Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Box Set: Books 1 - 5

This box set was my first read by Ms. Wesson. 

I was delighted with each story. 

All the characters were well fleshed out with flaws, backstory, and conflict to keep the couples apart even when they were together. G

Excellent use of tropes and setting. 

If you like historical western mail order bride romances, then this is perfect for you. And if you haven't tried a romance like this, then this set is a wonderful place to start. 

AMAZON

Follow the journey of Five Irish Ladies who head to Clover Springs looking for love and their own special happy ever after in this special discounted box deal.

Never Enough

If you're a parent, read this. 

If you're not a parent, read this. You're still part of the solution. 

I've seen firsthand how achievement culture can destroy young people when they believe that who they are and what they do are the determining factors to their selfworth, which hinges on how much they can produce rather than emphasizing effort and learning. 

Not that who they are is intrisically enough. 

Our youth need better than the toxicity around them. They need support, love, and the ability to fail without having the first two hanging in the balance. 

This book is an eye opener for sure. 

How do you teach your children about their worth?

AMAZON

The definitive book on the rise of “toxic achievement culture” overtaking our kids' and parents' lives, and a new framework for fighting back

In the ever more competitive race to secure the best possible future, today’s students face unprecedented pressure to succeed. They jam-pack their schedules with AP classes, fill every waking hour with resume-padding activities, and even sabotage relationships with friends to “get ahead.” Family incomes and schedules are stretched to the breaking point by tutoring fees and athletic schedules. Yet this drive to optimize performance has only resulted in skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and even self-harm in America’s highest achieving schools. Parents, educators, and community leaders are facing the same quandary: how can we teach our kids to strive towards excellence without crushing them?

In Never Enough, award-winning reporter Jennifer Breheny Wallace investigates the deep roots of toxic achievement culture, and finds out what we must do to fight back. Drawing on interviews with families, educators, and an original survey of nearly 6,000 parents, she exposes how the pressure to perform is not a matter of parental choice but baked in to our larger society and spurred by increasing income inequality and dwindling opportunities. As a result, children are increasingly absorbing the message that they have no value outside of their accomplishments, a message that is reinforced by the media and greater culture at large.

Through deep research and interviews with today’s leading child psychologists, Wallace shows what kids need from the adults in the room is not more pressure, but to feel like they matter, and have intrinsic self-worth not contingent upon external achievements. Parents and educators who adopt the language and values of mattering help children see themselves as a valuable contributor to a larger community. And in an ironic twist, kids who receive consistent feedback that they matter no matter what are more likely to have the resilience, self-confidence, and psychological security to thrive.

Packed with memorable stories and offering a powerful toolkit for positive change, Never Enough offers an urgent, humane view of the crisis plaguing today’s teens and a practical framework for how to help.

A Fake Marriage Romance Collection

Ms. Lieske masterfully weaves tale after tale of fake relationships. 

I couldn't possibly pick a favorite out of these five full-lenth novels. Each one has a different premise, and you'll be laughing all the way through. These characters go through the emotional wringer as they deal with their real feelings under fake circumstances. So much fun. 

AMAZON

Five feel-good romances, filled with heart-stopping kisses and scenes that will make you laugh out loud.

Book 1: Accidentally Married
Madison get swindled into pretending to be Jared's girlfriend for a family dinner. When she finds out he lied to her, she gets him back by telling his family they are engaged. A hilarious rom com with a great cast of characters.

Book 2: Reluctantly Married
Megan and Adam have knocked heads for some time. When forced to pretend to date on a TV show, real feelings get in the way. And when they say I do, Megan worries her heart will not be able to take it.

Book 3: Mistakenly Married
Things get a little crazy when Penny accidentally marries the wrong man. Then when he convinces her to stay married just until he gets his inheritance, she agrees. What she didn't expect is for her heart to get involved.

Book 4: Blissfully Married
Sydney pretends to be engaged to help her matchmaking business succeed. Luckily, she's got a fake ring on her finger when her childhood crush walks in the door. Blake stays at arms length from Sydney until he realizes she's been lying to him. He makes it his mission to get her to admit she's not really engaged.

Book 5: Acting Married
When Tara agrees to marry Rick Shade as a publicity stunt, she doesn't expect to fall for him. She can't get her heart involved, she needs stability in her life.

Simon Sort of Says

Ms. Bow takes on a powerful experience and focuses it through the eyes of a twelve year old with PTSD and survivor's guilt, immediately creating a character the reader can sympathize with and champion his creation of a future different from his past. 

This book is well researched, beautifully written, and emotionally gripping. It would be a shame to miss reading it. 

High praise for the audiobook narrator, who masterfully brought the book to vivid life. 

Would you jump with Simon or watch him fall?

Let me know in the comments.

AMAZON 

Simon O'Keeffe's biggest claim to fame should be the time his dad accidentally gave a squirrel a holy sacrament. Or maybe the alpaca disaster that went viral on YouTube. But the story the whole world wants to tell about Simon is the one he'd do anything to forget: the story in which he's the only kid in his class who survived a school shooting.

Two years after the infamous event, twelve-year-old Simon and his family move to the National Quiet Zone—the only place in America where the internet is banned. Instead of talking about Simon, the astronomers who flock to the area are busy listening for signs of life in space. And when Simon makes a friend who's determined to give the scientists what they're looking for, he'll finally have the chance to spin a new story for the world to tell.

From award-winning author Erin Bow, Simon Sort of Says is a breathtaking testament to the lasting echoes of trauma, the redemptive power of humor, and the courage it takes to move forward without forgetting the past.

In Gad We Trust

I personally prefer when the writer does the audiobook narration for their biography. I can get a better sense of their tone instead of having to guess. 

I learned so much about Mr. Gad, how his early years informed his work, how smart he is, and how his intentions shaped his career. 

Word of caution, there is quite a bit of swearing in this biography, more than what I usually tolerate. As he's relating his reality through his individual lens, keep that in mind when those words crop up, especially when he quotes song lyrics. 

I especially appreciated his candor when discussing his mental health. 

Curious to see if there will be a follow up bio in another forty years. 

AMAZON

For the first and possibly last time, Josh Gad dives into a wide array of personal topics: the lasting impact of his parents’ divorce; how he struggled with weight and self-image; his first big break; how everyone was sure his most successful ventures (both on the big screen and the stage) would fail; his take on fatherhood, and so much more. This trip down the rabbit hole of overly personal stories will distract listeners from climate change, the downward descent of democracy in Western civilization, and the existential threat that AI poses to Drake’s music—with never-before-seen photos and few-to-no spelling errors.

Whether you know him from Disney or Broadway, YouTube, the silver screen, or not at all, one fact remains: Josh’s work never fails to bring people together (as long as they’re alive.) His delightful debut, written in the tradition of Amy Poehler, Jim Gaffigan, and Mindy Kaling, reminds us to keep going, even when the chips and doubters are stacked against you.

Sandwich

Ms. Newman doesn't hold back with her portrayal of menopause. This book is a roller coaster of emotion captained by Rocky. Prepare for emotional whiplash. 

The story is well told, and the characters well fleshed out. There's plenty of funny moments and plenty of sobering ones too. 

There is too much swearing for my taste. 

Some content may be triggering for women who miscarried pregnancies accidentally or by choice, which isn't in the description. 

The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job. 

AMAZON

For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.

This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.

It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.

An Unlikely Alliance

Ms. John based her story on an interesting premise, and it paid off. 

Bit of a love triangle, which isn't my favorite, but it's clear from the beginning that Preston's relationship with his girlfriend isn't going to last. And she doesn't endear herself to the reader either. Keeping it clean, Preston doesn't make any moves on Corrie until he's broken up wtih his fiance. So, at least he doesn't come off as a cheater. A very fine line to walk and Ms. John does it well. 

The forbidden relationship trope is the main one with a few other sides, boss/nanny, frenemies to lovers, etc. 

Well crafted, well told, and good kisses. 

AMAZON

Two strangers, bound by one little girl who needs them both...

Preston Ford's life turns upside down the moment he decides to become his niece's guardian. And he's fine with that. He'll learn. They'll adapt. What he doesn't expect is for the nanny to insist on coming along. She's the key to making everything work and a complication he doesn't know what to do with. After all, his girlfriend is expecting him to propose.

Corrie Windsor has been taking care of Ella for most of her life, and she won’t let the little girl lose another person who loves her. Even if it means butting heads with Ella's infuriating uncle. Even if it means moving states. Even if it means squelching her attraction for a man who isn't sure she should stick around. Good thing she has a lot of experience with being the most stubborn person in the room. As long as they both focus on Ella, everything will be fine.

It's a fragile alliance, with more than one heart hanging in the balance. Could their family by chance lead to a happily ever after?