Cover Reveal For False Series by Meli Raine

False Memory
Meli Raine
(False Memory, #1)
Publication date: November 15th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

It all started with the bereavement flowers with my name on them.

Not the best way to wake up, right? I work in a flower shop. I know a funeral arrangement when I see one.

I know a killer when I see one, too. And one is standing in my hospital room right now, straight behind the man who saved my life.

I can’t tell anyone the truth, because that’s the fastest way to really die. So I do the next best thing. I “lose” my memory.

I fake my amnesia.

Pretending not to remember a brutal attempted murder has its perks. The killer is backing down, spending less time around me, loosening the noose.

The less I claim to recall, the more my rescuer, Duff, works to help me “remember.” I hate lying to him.

But he doesn’t understand that my memory is dangerous. To me. And to him.

Fooling everyone isn’t easy. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Except it’s starting to look like I’ve been fooling myself.

In more ways than one.

Read Book 1 in the newest series from USA Today bestselling author Meli Raine.

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False Hope
Meli Raine
(False Memory, #2)
Publication date: December 11th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Description TBA

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False Start
Meli Raine
(False Memory, #3)
Publication date: January 15th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Description TBA

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Author Bio:
Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes — and the women who love them. Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.

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Book Review: Unicorn on a Roll (Heavenly Nostrils #2)

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

The magical friendship of Phoebe and her best friend, unicorn Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, is back in this second adventure of a girl and her mythical creature!

One year has passed since Phoebe skipped a rock across a pond, accidentally hit a unicorn in the face, and was granted a single wish—which she used to make the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, her obligational best friend. In some ways, not much has changed. At school Phoebe still clashes with her rival--and sometimes “frenemy”--the ever-taunting and imperious Dakota. Outside of school, she still fills her free time with extra-credit homework assignments, dramatic monologues about the injustices associated with school cliques, and imaginative conspiracy theories regarding global forces like the “powerful construction paper lobby.” But unlike before, Phoebe now has a best friend to share it with—someone to make her laugh and to listen to all her extravagant ideas.

In this second volume of Heavenly Nostrils, titled, Unicorn on a Roll, the reader is invited on a journey into the lives of Phoebe and Marigold as they navigate the difficulties of grade school, celebrate the winter holidays, and explore their super hero/super villain personas together. Join in the fun, as Phoebe competes against Dakota for the leading role of “Lisa Ladybug” in their fourth-grade play—or as she struggles to “manage” the PR debacle related to her nose-picking-scandal. (“I will neither confirm nor deny the events surrounding Boogergate.”) Witness a band of unicorns staging an “intervention” and learn all the details of Marigold’s secret crush on a mysterious creature she has never seen. Perhaps most important, watch as this surprising friendship between a charming, nine-year-old dreamer and a vain, mythical beast forever changes both of them for the better.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

Unicorn on a Roll is just such a cute series for kids. I really enjoyed this book. I have read the first one, but I borrowed it from the library so I couldn't reread the first one. I don't think you need to understand the first one to read this one. The story is hilarious, cute, and quite unique in a good way. 

"Hey, Max?"

"Hey, Phoebe."

"I'm unsupervised and I wanna do something I'm not supposed to."

"I'm illegally downloading "Explosion Man 2" before it's out on DVD."

"Can I press enter?" 

"You're desperate, aren't you?

The characters are so funny and charming. The dialog is super cute and they are quite little kids.

"Unicorns are more powerful than tater tots!"

The cover is super cute. It is one of my favorite colors, and I love that you can visually see the two main characters on the front cover as that is an essential aspect for kids I believe. 

"True Friends finish each other's sneezes" 

"I never Heard that Before"

I am so glad my hold came in from the library, and I got to read it! I read it in about 2 hours off and on. 

Book Review: The Winters Tale

Title: The Winters Tale
Author: William Shakespeare
Page Count :
How I received it:
Actual Rating: 4 out of 5

I actually have read this book 3 times with different additions to try and compare and contrast. I really enjoy seeing different interpretations and the spin on the story it has.

This is one of the more challenging plays in my opinion.  It's at least the most daunting one if it wasn;t for my intro to Shakespeare class I would have picked it up last. Don't get scared, this is pretty normal with a play. The look better and actually show more emotions.

In classic Shakespeare fashion, there is a wide variety of conflict taking place. Which creates a wonderful amount of interest. This is a super sad play, and winter is perfect for that because everything is already dead outside.While I am not an expert I can not figure out if this is a tragedy or comedy. There seems to be an even mix. It doesn't really matter but I am curious. This is also close to the end of this playwriting, so he had mastered the art of plays at this point.  I really believe people need to put this on a required reading list, seems to be missed by many.

The play is complex and had many different conflicts and different scenarios.

Of course, many people might not enjoy or be interested in these classics. Remember just because you don't read classics or play don't feel bad. Everyone likes their own thing. If someone makes fun of you, just ignore them and dive deeper into your story.


Links to purchase: AbeBooks // Alllbris // Amazon //  Barnes & Noble // Book Depository // / Better World Through books // Hallf.com // Kobo //

Goodreads Description: 

Completely re-edited, the New Folger Library editions of Shakespeare's plays put readers in touch with current ways of thinking about Shakespeare. Each freshly edited text is based directly on what the editors consider the best early printed version of the play. Each volume contains full explanatory notes on pages facing the text of the play, as well as a helpful introduction to Shakespeare's language. The accounts of William Shakespeare's life, his theater, and the publication of his plays present the latest scholarship, and the annotated reading lists suggest sources of further information. The illustrations of objects, clothing, and mythological figures mentioned in the plays are drawn from the Library's vast holdings of rare books. At the conclusion of each play there is a full essay by an outstanding scholar who assesses the play in light of today's interests and concerns. 

Book Review: 1984 (Classics)

This is a series that involves spotlighting interesting classical literature that I read. In an effort to be a more well-rounded reader. I also am participating in a classic literature challenge Feel free to check out the series here. Below is a running list of each post in this series. 

Title: !984
Author: George Orwell
Page Count: 328 pages
How I received it: I believe I have had it since middle school
Genre: Classic, Dystopia, Science fiction, itature  


Actual rating: 5/5 Stars

I have read this book so many times. I am surprised the pages haven't fallen out. This was one of my first "me" books. It was a book that I had earned, so I decided to just work on reviews instead. My first introduction to Orwell was not always my favorite author. He sort of had to earn that title. And as I get older and re-read his books, I realize how truly gifted he was.

The first time I read this book I thought the government was out to get me. I struggled showering because I might have run into someone bad. I eventually grew up and realized all of that was super silly.   have this love affair with this mans work and at this point, I don't remember how to fix it with out deleting my data.

This book is super dark and depressing. I believe it's even scarier because we can see some of these things by ourselves. The one thing that always stuck with me was War is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is a strength. I do not ever wish we got to know more of the main characters and they would actually take pictures with her.

This book shares a very interesting view of utopia. One that is sort of not a utopia. They live in a country that has a totalitarian system. This really changed my mind set because it is where we are going somewhat. I am super anxious and what not, even though big brother isn; 't that exciting.

I hope you give this book a chance!

Goodreads Description:  

The year 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of "negative utopia" -a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. 


No one can deny the novel's hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions -a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time

Blog Tour 'A Name Unknown'

This is the first novel in a brand new series called Shadows Over England Series. This is a great read and is in the genre of Historical fiction, it is a Christian novel with romantic elements. It was a quick read, at about 428 pages it took me two days to finish. My rating for this book is a strong 5 stars. 

Book info

About the book: She's out to steal his name. Will he steal her heart instead? Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they are no longer pickpockets-now they focus on high value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. Rosemary's challenge of a lifetime comes when she's assigned to determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany. How does one steal a family's history, their very name? Rumors swirl around Peter Holstein. Awkward and solitary, but with access to the king, many fear his influence. But Peter can't help his German last name and wants to prove his loyalty to the crown-so he can go back to anonymously writing a series of popular adventure novels. When Rosemary arrives on his doorstop pretending to be a well- credentialed historian, Peter believes she's the right person to help him dig through his family's past. Anger and danger continue to mount, though, and both realize they're in a race against time to discover the truth-about Peter's past and about the undeniable attraction kindling between them. Learn more and purchase a copy. My Review: This is the first time I have read a book in this genre. I have always been interested in World War 1 so this was the perfect novel for me. This novel is set in England in 1914. The war is approaching and the country is in turmoil. The setting is perfectly weaved and blended with history.  The book follows two main characters Petter and Rosemary, who is absolutely adorable and enjoyable. The character of Peter is an aristocrat, who has a good relationship with the King. The main problem we follow with him is the fact that his name is Holstein, in a hostile world this causes quite a bit of trouble for him. Due to his German name, many people want him dead. The other main character Rosemary is one of thirteen orphans who have come together to form a family. These members of the family have special skills that make them survive the streets of London. Rosemary is a thief, one that is good and successful which has made her quite valuable.  In the end, Peter hires her to organize the library of his family, in order to find critical documents he needs. It is quickly realized that the library is really unorganized and has been neglected. This is was an interesting part of the story for me because I didn't realize that German residents who could not prove their citizenship could be sent to an internment camp. Which is why he was trying to prove his citizenship or loyalty to England.  I enjoyed the writing style and the wonderful blend of characters that the author created. They were dynamic and well rounded. Some of the most interesting ones were the characters that had clashes with our main characters.  Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for my honest and completely unbiased review from Litfuse Group and Bethany House.  About the author: Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of over a dozen historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her British series. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to make their way into her novels . . . to offset her real life, which is blessedly boring. She passes said boring life with her husband and kids in the beautiful mountains of eastern West Virginia. Find out more about Roseanna M. at http://www.roseannamwhite.com.     Check out the contest, by clicking the image below:

Book Review: Sapphira and the Slave Girl

Title: Sapphira and the Slave Girl

Author:  Willa Cather

Page Count: 320 pages

Where I received: Purchased from my college library

Actual Rating:  4 out of 5

This book was written in 1940, and things have changed quite a bit since then. This is a tough read given the current events unfolding in 2017. I don't agree with how the author uses racism in this book. I winced at the racist protagonist and somehow hoped there would be a change or moral to the story which seemed to never come to fruition. While I enjoyed the story, there were stereotypes that were hard to ignore. This is not one of her best works in my opinion, but in the context of when it was written, this is not too bad of a read.  

This is a book which takes place in the pre-Civil War South. The main character is a woman named Sapphira, she is the wife of a small town miller. She is a troubled but well-rounded character. She is disabled and suffers from dropsy, which is an older term for edema, which is when fluid builds up in your legs and feet. She is cared for by a slave girl. Sapphira brought about twenty slaves with her to the marriage. Which I found to be an interesting fact. She is jealous of her maid named Till, the daughter is an attractive, mixed young woman. This daughter is named Nancy, her job is to care for the millers, bedroom and occasional office. Due to Sapphira's life confined to a wheelchair, she has every opportunity for easy dropping and casual gossiping. When she overhears a conversation linking her husband's name with Nancy, Her world begins to spin out of control at her own doing.  More trouble happens when the nephew of Sapphira decides to pursue a relationship with sweet Nancy. 

It is important to remember this was one of Willa Cather's last novels. This story is a fictionalized version of a story Willa Cather was told as a young girl. Because she uses such dated and derogatory language,  I think modern readers are turned off. I believe Cather had a purpose in exploring the book's theme of racism, she was trying to create an outline as to who the southern slave owner thought. How did their beliefs shape who their slaves were treated? How did the way treated affect their self-esteem? How did people think in such ways? I honestly believe Willa Cather was trying to create a dialog pertaining to racism. 

A sweet story, filled with real deep issues. A good read for anyone. 

Links to purchase: Amazon //

Goodreads Description: 


Originally published in 1940, this is Cather's last novel, a retrospective portrait of a society and conditions that have vanished forever in the Old South.

 The stain of slavery is seen through the relationship of Sapphira Colbert to her black maid, Nancy. Sapphira presides over her Back Creek Valley property with disciplined resolution; her husband, Henry, runs the Mill and sleeps there too, their marriage a formality.

 By 1865 Sapphira is one of the few Virginians who still owns slaves, a policy Henry finds increasingly difficult to countenance. Sapphira's life is an arid one and, confined to a wheelchair, she has ample opportunity for speculation. When she overhears a conversation linking her husband's name with Nancy, that speculation festers and the horrific potential of Sapphira's power is unleashed . . .

Classics Review: Anthony and Cleopatra

Hey Guys, I have decided to come out with a brand new series that I think you all will enjoy. This is a year-long series, for now, I might extend it at some point, who really knows. I am itching to read more classic literature. You can follow the series here.

Presenting the classic play of Anthony and Cleopatra, by Willam Shakespeare. Please note I am not at all claiming to an expert or even worthy of critiquing him, I am simply going to share my view on this very interesting and fascinating play. I feel that this is one that is often overlooked, and very rarely read.

A little bit of a description of the tragedy, as explained by Goodreads, Anthony and Cleopatra is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Life of Marcus Antonius and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Parthian War to Cleopatra's suicide. The major antagonist is Octavius Caesar, one of Antony's fellow triumviri and the future first emperor of Rome. The tragedy is a Roman play characterized by swift, panoramic shifts in geographical locations and in registers, alternating between sensual, imaginative Alexandria and the more pragmatic, austere Rome.

Many consider the role of Cleopatra in this play one of the most complex female roles in Shakespeare's work.[1] She is frequently vain and histrionic, provoking an audience almost to scorn; at the same time, Shakespeare's efforts invest both her and Antony with tragic grandeur. These contradictory features have led to famously divided critical responses 

And onto my humble thoughts about this wonderful tragedy, that is such a masterpiece. 

Wow, this one was so good I don't even know where to begin. It is such a mysterious play, on that will spark your interest and fuel your imagination. A play that is full of drama, foolishness, pettiness, and desire. A story that is weaved so beautifully it has withstood the test of time.

The protagonists in this story are quite hard to describe. They are both noble, narcotic, and entirely self rightous. They are never really short of petty or foolish in their actions and their webs of deceit. It is hard for me to determine if Anthony and Cleopatra are my favorite characters that Shakespeare develops, but they are easily in the top five.  I also believe that one of the reasons we find Cleopatra so fascinating is that Shakespeare creates this deep complexity to her. In his work, she is vain and self-centered. She is scorn, but also tragic and grandeur. It's almost as Shakespeare wanted his audience to be torn about her, due to her contradictory behaviors.

They play itself is a masterpiece and entirely complex. There is a tone that is consistently maintained throughout the play. Set in a complete ironic and heroic tone, it's almost paradoxical in thinking. The language involved is breathe taking, and it shifts naturally and almost seamlessly from something that is imagery to full monologues, that at points are adorned with beautiful humor. I am beginning to believe Shakespeare created the art of sounding casual all the while talking about a topic that is very complex. I also believe what is most interesting about the language is that this play is one of his most modern, and also witty. There is a ton of humor that is so ingrained and effortless.

The issues of lovers is such a central theme of this tragic play. I find that part of this is due to the larger than life characters, and semi-obnoxious storyline. There is such trial and tribulation between their love, you almost think, it can never work. There is so much privilege to these characters. For me they were my favorite part of the play.

Honestly, for me, Shakespeare has done it again. Just such a wonderful piece of literature. Overall I believe this is something everyone must read once. Even if you think you will hate Shakespeare or have no hope of understanding, I urge you to give it a chance, it might just surprise you. 

Links for purchase: Amazon // Barnes and Noble // Book Depository // Abe Books // Thrift Books // Better World Books 

Classics Review: A Midsummer Night's Dream (long post)

Hey Guys, I have decided to come out with a brand new series that I think you all will enjoy. This is a year-long series, for now, I might extend it at some point, who really knows. I am itching to read more classic literature. You can follow the series here.

Presenting the classic play of A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Willam Shakespeare. Please note I am not at all claiming to an expert or even worthy of critiquing him, I am simply going to share my view on this very interesting and fascinating play. Random fact about me this is my favorite Shakespeare play.

A little bit of a description of the play, as explained by Goodreads, Shakespeare's intertwined love polygons begin to get complicated from the start--Demetrius and Lysander both want Hermia but she only has eyes for Lysander. Bad news is, Hermia's father wants Demetrius for a son-in-law. On the outside is Helena, whose unreturned love burns hot for Demetrius. Hermia and Lysander plan to flee from the city under cover of darkness but are pursued by an enraged Demetrius (who is himself pursued by an enraptured Helena).

 In the forest, unbeknownst to the mortals, Oberon and Titania (King and Queen of the faeries) are having a spat over a servant boy. The plot twists up when Oberon's head mischief-maker, Puck, runs loose with a flower which causes people to fall in love with the first thing they see upon waking. Throw in a group of labourers preparing a play for the Duke's wedding (one of whom is given a donkey's head and Titania for a lover by Puck) and the complications become fantastically funny.

And now moving on to my personal thoughts on this play, 

My first thought after finishing this play, was aww that was really cute. I know super academic and groundbreaking stuff. I read this play in four days,  thanks to a grueling advanced Shakespeare class. Then I decided to really analyze what I thought of it. This play is often considered a soft, kind of lightweight play due to the magical storyline and the length but if your really look at the bones of it, it really is a polished achievement. It is such a great piece of poetic drama, laced with the right amount of whimsy to keep it interesting. There is so much humanity in this piece. 

I find it interesting that it has quickly become one of Shakespeares most popular comedy plays. I believe the magic is what gives it that interesting appeal. The undertones of magical worlds and tongue in check comedic social satire. I believe that most of the worlds that Shakespeare creates are magnificent but there is just something about the deliberate comedy that just makes this comedy so appealing. 

This play is an Archetypal, where violence, sexuality, charm, and magical innocence combined to create something that just feels right. It is a masterpiece, that is diverse and complex. The speeches, the characters and combined in a way that is truly incredible. The amount of imagination and poetry taking place is almost mind boggling. The power of complex issues and reasoning create a moral lesson that is far from dogmatic. It truly is something that has a strong message. 

The central theme that is explored is love, and it is explored across five different couples, well six if once would choice to include Pyramus and Thisby, who are all representing the different powers and wonders of this alluring topic. We see moments when love is just blossoming, we follow a journey of lovers finding their way, there is the sweet forbidden love moments, as well as the trials and tribulations that all too often get in the way.  

I found that there was such an in-depth look at the topic of the trial and tribulation involved in love. This play showed us the difficulties that encompass true love. Issues such as family, restrictions by custom, faith, and maybe even propriety. The issue of unreason and blind love, the issue of love between different classes, or maybe even species if we want to acknowledge that one lover was once a donkey. Then the pressure does love prevail or does love just become a fantasy. Something that can't be attained. Due to this, we see a major conflict between love and reason. 

Overall I believe this is something everyone must read once. Even if you think you will hate Shakespeare or have no hope of understanding, I urge you to give it a chance, it might just surprise you. 

Links for purchase: Amazon // Book Outlet // Barnes and Noble // Book Depository // Abe Books // Thrift Books // Better World Books