recipes are always delicious and always friendly to food sensitivities. I knew Danielle Walker had a history of autoimmune disorder before picking up this book about her journey, but I had no idea the extent of the struggles she went through. She is very candid in this book, and shares all of the ups and many downs shes gone through. I appreciate the honesty of sometimes needing more than dietary changes to heal because everyone's journey is different. Some people may indeed only need dietary changes, but there is no change in utilizing medicine when it is needed either. However, when doctors push medicine and tell you diet has nothing to do with it, that is where the problem lies. I do not believe most traditional medical doctors are trained in nutrition. They are trained to medicate, and that is something that really needs to change. This book is great for anyone struggling with autoimmune diseases, or even food intolerances and food allergies (like me). It's always nice to feel someone can relate and to have hope for things to get better in the future. 

Sunkissed by Kasie West

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher 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-

Avery has always used music as an escape. But after her best friend betrays her, even her perfectly curated playlists can't help her forget what happened. To make matters worse, her parents have dragged her and her social-media-obsessed sister to a remote family camp for two months of "fun." Just when Avery is ready to give up on the summer altogether, she meets Brooks--mysterious, frustratingly charming Brooks--who just happens to be on staff--which means he's off-limits.

What starts as a disaster turns into. . . something else. As the outside world falls away, Avery embarks on a journey of self-discovery. And when Brooks offers her the chance of a lifetime, she must figure out how far is she willing to go to find out what she wants and who she wants to be.

My thoughts-

Sunkissed was a fun, mostly light YA novel. I enjoyed the relationship between Avery and her sister the most, although Brooks was also a great character that I enjoyed getting to know. I found the idea of a family summer camp interesting, it is definitely something I have never heard of, so having Avery figure out who she is and her dynamic both within her family and as an individual was a wonderful story line. Some of the less prominent characters were not my favorite, particularly Avery's "best friend" from back home. She is  barely in the book and easily the worst character. I also had a love/hate relationship with Kai, Brooks's best friend and band mate, he seemed incredibly whiney any time he didn't get his way, but seemed like a nice guy on the surface. This was a quick read, if you love YA and first loves this is definitely a great book for you.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

  

*Disclosure of material connection- I received the book 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- 

After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what’s happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest—and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything.

My thoughts-

Kristin Harmel might be my favorite author so I always look forward to her new releases. I have been a reader since The Sweetness of Forgiving, and I haven't missed a single book of hers since then. I absolute loved the last book she wrote before this, The Book of Lost Names, anad I wasn't sure another book set in the same WWII era could surprise me or add a new subject matter that I haven't previously read (since WWII historical fiction is my favorite genre), but Kristin Harmel surprised me with this one. I don't know how I never knew that there were Jewish people hiding in the forest during the holocaust, but it was interesting reading this fictionalized version of the people who did. Even though The Forest of Vanishing Stars belongs to the WWII historical fiction genre that Harmel has been writing in for years, there were some elements to this story that were different that I really enjoyed. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.