It’s Monday and the world is in the midst of a pandemic. I am working from home and practicing social distancing. Picking up a book is a great way to forget about the stresses of our lives. So, what book will you pick to help you escape? This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.
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Another wonderful installment in the Mercy Thompson series!
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Yep, another fantasy series that I love! The Crown of Shards series has a great heroine and a lot of action adventure. It’s a lot of fun!
How often does a person make Pate A Choux? For this person, it’s when you get to the Pate A Choux chapter in the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. At first, I was pretty excited about making Cream Puffs. I mean, come on, who doesn’t love a great cream puff? I do! At least I did until I tried to make my own. It wasn’t all bad, but boy was this a lot of work for something that, and I quote “are best as soon as they are filled, but can be refrigerated for 1 hour.” Umm, 1 hour?
I actually thought making the dough was pretty easy. There are only a few ingredients, flour, water, eggs, butter, salt, and water.
Essentially, you cook the water, butter and salt on the stove until the butter is melted and then add in the flour to create a paste. I’ve seen this done a thousand times on The British Baking Show or a Food Network baking production and thought it seemed pretty simple. In fact, it was. I got it to the correct consistently, threw it into the mixer and started adding the eggs. Having never made this before, I wasn’t too sure what I ended up with was correct, but not knowing for sure, I put the dough in the molds I bought and threw them into the freezer. Yes, this is another recipe where you can take them out one at a time to cook. Too bad I didn’t do that.
First confession! “Transfer the dough to a pastry bag and pipe into the mold.” Yeah, I didn’t do that. I was just so tired! It took much longer than I thought to make the dough, and I was almost positive I did something wrong. I just spooned the dough in. It wasn’t pretty.
I left these in the freezer until the next weekend when I thought I’d conquer the “Cookies for Cream Puffs.” These are not real cookies! they are some kind of crumbly mix of brown sugar, flour, and a very small amount of butter than I was supposed to roll out and then cut into nice round shapes to place on the top of the cream puffs. The idea being to create a crunchy outer layer to contrast nicely with the soft puff.
You can tell from looking at this dough that it was one hot mess. I rolled and froze, rolled and froze, and then just gave up and took the cream puffs out of the freezer, placed them on a pan, put cookie dough bits on top and threw them into the oven.
While these were cooking I started making the Pastry Cream. It’s not a Cream Pull without that cream, right? I’ve made pudding’s and custards from scratch before so I actually found this to be a pretty easy process. However- 2nd confession- I was supposed to use whole milk, and we only had 2% milk in the fridge. Guess what? It worked anyway. It may not have been as luscious as if I’d used whole milk, but you can still get a pretty good pastry cream. The hardest part of this process was putting the cream through the sifter to get the chunks out. I got impatient and just ended up dumping it all into the bowl to chill.
This time I did actually use the pastry bag and you know what? No longer afraid of it. I found these reusable bags that you can wash out and it was really quite easy!
So, I take the puffs out of the oven and I’m pretty pleased! I think they rose the way they were supposed to? I will admit, there was a second batch that was slightly bigger and they collapsed. Note to self, leave the bigger ones in a little longer than the smaller. Once these had cooled, and the pastry cream was also cool, I piped the cream into the puffs.
You can’t tell, but there are cream in those puffs! Here’s the problem. No one felt like eating them! We all had one to taste and then I put them in the fridge where they got kind of soft and doughy. Not good. So, be warned, they are really serious about that time in the fridge. No more than one hour, otherwise all of that hard work will go to waste.
I worked so hard, over two weekends on these, and I have to admit, I was disappointed! I think I had profiteroles in my head and the cream just didn’t do it for me. I’d much rather of had ice cream! LOL.
Would I make these again? Not even for a dinner party. It took way too long, had to many moving parts and the shelf life is too small. I’m glad I did it the one time, but it’s not happening again!
Poppy Patterson left her hometown at sixteen. Kicked out because of her pregnancy, she found a new home with her aunt in Denver. Now in her 20’s, Poppy is raising her son alone and working as a waitress in a nightclub when Wide Receiver, T. K. Moore is seated at her table. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem except that T. K. is the father of her son… and he doesn’t know it.
This second chance love story had everything the first novel had, and I ate it up. Two great lead characters, wonderful female friendships, and a renewal of a love story that should never have ended. I like that they were an interracial couple and whereas this is a fictional novel I felt like some of the problems they’d see in real life as an interracial couple also played out in this book. However, the biggest conflict in this book was portraying the consequences of head injuries in the NFL. I really liked how real that made Poppy and T. K.’s relationship and how she struggled with helping him see how much his personality had changed since high school. I thought that topic was really relevant. Especially after reading the author’s bio and knowing that her own husband played in the NFL. It may be a real topic in her own household (?).
Once again Alexa Martin hits a home run. Poppy was a female protagonist that a reader loves. She fell on hard times but never gave up, worked hard, and put herself in a place she can be proud of. T. K. was a little more stereotypical but I really liked him once he got past the shock of being a father. This story was a little more serious than the first but once Poppy was introduced to her WAGS group those friendships brought out the fun and funny.
Again, if you haven’t read this series and you are a fan of contemporary romances, you must pick them up! I do think the first couple of books could be read as stand alone’s. After all, I read the third novel first. There’s a tiny bit of backstory with a couple of other characters but I think you can catch on pretty quickly and enjoy the story on it’s own. However, if you’ve got the time to read them in order go for it! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“I really enjoyed reading the book, both times. It made me happy. It’s a good book. Right after I finished it the first time, I read book 1 of this series called Intercepted, which was also really nice.” The Wordy Habitat
“I thought the book was kinda rushed but I didn’t get bored and I’m definitely looking forward to the final book of the trilogy.” My World of Books
Manhattan lawyer Dannie Cohan has her life mapped out to the minute and tonight is the night her longtime boyfriend David will ask her to marry him. That night she has a dream that is dated five years in the future. In that dream she is married to someone else. Skip forward to 4 1/2 years from that night and Dannie is still not married to David. Is that dream about to become a reality?
I way oversimplified the synopsis in the above paragraph but this is one of those stories where if you give too many details away you’ll spoil the surprises for other readers. I don’t want to do that! I can tell you a little bit about the characters. Dannie and Bella are best friends but they couldn’t be any more different. Dannie is structured, realistic, and has a plan for everything in her life. Bella is an artist, a dreamer, and falls in love constantly. They are the yin to each other’s yang and are always there to support each other through life’s ups and downs. They have one of those girl relationships that I’ve always envied. Even through life’s difficulties, anything is forgivable.
In Five Years synopsis fools the reader into thinking this is a love story between a man and a woman. It is kind of, but even more so is that it’s a love story between Dannie and Bella. Not a romantic love, but despite that, it’s a love that transcends life. In Dannie’s case, it’s a love that her fiance David can’t compete. Dannie’s journey through this novel is eye opening and actually uplifting despite the box of kleenex I used. Yes, this is a sad story, but despite that I felt like Dannie had revealed something inside of herself that would help her live her life more fully than she had which is a good way to end a story.
Be prepared for some twists and turns as this is not the novel you think you are going to read, but it’s a story that will make you think as you read it. Sometimes that is a bad thing, but in the case of In Five Years it worked. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!
I can only hope that this week is a little better than last week. I can’t think a tornado will hit twice in one area (knock on wood). I had an ARC due this Tuesday that was a tear jerker. I’m not sure if it was because I’d had an abnormally emotional week? I did go through a TON of kleenex and sniffled my way through to the finish late last night. This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.
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Grab your box of kleenex! This is a great story about a wonderful friendship and finding the meaning of love.
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I am loving the audio books in this series. Thank goodness it’s a long series!
Tuesday night around midnight a tornado ripped through Nashville. Starting in a popular historical neighborhood called Germantown, jumping the river into East Nashville and then staying on the ground for 60 miles through Mt. Juliet and Cookeville. Was it a blessing or a curse that it happened in the middle of the night? There was a school that had considerable damage, so I guess a blessing because if there had been kids in that school hundreds could have been injured and died. That it happened in the middle of the night meant if you had awakened to the sirens you could find your safe place, but some people were ripped out of their homes and died. 24 of them.
I live in the city of Nashville and thankfully saw little damage. However, my husband and I have an Airbnb in East Nashville and we had guests staying in it the night it hit. Our place was in the path of the tornado but a block away it veered east and our block was skipped. Our guests were ok. I can’t even tell you the relief I felt.
I’m in a Facebook group for Airbnb’s in Nashville and this woman told her story about her home getting hit in Germantown. Their guest had to be cut out of the host Airbnb because she was framed in by bars. That guest was fine, and in fact, stayed to help clean up the area. I’m tearing up as I write this because that is only one of the many wonderful stories that I’ve heard in the aftermath of this storm. Thousands of people are donating, bringing food and water, cooking and giving out free bbq, cleaning debris, putting tarps over holes in people’s roof’s, and so much more. I’ve always loved the city of Nashville and these stories only make me love it that much more. The people here are really that special.
Here are a few photo’s from the damage from the storm. These building’s span businesses, low income property, and homes. These people’s lives have been disrupted in a huge way. There is an organization who has handled the majority of volunteers, donations, etc. If you feel like donating to help Nashville’s recovery please do!
When Liv walks in on her celebrity chef boss sexually harassing a hostess in his restaurant she rushes to the girls defense only to have the chef fire her and blackball her from getting another job despite her reputation as a great pastry chef she starts plotting revenge. She finds an unlikely ally in Braden Mack one of her brother in law’s friends. Not only does he fight by her side but their chemistry has him fighting for her heart, but he needs his bromance book club’s advice because nothing is working! Undercover Bromance is as fun as the first novel, but a depth that this reader found to be gripping, emotional, and actually very personal.
First the characters. Liv is gun shy when it comes to men. She had a father who left she and her sister when they were very young and that taught her to never trust a man. It also turned her into a fighter. She’s a woman who does not stand by and accept what is obviously wrong. What I loved about her the best is that she fought on behalf of others in this novel. Yeah, sure, she got fired, but she herself wasn’t sexually harassed. She saw it happen and wanted the truth to come out and the chef to bear the consequences of his actions. Braden Mack was clueless when it came to women, which made him charmingly endearing, but he also was a man that wouldn’t stand for a person to be treated improperly. You’ve got to love that! The two of them together provided a lot of heat, but even more importantly, humor! This was a novel that really needed a good laugh to counter the serious subject matter, and it really delivered! I laughed so hard I cried through the last 50 pages of this book.
It used to be that these types of topics weren’t mentioned and especially weren’t tied to a romance novel plot! Sexual harassment has been pushed aside, closeted, wiped under a rug, etc. Introducing this topic as the main plot of a romance novel made this one stand out. The premise of these Bromance Book Club novels is that a group of guys read romance novels to help them figure out their problems with women. Cute theme, right? How exactly does that apply to this topic? Well, Liv wasn’t your usual lady so it actually worked well and the altercations between she and her ex-boss turned this into a kind of romantic suspense plot which worked really well.
I thought this novel hit it out of the park on many levels. It introduced an important subject, provided a great love story, and made me care about the characters. It also made me laugh out loud which is always a winner in my book. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.
Marlee Harper has been dating her boyfriend on and off since high school. When she finally faces up to him being a player she moves out, with the help of brand new Denver Mustangs quarterback and one time fling Gavin Pope. Vowing to never date a pro football “player” again, Gavin has his work cut out for him.
I recently got an ARC and reviewed the third book in this series, Blitzed. I LOVED it and vowed to read the first two in the series immediately. Thank goodness I had a vacation where I could binge read this series. Seriously, I read this book in a few hours, then the second, back to back.
There were a few reasons why I liked this novel so much. 1) I loved how respectfully Gavin treated Marlee. After her horrible prior relationship Gavin’s treatment shone a light on how wonderful she should be treated. 2) Marlee was sassy and smart. I liked that she had self respect and dumped her boyfriends butt. It did take her a little while to want to see how horrible he was, but once she did? It was O-V-E-R. 3) I liked the behinds the scenes look into the wives and girlfriends of pro players. I know this is fiction but it fit what I had imagined to a T. 4) I LOVED the female friendships! I am a sucker for a romance novel with a great group of side characters and this series reminds me of how Kristen Ashley used to write before she went all S&M. Female friendships can be fun and loyal and this novel showed that strength. 5) At first I was put off by the hashtags, but after the third chapter I started to laugh at the intended humor and started to look forward to them. #luvthehumor
So, yeah, I loved this novel. I thought it was fun, had a great message, and loved the characters so much I am asking for a sequel. LOL. Luckily you can catch up with these characters in future novels because, you know, great friendships! If you haven’t yet read this novel and like light hearted romances, well what are you waiting for?!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“All in all, I’m kicking myself for not picking up Intercepted so much earlier. I fell in love with the characters and the romance and I can’t wait to pick up the next book in this series.” Books and Blends
Even though I had a busy weekend I found the time to read. My downtime was spent doing what I loved best. What books did I read? I’ll tell you, if you share with me! This post originated over on Book Date , so thanks for the idea and letting me continue on the discussion.
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First Sentence Read: “It had been a mistake to invite himself to the wedding.”
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First Sentence Read: “Professor Hanover’s eyes were affixed to his smartphone with the determined unsteadiness of a man who was exceedingly uncomfortable.”
Both very lighthearted books but just what I needed in my downtime. What books are you reading?
Being listed as the worst reviewed bachelor on the hottest new App Bad Bachelor couldn’t have come at a worse time for Reed McMahon, a rising star in the PR business. His father is ill and his clients are starting to turn their backs on them. When he takes on a pro bono job to help a local library raise resources, librarian Darcy Greer is leery of his reputation but can’t pass up the free help. As they work together she starts to see a different side of Reed than what she’s read on the Bad Bachelor App. Should she take the chance and open herself up to a man that may not be revealing his true self?
Just like the legions of women who gave Reed bad reviews on the Bad Bachelor App, I felt like I had the wool pulled over my eyes. I’m pretty careful about making sure I don’t ask to review a book in the middle of a series and Bad Bachelor looked like a fun book. However, the book was released a couple of years ago, and in fact, there are three books out in this series. The cover is new, and it is cute and eye catching, but this ARC could also have been checked out in my own local library. Taking all that and putting it aside, I did find this novel pretty easy to get into and the story engaging.
I easily identified with our heroine Darcy. A young woman who is kind of shy, yet she has this edgier side with her pierced tongue and tattoo sleeves. She’s a little insecure and likes to escape into her library and a good book. Reed is a good looking, charming guy. On the surface he looks to be everything the Bad Bachelor app says he is, but when we see what’s going on behind closed doors he becomes much more interesting. I liked the depth these two interesting characters brought to this kind of light synopsis. I was mildly surprised at how invested I became in this story and really pleased with how the characters evolved and the story ended. You can’t ask for much more than that!
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“What I loved the most about this book is the characterization of the hero and heroine.” Romance Library
The Reading Chick 
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