Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi


Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Publisher: Hanover Square
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
English translation from Japanese
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

If you could go back, who would you want to meet?In a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time.

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Heartwarming, wistful, mysterious and delightfully quirky, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s internationally bestselling novel explores the age-old question: What would you change if you could travel back in time?

Have you ever wished you could go back and fix a regret, change something you said or did not say to someone? In this tale set in a tiny, cozy café in Japan, people have that chance, but they only have a few minutes to get their point across: until their coffee gets cold.

There are several difficult conditions though; and a ghost who does not like to move from the one seat you must be sitting in to travel time. One of the conditions says that no matter what you do while traveling time, the present will not change. So, is it worth it to go back if you can’t change the present? And if so, why?

This tale is about different types of relationships, lovers, husband and wife, mother and daughter, and sisters. Each relationship has its own challenges and regrets. For example, a wife has to deal with her husband forgetting they are married, due to illness. What could she possibly say to him in the past, when he still remembers her, that could have meaning in the present?

The book is filled with many little descriptive details, which have the effect of creating memorable characters. The story has a paranormal feel and will evoke many tender emotions. Readers will be surprised at the outcome of each of these stories. I recommend this book.

The Common Touch by Yvonne Rediger


The Common Touch by Yvonne Rediger
Publisher: Black Opal Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 Stars
Review by Dryas

Major Zara Dare, air force brat from CFB Moose Jaw, home of 15 Wing. Zara followed in her father’s footsteps by joining the air force. Unfortunately, she did not attain his pilot status. Her talents lie elsewhere. She always felt the need to make her dad proud, but knew she fell short. Now she has a tough new assignment. While His Royal Highness is attending the international Connaught Ranges annual shooting event in Ottawa, Zara is tasked to be part of his security detail. She must ensure the safety of the outspoken and unpredictable Royal. It would all be fine if she could keep their relationship on a professional footing, but minutes after they meet at the Governor General’s gala, the prince begins changing things to suit him.

This is a wonderful story that drew me in from the beginning with a wonderful plot, great characters, and a sweet romance. The plot features Major Zara Dare and Prince James of Oílean Ríochtor (or Island Kingdom in English) which is a chain of islands west of Scotland and east of Norway. They meet because of a shooting contest that several countries participated in and the highest scorers earned prizes. The Major is in charge of making sure the contest ran smoothly and also to make sure that the prince was kept safe.
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Zara is a strong character who comes from a military family and is devoted to her duty and country. She is well liked and respected and admired by her colleagues and those that she has competed with before. I enjoy watching her interact with each character; she seems to have an inborn knack of knowing just how to approach each person. She has her eye on becoming an intelligence agent, which is why she was assigned the duty of escorting the prince. What she doesn’t expect is her own reaction when she first meets James. It’s an example of instant attraction but not just to his looks. She appreciates his values and can relate to his sense of duty. She fights the attraction even as she falls further and further in love with him, knowing that her career and his position would not be a great mix. I really enjoyed watching her bounce back and forth as at one moment she thinks it’s a fling and the next thinking his feelings run deeper.

James, also known as” Sandhurst” as a code name for security reasons has been sent on this diplomatic mission to see if he could find help with figuring how to manage newly found resources. His sister, the Queen is pregnant with twins and is unable to make it, so against his will James takes up his duties as a prince although he would much rather stay in the army. Like Zara he takes his duty to his country seriously. His reaction when he first meets Zara is rather funny because like her he is smitten at first sight. This is not the first time he has heard of her. His two bodyguards knew her from previous contests, and she earned their respect and friendship. James is a determined and persistent man who goes after what he wants, and what he wants is Zara. He can be very sly when he wants to be.

I enjoyed the personal bodyguards who were two of his best friends and were under his command. They were also going to compete in the contest, but Corning ended up having an accident and breaking her ankle, leaving her prince with one less bodyguard. As I mentioned before, James is a sly one and so uses his influence to have Zara become his other bodyguard. This is when things become really interesting. He makes sure that he is alone with Zara as much as possible and I like that they both make sure each one knows how they stand with each other. Zara really enjoys his company and as the tours continue, she finds it harder and harder to resist him. Especially when he kisses her which shows the reader without words just how compatible they are. I really enjoyed that the author made sure that James met Zara’s parents and found out that her father was in the Air Force and the respect James shows him goes a long way to getting his respect. Zara’s mother is a hoot as she treats him like any other person, feeding him up with pie.

There was a nice twist to the plot right when they think everything is going well, which adds some great suspense. Just as them seems to be a happily ever ending, with the suspense wrapped up, there is an ominous final sentence that makes the reader want to know what is going to happen to them next.

A Wolf After My Own Heart by MaryJanice Davidson


A Wolf After My Own Heart by MaryJanice Davidson
BeWere My Heart Book 2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Things are hot and getting hotter… Escape into this delicious shifter romance from bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson.

Oz Adway is a rare breed: an accountant who wants to get dirty. He’s a werewolf working for the Interspecies Placement Agency so it’s not long before he gets the opportunity to break out of his boring, safe office job. He volunteers to find runaway bear cub Sally Smalls, recently orphaned by a plane crash. Piece of cake, right? Unfortunately, Sally’s taken refuge with “ordinary” human Lila Kai. Lila has no idea what’s going on, but she’ll destroy anyone who tries to take the cub. Oz is not about to let a human jeopardize his daring career move, no matter how attractive he finds her.

Lila knows something’s different about the sexy weirdo who keeps popping up in the wrong place at the right time. She’s determined to figure out what, regardless of the escalating threats to her safety and Oz’s distracting hotness. She didn’t move into a cursed house and take in a werebear just to run when things get complicated. Together, Oz and Lila will prevail! But only if they can keep their hands off each other…
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Put away your pocket protectors: This hilarious story includes a nerdy shifter accountant with a bad-boy side, a fiercely protective human heroine, and a baby bear cub who will make every reader sigh in cuteness. Fans of Shelly Laurenston and paranormal adventure won’t want to miss the newest installment in the BeWere My Heart series!

The zany and crazy starts off really fast in this novel. An ambulance that isn’t an ambulance, wolves where there shouldn’t be, crazy pizza delivery guys that really aren’t, kids that aren’t exactly kids, a house that is rumored to be cursed and a heroine just trying to put down roots and have a normal life. She has no idea what she’s in for.

One very unusual, but charming and eccentric detail is how the inner wolf-speak is so different than an adult’s articulated speech. It’s almost childlike, you know, innocent, simple, repetitive and very, very enthusiastic. The author used that technique to good effect whenever the hero was in his furry form.

Another cute aspect of the novel is the building community. Lila meets the main characters of her neighborhood at warp speed, from trespassing, to bear repair, fairy bread and repairs of doors busted of their hinges. Odd hours, odd conversations and Oz loving the fact that Lila is not only capable, but seemingly unflappable, calm and has a gun and not afraid to us it. The teenagers find her cool, little Sally trusts Lila and the adults slowly do the same. I like Lila’s personality, and Oz’s reaction to her is charming and cute. True, he can be formidable, he is a werewolf after all, but when it comes to the heroine, he’s a handsome, well-dressed lovable marshmallow.

Speaking of Sally; she’s a pivotal secondary character that is integral to the plot, mystery and pace of the story. I enjoyed how I was introduced to her, how she won the hearts of all the other characters and how helping her, helped solve a much bigger and serious plot thread.

I startled my hubby so bad when I barked out a huge HA! at the part with the shorty robe. Then I snickered. Those two sentences in that scene totally tickled my funny bone. So, yes, there is a smorgasbord of reasons to smile during this novel, so even though the fires, drama and a bit of suspense is to be taken seriously, the author managed to keep the overall feeling of the novel, upbeat.

There are truly too many points, fun parts, interesting character interactions, dialogue and surprises to do justice in explaining how much I enjoyed the story. There were a few language choices that I personally cringed at, but take them out of the picture, and A Wolf After My Own Heart is a perfect MaryJanice Davidson read. I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I like this one a lot better.

The Knockout Rule by Kelly Siskind


The Knockout Rule by Kelly Siskind
Publisher: CD Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Growing up with an adoring father for a boxing legend isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It looks more like hospital visits, bloody noses, and cracked ribs.

Isla Slade now works as a physiotherapist, helping athletes heal their bodies. Except for boxers. She has no interest in reliving the stress of her teen years. Dating someone in the boxing world? She’d rather snort wasabi powder.

Until she meets Preston Church.
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Preston manages heavyweight boxing darling Brick Kramarov. A brute who’s built tougher than his name, with a cocky attitude to boot. She wants nothing to do with either man, but her father begs her to help them prepare for a huge Vegas fight.

She doesn’t expect Preston to recite romantic poems and slowly break her resolve. His fascinating mind gets under her skin, even if his star athlete reminds her how much she hates boxing.

Too bad it’s Brick coaching Preston how to woo Isla, falling for her from the sidelines. Once she finds out, she’ll have to decide if she can risk loving another man who puts it all on the line for the knockout.

The Knockout Punch is a slow burn, feel good sports romance that brightened my day. The characters are easy to relate to and the story is smoothly written. Although the story is emotional and there are serious issues, there is also a mixture of lightheartedness and fun. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, they bring entertainment and add to the story.

Isla has spent all her time and money opening her own business as a physiotherapist. Her father is an ex boxer and she is still dealing with issues from watching his fights and worrying about him. Isla loves working on athletics but refuses to work on any boxers and she certainly will never date one. She just can’t handle watching them abuse their bodies. Unfortunately, when Isla meets Eric, he is the type of guy she could fall for, but he is a boxer. Eric is totally unexpected and Isla isn’t sure she can resist him. He is the perfect guy, except for being a boxer. He is cerebral and happiest when he is reading books and studying.

Eric and Isla both have strong family values. They care so much about their families and will do anything for them. They also have some personal issues they are dealing with. Eric and Isla have to make some difficult decisions about what is Important to them and reevaluate their lives and thinking. I enjoyed this fun and lighthearted story.

Griffin’s Heart: Mourning Your Pet with No Apologies by Reagan J Pasternak


Griffin’s Heart: Mourning Your Pet with No Apologies by Reagan J Pasternak
Publisher: Creatures Align Press
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Lupine

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Kamagra works by blocking the buy viagra online https://unica-web.com/ENGLISH/2018/presidents-letter-october-2018.html action of the PDE-5 inhibitors. This action mechanism enhances blood flow to the penis which makes is buy viagra cheapest possible for a man to achieve an erection. For attaining satisfactory result, those people suffering from erectile dysfunction. generic levitra from india unica-web.com Due to these probe cialis generika misconceptions, people are losing a great opportunity to save hundreds of dollars spent in medication. Losing a pet can be devastating and isolating. The trauma and grief that ensues are often trivialized or misunderstood by friends and family but it is unyielding and must be attended to. Griffin’s Heart is an interactive guide to loss and navigating the grief process. Through journaling, healing exercises, and contributions, readers will find an outlet for their pain while creating a keepsake filled with beautiful memories. Reagan’s own story unfolds as the pages progress, reminding readers that they are not alone in their sorrow and that hope exists for all of us. Griffin’s Heart teaches us to embrace and explore our darkest feelings and transform them into wisdom and strength while commemorating the pet we loved so much.

I’ve had pets my whole life and loved them all dearly. Losing them is difficult to be sure. But sometimes, you have one that’s extra special…and losing them is a bit like losing a child, or a limb and mourning them is deep, dark and difficult and it’s something you feel a little silly about or feel as if you shouldn’t hurt so much. After all, it’s JUST a pet, right?

I wish I’d had this book five years ago when I lost the dog of my heart. I still miss her every day, and her unexpected death sent me into a tailspin that I felt I had no right to be in. She was a dog. How do you justify that? This book helps you do just that. I admit to crying most of the way through, but it was the good kind of crying, those cathartic tears that heal as they are shed.

The book does two things: it shares the author’s own struggle with loss and the feeling that her deep grief was unacceptable. And it validates and helps other pet owners deal with their own loss, through shared stories and journal entries. I didn’t participate in all the journaling, but I did do the ones I needed to and it helped. Somehow, having a person I didn’t even know tell me it was okay to feel this deeply about a pet was what I needed to finally start working through those unresolved feelings. She validated me and my feelings, and the entire book was a virtual hug.

I loved this book. I want to buy copies for all my friends who are pet parents to give to them when their time of need comes. I can’t recommend it enough.

Shooting the Moon and Other Stories by Demetrius Sherman


Shooting the Moon and Other Stories by Demetrius Sherman
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Shooting the Moon: Schlemiel starts a war. Half a Beauty: A young woman’ with two wonderful lovers and her brainstorm to keep everybody happy. The Channel: A man is terrified of a program.
Also included: The Murder of Spring: A thought-provoking coming of age story.

One of the things I enjoy the most about the science fiction genre is how willing many of its authors are to explore the weirdest corners of the human mind. What could be better than throwing the rules out of the window and starting over every so often?

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“The Murder of Spring” was something I understood better the second time I read it. There was some foreshadowing in it regarding something ominous the main character experienced that I wish had been explained more thoroughly. It was mentioned briefly, but the narrator never went into detail about it even though it was extremely important to understanding the plot. I wish I could go into more detail than that, but this was so short that it’s hard to say anything else without giving away major spoilers.

As soon as I read the description of “Half a Beauty” in the blurb, I couldn’t wait to find out more. This tale had some fantastic, if also sometimes violent, plot twists in it. Figuring out whether they were supposed to be interpreted figuratively or literally kept my brain busy, and that’s something I always enjoy doing. I only wish the ending had provided a little more of a resolution for the audience. While I don’t mind holding multiple possible interpretations in my mind at once, it sure would have been helpful to know a bit more about what the author was actually trying to communicate here.

My favorite story in this collection was “The Channel.” Tuber, the main character, on it was mindlessly flipping through channels while trying to avoid one of them in particular. His reason for doing so made perfect sense to me. Honestly, I’d be just as cautious if I were him! I also enjoyed reading the ending. It tied up the major conflict while still leaving room for a sequel if the author ever decides to write one. I would sure be interested in finding out what happened to Tuber next.

I highly recommend reading the “How These Stories Came to be Written” section at the end. It was informative and well worth my time.

Anyone who enjoys surreal science fiction might like Shooting the Moon and Other Stories.

Fireworks At Dusk by Stephanie Bedwell-Grime


Fireworks At Dusk by Stephanie Bedwell-Grime
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

In a city divided by a deep river valley, one side is stricken with a deadly outbreak. In order to protect themselves, the citizens on the other side of the valley destroy the connecting bridges and sever all transportation and communications links.

Brielle lives on the western side of the city in the epicenter of the outbreak. Rayden is a native of the east side. On the eve of the outbreak, he’s on his way to see Brielle when the two sides of the city are separated. With little information getting out, and no way to contact her, he’s desperate to know if Brielle is safe.

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Brielle and Rayden had slowly but surely built a lovely relationship even though they lived on opposite sides of the city. When a strange virus strikes the entire city is thrown into chaos and communications are down along with the bridge that joins the two ends. Brielle and Rayden are separated – but their love for each other helps guide them to a new way to communicate and be together while they’re apart.

Considering these current times I haven’t been reading too many of the “plague kills everyone” or “post-apocalypse” style of stories because it’s not really “paranormal” or “dystopian” fiction anymore rather than another day checking out our global news. The plot of this one, however, really captured my interest. I was relieved and really pleased to find it hopeful and sweet – which is I feel is totally what we all need right now – and I loved how Brielle and Rayden were both determined to reconnect and be together even when they were physically divided.

I wasn’t too keen on the jumping around in the timeline – from the present back into the past of Rayden and Brielle starting their courtship, back and forth, but I admit I did enjoy seeing more of these two main characters interacting together and watching their story on how they fell in love and came to be together. I’m not sure the bouncing around will suit every readers tastes, but overall I felt the gain from getting more of an insight into Brielle and Rayden’s relationship was worth the headache of the jumping around.

Readers looking for an intensely erotic story won’t find that here. While Brielle and Rayden are in a relationship their physical separation means there isn’t much sex really to speak of in the story – just one flashback scene. The story focuses more around the steaminess and emotional connection between them. I found this different perspective refreshing and quite enjoyed it, though I would understand readers wanting and expecting an explicit and sexy story might not be satisfied with this aspect to the story.

I was nervous that the story mightn’t have a happy ending but I was delighted to be proven wrong. This story has a satisfying and very happy finish and I feel readers will be really pleased with this. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this story even though it hit a bit close to home. I really feel readers can give this a chance and they shouldn’t find themselves disappointed.

You Belong To Me by Sam Crescent


You Belong To Me by Sam Crescent
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

After completing his last mission, Quinn Powell leaves the Navy SEALs behind to tackle what just might be his greatest challenge: claiming Kaley Woods. The woman is both his sister’s best friend and Quinn’s ultimate weakness, two things that would send any sane man running in the opposite direction. But he’s not the type to run.

When Kaley hears Quinn is coming home, she wonders if he’ll still affect her in the same way. Now that he’s living in her apartment, she has her answer. Everywhere she turns, he’s there—strong and intent—his effect on her more powerful than ever. She knows he’s returned in search of something. What she doesn’t realize is he’s determined to make her his … in every way possible.

Quinn was ten years older than his sister Dorothy, but it’s her best friend Kaley that he’s always had his eye on. While Quinn had wanted to stake his claim and make Kaley his in every way when she turned eighteen, Dorothy had convinced Quinn to let Kayley enjoy college and have her life for a while. Reluctantly Quinn had waited another six years, but now he needed Kayley to learn and know exactly who she belonged to – and that he was hers in every way.
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This is a steamy and enjoyable quick read. While I admit the plotline is a little cliched and worn to me – older guy is in love with his little sister’s best friend but they’ve both been keeping their distance and waiting for each other – I felt the three main characters were refreshing and individual enough to make this a really fun and entertaining story to me.

Kaley was the typical young and shy book nerd – and I was extremely grateful the author didn’t just turn her from this sweet thing and into a sexy siren in the blink of an eye for no real reason except to steam up the storyline. Kaley was more multi-dimensional than just the usual “bookworm” character and this was really appealing to me. I also really liked the fact that Quinn was trying hard to give Kaley as much time and space as he could, but that there was a limit to how far he was willing to wait.

I was impressed that the author didn’t just have these two do a complete about face – jumping into the sheets and become kinky sex masters without any build up or reason behind it. The pace of Kaley and Quinn coming together was believable and I enjoyed the fact it was well detailed and explained – I felt it was really shown to me, not just told and I needed to accept it as such.

Finally, I was intrigued by some of Quinn’s other Navy SEAL team-mates and would be interested to see if Dorothy and one of them might feature in an upcoming story. I liked that the author left the door open for more stories potentially coming down the track and will be keeping an eye out for them.

Fun, sexy and with interesting characters this was a good short story.

Little Miss Valentine by Adam Hargreaves


Little Miss Valentine by Adam Hargreaves
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Meet Little Miss Valentine, a new Little Miss character who’s sure to win over your heart in this 8×8 hardcover picture book!

It’s Little Miss Valentine’s favorite time of year–Valentine’s Day! But as she writes and delivers cards to her Mr. Men Little Miss friends, nothing goes as planned. Before long, she and her friends realize that all they need is their friendship and love for each other (though a little chocolate never hurts!).

Christmas presents aren’t the only things that get delivered through magical means!
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I’ll leave it up to new readers to discover for themselves how Little Miss Valentine travelled so quickly from one house to the next to deliver Valentine’s Day cards on the evening of February 13. This was one of those magical solutions that is best discovered at the last possible moment. What I can say is that this journey was as creative as it was amusing. I couldn’t stop smiling as I read about this new tradition. It felt like something that should have been thought of many years ago!

One of the best scenes was the one that explained the main character’s process for picking out appropriate cards for everyone on her list. She truly went out of her way to personalize every single card so that it would be as meaningful as possible for that specific friend, including the ones who were pretty picky about what they liked. It was as adorable as it was thoughtful.

Mr. Hargreaves did an excellent job of introducing realistic conflict to the plot without making it too scary for little ones. Honestly, the unexpected problem Little Miss Valentine faced with delivering her cards made perfect sense once I’d learned about how she was planning to transport herself to everyone’s house before Valentine’s Day began. I couldn’t wait to find out how she’d react to it or what she might do to fix it.

This story was part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.

Little Miss Valentine was a delightful take on Valentine’s Day that should be read by anyone who adores this holiday.

Escape by Emma Eggleston


Escape by Emma Eggleston
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Laila is Richardsville High’s quirky girl. She’s just biding her time until graduation when she has an unusual encounter with Matty, the all-American boy next door, everybody just can’t get enough of. When Matty and Laila start to talk, he shares a secret with her. He’s a part of a clinical study for a medication called effugium and it can really transport him to other places and times. Will Laila trust Matty enough to try the effugium?

Actions always have consequences.
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Mental illness is a complicated topic. This can be even more true for young men, so it was nice to see how Matty dealt with his diagnoses and the setbacks he suffered as his doctor tried to find the right combination of medications for him. There were no easy answers here which I found refreshing. All I could do was hope Matty and his medical team would figure out how best to help him cope with his illnesses as he slowly became more and more dependent on effugium.

The abrupt ending confused me. While it did wrap up the drug abuse storyline fairly satisfactorily, it left so many unanswered questions about the rest of the plot. This was especially true when it came to showing how Matty’s drug abuse negatively affected his relationships with those closest to him. The last sentence sounded like it should lead to at least one final chapter, so I wasn’t sure how to react when the story suddenly stopped after that.

I was as fascinated by the concept of an escape as I was by how the characters described it. That is to say, an escape referred to the trips that Matty took to other times and places after using effugium. There were well-defined, logical rules that he soon learned about where he was allowed to go, what sorts of things could happen to him, and how he could get home. This made it easy for me to relax and enjoy his adventures.

Escape was a thought-provoking read that I’d recommend to any teens who are struggling with mental illness or substance abuse.