Wahala by Nikki May

January 11, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Wahala by Nikki May
Publisher: Custom House
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

An incisive and exhilarating debut novel following three Anglo-Nigerian best friends and the lethally glamorous fourth woman who infiltrates their group—the most unforgettable girls since Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha.

Ronke wants happily ever after and 2.2. kids. She’s dating Kayode and wants him to be “the one” (perfect, like her dead father). Her friends think he’s just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends.

Boo has everything Ronke wants—a kind husband, gorgeous child. But she’s frustrated, unfulfilled, plagued by guilt, and desperate to remember who she used to be.

Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle. No one knows she’s crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her “urban vibe.” Her husband thinks they’re trying for a baby. She’s not.

When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, it seems at first she’s bringing out the best in each woman. (She gets Simi an interview in Shanghai! Goes jogging with Boo!) But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, and Ronke, Simi, and Boo’s close friendship begins to crack.

A sharp, modern take on friendship, ambition, culture, and betrayal, Wahala (trouble) is an unforgettable novel from a brilliant new voice.

The author presents a modern storytelling about three Anglo-Nigerian best friends Ronke, Boo and Simi. The characters are well developed with realistic personalities. The author gives the readers a glimpse into each of the character’s perspectives, their imperfections, their fears and their secrets. I enjoyed their friendship and the closeness the ladies shared. Will their friendship still remain when (Wahala) trouble comes?

Ronke is a dentist and the cook of the group who has a boyfriend she can’t depend on, and a client turned stalker. She wants the happy ever after but is her boyfriend Kayode actually the one? I wanted Kayode to act right or leave Ronke alone. He didn’t appear to be the strong man that she needed, so I agreed with her friends about him.

Boo made a statement “She made me hate my life.” when in fact that’s what she displayed to others. Boo seems to have the life that any woman would dream of. A husband, nicknamed Tubby Hubby by Isobel, willing to work and take care of things around the house, and a bratty 5-year-old daughter. But to her, her life is boring and unfulfilled. At times I didn’t like Boo, but then other times I could understand why she felt the way she did. She wanted someone else’s life, to be someone else but didn’t see that what she had a lot of women pray for.

Simi is her own woman with a doting husband who desperately wants to have children, but Simi isn’t ready to have children or to share this fact with her soon to be 40-year-old husband, Martin. I enjoyed the way Simi and her husband took time to talk to each other often despite the different in time zones. I wanted her to come clean with her husband on not wanting a child right now.

Even though the women were warned that the Babangari family was rotten, Isobel still made her glamorous appearance befriending the ladies and in her subtle and sly way wanting to know more about them. She starts out with friendly advice, working her way to gain their trust making everyone believe she’s an asset to the group. Even though I was suspicious of her to begin with, Isobel had a way about her that draws people to her. As the reader, I knew what was happening and I kept reading hoping one of the ladies would figure it out. I didn’t care for Isobel, but her character was well thought out and written. Isobel was able to find the ladies weak points and use it against them.

I enjoyed reading this book. It gave such insight on various cultures, languages and recipes. Their friendship circle does remind me of the reality housewives shows. The author created characters with personal issues that many women face. She revealed to readers the characters true self, their secrets and thoughts that for some reason they haven’t shared with others in their clique. At one point the ladies seem to have it all and then another they appear fragile and vulnerable.

The pace of the book flowed well. The author gave enough of their daily happenings, so it didn’t drown out the storyline. A few times, I wanted to rush the storyline, but I understood once I got to the end that it was part of the development for the ending. It’s an overall good read. It made me appreciate what I have and not take others for granted but to be open and not harbor secrets that could very well hurt others. There’s a saying ‘hindsight is 20-20’. Once the ladies’ world was shaken up, they each wanted to go back to what they had or it revealed a different way that they could have handled things.

An impressive read layered with culture and populated by characters that are so real readers may find it hard to forget them. This isn’t a housewife’s tale but a story of friendship, jealousy, betrayal and hopefully a tool so that you’ll see trouble when it comes.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall

January 10, 2022 By Leave a Comment


As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall
Jordan Manning series Book 1
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

When crime reporter Jordan Manning leaves her hometown in Texas to take a job at a television station in Chicago, she’s one step closer to her dream: a coveted anchor chair on a national network.

Jordan is smart and aggressive, with unabashed star-power, and often the only woman of color in the newsroom. Her signature? Arriving first on the scene—in impractical designer stilettos. Armed with a master’s degree in forensic science and impeccable instincts, Jordan has been able to balance her dueling motivations: breaking every big story—and giving a voice to the voiceless.

From her time in Texas, she’s covered the vilest of human behaviors but nothing has prepared her for Chicago. Jordan is that rare breed of a journalist who can navigate a crime scene as well as she can a newsroom—often noticing what others tend to miss. Again and again, she is called to cover the murders of Black women, many of them sexually assaulted, most brutalized, and all of them quickly forgotten.

All until Masey James—the story that Jordan just can’t shake, despite all efforts. A 15-year-old girl whose body was found in an abandoned lot, Masey has come to represent for Jordan all of the frustration and anger that her job often forces her to repress. Putting the rest of her work and her fraying personal life aside, Jordan does everything she can to give the story the coverage it desperately requires, and that a missing Black child would so rarely get.

There’s a serial killer on the loose, Jordan believes, and he’s hiding in plain sight.

The story follows Texas native Jordan Manning. Jordan’s an ambitious TV journalist who is compassionate, driven and determined to help solve the murder of Massy James. Sadly, the story of Masey Jones, a black teenager who has been missing for a few weeks is the focus story for Jordan.

I enjoyed the crime mystery mixed with journalism. I liked seeing behind the scenes as the story follows Jordan’s investigative journalism. She is set on exposing the injustice for victims as well as for the black community. Many times, she is so focused on getting the story that she forgoes eating.

A few things that I didn’t like about the writing is the very detailed backstory for each character mentioned. There were times in the book that were over detailed on unimportant situations and characters. Jordan has a lot of friends and in their introductions the story goes on long-winded tangents which overwhelmed the storyline with details that were not needed.

I admired Jordan’s strength, creative tactics and realness. She has a great and close relationship with her mother. She has a good circle of sister friends and reliable work associates. She is single but well aware that her lifestyle isn’t conducive to maintaining a healthy relationship. A late suggestion, if this is going to be a series saving some of the details of her friendships and her relationship with Thomas for a later book might have been well advised. This first book revealed everything about Jordan. As a reader I would have liked for the first book to focus on the storyline and provide some details about Jordan but leave a little mystery about her that’ll make me want to read the next installment of the series.

Jordan has a sense that something more is going on than anyone else realized. Another characteristic that I liked about Jordan is that she is willing to put herself where needed and she’s open to asking the hard questions to get the details of the story to the public. I was impressed with Jordan’s unique qualifications in having a degree in forensic science but at times she seems to cross the line in doing a detective’s job. This led me to believe that no one on the police force is capable of solving the case. Originally, the police wrote Masey off as a runaway. As the story intensifies the police are now under pressure to solve the case which leads to a questionable arrest per Jordan.

I admit, I lost interest as the story went along. It started to dwindle after the questionable arrest. There were so many people being introduced that it was confusing, and I didn’t care who the killer was, I just wanted to be finished because I knew probably wouldn’t remember them in the crowd. There may be some emotional triggers for some readers as this story does center around a missing 15-year-old girl (not disclosing specific triggers due to spoiler for potential readers), along with the mistreatment of the falsely accused.

Overall, I enjoyed the storyline despite the drawbacks stated previously. This was still an entertaining read and I enjoyed watching Jordan as she went from scene to scene, following sources as she gathered details on the story while the wicked watched.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Can’t Go Back by Debra Webb

January 4, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Can’t Go Back by Debra Webb
Devlin & Falco Book 3
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Birmingham detectives Kerri Devlin and Luke Falco arrive at the scene of a double homicide to discover that nothing makes sense. A woman and her child are dead, and though the husband says he killed them, the evidence says otherwise. Why would a man confess to unspeakable murders he didn’t commit?

What starts as an open-and-shut case explodes into a web of new leads. Devlin and Falco get to work tracking down every single one—including a disturbing connection between the murders and Falco’s dark past.

Falco knows the incident from eight years ago will jeopardize the partnership he’s built with Devlin, both on and off the job. If he could go back, he would—but what happened happened, and there’s a murderer on the loose. Devlin and Falco must slog through the pain to get to the truth; and so far the only truth they know is that everyone is lying.

Can’t Go Back is an unpredictable suspense with a fast-moving plot that kept my attention. It includes strong, well-developed characters, good and bad guys, romance, police cover ups, obsession, family drama and murder. It’s a balance that gives the readers an authentic story. Book #3 in the Devlin & Falco Series can be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the first two books and followed the story and characters with no problem.

There’s a lot of story going on, however the author delivers it with her special skill and talent for entertaining and telling a story. The book opens with a woman and her child found dead from a house fire and the husband admitting to the crime. Detective Luke Falco is still dealing with the incident from eight years ago and it could ruin the current relationship with his partner Kerri Devlin. There are family issues, but the author puts everything in its place and gives the characters life by adding in such vibrant personal details.

The story is told from various characters’ points of view. The author fills the plot with action, heartache from loss and two qualified detectives that are working hard to solve the double murder of the mother and daughter.

The ending revealed a skillful unique twist that I didn’t see coming. I wanted justice for the families and the author delivered that and so much more. It was upsetting that everyone appeared to be withholding information and everyone looked guilty but as it turns out that’s exactly how the author devised it. I’m sure readers will continuously question whodunnit as they continue to read to see what happens next in the case.

A good read that I would highly recommend to readers that enjoy a well-developed murder suspense that doesn’t end in a cliff-hanger.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes

January 3, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Set against the lush backdrop of early twentieth century Ecuador and inspired by the real-life history of the coastal town known as the birthplace of cacao, this captivating #OwnVoices novel from the award-winning author of The Sisters of Alameda Street tells the story of a resourceful young chocolatier who must impersonate a man in order to claim her birthright…

As a child in Spain, Puri always knew her passion for chocolate was inherited from her father. But it’s not until his death that she learns of something else she’s inherited—a cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador, a town nicknamed “París Chiquito.” Eager to claim her birthright and filled with hope for a new life after the devastation of World War I, she and her husband Cristóbal set out across the Atlantic Ocean. But it soon becomes clear someone is angered by Puri’s claim to the estate…

When a mercenary sent to murder her aboard the ship accidentally kills Cristóbal instead, Puri dons her husband’s clothes and assumes his identity, hoping to stay safe while she searches for the truth of her father’s legacy in Ecuador. Though freed from the rules that women are expected to follow, Puri confronts other challenges at the estate—newfound siblings, hidden affairs, and her father’s dark secrets. Then there are the dangers awakened by her attraction to an enigmatic man as she tries to learn the identity of an enemy who is still at large, threatening the future she is determined to claim.

Eager to claim her birthright after her father’s passing, Puri Maria Purification de Lafont y Toledo and her husband Cristóbal de Balboa set out across the Atlantic Ocean soon to discover their travels won’t go as smoothly as planned. Has she made a mistake by giving away everything to chase after her father’s dream?

For her safety she disguises herself as Cristobal and tells her siblings that Puri died on the ship. This is a bit far-fetched to me but a good telling on the author’s part. I was wondering how long she would be able to carry out this gender swap of wearing facial hair, sounding like a man all the while maintaining male characteristics. The author explained that Puri has always been naturally thin and tall as well as details on her transformation from female to male.

This is a fresh and unique read of family drama and secrets. The author did a fantastic job creating a storyline that kept me guessing. Three very different sisters united by loss and all wanting their share of their father’s cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador. There’s dialogue and backstory from multiple characters that help set the foundation for readers to understand the present scenes in the book.

I must mention with such descriptive writing I was able to picture in my mind vivid images of the surrounding scenes on the ship, Puri horseback riding and also the architectural structures and decor of the homes. I was also captivated by the enchanting setting and history of the cacao plantation.

My favorite character of the book would be Puri. I admire her bravery, passion, smarts, strength and kind heart. She has faced many obstacles and her life didn’t seem to be an easy one compared to her sister’s easy lifestyle. Puri hasn’t seen her father since she was two years of age. My least favorite character would be the father, the one who created this family drama and secrets. Everyone seems to admire and respect Don Armand Lafont but I on the other hand couldn’t help but vocalize while reading that he seems to have been a lady’s man fathering children and then had remorse for leaving Puri all those years ago. The sisters have an interesting story of their own and so does Martin Sabater.

The ending was satisfying but I felt like it could have had more to it. I was able to piece together the ending, but it seems it was abbreviated. The author gave us this full and lively story only to shorten and rush the outcome of what happened to the characters.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It’s richly woven into an entertaining read that I would recommend to readers that desire something different. It’s historical, and if you enjoy a good family secret and drama mixed with suspense that gives you closure in the end this is the book for you.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Balance by Kirby Hall

December 15, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Balance by Kirby Hall
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing, LLC
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, YA (16+)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Marise never expected to end up at a private school like St. James, but she understands better than most, you rarely get what you expect in life. It turns out a new school, a mysterious new roommate, and befriending a set of twin brothers is just the beginning of Marise’s journey.

Twins Aiden and Ethan couldn’t be more different or more distant. Aiden is determined to put what happened at their previous school behind him and to keep as much distance between himself and his brother as possible. No one wants a sibling who borders on homicidal.

Ethan is adrift and scared of who he’s becoming, but when a new girl arrives at school, he can’t stay away. As it turns out, she might be the one to help him figure out who or what he really is.

Moreover, psychological cialis cialis uk disorders like depression, anxiety and stress can also put the heart and the vessels to the damage leaving nothing to the life. midwayfire.com cialis uk The pregnant women with IgA Nephropathy are more likely to have this disease. A study from Harvard stated that more than 30000 men over the age 50 who were physically active had lower risks of ED than who were levitra wholesale http://www.midwayfire.com/minutes/04-10-12.pdf not active. In some cases they http://www.midwayfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Approved-Minutes-9-22-20-2nd-Special-Budget-Mtg.pdf levitra 20mg generika can aggravate the hydration state of the patient. What happens when the impossible becomes possible? When everything you’ve ever believed about the world is suddenly turned upside down?

Marise and Ethan are about to find out even if it kills them.

The Balance is the first installment of a series and was my first introduction to the author. I did like that the author chose to use alternating points of view between the main characters as this gave deeper insight into their thoughts and feelings.

The beginning of the book is light and a little slow for my liking as it introduces the characters attending St. James boarding school. Within days of enrolling at the boarding school, Marise, who is a strong female character, forms a friendship with two troubled twin brothers, Aiden and Ethan. And her new roommate Sara seems too good to be true. Quickly the events happening at the boarding school start to put students in danger. Who can Marise really trust?

As the story progresses, the pace and action picks up. The author’s writing style continued to hold my attention, in fact once the storyline picked up, I was intrigued with the suspense and action. One minute I was reading about normal teen life and then the next how to banish demons and learning about the war between heaven and hell.

The characters are likable but I just didn’t feel a connection to them. It took me a few sittings to complete the book, but I honestly can’t really pin-point why I didn’t love the book. It might partly be because the characters aren’t ones that’ll stick with me.

The good news is, the storyline was well crafted and very interesting plus the ending does give answers so there is closure to many questions that readers may have while reading. The cover of the book is beautiful and the title does fit the book’s concept. Recommend for YA/Teen that enjoy reading an interesting and well plotted paranormal or supernatural series.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Hands of Love by Omar Scott

November 24, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Hands of Love by Omar Scott
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Everyone has a dark side … and one never quite knows just how dark it can get until they’re pushed to their limits. Steeped in a culture of dirty cops on the take, Lorenzo Love – Ren, as he’s known on the street – maintains a few vices of his own. The married narcotics detective has put countless notches in his belt with one casual sexual fling after another – but he finds he’s playing a deadly game. When young women with whom Ren’s known to have fooled around start turning up dead – with their hands ruthlessly cut off – the evidence starts pointing to Ren himself. He’s covered up many an affair, but can Ren clear himself from a heinous string of crimes that threaten to take him down for good? The Hands of Love is a thriller that promises to keep readers hooked from page one, right through to its unbelievable finale.

Have you ever read a book and it didn’t quite catch your attention in the beginning and you were wondering where the author is going with this? Have you asked yourself, should I bother finishing it? Well that’s how I felt when I first started reading The Hands of Love. The book started off materialistic and superficial with greedy cops doing questionable deeds. And a lot of characters were mentioned but no details about them were given.

But then at some point I sat down to pick up where I left off and it turns out I didn’t want to stop reading. The dirty cops are being questioned by Internal Affairs, Momo’s brother wants to get revenge for his brother’s death and wait…women are being killed right in front of their homes. Then I was hooked!

After a few chapters I learned to appreciate the author’s writing style and his knack for including wise sayings or advice during character conversations. People in the world can be harsh and I felt the author gave us a glimpse of that dark side. I don’t condone murder but in the book the murders were speaking what wasn’t said verbally. Lorenzo (Ren) Love had good qualities, he loved his dad and would do anything to save him, but he just wasn’t a good person. He is cocky, thinks he is untouchable and that he can sleep around but he learns there is always someone else who has a darker side. A warning for possible readers, the book does contain and reference sex and also there are details that disclose how the murders happened.

The author did an awesome job on setting the foundation and making the puzzle pieces click. There was a reason behind it all. I figured out early on who the killer was but it was interesting to see if the detectives ever would. The detectives on the case, McCain and Bernstein, were not the best detectives because they only seemed to focus on one suspect and they didn’t look at the big picture and ask what would be the motive for the suspect. I’ve watched enough crime shows and read enough books to have several hours of investigative skills so this was an easy solve. But if the case had been solved there wouldn’t have been the surprise ending. Thumbs up to the author on keeping the suspense going and ending with the big reveal.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Shift Into a Higher Gear: Better Your Best and Live Life to the Fullest by Delatorro McNeal

November 19, 2021 By 1 Comment


Shift Into a Higher Gear: Better Your Best and Live Life to the Fullest by Delatorro McNeal
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Genre: Contemporary, Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Kick fear-based living to the curb and discover exactly how to manifest the life of your dreams!

Is there another level of life that you want to live? Are there goals you’ve been struggling to achieve? It’s time to stop settling for excuses and start achieving excellence!

With nearly two decades of experience working with high achievers globally, peak performance expert Delatorro McNeal II is passionate about teaching people how to live life full throttle. As a motorcycle enthusiast, McNeal uses powerful biking metaphors to vividly illustrate how to reject the monotony of living on cruise control. Packed with interactive exercises, compelling questions, and thought-provoking analogies, this book teaches you the methodology and the psychology to bring the best out of yourself! Each of the twelve chapters starts with the word Shift and invites you to make a simple but profound change that will accelerate your results and expand the horizons of your possibilities. You’ll discover how to

• Lean into the curves of life and business
• Sever your dependency on the “kickstands of life”
• Put your weight into the changes you desire most
• Steer the flow of your emotional states
• Shift your core relationships to invite the right posse to your biker club
• Drive defensively to avoid the potholes that stop most people from succeeding

From the introduction all the way through to the conclusion, this book is a transformational seminar on paper. Join Delatorro McNeal as he takes you on the personal development journey of a lifetime.

I don’t even know where to start so I’ll start by saying this is a book you will definitely want to not only read but study and keep handy. And to think this was a book that I picked at random with the preconceived notions that I wouldn’t enjoy it… Boy was I wrong. While reading I texted two friends to share the book’s title and told them that the author’s writing style and message are so inspiring and I also posted a comment on Facebook. I read the book in one sitting and was so thankful for no interruptions.

This book will be a staple for anyone…for business, finances, personal, relationships…just life in general. This is an amazing book that shares great pointers and thought provoking questions that will stick with you well after you finish reading.

I love the motorcycle riding to life concept. I’ve ridden motorcycles before but never would have compared riding a motorcycle in any way similar to having life goals and accomplishing them. I love the layout of the book, along with the thought provoking questions. The author didn’t just write for reading pleasure he wrote so that the readers can receive the message as well as making sure readers take action. I related his writing style to what I imagine it feels like being present at one of his conferences.

Each chapter starts off with a catchy sentence and then is followed by in depth details. The questions, examples and quotes made me pause and meditate on how I can put into action giving 1% more each day, and not just living life but experiencing it. I enjoyed every chapter! I can’t even pick a favorite because I took away a lot from the entire book. I like that he wasn’t wordy, his message is to the point and that he gives practical guidance and various learning exercises that opened my mind to reflect as a consequence I can see myself on the right track to reach my fullest. I love the conclusion at the end of the book and how it gives a snippet of the information included in each chapter. I’m sure I’ll be using this for a quick reference for now on.

I am thankful for the fresh pair of 3-D lenses. A collection of words that help me to live life actively, with intention and purposeful. There is so much I took from this book that I can implement into my life furthermore shifting into a higher gear. To name a few nuggets: no matter what I want it will require my best effort, to also recognize that small changes are just as potent as huge changes and each morning I’ll be asking myself “Will I be better today than I was yesterday?”.

I can’t recommend this book enough!

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Big Feelings – Feeling Shy by Mary Lindeen

November 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Big Feelings – Feeling Shy by Mary Lindeen
Publisher: Norwood House Press
Genre: Contemporary, Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

What does it mean to feel shy? Readers will learn how to recognize and manage that feeling in themselves, and how to respond to others who feel that way. An early social and emotional book that includes reading activities and a word list.

This book is a great illustration for children who may experience someone that is shy or for a child who is shy. The book includes beautiful photos of children smiling in addition to those that are uncertain about interacting with others.

It’s a quick and simple read that demonstrates that being shy is okay. It also delivers the message that they are not alone. The book also discloses the signs of shyness and what to do when you meet someone that is shy. There’s also a reading reinforcement that I thought was pretty neat. It contains a word list, suggested further reading material and interactive discussion questions that can be of resource for adults once the book has been read. A good book for kids!

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

On the Right Path (Book 2) by Brett Gunning & Stacy Padula

October 18, 2021 By Leave a Comment


On the Right Path by Brett Gunning & Stacy Padula
Book 2
Publisher: Briley & Baxter Publications
Genre: Contemporary, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Jordan is at his second day of basketball camp with his brother Jayden and his sister Jasmine. Along with new basketball skills, the kids are learning life-lessons such as how to be unselfish. Just like the other On The Right Path books, this is sure to become a beloved story for parents and children alike.

NBA Coach Brett Gunning and award-winning author Stacy Padula have teamed up to create the On The Right Path (OTRP) book series. OTRP is also a non-profit organization created by Brett Gunning to guide youth basketball players on the right path to achieving their maximum potential through education, mentorship, and skill development. The core principles of OTRP are guidance, inspiration, and creativity. The book series focuses on six life-skill pillars: Loving Others, Being Unselfish, Staying Healthy & Strong, Showing Respect, Showing Forgiveness, and Having Fun.

Book Two of On the Right Path opens with Jordan at his second day of basketball camp with his brother Jayden, his sister Jasmine and their friend Shai. After Jordan’s shot is blocked by Chase, Coach Pete takes a moment to give another life skill to the team. He offers a quick lesson that basketball is a team sport. This life lesson is not only something to remember while playing sports but for all aspects of life. Coach Pete’s message is simply put, we should put the needs of others before our own.

This colorful inspiration for young readers gives vivid illustrations as well as examples of unselfish acts. The message is delivered in a relatable and brief story that is sure to make for quick reads. The life skill of being unselfish and looking for opportunities to make unselfish plays is not only for those that play sports but in life as well. This core principle can be used to help enforce kind behavior and it also offers a scripture at the end that supports the book’s message. This inspirational series will be of great value to households with young minds who are entering the skills development stage.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Once in a Lifetime by Mary Monroe

October 8, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Once in a Lifetime by Mary Monroe
Publisher: Dafina
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Holiday
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Free-spirited, living on the fly, Vanessa Hayes is still always down for traditional family holiday fun—until now. She’s making her oft-delayed wish finally come true: Christmas in Paris, the glittering City of Lights. But when her passport gets delayed, it’s too late for Vanessa to rebook. Now it looks like the Yuletide she longs for won’t happen. Until a stranger suddenly enters her life, and changes it forever . . .

Overwhelmed by responsibility, Judith Guthrie is too busy worrying about her seriously ill brother to have time to celebrate. She’s taken a leave from her teaching job to care for him as he’s on the waiting list for a life-giving transplant. A trip to France is a kind of happiness she can’t imagine. But when she accidentally receives Vanessa’s passport, Judith can’t resist delivering it in person so Vanessa will at least have her holiday dream. She can’t anticipate that her small gesture will result in a series of big choices, big miracles, and lifelong rewards that all will be thankful for over many Christmases to come . . .

Is it fate?

The story is told from Vanessa Hayes’s point of view. The story seemed more of a high level overview than an in-depth get to know the characters that I am use to when reading the author’s writing style. This was an okay read. I finished it but didn’t quite get the normal excitement that I usually get when I read a Mary Monroe novel.

I enjoyed seeing Vanessa, a single 32-year-old woman enjoying her life and taking care of herself and helping her family. Her long time dream of going to Paris is halted when her passport didn’t arrive in time for her scheduled trip during Christmas. Because of the mishap with the postal service, it turns out she’ll receive another once in a lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately after Vanessa’s trip has been cancelled Judith Ann Guthrie knocks on Vanessa’s door to deliver the delayed passport. Here’s where things got strange for me, but who am I to say it could very well be divine intervention. Vanessa Googles Judith and gives her a call. The phone rung six times before Judith answered. For some reason Vanessa is eager to meet with Judith again. Judith invites a stranger to come to her home. While there the ladies have a bonding moment as well as Vanessa meeting Ronald, Judith’s brother who is in need of a kidney.

There were minor details that didn’t make this book a great read. I wasn’t able to connect with the characters. As I mentioned Vanessa has a loving personality but her life was just not that interesting to me. The book tells a lot about her with her family and friends and maybe it was the lack of drama that made the story bland.

However, I enjoyed the good hearted unselfishness on Vanessa’s part. She’s a lovely soul and she deserves to have someone just as loving. The story is a little easy to predict. I enjoyed how the author made me wonder and work for the ending. I knew there was going to be a happy ending but it wasn’t as instant as I thought. Here comes fate again. What are the chances of Vanessa and Ronald showing up at the same theater, to watch the same movie at the same time?

It’s not a holiday story but it is heartwarming and a story about family, unexpected friendship and helping others. It’s a nice read.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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