EmpowerMoms

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>>>I don’t get any kind of commission if you order any of their products. I just like to share good deals when I find them!! 🙂

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The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder (Herringford and Watts Mysteries) by Rachel McMillan

I tried two different times to read this book but just couldn’t get into the story line and characters so I never finished. It has great reviews online though, even though I didn’t care for it. The story is set in the early 1900s in Toronto.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the book:
In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.

Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city’s underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.

While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto’s premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever—if they can stay alive long enough to do so.

Purchase a copy:


About the author:
Rachel McMillan is a keen history enthusiast and a lifelong bibliophile. When not writing or reading, she can most often be found drinking tea and watching British miniseries. Rachel lives in bustling Toronto, where she works in educational publishing and pursues her passion for art, literature, music, and theater.

Meet best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem, who launch their own Sherlock Holmes-esque consulting detective business in 1910 Toronto in Rachel McMillan’s The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city’s underbelly. Merinda could well be Toronto’s premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever–if they can stay alive long enough to do so.

Rachel is celebrating the release of The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder with a Murder Mystery Prize Pack giveaway (details below) and an author chat party on April 28!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• One copy of The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder
• A magnifying glass necklace
• A bowler hat
• A pocket watch
• A $30 Amazon gift card

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 4/28. The winner will be announced at The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Rachel and other readers, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 28th!

The whole story was written by the perspective of 14 year old boy Ethan (one of the main characters) which kind of confused because because after reading the book description, I assumed Leah, the governess would be telling the story from her point of view. It was still well written though and captured all the characters emotions and heartaches.

The book description gives away most of the story plot but the characters and story line still kept my interest. It takes place during the Civil War so there’s alot of war violence and hatred through out the story. There was also a violent massacre that takes place, and although it isn’t very graphic, it was still hard to read about it.

There was some very light romance, but it was mostly historical fiction. We “watch” Ethan grow up and mature over the 5 year span of the book. The ending wasn’t at all what I expected. Overall it was a good book, but not something I would read again.

There are references to the Mormon/LDS Christian religion through out the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Covenant Communications in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the book:
Promise me, Ethan, no matter what, you must stay here! You can’t make a sound! Promise me you won’t!

Caught in the middle of a massacre in Lawrence, Kansas, during the Civil War, Leah Donaldson, a twenty-year-old Mormon governess, must risk everything to save two children in her care—and she lives to pay dearly for the decision. Young Ethan Pace loves Leah and can hardly stay still as she is taken away by the enemy for refusing to reveal where he and his sister are hiding.

Five years later, Ethan desperately searches for her, trying to reconcile all that has happened and grappling with his feelings for her. Still idealizing Leah, he hopes she has survived and that he can help her get to Zion and her people. But after everything she’s been through since they last met, will Leah overcome her regrets and allow love into her life? Will she come to see Ethan as the caring man he has become rather than the lovesick boy she once knew?

You can purchase a copy here:

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Did you know the “Fit Family Challenge” starts this Sunday, May 1st?! This is the first year that it’s been offered in our area and I’m so excited that “Growing Up In The Valley” Roanoke VA magazine is running it.

Our family found out last month that we were selected as one of the local “spotlight families” for this challenge. What does that mean? Our family will be sharing weekly pictures and fitness recaps here on the blog, hopefully giving you and your family ideas on ways to be active at the gym, park, or anywhere outside! We will also be working with a nutritionist and a personal trainer at the Kirk YMCA, and I can’t wait to share what we learn with all of you!

We are a normal family just like you-working full time, going to school, busy at church and at home… we are not fitness professionals or experts. Our family goal is to find ways for us to be active together as a family and to make fitness and eating healthy more of a priority. We will have ups and downs I’m sure during these 8 weeks, and I hope you will join our family so we can encourage and support each other on this journey!

Even though the challenge and points don’t start until Sunday, we’ve started calendaring at least 1 day a week for doing a family fitness activity. Last week the boys rode bikes in the neighborhood while I walked along side them. We also participated in The Color Run this past Saturday in Salem which was alot of fun!

The Fit Family Challenge is a FREE healthy lifestyle 8 week program that offers free classes, expert advice and nutrition tips. Starting May 1st, you will be able to use the handy online fitness tracker to keep your family on track once you register. You will want to enter your activities and healthy habits daily to earn points and win prizes!

You can register here:
https://www.myfitfamilychallenge.com/VA

One of the things our family is excited about is all the free classes and activities that local businesses and trainers are offering JUST for participants of this challenge!

My almost 6 year old is really excited about swimming at the Y and my 14 year old is excited about jumping at the trampoline park. I personally have worked with Ferguson Fitness and PlayFitStayFit personal trainers and they are outstanding, so I can’t wait to take their classes.

Here is a list of the local Fit Family Challenge FREE Classes and Activities:
http://growingupinthevalley.com/ffc/

Still have questions about the challenge? Check out the FAQ page here:
https://www.myfitfamilychallenge.com/faq.php

Hope to see you at the Challenge Kick off event this Sunday, May 1st at Star City Skate Center!
Facebook event details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1289452847749090/

This thrilling adventure had just enough romance and good steady pace to keep me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the end. I finished the book in one day because I wanted to see how it would play out and who was trying to hurt the royal family.

I have not read the other 2 books in this “series”, but I enjoyed all the characters and didn’t feel lost in the story line or character developments.

I especially liked the main characters and their involvements with each other and learning about the royal family and their customs. I could not put this book down and I know you will enjoy it also!

There are references to the Mormon religion through out the book, but religion is not the main focus of this story. It is a clean romantic adventure, free from bad language and inappropriate relationships.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Covenant Communications in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the Book
In this eagerly anticipated companion novel to Royal Target and Royal Secrets, readers are invited back to the shimmering Mediterranean paradise of Meridia, where two royal weddings in a year are more than stressful—they’re deadly . . .
Lovely Meridian native Noelle Saldera yearns for adventure, but as the daughter of palace servants, working at Prince Stefano’s royal wedding may be as exciting as her life will get. But her options change drastically when she finds herself in the unlikely position of diffusing a bomb at the ceremony and being enlisted as the newest member of Meridian Intelligence. And with another wedding in the works, there can be no more close calls when Prince Stefano’s brother, Garrett, walks down the aisle.

The bombing attempt at the first royal wedding leaves few clues as to the assailant’s identity. Desperate for answers, Meridian officials enlist CIA agent Jeremy Rogers to prevent a repeat occurrence at the upcoming nuptials. The beauty of the plan: the bride is Jeremy’s sister, so his cover is foolproof. What no one could anticipate is the instant connection between Jeremy and Noelle. Now, with their hearts on the line, the pair must work together to stop a seemingly unstoppable enemy before time runs out.

Biography
Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study-abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for several years, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas for suspense novels as well as the skills needed to survive her children’s teenage years. She has gone on to write a number of bestselling suspense novels that have consistently been nominated as Whitney Award finalists. She considers shoes an optional accessory which became evident when she won her first two Whitney Awards in 2013 and 2014 for her novels Code Word and Deep Cover. She currently lives in Virginia with her family where she enjoys sports, travel, writing, and coaching high school swimming.

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