Lilacs In Abundance

 Hello and Welcome. - Today is my annual sharing of my mom's lilac tree photos. 

I thought at first they wouldn't be as pretty this year but thankfully I was wrong.

Just look at how huge those blooms are.  They really smell too.  Unfortunately they also make me sneeze a lot!

 It was my mom's favorite tree though so I never plan to cut it down as long as I live here.  I'll just enjoy their beauty and sneeze away.

Book Review - The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy

 

Today I am reviewing, The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy.

 I received an (advanced copy) of the book for my honest opinion and review. - I enjoy romance stories, aka (Rom-Com) and of course Christmas so this book sounded like it would be a lot of fun and it was!

The story centers around the two main characters, Bella and Jesse.  Bella is a big city girl who is sent to the small town of, Maple Falls to purchase a failing Christmas shop .  Just before the papers are about to be signed Jesse, the Grandson of the owner steps in. - What then ensues is a "wager" between the two of them to participate in the towns holiday games competition.

Along the way the dynamics between the two of them change from enemies to something much more.

It's a fun rom-com type of book and I found myself thinking that it would make a great Hallmark movie.  It just had that nice, cozy and fun romantic vibe to it that you get when watching one of those movies. 

What I liked about the book was that the author was very descriptive and that the characters were people you felt like you wanted to know.  Each chapter is told from either Bella or Jesse's perspective which I enjoyed.

Things I didn't like about the book.  At times some of the situations seemed almost a bit too much.  While the book was set in a small town I thought that the author made it seem like everyone in the entire town was your friend and let's face it small towns aren't always that way.

 I did enjoy the book though and if you like lighthearted romance then this is the book for you.

What is happening - Winter and Spring got mixed up!

 So this morning I woke up at 6:30 and looked out the window....It was snowing!  - What's up with that since Spring started 2 weeks ago.

We've been really fortunate to have not had a bad winter so I can't complain (to much).

Here are a few photos I took this morning.

Mike's truck in back.

 Looking down the street to the right of our house.

The bushes to the left of our house. Normally they are filled with birds.  Not this morning.

My poor daffodils look so sad and most were covered by the snow.

A Yard decoration looking a bit "under the weather."

My poor Spring flag...The seasons were mixed up.

Just some snow on branches that looked neat.

The squirrels didn't mind the snow.  This little fellow enjoyed the peanuts I left out for them.

Next week....it's suppose to be in the 70's!

Awww Mondays - March 27, 2023

 It's a bit late for the holiday but I thought this was a cute photo so I'm submitting for Awww Mondays.

 

 

Our granddaughters, Joelle and Coleen (who now wants to be called, Jupiter) so from here on out when I post I will try to use her new chosen name.

Also the dog in the picture is our dog,  Darby Joe. We think he's pretty cute too.

 

 

 

 

Book Review - Daughter of Darkness by Terry Brooks

 

Today I am reviewing the book, Daughter of Darkness by, Terry Brooks.  This is the second installment of the series.  I reviewed the first book (Child of Light) HERE:  and was thrilled when I was able to get an Advanced copy of this book from Net Galley.

 

 

 

 I was not compensated by Net Galley or anyone else.  I received the advanced copy of the book solely for the purpose of reviewing my opinion of it.

Daughter of Darkness takes place two years after the main character, Auris has been freed from the Goblin Prison and has discovered parts of her past and is learning to live in her new world as part of the Fae creatures while still retaining parts of her human existence.

Life seems to be going quite well for her until suddenly the Goblins reappear searching for her.  Then tragedy strikes as her life partner, Harrow is attacked and she is drawn back into the world of Humans and Dragons and other creatures in an attempt to save his life before it's too late. She sets off on a epic journey with some unexpected new friends and delves deeper into her own past and history learning more about where she came from.

I was immediately drawn back into this story even though it had been a couple of years since I'd read the first book.  The characters are very interesting and the author keeps you guessing as to what is going to happen in the story right up to the end of the book.

I really enjoyed how this one introduced Dragons and other fantasy characters into the story. Lots of different twists and turns in the story to keep you vested in the characters and what fate awaits them.

If you like Fantasy and Science Fiction you will truly enjoy this book.  I kept reading until way into the night to finish this one up and can hardly wait to see if a third book comes out. 

Terry Brooks is my favorite Fantasy author and I highly recommend you read his books.