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Once Upon a Book Club: Adult Box March 2022

The Oceanography of the Moon by Glendy Vanderah

I was so excited to received the Adult Book box from Once Upon a Book Club for the month of March, with the clue “To the Moon and Back!”

Take a look below for information on the book and gifts that I received in this box, my review of the book, and more – but keep in mind that there will be spoilers on the gifts!

Thanks so much to the folks over at Once Upon a Book Club for gifting me with this box! Check them out for yourself, and use my code TACKLINGTBR at check out for a discount!

About the Box

The To The Moon and Back box was Once Upon a Book Club’s adult box for March 2022! Each box contained a copy of the book and four wrapped gifts to tie into the book – bringing the book and reading experience to life!

Page 55

“She guides me out onto the wooden pier. It’s unsettling to walk toward that watery blackness as if impelled down a gangplank to my death. She positions me at the end of the pier and has everyone turn off our flashlights. She tells me it takes a while for retinas to acclimate to darkness. As my eyes adjust, I’m standing in millions of stars.“

A small, USB star light that shines star patterns onto walls or the ceiling.

Page 114

“While I’m running water into the tub, she knocks on the door and hands me a book. The cover art looks like a child’s drawing of two people holding hands, the lines connecting stars in the night sky. The constellation is Gemini, the twins. I settle the book onto the bookrest Sachi and Alec gave me for my sixteenth birthday…”

A faux book pamphlet including the novel A Box of Broken Stars details on the cover, plus a wooden and plexiglass bookrest.

Page 195

“I take the rock out of my pocket and hold its cold angular shape in my fist. I’m not sure if I should give it to her.”

A black tourmaline along with the explanation of its healing properties.

Page 211

“I’ve been too distracted to pay much attention to his necklace. The only jewelry I’ve seen on him is the expensive watch he always wears. It’s a key, the old kind I see in antique stores.”

A gold, key pendant inspired by Vaughn’s.

Page 223

“I hold her against my chest. I recognize this song. It’s ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’.”

A QR code to listen to the song, ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ by The Beatles

About the Book

Published by: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: March 22, 2022

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Magical Realism

Page Count: 330

Description from Goodreads:

A heartfelt novel of shedding secrets, facing the past, and embracing the magic of love and family by the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars.

After the untimely deaths of her aunt and mother, young Riley Mays moved from Chicago to her cousins’ Wisconsin farm. Here she found solace in caring for her extraordinary adoptive brother, exploring the surrounding wild nature, and gazing at the mystical moon—a private refuge in which she hides from her most painful memories. But ten years later, now twenty-one, Riley feels too confined by the protective walls she’s erected around herself. When a stranger enters her family’s remote world, Riley senses something he’s hiding, a desire to escape that she understands well.

Suffering from writer’s block, bestselling novelist Vaughn Orr has taken to the country roads when he happens upon the accommodating, if somewhat unusual, Mays family. He’s soon captivated by their eccentricities—and especially by Riley and her quiet tenacity. In her, he recognizes a shared need to keep heartbreaking secrets buried.

As the worst moments of their lives threaten to surface, Riley and Vaughn must find the courage to confront them if they’re to have any hope of a happy future. With the help of Riley’s supportive family, a dash of everyday magic, and the healing power of nature, can the pair let go of the troubled pasts they’ve clung to so tightly for so long?

Review:

(My review will be added at a later date!)

About the Author

Glendy Vanderah is the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars and The Light Through the Leaves. Glendy worked as an endangered-bird specialist in Illinois before she became a writer. Originally from Chicago, she now lives in rural Florida with her husband and as many birds, butterflies, and wildflowers as she can lure to her land.

For more information, visit http://www.glendyvanderah.com.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glendyvanderah/

Link to Purchase the book:

Learn more about Once Upon a Book Club, or order your next read, here!

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Fearlessly Different: An Autistic Actor’s Journey to Broadway’s Biggest Stage

Review and Blog Tour courtesy of the Author

Thanks so much to the author, Mickey Rowe, for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in this blog tour. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Publication Date: March 15, 2022

Genre: Nonfiction, Neurodiversity/Austism Spectrum Disorder

“People want so desperately to fit in that they forget what makes them stand out. Be loud. Take up space. Our differences are our strengths.”

Mickey Rowe, Fearlessly Different: An Autistic Actor’s Journey to Broadway’s Biggest Stage
Description from Goodreads:

My name is Mickey Rowe. I am an actor, a theatre director, a father, and a husband. I am also a man with autism. You think those things don’t go together? Let me show you that they do. Growing up, Mickey Rowe was told that he couldn’t enter the mainstream world. He was iced out by classmates and colleagues, infantilized by well-meaning theatre directors, barred from even earning a minimum wage. Why? Because he is autistic. Fearlessly Different: An Autistic Actor’s Journey to Broadway’s Biggest Stage is Mickey Rowe’s story of growing up autistic and pushing beyond the restrictions of a special education classroom to shine on Broadway. As an autistic and legally blind person, living in a society designed by and for non-disabled people, it was always made clear to Mickey the many things he was apparently incapable of doing. But Mickey did them all anyway–and he succeeded because of, not in spite of, his autism. He became the first autistic actor to play the lead role in the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, landed the title role in the play Amadeus, co-created the theatre/philanthropy company Arts on the Waterfront, and founded the National Disability Theatre. Mickey faced untold obstacles along the way, but his story ends in triumph. Many people feel they are locked out of the world of autism–that it’s impossible to even begin to understand. In Fearlessly Different, Mickey guides readers to that world while also helping those with autism to feel seen and understood. And he shows all people–autistic and non-autistic alike–that the things that make us different are often our biggest strengths.

Review (5 Stars):

TW: in-depth discussion of ableism, discussion of sexism/racism, statistics related to death/murder, physical/mental abuse of children by family, police violence, postpartum depression, bullying

I always want to start off reviews for biographies and memoirs and the like by saying that I don’t necessarily like rating them because the stories in them are so personal to the author, and just because I might not see myself in it or relate to it doesn’t mean that someone else won’t. That being said, this was an easy 5 stars for me.

This book. I read this book once when I first received the galley at the end of 2021, and then just reread it again in order to write a review for the publication date, and I found myself flying through it both times. And while I am good friends with the author, and am so freaking proud of my friend for this thing that he has created, I don’t think that that is the reason I was able to read through this so quickly both times. Sometimes I struggle with nonfiction and memoirs because they can tend to lean into statistics and be a bit dry, but not this one.

Even the parts of this book that do lean more factual with statistics and mentions of news stories felt narrative, and that’s all thanks to the way Mickey wrote them. Instead of feeling like a text book or a school lecture during these parts, it really did feel like chatting with a friend about these issues. And that’s how the whole book felt. I really believe that anyone picking up this book, even if they have never heard of Mickey Rowe before that moment, could feel like they really know and connect with him by the end of the story. And to be able to say that and that you learned something from the same book is really special, I think.

Obviously, looking at the trigger warnings at the beginning of this review, there are a couple of parts that can be a little bit difficult to read just because of the content that is being discussed. But I think that it is absolutely worth pushing through those parts if you’re able to, because they are so important. So much of our communities are facing these same issues every single day that Mickey is talking about in Fearlessly Different. It would be easier if we could think that these are isolated incidents, but they aren’t. So I think that this book is really important as a tool to really make those experiences visible to those of us that aren’t experiencing them.

I would recommend anyone read this book. Whether they are autistic or neurotypical or somewhere in between, I think that this is a story and a point of view that we don’t see nearly enough of coming from the people whose stories they are. And hey, I read an electronic version, but if you are a fan of audiobooks I would recommend it for this book as well. Mickey reads his story for the audiobook, and I can only imagine the way he is able to bring everything to life through that medium. I think the best way to read or listen to this book would be on a slow Sunday morning with a cup of tea, while you are able to really take in the information in a calm and comfortable setting.

Want to learn more?

Check out these amazing resources (along with many more listed in the back of the book) for more information!

Disability Memorial: https://disability-memorial.org/

Autistic POC Fund: https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/

Autistic Women and Non-Binary Fund: https://awnnetwork.org/

Meet Mickey:

Mickey Rowe (he/him) has had a prolific and varied career as an actor, director, consultant, and public speaker; now highly sought after both nationally and internationally. He was the first autistic actor to play Christopher Boone, the lead role in the Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. He has also appeared as the title role in the Tony Award-winning play Amadeus and more. Mickey has been featured in the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, PBS, Vogue, Playbill, NPR, CNN, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Forbes, and has keynoted at organizations including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The Kennedy Center, Yale University, Columbia University, Disability Rights Washington, The Gershwin Theatre on Broadway, the DAC of the South Korean government, and more. Mickey was the founding Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, which works in partnership with Tony Award-winning companies such as La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He is the Author of Fearlessly Different – In bookstores everywhere March 2022. Mickey Rowe is in Seattle on the land of the Duwamish people past, present, and future.

Connect with Mickey

Website: https://mickeyrowe.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21609793.Mickey_Rowe

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themickeyrowe/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themickeyrowe

Twitter: https://twitter.com/themickeyrowe

Link to Purchase on Amazon:

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Happily Ever After Cookbook

Blog Tour courtesy of Valentine PR

Thanks so much to Dangerous Press and Valentine PR for the gifted, advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in this blog tour! { partner } All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Genre: Cookbook

Description from Goodreads:

Immerse yourself in the world of romance with book-inspired recipes! Bestselling authors of your favorite novels teamed up with private chefs to develop original dishes. Now you can cook your way to a happily ever after…

Enjoy New Orleans Gumbo from Kennedy Ryan’s RITA-Award Winner Long Shot. Then bite into Texas BBQ Tacos from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s The Wright Brother. Follow it up with Diablo Cookies from Dangerous Temptation by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling. Finish your evening with an Underworld Cocktail inspired by New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert’s Wicked Villains series.

This sensual journey will surprise and delight readers!

Billionaire heroes and strong heroines come to life with these recipes…

The Happily Ever After Cookbook contains exclusive appetizers, soups, main dishes, desserts, cocktails, breakfast, and bakery recipes. Bring romance novels to life with these literary dishes. It will look great on your keeper shelf next to your favorite books.

FULL LIST OF AUTHORS INCLUDED: Cora Reilly, Laurelin Paige, Adriana Locke, Meghan Quinn, K. Webster, Amelia Wilde, Giana Darling, Katee Robert, Kylie Scott, Alta Hensley, Amo Jones, Sara Ney, K.A. Linde, Jenika Snow, Q.B. Tyler, Corinne Michaels, Maya Hughes, Melanie Harlow, Kelly Elliott, Kandi Steiner, Susan Stoker, Kennedy Ryan, M. O’Keefe, Fiona Cole, Willow Winters, AM Hargrove, L.B. Dunbar, Terri E. Laine, Monica Murphy, Jana Aston, Susannah Nix, A.L. Jackson, Teagan Hunter, M. Robinson, Pepper Winters, Sienna Snow, Emma Scott, Skye Warren, Mia Sheridan, Kate Canterbary, Tasha Boyd, Danielle Romero, Louise Bay, Aleatha Romig

My thoughts while cooking:

Even first just flipping through the pages, this is such a fun cookbook for readers! Each recipe lists what book it is featured in or inspired by, and some include notes from the author on why they love this recipe, or excerpts from the books of characters making and enjoying them! Even as someone who hasn’t read a good number of the books, I had a really fun time going through and seeing what everyone (real and fictional) had to say about them.

My husband and I love to snack for dinner, especially during busy weeknights, so instead of picking one of the more involved recipes we chose three smaller scale ones – two appetizers and a cocktail. Much more our speed when we’re working and taking classes and just overall running around like crazy people. Let’s jump in to what we made!

The first thing on the table was my husband Nick’s contribution – the cocktails! He made The Penny Cocktail, for Master of Sin by Sienna Snow. Nick loves to make a cocktail, and tends to follow his heart rather than a recipe, but this was definitely a worthwhile one. I will say that this cocktail is a mix of tequila and whiskey, so it is probably not for the faint of heart!

The first of our appetizers were the Parmesan Brussels Sprouts, for Dark Reign by Amelia Wilde. We LOVE a good, crispy brussels sprout – so much so that we tend to get them anytime we go out and see them on a menu – so this was the first of the recipes that we picked out. The recipe was delicious, and it made a very good helping. I will say that we make brussels sprouts often enough that we’ve got it down to a science, and these ones didn’t hold up quite as much as others we’ve made in the past. Following the recipe it just felt like there wasn’t quite enough of any of the flavorings (balsamic vinegar, thyme, pepper) to make much of an impact on the flavor, so they mostly just tasted like plain brussels sprouts. We may make them again to add a bit of an extra crunch to a salad, though, because I think it would be a perfect addition!

On to the real star of the evening – the Bruschetta, for All He’ll Ever Be by Willow Winters! This recipe was my first pick, and we were so happy with it that we ended up snacking on it most of the night. And I can tell you from personal experience that it makes for great leftovers! I had a few extra tomatoes to use up, so I made a bit of a larger batch than the recipe called for, but what can I say – much like Nick, I don’t always follow recipes very well, and unless I’m baking I honestly hate having to pull out measuring spoons! Of all of the recipes, this is the one I know for sure we’ll make again, especially once the summer comes around and I tend to over-buy tomatoes by the armloads. It was light and fresh and delicious!

Full List of Books Mentioned:

Stroke of Midnight by K. Webster

Come Back For Me by Corinne Michaels

The Butterfly Effect by Kelly Elliott

All He’ll Ever Be by Willow Winters

My Cone and Only by Susannah Nix

Dark Reign by Amelia Wilde

Secret Beast by Amelia Wilde

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

Wicked Devil by Daniela Romero

Escort by Skye Warren

Captive Bride by Alta Hensley

The Wright Brother by K.A. Linde

Fake by Kylie Scott

Unconditional by Q.B. Tyler

Big Bad Wolf by Jenika Snow

The Perfect First by Maya Hughes

One the Rocks by Kandi Steiner

Finding Elodie by Susan Stoker

Silver Brewer by L.B. Dunbar

Money Man by Terri E. Laine

Forever Right Now by Emma Scott

Let’s Get Textual by Teagan Hunter

Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters

Dirty Filthy Rich Men by Laurelin Paige

The Pawn by Skye Warren

Overture by Skye Warren

Jock Row by Sara Ney

The Silver Swan by Amo Jones

Inked in Lies by Giana Darling

Sway by Adriana Locke

The Locker Room by Meghan Quinn

For the Love of English by A.M. Hargrove

The Boss Who Stole Christmas by Jana Aston

Eversea by Natasha Boyd

Show Me the Way by A.L. Jackson

Complicate Me by M. Robinson

Mr. Mayfair by Louise Bay

Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert

Where the Blame Lies by Mia Sheridan

Private Property by Skye Warren

Master of Sin by Sienna Snow

King of Shadows by Amelia Wilde

The Reluctant Bride by Monica Murphy

Drive Me Wild by Melanie Harlow

Ruined by M. O’Keefe

Voyeur by Fiona Cole

Hard Pressed by Kate Canterbary

Net Worth by Amelia Wilde

Survival of the Richest by Skye Warren

Diamond in the Rough by Skye Warren

Devil’s Deal by Aleatha Romig

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Running Wild (Wild #3) by K.A. Tucker

Review and Blog Tour Courtesy of Valentine PR

Thanks so much to the author and Valentine PR for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts, and participation in this blog tour! { partner } All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Publication Date: January 25, 2022

Genre: Romance, COntemporary Romance, Adult

Description from Goodreads:

From the internationally bestselling author of The Simple Wild comes the story of a woman at a crossroads in her life, struggling between the safe route and the one that will only lead to more heartbreak.

Veterinarian Marie Lehr knows unrequited love all too well after pining for her best friend, only to watch him marry another woman. It’s a mistake she will never make again, especially not when she can practically hear the clock ticking on her childbearing years.

The trouble is, she can’t seem to find anyone who appeals to her even a fraction as much as that burly bush pilot did. Competitive musher Tyler Brady certainly doesn’t, especially not after the heated altercation with the handsome but arrogant, spiteful man.

Or so she thinks.

While volunteering at the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, Marie discovers that first impressions may have been false, and her attraction to Tyler is very real. But his heart belongs to someone else, leaving him with nothing to offer but friendship. Marie’s been down this road before and knows how that ends. Yet, no matter how hard she works to keep from falling for Tyler, it seems she’s doomed to follow her own trail once again.

Review (5 Stars):

TW: death, death during childbirth, loss of child & miscarriage, death/injury of animals, pregnancy

I need to just start this off immediately by saying that anyone who has been feeling unsure about this book because it’s Marie’s story rather than Calla’s has absolutely no reason to. This book had all of the heart and soul of the rest of the Wild series, and we still see plenty of those characters and places that we’ve grown to love throughout the series while having just enough new to set Marie’s story apart from the rest.

And okay I know, you might be saying “no but wait, she’s the one that was trying to get in between Jonah and Calla, so we don’t like her because they are relationship goals.” I get it. Nothing can ever come between Calla and Jonah, or I may give up on love entirely (so sorry to my husband). But she is such a sweet and strong character, and such a good friend to Jonah, and I am honestly thrilled that she finally has a real moment to shine!

I really enjoyed the direction that this story went as well. When it was announced that this would be Marie’s story, I was curious just how Kathleen would make the story and the settings just different enough to not feel like it was reliving The Simple Wild or Wild at Heart, while still making it obvious that it was the same place and moment, and I think that including so much of the sport and setting part of the book on the Iditarod trail was a really fun way to do just that! It felt separate from Trapper’s Crossing, but still left plenty of room for Marie to head back to the places and characters that we already know and love.

Now let’s talk about the new characters that we get in this book. We really get to deep dive into Marie’s family, and I loved some of them more than others (looking at you, Liz. You know what you did.) but the dynamic of all of them together was so fun, and so relatable to me! I have a few older brothers, and it’s always been a bit overwhelming for guests when you get all of us in the same room, so the weekly family dinner scenes were honestly some of my favorites. And Tyler Brady. Obviously swoon worthy. Not much to say except wow and that I will read more about him, thank you. I also fell in love with Marie’s friend/office mate Cory. She was so playful and sassy, and she really stood out to me!

Overall I loved this book. I devoured this book. If stupid things like eating and sleeping and going to work hadn’t gotten in the way, then I would have just sat down and read the entire thing in a single sitting. And I would absolutely recommend it to friends. I would say that the best way to read this book would be curled up under a blanket on a snowy afternoon with a glass of wine or a hot toddy. But no light beer. Sorry Marie, Tyler might not be judging your drink of choice, but I sure will.

Meet Kathleen:

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

She is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto.

Connect with Kathleen

Website: https://www.katuckerbooks.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/36Ga0W8

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QPwJZs

Facebook:  http://bit.ly/2MYEDhK

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468548700062461

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katucker_/

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2FqzR8K

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2rZkYXP

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorkatucker/

My reviews for more by K.A. Tucker:
The Simple Wild Series

The Simple Wild

Wild at Heart (Wild #2)

Forever Wild (Wild #2.5)

The Fate & Flame Series

A Fate of Wrath & Flame

The Polson Falls Series

The Player Next Door

Standalone Stories

Say You Still Love Me

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Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall

Review and Blog Tour courtesy of Valentine PR

Thanks so much to the author, Valentine PR, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in this blog tour. { partner } All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Genre: Mystery, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance, Cozy Mystery

Book Description from Goodreads:

From the author of Boyfriend Material and Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake comes a cozy mystery that revisits the Golden Age of detective fiction, starring a heroine who’s more podcaster than private eye and topped with a lethal dose of parody — perfect for fans of Clue, Knives Out, and Only Murders in the Building!

When up-and-coming true crime podcaster Liza and her corporate financier wife Hanna head to a luxurious hotel in the Scottish Highlands, they’re hoping for a chance to rekindle their marriage – not to find themselves trapped in the middle of an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery with no way home. But who better to take on the case than someone whose entire profession relies on an obsession with all things mysterious and macabre? Though some of her fellow guests may consider her an interfering new media hack, Liza knows a thing or two about crime and – despite Hanna’s preference for waiting out the chaos behind a locked door – might be the only one capable of discovering the killer. As the bodies rack up and the stakes rise, can they save their marriage — and their lives?

Review (5 Stars) :

Thanks so much to the author, Kobo Books, Netgalley, and Valentine PR for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in the blog tour. All opinions are entirely my own. All of my reviews nd blog tours can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and my blog tacklingtbr.home.blog.

TW: death/murder, description of violence, description of crime scenes

This book was seriously so much fun! I didn’t want to put it down while I was reading, and I was very mad any time I actually had to. Darn work and life getting in the way of my reading!

If you like Clue then you’ll enjoy this book. The big mansion where people keep mysteriously passing away, the kooky and colorful cast of characters, the sense of humor of a serious story that isn’t taking itself too seriously (although we can mostly thank Ruby for that mindset), it really had it all for me. And wrap it all up with an adorable queer couple bow? Yes please.

I will say that I guessed some bits of the ending before we got to it, but there were still some fun surprises for me along the way, so I wasn’t too mad about the few things I saw coming. And I think using Liza’s podcast as the reasoning for the detective work brought a fun, modern twist. Plus, sassy podcaster solving a crime with her adorable wife playing Watson? It was just so much fun.

I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends and family – in fact, my mom has already tried to steal my kindle so that she can read it next! I think that the perfect setting for reading this book would be inside in bed or on the couch under a couple of blankets with snow falling outside. And in honor of Murder Most Actual, the podcast within the book, a glass of wine is a necessity!

Connect with the Author:

Alexis Hall is an English author of urban fantasy, science fiction, and m/m romance. His novels include Murder Most Actual, Boyfriend Material, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, For Real, Glitterland, Iron & Velvet, Looking for Group, and Pansies.

His work has been nominated for to the 26th Lambda Literary Awards, 28th Lambda Literary Awards, and 29th Lambda Literary Awards in the category of Gay Romance.

Website: https://quicunquevult.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/alexishall

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicunquevult

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quicunquevult/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quicunquevult

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alexis-hall

More by Alexis Hall:

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

Boyfriend Material (check out my review here!)

Husband Material (Publication date: August 2, 2022)

the Arden St Ives series

the Spires series

Something Fabulous (Publication date: January 25, 2022)

A Lady for a Duke (Publication date: May 24, 2022)

the Kate Kane Paranormal Investigator series

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter

Download your copy from Kobo here!

Check out more of my recent blog tours here:

The Book of Hope by Dr. Jane Goodall

Anarchy in High Heels by Denise Larson

A Fate of Wrath and Flame by K A Tucker

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The Book of Hope + Little Free Pantry

Share The Hope Event and Blog Tour courtesy of Celadon Books

“Hope is contagious. Your actions will inspire others. It is my sincere desire that this book will help you find solace in a time of anguish, direction in a time of uncertainty, courage in a time of fear. We invite you to join us on this journey toward hope.”

Jane Goodall, Ph. D., DBE, UN Messenger of Peace, from “The Book of Hope”

Thank you so much to Celadon Books for the gifted advanced copies of this book, and for the invitation to participate in this day of Sharing the Hope event!

In honor of the release of this exciting new book, “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times” by Dr. Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams with Gail Hudson, Celadon Books has invited myself and other readers across the US to Share the Hope! Today we all made small donations of food and a finished copy of “The Book of Hope” to Little Free Pantry locations near us.

Learn more about Little Free Pantries

Learn more about Little Free Pantry, and take a look at the map to find on near you here!

Or, take a look at this map by Celadon Books of all the Little Free Pantry locations that received a copy of “The Book of Hope” today!

Learn more about “The Book of Hope”

Description from Goodreads:

In a world that seems so troubled, how do we hold on to hope?

Looking at the headlines—the worsening climate crisis, a global pandemic, loss of biodiversity, political upheaval—it can be hard to feel optimistic. And yet hope has never been more desperately needed.

In this urgent book, Jane Goodall, the world’s most famous living naturalist, and Douglas Abrams, the internationally bestselling co-author of The Book of Joy, explore through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue one of the most sought after and least understood elements of human nature: hope. In The Book of Hope, Jane focuses on her “Four Reasons for Hope”: The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People, and The Indomitable Human Spirit.

Drawing on decades of work that has helped expand our understanding of what it means to be human and what we all need to do to help build a better world, The Book of Hope touches on vital questions, including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? What is the relationship between hope and action? Filled with moving and inspirational stories and photographs from Jane’s remarkable career, The Book of Hope is a deeply personal conversation with one of the most beloved figures in the world today.

While discussing the experiences that shaped her discoveries and beliefs, Jane tells the story of how she became a messenger of hope, from living through World War II to her years in Gombe to realizing she had to leave the forest to travel the world in her role as an advocate for environmental justice. And for the first time, she shares her profound revelations about her next, and perhaps final, adventure.

The second book in the Global Icons Series—which launched with the instant classic The Book of Joy with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu—The Book of Hope is a rare and intimate look not only at the nature of hope but also into the heart and mind of a woman who revolutionized how we view the world around us and has spent a lifetime fighting for our future.

There is still hope, and this book will help guide us to it.

Dr. Goodall’s author bio from Goodreads:

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace is a world-renowned ethologist and activist inspiring greater understanding and action on behalf of the natural world every single day.

Dr. Goodall is best known for groundbreaking studies of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, transformative research that continues to this day as the longest-running wild chimpanzee study in the world. Dr. Goodall is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, a global conservation, advocacy, animal welfare, research, and youth empowerment organization, including her global Roots & Shoots program.

Dr. Goodall has worked extensively on climate action, human rights, conservation, and animal welfare issues for decades, and continues to be a central voice in the work to advance environmental progress.

Today, she is a global phenomenon spreading hope and turning it into meaningful positive impact to create a better world for people, other animals, and the planet we share.

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, U.N. Messenger of Peace

My thoughts during and after reading

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished reading this book!)

Links

Learn more about a Little Free Pantry near you here.

Learn more about the Jane Goodall Institute, and make a donation, here.

Learn more about Celadon Books, and some of their other new releases, here.

Purchase “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times” here.

Purchase “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” (Book 1 in the Global Icon Series) here.

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 1 Comment

Anarchy in High Heels by Denise Larson

Review and Blog Tour courtesy of Booksparks

Thanks so much to the author, Booksparks, and She Writes Press for the complimentary finished copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Book Description from Goodreads:

Anarchy in High Heels is not a state of dress: it’s a state of mind.

A San Francisco porno theater might be the last place you’d expect to plant the seed of a feminist troupe, but truth is stranger than fiction.


In 1972, access to birth control and a burn-your-bra ethos were leading young women to repudiate their 1950s conservative upbringing and embrace a new liberation. Denise Larson was a timid twenty-four-year-old actress wannabe, when at an after-hours countercultural event called The People’s Nickelodeon, she accidently created Les Nickelettes. This bonding together of like-minded women with an anything-goes spirit unlocked a deeply hidden female humor. For the first time, Denise allowed the suppressed satirical thoughts dancing through her head to come out in the open. Together with Les Nickelettes, which quickly became a brazen women’s lib troupe, she presented a series of feminist skits, stunts, and musical comedy plays that led The Bay Guardian to describe the group in 1980 as “nutty, trashy, and very funny.”


With sisterhood providing the moxie, Denise took on leadership positions not common for women at the time: playwright, stage director, producer, and administrative/artistic director. But, in the end, the most important thing her time with Les Nickelettes taught her was the power of female friendship.

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Meet the Author:

Author Denise Larson at SRK Headshot Day in San Francisco

After getting a BA in theater from San Francisco State University, Denise Larson pinned her dreams on becoming an experimental theater artist in the 1970s milieu of the Bay Area. Along that path she founded Les Nickelettes. For thirteen years, she helmed the feminist theater company and assumed the role of actress, playwright, producer, stage director, and administrative/artistic director. Then she gave it all up to become a mother and teacher. After a twenty-year career in Early Childhood Education, she retired and took up writing.

Connect with Denise

Website: https://anarchyinhighheels.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeniseL16625579

Link to Purchase on Amazon:

Check out more of my recent blog tours here:

A Fate of Wrath and Flame by K A Tucker

Lindsey Love Loves by Sophie Sinclair

Supermaker by Jaime Schmidt

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 6 Comments

A Fate of Wrath and Flame (Fate and Flame #1) by K.A. Tucker

Review and Blog Tour Courtesy of Valentine PR

Thanks so much to the author and Valentine PR for the complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Book Description from Goodreads:

Gifted thief Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Now she thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City’s most notorious crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman secures her services at swordpoint, Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom.

Her quest is straightforward: Steal a stone from Islor’s sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death. But the identity she has inexplicably assumed is that of the captured Ybarisan princess—an enemy to Islor after she poisoned their beloved king and queen on the day she was to marry the prince.

Her betrothed, the newly crowned King Zander, detests her with every grain of his handsome being. Fortunately for Romeria, she is more valuable to him alive than dead. Zander gives her a choice: life in a cell, or an acquittal of all charges in exchange for her help in exposing the growing plot against him.

Romeria sees no other option and embraces the tricky role of smitten queen-to-be until she can escape, a ruse that brings her far closer to the king than she anticipated and threatens more than her safety. As she digs deeper into this sacred garden and the ancient feud between Ybaris and Islor, she discovers monstrous truths that could spell ruin for all.

She would know the world of vengeful gods and monsters, and the lengths one would go for love. And nothing would ever be the same for her again.

Review: (5 Stars)

TW: murder, torture, some violence

People who know my blog or my podcast know that I am slowly working my way into the fantasy genre. I always had a hard time connecting with the genre, because I tend to want more character driven story and less super intense world building. But I’m slowly reading more fantasy, and so when I saw that this book was coming out I knew I needed to read it. What can I say, KA Tucker is an auto-read author for me. And y’all, this book was everything I wanted.

Let’s talk about the story itself. Young woman who is used to looking out for herself gets unwillingly thrown into a world of magic and fantasy, with no information about this new world, and has to fake her way through this other woman’s life all while trying to stay under the radar, learning about her surroundings, and completing her secret mission. It was just so enjoyable! It’s a bit witchy, a bit vampirical, and a bit chosen girl. Just a little bit of everything!

I found Romy immediately likeable as a main character – she was strong and smart and stubborn, which made for plenty of opportunities for sassy banter. Which I love and seek out in practically all of my reads. Since she is so alone in each of these situations, most of the other characters really took some time for me to warm up to, because the narrator hadn’t warmed up to them yet. But I really came around to a few of them in the end, and I think that other than Romy my favorite characters were the king and his sister.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book to my friends, and I think I already have at least once or twice by now (what can I say, I’ve been mid-move for a few months, and I am very behind on all things reviews). I would say that I would recommend it either to my friends who already love fantasy, and the ones like me who have already been dipping their toes into that pool. There is a good bit of necessary world building and explaining the politics that are a bit of a slow read, so I don’t know that this would necessarily appeal to folks who are reading fantasy for the first time – although the rest of the story is super fun and magical and engaging, so I guess that would all depend on what folks are looking for from their fantasy. I think that the perfect way to read this book is in a bubble bath or by a roaring fire with a large glass of wine!

Meet Kathleen:

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

She is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto. \

Connect with Kathleen

Website: https://www.katuckerbooks.com/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/36Ga0W8

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QPwJZs

Facebook:  http://bit.ly/2MYEDhK

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468548700062461

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katucker_/

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2FqzR8K

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2rZkYXP

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorkatucker/

My Reviews for more by K.a. Tucker

The Simple Wild (Wild #1)

Wild at Heart (Wild #2)

Forever Wild (Wild #2.5)

The Player Next Door

Say You Still Love Me

Link to Purchase on Amazon:

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Lindsey Love Loves (LLL Book 1) by Sophie Sinclair

Review and Blog Tour courtesy of the author

Thanks so much to the author, Sophie Sinclair, for the complimentary advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in this blog tour. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Book Description from Goodreads:

Lindsey Love’s career as a food critic is suddenly taking off when she’s approached by Food and Travel to take her show to Europe. What could be more fun than to travel with her best friend Patrick, eat amazing food, and see the sights? What she doesn’t bargain for is the surly, egotistical producer with the icy glare, dimples, and a penchant for questioning her every move.

Nick Elliot, ex-Navy SEAL turned producer, finds himself suddenly thrown into a project he doesn’t want to take on. Producing a snotty food critic’s show over in Europe is not at the top of his agenda. She’s stubborn, sassy, and he finds himself inextricably drawn to her.

When things go awry abroad, Nick has to make the decision to save his own future or give up everything to protect Lindsey.

Review: (5 Stars)

TW : mild violence, explosions

You guys, this was SUCH a cute read! A whole lot of contemporary romance with just a sprinkling of suspense just sprinkled on top for flavor. I have Coffee Girl from this author, and I’ve been so excited to read it but somehow it keeps getting pushed down towards the end of my TBR (can anyone explain how that keeps happening without my knowledge? Very frustrating). I think reading Lindsey Love Loves gave me just enough of a taste of Sophie Sinclair that now I have to finally get around to Coffee Girl as well, while I wait around for the next LLL story!

Let’s talk about the characters. Y’all know how much I love a character driven novel, and in that regard this one did not disappoint. There were a few really fun secondary and background characters that I would really love to invite to a party (I think that Nick’s sisters and I would get along just fine), but I’m going to focus on Lindsey Love, our female lead. She was so sweet, and so much fun to read about! Along with character driven novels, and a good glass of wine at the end of the night, I also LOVE to eat. All food. And so I always enjoy foodie characters, like this super sassy food vlogger/TV personality. She is so feisty, and just slightly clumsy and embarrassing, so you know that I got plenty of that banter between she and Nick that I just eat up in a contemporary romance.

I found her to for the most part be really relatable (although now I’m sad I can’t just travel the world and eat delicious food), and her inner dialogue was just really funny. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times and having to explain myself to my poor husband. Wow, what a good sport that guy is. Also named Nick. Maybe not a coincidence? Nah, it’s probably a coincidence.

I will say some parts of the story, once the suspense starting dipping it’s toe into the story, is pretty unbelievable and wild seeming. But who picks up this type of contemporary romance to feel like they are reading real life stories? Not me, so it didn’t bug me too much. But I will say that the very first chapter is a preview chapter of events that happen later on in the story, and so that bit of the suspense comes at you right from the word go, which you might not be prepared for just from reading the description. But hey, it’s all fun, and for the most part it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As you can tell from the above paragraphs my word for this book is “fun.” A fun, simple read, with fun, sassy characters – and honestly I ate it up as fast and easily as Lindsey gobbles up a piece of chocolate cake! I didn’t want to put this one down, and I would definitely recommend it to my friends who are looking for a sassy and fast-paced contemporary. I think that the perfect way to read this book would be sitting outside on the deck with a glass of a deep, beautiful red wine, and a very large piece of that chocolate cake! Okay, so maybe this book just really made me want chocolate cake. But hey, I think Lovie would approve.

Link to Purchase on Amazon:

Other Books by Sophie Sinclair:

The Coffee Book Series :

Coffee Girl – Coffee Book 1

The Makeup Artist – Coffee Book 2

The Social Hour – Coffee Book 3

Posted on by tacklingtbr · 1 Comment

Supermaker by Jaime Schmidt

Blog Tour: Courtesy of Booksparks

Thanks so much to the author, BookSparks, and Chronical Prism Publishing for the complimentary finished copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and participation in this blog tour. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my Goodreads.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In just seven years, Jaime Schmidt went from making natural products in her Portland, Oregon kitchen to turning her brand into a household name and selling her company in a nine-figure acquisition. Supermaker is her guide to business and career development on your own terms.

Through unfiltered storytelling and instructive takeaways, the acclaimed entrepreneur, founder of Schmidt’s Naturals, and icon of the Maker Movement shares how you too can start or grow your own business with her secrets on marketing, sales growth, product development, customer engagement, scaling operations, and partnerships.

Following Jaime’s journey from market stand to global brand, readers will take away:

• The keys to establishing a financially successful business for entrepreneurs and professionals ready to go from maker to magnate.
• Tactical approaches to branding, PR, sales, marketing, culture development, and team management.
• Candid advice and storytelling from an industry disruptor and proven executive.

Following her growth from kitchen to acquisition, Supermaker is a riveting mix of inspiration, the honest airing of mistakes, and indispensable instruction.

• A go-to guide for the passion-to-profit journey.
• The perfect read for aspiring entrepreneurs, makers, creatives, and anyone with an interest in selling their products online, retail strategy, or digital marketing.
• Great for anyone who enjoyed Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie, Craft, Inc: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco, and The Girls’ Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur by Caitlin Friedman.

Review: (3 Stars)

I was so excited to jump into this book! Last year, in December 2019, I started my own small shop on Etsy, and it has been a crazy just under a year trying to figure it out as I went along. So I was so excited to be chosen to be a part of the blog tour for this book, and learn all of the things that Jaime had done early on in her business’s life, and how she made it what it is now.

I flew through the first half of the book, because I found it all so fascinating. The stories about her starting at craft fairs and farmers markets, to going in to her local shops to learn the process of getting her products on those first store shelves. Watching her in the middle of the learning process that is a constant once you pass the moment of “I like making this product, and I think that people would be interested in buying it” and are trying to figure out what comes next and what you would like the future of that business to look like. I got some answers to a few questions that I have had in my own experiences, and some answers to a few questions that I didn’t know that I had, and even a few answers to questions that I haven’t gotten far enough in my process yet to have been curious about.

All of that being said, once I got into about the second half of this book I hit a bit of a wall that I found myself really having to push through to the finish line and the last chapter. And that is nothing against the book, but I think that at this point in my own process only the first half of the book was really aimed at me and my business. Let me start off this portion by saying that we have very different types of businesses, Jaime and I, so it wasn’t like the whole book was going to be a one to one comparison. But more so than that, about halfway through the book is when she and her business really started to blow up – being able to shop it at target, moving into really large production spaces, hiring more and more staff members, etc. And that just isn’t a place that I see myself ever going with my own business. The biggest I could ever see my shop, in my absolute wildest dreams for my business, would be a small storefront with myself and at most one other person selling things that are still each made by my own hand. So by the time the book was all about her bringing in business partners and giving interviews on television, or being mentioned by celebrities in magazines, it just became a little bit more difficult for me to get through and I ended up finding myself putting it down in favor of my other reads.

Overall I would say that this was a fairly interesting book, written very narratively, and with lots of categorized tips and tricks from someone who made something really huge and international truly out of nothing. I would say that this book may be more interesting for you if you see yourself wanting to really take your business and make it something very big like Jaime did. Otherwise, if you’re a small business like me, maybe you’ll get more out of the first half than the second half. I am very glad that I read it, and there are a few tips and bits of inspiration that I have taken from the book since having read it. So if you are in that situation, it will just be up to you to decide for yourself if it is something worth picking up and reading, if you will potentially only be getting the information out of that one half.

About the Author (from Goodreads):

Jaime Schmidt is the acclaimed entrepreneur, investor, and Maker Movement icon that started out making natural products in her kitchen, and in short time, grew her brand into 30,000+ stores and sold it in a nine-figure acquisition.

Suffice to say, she’s got quite the story to tell. Not only about how she did it, but all the unbelievable twists and turns along the way that threatened to sink her business.

Through unfiltered storytelling and instructive takeaways learned during her growth from maker to magnate, Supermaker shares Jaime’s secrets to financial success, marketing, operations, sales growth, product development, PR, partnerships, and customer engagement.

Following Jaime from kitchen to acquisition, Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms is a riveting mix of inspiration, the honest airing of mistakes, and indispensable instruction.

Link to Purchase on Amazon: