Month: August 2026

Book Tour and Review: The Secrets of Sweet Blessings Bakery

BonnieReadsAndWrites10 Comments

Book Description

Book Review

Mariah, Ashley, and Sarah Grace have been estranged a long time.  Mariah left Sugar Gap, Tennessee, long ago, searching for her self-worth and fleeing her mother’s reputation. She worked hard and built a career as a well-known and respected chef.  Ashley also left to pursue her career, and Sarah Grace stayed, determined to help their grandmother keep her bakery open. Now their grandmother has passed away but has left the three sisters a set of 15 tasks to complete, along with the incentive to do so.  To further complicate matters, Sam Jenkins, whose heart Mariah broke when she left town, is now the Sheriff and has been appointed to help them.

This is engaging small-town fiction.  The ending is not hard to figure out, but the experience of spending the Fall holidays in a picturesque mountain town makes up for that.  The cast of characters makes Sugar Gap come alive.  There is a sweet, slightly spicy, romance and revealed secrets, but the messages of forgiveness and overcoming self-doubts are the most important parts of the story. The series of tasks is entertaining, enhanced by the townsfolk and the complex relationship of the sisters. Don’t pass on this chance to spend the holidays in Sugar Gap, a place of new beginnings and second chances. This is Book One of the Sugar Gap Romances series.

I received a free copy of this book via Zooloo’s Book Tours. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author


Michele Dunaway is a best-selling contemporary romance author who writes happily-ever-afters set in small towns with unique quirk, where life is “Hometown Sweet with Hints of Spice.” Describing herself as a woman who does way too much and never wants to stop, Michele writes about finding forever love and second chances. She’s a proud mother of two grown daughters. As an avid pet lover, Michele shares her home with far too many rescued cats, who of course completely rule the roost.

Connect With Michele

Instagram | Facebook

**Click on the cover to see the book on Amazon

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours.

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon: Rain and Sunflowers

BonnieReadsAndWrites23 Comments

Here we are in August already. It’s the last real month of summer and the beginning of Fall, in my opinion. It’s been a summer that has been rainy at times and sunny at times, and so has life. We lost a family member unexpectedly and remembered that life is so, so short and fleeting. We are praying for another family member who has been diagnosed with cancer. On the sunnier side, we also had good times with the grandkids, and we are enjoying the beauty of the mountains and produce from our garden.

A while back, Doug simply scattered some sunflower seeds on a bank in front of our house. Below is the result:

LAST WEEK ON BONNIE READS AND WRITES

On Thursday, I posted a review of The Luckiest Man Returns, a beautiful baseball story.

On Friday, I posted a review of A Family Affair by my favorite author, Jodi Taylor.

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG

I will review Beneath A Radiant Moon by P.L. Jonas and Hypocrite’s Row by Eliot Kleinberg. I may participate in Top Ten Tuesday if time permits.

BOOK HAUL

I received Netgalley widgets for all three of these, and I’ll be reviewing them for The Historical Novel Society.

The Woman Between by Francine Rivers
The Three Daughters of Annam by Phong Nguyen
The French Innkeeper’s Daughter by Diane C. McPhail

I hope you’re having a wonderful summer. Believe it or not, Christmas is only 138 days away!

Thank you to The Caffeinated Book Reviewer for hosting Sunday Post and Deb at Readerbuzz for hosting Sunday Salon.


Book Review: A Family Affair by Jodi Taylor

BonnieReadsAndWrites12 Comments

My favorite author is back with the second book in her Smallhope and Pennyroyal series, which is in the Chronicles of St. Mary’s world. See my review below.

Book Review

Smallhope and Pennyroyal are back, and the action starts immediately. The title, A Family Affair, is very appropriate, as they are thrown by news relating to Pennyroyal’s sister and rocked by an event that will send them on separate paths. Also keeping with the family theme, Smallhope’s beloved nephew George is threatened, and familiar adversaries find a way to invade Starlings.

This was a twisty, turny, and somewhat shocking ride, as the very trust between Smallhope and Pennyroyal is threatened. I love that we get to see Dr. Bairstow from St. Mary’s, and he is, as always, steady as a rock. Major Ellis from the Time Police also appears, and we even get a little news about Grint!

This is Book Two in this series, and it can stand alone, but I would definitely recommend reading the first and getting the full story of Smallhope and Pennyroyal, with a lot of St. Mary’s and the Time Police thrown in. You won’t regret it. I loved every minute of this book, even though it sometimes broke my heart. As often happens in a Jodi Taylor book, it ends with a bang and a cryptic message loaded with questions. I can’t wait for the next one to find out the answers.

I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley. I also purchased the ebook and the audiobook. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Jodi Taylor is the internationally bestselling author of over thirty novels and more short stories than you can shake a stick at. Her Chronicles of St Mary’s series follows a bunch of disaster-prone individuals who investigate major historical events in contemporary time. Do NOT call it time travel! She is also the author of the Time Police books. Set in the same world as St Mary’s, this spinoff charts the highs and lows of an all-powerful, international organisation tasked with keeping the Timeline straight no matter what the cost. Efficient and disciplined, obviously they’re nothing like St Mary’s. Except when they are. And when a short story set in the same world accidentally grew into a full-length novel, the Smallhope & Pennyroyal series was born, following the adventures of two unlikely partners in crime. Jodi is also known for her gripping supernatural thrillers featuring the mysterious Elizabeth Cage, together with the enchanting Frogmorton Farm series – a fairy story for adults. Born in Bristol and now living in Gloucester (facts both cities vigorously deny), she spent many years with her head somewhere else, much to the dismay of family, teachers and employers, before finally deciding to put all that daydreaming to good use and write a book. And then another twenty-nine after that. And she hasn’t finished yet.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

As I’ve said on here many times, I have been reading Jodi Taylor’s books since she first published them, and I drop everything when she has a new book out so I can devour it in one sitting. I hope you try them and enjoy them as much as I do.

Book Tour and Review: The Luckiest Man Returns by R.F. Walden

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a spot on the tour, which was supposed to be yesterday. Here is my late review of a special novella.

Book Description

Book Review

In this unique novella, Major League Baseball in 2039 receives a special gift. A young man shows up who looks just like Hall-of-Famer Lou Gehrig. He just wants to play baseball, and when they finally let him, they find out he swings like Gehrig too. He has a message for everyone. Be kind to each other. Appreciate life. Stop staring at your phones and talk to each other. And he has a goal. To win the World Series that year with the Yankees.

Immediately, this book had vibes of Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella, which was made into the hit movie, Field of Dreams. Throughout The Luckiest Man Returns, the magic of baseball and the message of appreciating life and your fellow “teammates” on this earth resounds. The love of the game versus the business the game has become is a major theme too. The major question everyone is asking is, “Is he a fraud, a copycat, or the real Lou Gehrig, returned over a hundred years later?” For the answer, follow Gehrig in this magical story as he pursues his goal of winning the World Series, while reminding everyone, players and fans alike, to appreciate baseball for itself and what it has always been, not just for money or personal glory.

Goodreads | Purchase Link

About the Author

To learn more about R.F. Walden, visit his Website here.

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a spot on the tour