Thursday, October 17, 2024

Penalties and Proposals (Love on Thin Ice series)

  ~ I received no compensation and my opinions are 100% my own or my family's. ~

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Synopsis (from Amazon):  It only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch. When life hands me reformed hockey star Noah Beaumont, AGAIN, am I supposed to make cider or is there a sweeter surprise in store?

Willa: I never wanted to see Noah Beaumont again. EVER. When I kicked him off my set after he showed up intoxicated, his PR team tried to blacklist me. I made it over that hurdle, made a name for myself, and I’m heading to Maple Falls to cover a charity ice hockey team that’s making headlines...only to find out I have to work with HIM.

But this Noah seems different. He’s reformed and seems to be determined to show me he’s changed. Can I trust him, or will he be the same disaster I remember?

Noah: I’ve spent years trying to make amends for my past mistakes, questioning if I still belong in the world of hockey or if it's time to step back, be ‘normal’. But seeing Willa again brings everything into sharp focus. She’s the woman who’s haunted my thoughts since the day I met her.

Now, she’s here in Maple Falls, and I’m determined to prove I’m not the same man she remembers. I want her to see the real me, the man I’ve worked so hard to become. Can I convince her to give me a second chance?

Penalties and Proposals is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It's a second chance enemies to lovers story with forced proximity in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Content warning: This IS a lighthearted and fun romantic comedy, but there are subjects mentioned in this book like parents passing away and former substance abuse.

Slide into the Love on Thin Ice Series for a sweet romantic escape. Seven authors, seven short novels, and one charming town. Get ready for heartwarming short novel love stories and all the fall feels. Start reading now!

Breaking the Ice by Whitney Dineen
The Rebound Play by Kate O’Keeffe
The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington
Love in Overtime by Melissa Baldwin
The Parent Playbook by Elsie Woods
Love at First Skate by Ellie Hall
Penalties and Proposals by Anne Kemp



One (or more) Sentence Summary:  I have read three of the seven books and I can't wait to get to the other four.  I usually like to read a series in order, however, I read Breaking the Ice and The Rebound Play (books 1 and 2) before jumping to Penalities and Proposals (book 7).  Guess what?.....it doesn't matter what order you read them in!  

Penalties and Proposals is another must-read book in the series.  Give me a rom-com any day....add hockey as the background story and I am hooked.  I loved Willa and how she was able to work through her hurt from the past which was a result of Noah's "people".  Noah was an amazing character who worked through his past mistakes and realized how they impacted others. He owned up to his past behavior and was looking to redeem himself.  

Great story in a small town I wish was real (I would love to visit) with wonderful people.  I really appreciate that Anne Kemp didn't make excuses for Noah's past, which made me like him even more....he owned it.  Willa was strong and didn't let anything stop her from her goal.  I love a strong female character! 

I highly recommend Penalities and Proposals along with the rest of the series.  Three out of seven I have really enjoyed.  I can't wait to get to the other four!


Anne Kemp is a bestselling author of romantic comedies. She loves reading (and she does it ridiculously fast, too!), gluten-free baking (because everyone needs a hobby that makes them crazy), and finding time to binge-watch her favorite shows. She grew up in Maryland but made Los Angeles her home until she encountered her own real-life meet-cute at a friend's wedding where she ended up married to one of the groomsmen. For real.

Anne now lives on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, and even though she was married at Mt. Doom, no…she doesn’t have a Hobbit. However, she and her husband do have a terrier named George Clooney and when she’s not writing, she’s usually with them taking a long walk on the river by their home.

You can find Anne on her website - come say hi! She’d love to hear from you: www.annekemp.com

On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest: @missannekemp

On TikTok: @annekempauthor

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Wednesday, October 16, 2024

The Next Step

  ~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

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Synopsis:  Christmas has been all but forgotten as a negative pregnancy test makes Rachel reconsider her future with Todd. The realization sends her to the small town of Abbeyglen where the opening of Caulfield’s Café is all anyone’s talking about. But it also has her beginning to see her returning colleague at Blackwater Financial Services, the loud, hilarious Owen Larrson in a new light.


Natalie has decided she needs a change. In the midst of Christmas craziness, with the grand opening of the café and the excitement of her two children’s Christmas concert, Natalie can only hope the people of Blackwater Financial Services can help her find the job that will change her life. But as ex-boyfriend Darren returns, she realizes luck might not be on her side for a bright Christmas after all …

Join two women who are trying to figure out what the rest of their lives hold, in the midst of the mayhem of the most wonderful time of the year in the most wonderful place to be!






One (or more) Sentence Summary:  This is my first book by BR Maycock and I would l ike to go back and read the other books in the series.  It isn't needed and The Next Step stands on its own.  

I realy like Natalie.  She was a strong person, but when Darren came on the scene I felt she became a little timid....however, she found her inner strength and steped up to him.  

Rachel was a little harder for me to relate to as she didn't seem to know what she wanted, except what she had before.  She did figure it out in the end and I think "grew up" through the novel.  I really did appreciate her journey. 

I really liked Rachel and Natalie's friends Holly and Bex.  They all supported each other through all their ups and down as true friends do.  Abbeyglen sounds like a beautiful community! 

I plan on reading books 1 and 2 featuring Holly and Bee, respectively.  Again, no need to read them in order.  




B R Maycock is the author of laugh-out-loud romantic comedies. She lives in the midlands in Ireland with her four little men, kooky husband, dog Eddie, and cat Shadow!

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Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Wild Wonder

   ~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

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Synopsis (from Amazon):  An invitation to explore the life-giving lessons we can learn from the Earth, featuring stunning photography and reflections from an acclaimed visual artist

The Earth is the first tangible gift we were given. Yet when did you last pause to appreciate the immensity of the ocean, wander in silence through an ancient forest, or behold the grandeur of a mountain? How long has it been since you’ve felt grass beneath your feet?

Accompanied by awe-inspiring full-color photography from landscape cinematographer and visual artist Stephen Proctor, 
Wild Wonder: What Nature Teaches Us About Slowing Down and Living Well combines pastoral observations about creation with an explorationof how it can provide healing to our minds and bodies. Divided into five parts that are each devoted to a unique aspect of nature—oceans, forests, rivers, ice, and mountains—Proctor encourages readers to recognize how being outside restores us and offers us a renewed sense of awe and wonder for the Creator.

In each of the thirty brief essays, he points to some of the deep lessons nature can teach us. We can appreciate the gift of silence while observing a glacier, gain a new perspective on top of a mountain, learn the skill of slowing down from a river, and experience a metaphor of redemptive life after death through nurse logs. Each part includes an interview from an artist whose inspiration has been drawn from nature and ends with a “Time to Fly!” section that features reflection questions, simple action prompts, and sources for further exploration.

Whether outdoor enthusiasts or armchair adventurers, readers of this book will be drawn into a more holistic and contemplative way of life and a deeper awareness of the beautiful world around them.



One (or more) Sentence Summary: Oh, what a beautiful book!  My daughter is a forest management major in college and we both just fell in love with Wild Wonder.  The photos are absolutely stunning.  We had no idea the Oregon coast was so beautiful. 

I also love the Psalm (my favorite 96: 11-13) and quotes throughout the book. Wild Wonder is dividied into five parts, Ocean, Forests, Rivers, Ice, and Mountains. There is also "Time to Fly! A Moment to Reflect" after each part that allows the reader to stop and be guided by Stephen through some reflections. 

Beautiful book all around and would make an amazing gift.



Stephen Proctor is a visual artist who specializes in landscape cinematography and aerial photography to curate calming, imaginative experiences. Many of his current collaborations are with film composers, ambient artists, and modern classical musicians. For the past twenty years, he has toured with various bands and authors, producing visually immersive experiences for live concerts and conferences all around the world. Stephen lives in a small cabin in the Columbia River Gorge just outside Portland, Oregon.
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