Reclaim Your Mind – Seven Strategies to Enjoy Tech Mindfully by Jay Vidyarthi

April 16, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Reclaim Your Mind – Seven Strategies to Enjoy Tech Mindfully by Jay Vidyarthi
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

You know the feeling. You put your phone down after who-knows-how-long and you feel worse than when you picked it up. You need boundaries, but that doesn’t mean you should feel guilty every time you scroll.

Reclaim Your Mind offers a middle way to “anyone who’s feeling guilty and helpless about their screen time” (Catherine Price, author of How to Break Up with Your Phone). It isn’t just another book telling you that your phone is ruining your brain. It’s a mindful, balanced approach that helps you enjoy tech on your terms.

Most people who write a book like this want you to use less of it. Jay Vidyarthi is one of the world’s leading designers of mindful technology. A lifelong meditator and tech lover, he weaves together “a tapestry of wisdom” (Dr. Richard J. Davidson, NYT bestselling author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain) based not only on mindfulness, but also a deep understanding of how tech is designed. You shouldn’t have to choose between inner peace and screen time, and neither should those you care about.

With relatable stories, short exercises in every chapter, and strategies backed by scientific research, Reclaim Your Mind is “a playful, wise, and practical guide” (Dr. Daniel J. Siegel, MD, NYT bestselling author of The Whole-Brain Child) to rekindling a positive relationship with TV, social media, games, news, email, and AI. You’ll learn to stand up for your freedom of attention and actually enjoy the convenience, connection, and joy that technology can offer — all without getting stuck on apps designed to exploit you.

Technology can be a double-edged sword.

Mindfulness is an incredibly useful habit to develop in many areas of life, and I liked the way it was described and explored here. I’d recommend having basic understanding of meditation and mindfulness before starting the first chapter for readers who know nothing about them. This did seem to be something that was written for an audience who was already aware of a few fundamental things about them such as drawing one’s attention back to the present moment after being distracted or how breathing patterns can affect these things. Other aspects of these topics were better described in later chapters and included some helpful tips and tricks along the way.

There were times when I thought this book wandered a little too far away from it’s original themes. For example, the author talked about technology as another form of nature which I found confusing. The section at the end on AI also felt out of character for the points that had been made earlier given the recent research that has come out on the negative mental health affects of using those sorts of chatbots for companionship or advice. Stronger development of these ideas would have made it easier for me to understand where Mr. Vidyarthi was coming from.

I appreciated the balanced approach the author otherwise took to the topic of how smartphones and apps should be used. There is nuance in these conversations, and not everyone will come to same conclusions about which apps to use and how to use them. His advice on taking note on how they make one feel and the inclusion of multiple exercises to explore one’s reactions to technology was helpful.

Reclaim Your Mind – Seven Strategies to Enjoy Tech Mindfully was thought provoking.

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

Becoming A Mom – An IVF Story by Liz Jauvtis

April 7, 2026 By 2 Comments


Becoming A Mom – An IVF Story by Liz Jauvtis
Publisher: The Book Publishing Pros
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

This raw and intimate memoir follows Liz Jauvtis through her seven-year fertility journey, multiple IVF cycles, three pregnancies, and the unwanted realities of motherhood at 35 during the global pandemic. Liz brings an intimate and personal perspective to universal experiences. Her story dismantles the idealized version of motherhood perpetuated by social media, instead offering authentic insights into the physical, emotional, and birth trauma, sleep deprivation, social pressure, and the identity shift from career woman to stay-at-home mother. A compelling narrative for anyone touched by fertility struggles or modern parenting challenges.

Fertility isn’t guaranteed for anyone.

It was nice to see so many acronyms and other terms related to fertility and reproduction described in the footnotes, especially in the first several chapters. Not every reader is necessarily going to be aware of what all of these things mean, but understanding them was critical in order to visualize everything this couple needed to go through in order to have kids together. The explanation of how PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) can affect not only the ovaries but many other parts of the human body as well was especially interesting.

I found myself wishing for more detailed descriptions of every step of Ms. Jauvtis’ journey to having biological children. This could have been separated into a trilogy, one for her infertility treatments like IVF and the toll they took on her mental and physical health, a second title about experiencing anxious pregnancies after treatments have been successful, and a final instalment about parenting during the Covid-19 pandemic. While I understood why all three topics were combined into the same book given how rapidly everything happened in the author’s life, it also meant that this was something I’d be a little hesitant to recommend to a friend who was currently experiencing infertility or pregnancy loss because of how many pages were dedicated to pregnancy and parenting. Not everyone who pursues treatment is successful, after all, and that’s something that could make it trickier to determine who the right audience is for this piece.

Some of the most memorable sections for me were the ones that acknowledged the many controversial topics surrounding fertility treatments, pregnancy and birth care, and parenting choices in the first few years of a child’s life. Ms. Jauvtis’ open-minded approach to these subjects was refreshing, and she came across to me as someone who was willing to listen to other points of view regardless of the decisions she and her husband made for their own family. I was especially interested in how she responded to the people in her life who had moral qualms about IVF and the possibility of using donor gametes given that she and her spouse needed medical help in order to have a baby. It takes maturity to remain so level-headed about a subject matter that is this important to someone, and I admired how she handled those difficult conversations.

Becoming A Mom – An IVF Story was thought provoking.

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

Movie Review: Irish Wish

March 23, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Irish Wish
Writers: Kirsten Hansen
Director: Janeen Damian
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Ed Speleers, Ayesha Curry, and Jane Seymour
Publisher: Netflix
Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars (6 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

When the love of Maddie’s life gets engaged to her best friend, she puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland.

A wedding is the perfect place to fall in love.

I loved how charming and whimsical this film was. The paranormal themes were lightly and naturally interwoven into the plot, and I thought the relationships between the characters, especially when it came to Maddie’s interactions with James, the photographer who had been hired for the wedding, were funny and playful. A light touch was exactly what the storyline needed in order to come across as believable, so I was glad that everyone was on the same page there.

The dialogue felt stiff to me at times. It was particularly noticeable in the scenes that were supposed to be representing characters who were falling in love, and I wished that more attention had been paid to the nonverbal messages they sent to each other in those moments. There was so much else going for this film that it could have been much more relatable had the protagonists had a chance to find their groove together. I wish there had been a few more scenes showing how their feelings were evolving to better explore this aspect of the plot.

With that being said, I loved the Irish setting and thought it provided a wonderful backdrop for a tale that needed a little something extra to set the scene. This was such a beautiful part of the world that sometimes I wanted to pause the film just to drink in the famous cliffs Maddie visited, for example, or the quiet country roads where so many amusing things happened to the characters.

Irish Wish was gentle and romantic.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Cat Came Back by Anne Kane

March 20, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Cat Came Back by Anne Kane
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Cat’s come back to town. Jacob plans to keep her here.

When Catherine’s aunt dies in a suspicious accident, she comes back to her hometown to settle the estate. She expects it to be an easy job, but she doesn’t count on being chased by a pack of wild wolves, and an unknown enemy who sprays graffiti on the house and throws bricks through her windows. When the local police force proves less than helpful, it’s up to Cat to find out what’s going on with the help of her all too human lover, Jacob.

Known as the Mad Trapper, Jacob has been in love with Cat since high school. Now that she’s back in town he intends to show her that a human-shifter relationship can be just what a were-cat needs to keep her out of trouble.

Who says you can never go home again?

The chemistry between Cat and Jacob was smoking hot. Things escalated between them quickly in the beginning, so it was useful for me as a reader to know they had a previous history together and therefore knew they could trust one another. Given everything else that was going on in that scene, it made sense that she would seek out someone who had previously helped her when shifting into her feline form had lead to unexpected consequences.

It would have been helpful to have more plot development in general. This was something that I found most noticeable when it came to the mystery storyline that never quite had as much time to grow as I would have preferred to see. There was so much more that could have been done with these scenes and the crime they explored, and I would have happily gone with a higher rating if they’d been given more attention.

I was intrigued by the shifter world building in this book as well, especially when it came to the history of romantic relationships between shifters and humans and why so many folks were hesitant to date across that social barrier. These are details that are best left for other readers to discover for themselves but just know there were good reasons for these two characters to be a little wary of getting involved with each other despite their chemistry and previous interactions.

Cat Came Back was a wild ride.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

One Last Dance by Ernesto Patino

March 10, 2026 By Leave a Comment


One Last Dance by Ernesto Patino
Publisher: Paper Angel Press
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Devastated by the tragic death of his fiancée, Marco Anissi sets out to find the woman who received his beloved Susan’s heart.

Marco Anissi comes out of a coma, days after his car slams into a light pole-the same pole he had crashed into exactly ten years ago, killing his fiancée, Susan.

Convinced that her spirit has reached out to him in a way he would understand, Marco embarks on a search to find the woman who had received Susan’s heart. He finds her in Tucson where she works as a dance teacher. Her name is Julia. He signs up for lessons, hoping to develop a relationship. Now, Marco must make a decision: tell the truth about himself and risk losing Julia with whom he’s falling in love, or remain silent and enjoy his new life with her.

Can two hearts that beat as one in life be parted by death?

Love is limitless.

There aren’t enough romance novels out there about characters with serious chronic illnesses for my tastes, so this was something I was determined to read as soon as I finished the blurb. It was interesting to get to know Julia as she coped with the health complications that can come after an organ transplant and attempted to fulfill her dreams while also accepting that there were limitations to what she was physically able to do. Figuring out the balance between the two isn’t always easy, but it sure does make for some good storytelling.

I struggled with how different the ending of this book was when compared to the beginning or middle. It almost seemed to be something written in another genre entirely, especially when I considered how out of character certain individuals behaved when compared to their choices earlier on in the storyline. While it’s difficult to go into much detail here without sharing spoilers, I can say that one of the things that surprised me the most had to do with how slowly one of the characters responded to a life-threatening diagnosis. This didn’t seem to match up with what I’d learned about him earlier, and it led to consequences that could have been easily avoided. As much as I wished to give this title a higher rating, the plot holes and sudden shift in tone and themes at the end were an obstacle for me to do so.

The subplot about how an organ transplant can change a recipient’s personality, habits, and interests caught my attention. This was something I’d heard of before, but I wasn’t aware of the many different ways this medical procedure can alter someone’s life or that the reasons for it are still being investigated. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that dove into not only how the patient can respond to these changes but how people who once knew and loved the donor might react as well. This was a unique twist on the romance genre that piqued my interest in the author’s past, present, and future work.

One Last Dance was a thought provoking read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Death In The Long Walk by Hilary Pugh

February 19, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Death In The Long Walk by Hilary Pugh
Publisher: Housemouse Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Is it ever too late to be a detective?

Jonny Cardew is bored. He’s worked hard all his life at a financially rewarding but dull job when all he ever wanted to do was to solve murders. Now he has retired he has a chance to fulfil his ambition. A meeting over breakfast with three quirky characters and a dog in need of rehoming will change his life.

When a body is found at a nearby beauty spot the police believe it to be a case of death by natural causes. Jonny and his friends think differently and set out to discover the truth. On the way they meet some decidedly suspicious people all with motives to kill.

The Breakfast Cub detectives are on the case but will they solve it?

Jonny Cardew has worked his whole adult life in a financially stable and reliable job, but has been deadly bored. He’s always had a secret desire to solve a murder, and now he’s finally retired he’s eager to do so – just unsure how to go about it. When a body is found locally and the police think it’s natural causes, Jonny is determined to investigate. With some newly acquired friends and a bunch of enthusiasm, can Jonny and his Breakfast club friends really become detectives?

I’d never heard of this author nor the series, but it sounded deeply intriguing and so I bought this on a whim. I found the murder-mystery to be highly enjoyable with a strong cast of secondary characters and a realistic and relatable main character with Jonny. I thought this was a slower burn kind of mystery, while the plot and pacing was good it definitely wasn’t an action-oriented kind of story and readers should be happy to settle in for the gradual build up.

As the mystery unfolds there were a few good scenes where the action did move at a good clip, but overall, this had more the feel of “amateur sleuth’ rather than spy or espionage action heavy adventure. I thought the mystery itself was well plotted and I particularly enjoyed that there were a few red herrings – as Jonny and his crew tried to put everything together.

I found this to be an enjoyable and strongly relatable story about normal people working together and building friendships and coming together to solve a murder. A fun and well written story I’m eager to read the next in the series. Recommended.

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

Eden by Hadley Coull

February 18, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Eden by Hadley Coull
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

‘How can we build such an ugly world, when life is so beautiful?’

London, 2063. As the Earth burns, the wealthy retreat into Eden, a dazzling mixed-reality simulation.

Max Fisher lives in a world of beauty and possibility, where painful memories can be overwritten by code. But something falters. Fragments of another reality begin to seep through, and the stories he believes in begin to unravel.

Eden is a work of speculative fiction scribbled in grief and glow, a story of our descent into images, and a meditation on love and tenderness in a dying world.

Perfection always comes with a price.

My favorite scenes were the ones that explored the reality of relying so heavily on technology and what we would refer to as the Internet for entertainment and socialization purposes. This is one of those topics that can be approached from multiple perspectives, and the author did a good job of providing nuanced and fair arguments for what they appear to think about this issue. If this were something I was discussing in a book club, the way the various characters approached cyber life would be the first thing I’d want to bring up due to how differently they all thought about it and how those reactions affected the storyline later on. Kudos for providing so much food for thought!

I struggled with the slow pacing of this novel. The main characters spent a good deal of time talking about their feelings which, while of course vitally important for character development, sometimes got in the way of developing the plot just as thoroughly. It will be interesting to see if readers who are well-versed in literary fiction feel the same way as I know that’s a common writing style for that genre and do hope it encourages some of them to check out other science fiction tales as well if they don’t already do so. There is definitely something to be said for mixing genres like this, but I simply wish a little more attention had been played to fleshing out the plot as it didn’t always have sufficient space to grow in my opinion.

On a positive note, there was a plot twist later on that reframed many of the things I believed I knew about the characters. While I can’t go into detail about exactly what that surprise involved due to how massive it was, I loved the way the author revealed it and thought it added a great deal of depth to the protagonist’s life in particular.

Eden was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , ,

The Foaming Deep by MS Morris

February 17, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Foaming Deep by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A hidden cove. A tangle of lies. A deeply buried secret.
When a young woman’s body is found at a cave entrance by the pretty fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay, DCI Tom Raven is called to investigate. A trail of footprints leads from the body on the shore to the nearby youth hostel. But the killer’s identity is far from clear as the picturesque façade of Robin Hood’s Bay conceals more than it reveals.

Meanwhile, Raven has been given a tantalising clue to the truth behind his mother’s death at the hands of a hit-and-run driver over thirty years ago. As he works to untangle the facts, he discovers a secret far darker than anything he could have imagined and must battle the inner demons that threaten to destroy him and everything he holds dear.

A young woman’s body is found on the beach at the entrance to a local cave. DCI Tom Raven and his team are called to investigate, but with a number of people upset at the returned local lady the case appears quite murky at first. When things begin to lead in a number of different directions Raven and his team need to keep a handle on a quickly escalating situation.

I have been enjoying this Yorkshire based British police procedural series and found this to be an excellent addition to it. There were a few sub-plots revolving around the main murder mystery and I thought this really helped keep the pace of the book feel like it was moving forward at a good clip. There was also progress on a few of the longer-term story arcs which I also thought were very well woven into the story.

Readers looking for a high action story might not find this book really suits those sorts of tastes. I enjoyed the smaller town feel and the fact that we had space to learn about the numerous secondary characters. The mystery is absolutely front and center here and I think more traditional mystery readers should feel this is a great book. I did think that readers should be able to pick this up as a standalone. While it’s well into the series aside from the background history between DCI Raven and his team all the plot really is well contained in this book, and I feel readers should be able to enjoy this without having read anything previously.

With well drawn characters and a multi layered mystery plot I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable story and a great series.

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

Kuro by Ana Raine

February 13, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Kuro by Ana Raine
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday, LGBTQ, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When Preston saves a black cat everything he knows about life and demons is going to be questioned.

While shopping for candy for his friend’s Halloween party, Preston saves a strange black cat from a group of teenage boys. Overcome with a desire entirely new to him, Preston takes the black cat home and discovers things are not always what they seem, especially on Halloween.

The cat, a demon named Caleb, has been searching for his mate for months and can’t help but be fascinated with sweet Preston. He’s determined to drag Preston down to his home in the underwater demon world.

Now Preston must choose between his mortal life, or one full of demons — and love.

Preston rescues a black cat from a group of teenage boys. Despite never wanting a cat, Preston decides to take the stray home – only to discover things are not always what they seem.

I found this to be a fun and sexy short story. Caleb and Preston certainly set the pages on fire between them, but I liked that even though Caleb was a demon he didn’t really use powers or magic to lure Preston or fake things between them.

Readers looking for an extended or slow drop into love should be aware that this simply isn’t possible with such a short page count. I thought the author did a good job showing the attraction and chemistry between Preston and Caleb give the quickness of the story and while I do feel readers will need to disconnect their brain a little I did find this a fun and enjoyable Halloween themed story.

With smoking heat between the two men and some sizzling scenes I enjoyed this short and erotic quick read.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Reaper And Ruin by Elle Thorpe

February 12, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Reaper And Ruin by Elle Thorpe
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

An explosion shatters the night. The three men I love are thrown from the bluff into the raging sea below.

And one of them can’t swim.

But the fall isn’t the only thing trying to kill us.

Every step we take, danger stalks closer.
Every breath we steal, the killer waits in the shadows.

When he rips someone I love away from me, the fragile family I’ve fought to build begins to unravel.

The killer has to be unmasked.
The ruin has to end.

Because this time, losing means more than death.

It means giving up the only people I can’t live without.

Violet and her three lovers are determined to find out who the killer tormenting them is. With all their lives in danger – as well as those around them who they each love – these killers are determined to go back to what they know. To being the predator and not the prey.

Readers should be aware that this book continues on immediately from the explosive ending of book 2. I would strongly recommend these three books are read in order (X’s and O’s – book 1 and then Whips and Chains – book 2). This is a complete trilogy and I don’t feel they can be easily read out of order. This book picks up exactly where the previous one ended on a cliff hanger and for that I was grateful.

I believe that this trilogy stands by itself quite well. There are absolutely hooks/links and characters that I’ve since learned are from Elle Thorpe’s other trilogy’s. This is the first (and currently only) set of her books that I’ve read and I’ve enjoyed them. I do feel that you don’t need to have read any other of the books set in this world because while a number of the characters cross over I don’t feel the other trilogy’s/group stories are necessary to thoroughly enjoy this set.

Readers should be aware of that one of the strong secondary characters in this book has absolutely been set up as a lure/hook into what I feel is likely the next trilogy. The final chapter of this book absolutely is a lure into the next series I feel. Readers who dislike final chapters/epilogues that lead into the next series might want to be cautious before reading the final chapter here.

I was very pleased with the way this series wrapped up. I feel it’s completed enough that most romance readers should be satisfied. The main mystery plot that arcs through all three of these books was very well wrapped up and I was quite happy with the mystery/killer aspect to the plotline. I thought there was also a very good balance between the spicy plotline of the foursome’s relationship and the mystery plotline. I thought the author did a good job with both these sides of the series and this book in particular.

I do also have a strong suspicion that (like with the throwbacks to other groups in this book) Violet, Levi, Whip and X might very well likely have some input in the next and other series so readers can get a glimpse of how things are progressing. For the most part I feel like their story, however, is quite well rounded out and left in a good place. I don’t feel there’s much to complain about here in that respect.

Readers should be aware there is a fair bit of spice in this book. I didn’t feel this book was very dark at all – certainly it didn’t feel as dark to me as the first book did and to a lesser extend the second book. This book felt a bit more like a very spicy mystery/romance and not so much a dark romance. This absolutely isn’t for the faint of heart nor the non-spicy reader, but I did feel some of the darker themes in the first book wasn’t as heavy or pronounced in this book. I absolutely think this is a good trilogy for readers who are new to dark romances and darker themes to dip a toe in and see if this genre is really for them or not.

With some seriously spicy sex and a good dose of darker mystery plot this was a trilogy I enjoyed. As my first foray into “Dark Romance” I found it was a good read for me and the new-to-me genre is a bit of a hit.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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