The story is told by the mother of sweet Livvy. I am aware that for Sarah it wasn't easy to go through all the events again, but for me it was so sad getting to know the story of Livvy and the struggle and pain she and her family had been through. I felt tears in my eyes through a big part of the book, but there were parts that made me smile too. The author has done an amazing job, not only writing about it but also playing an important role in creating awareness about Rett syndrome and help raise funds for a cure to be found and used in order to save precious lives. It is heartbreaking knowing that these little girls are suffering so much in their too short lives and they aren't offered the opportunity to experience life with everything beautiful it has to offer, or at least being able to walk, talk and breath normally. While the book was written and published for an admirable cause, I do believe that many families should consider reading it as they could relate to the story and find strength and comfort in whatever terrible disability they are fighting with. Believe it or not, there is also some humor in it and when you get to that point you will see things differently. I warmly suggest you give it a try, to enhance your knowledge, to help for a cause or simply to hear someone else’s honest and heartbreaking story.

Reader type: While the book was written and published for an admirable cause, I do believe that many families should consider reading it as they could relate to the story and find strength and comfort in whatever terrible disability they are fighting with.

My favorite quotes from this book:

“People kept telling me that I had spoilt her and it was all my fault. I knew that wasn’t the reason and this was something much worse. I knew it was not a behaviour thing, I just didn’t know what it was.”

“I didn’t know why she was screaming constantly. I felt that I was having to make up explanations all the time and I was apologising constantly for her behaviour when I knew it wasn’t just behaviour. I didn’t really have a clue what it was.”

“When talking about days out and activities we had a rule that we would never said “We can’t do that,” because of Livvy. Instead we would always say “How shall we?””

“A person should not be defined by their disability. We never look at the limits but look to the possibilities.”

My rating: 5/5.

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Layla and Adrienne, two young beautiful women with a tough past spend a month together prior Christmas. While Layla is in town for the holiday visiting her Nana, Adrienne found its home their for the past years under Nana’s wing. Even though they weren't related, Nana became pretty soon her own family. Spending time with Layla was something that at first was expected from her, as to entertain the granddaughter of Nana Harvey. It is a sweet story that doesn't start with an immediate sympathy for each other, on the contrary, they both find annoying things to one another. But it looks that Nana Harvey is quite the matchmaker. It is not just Christmas that does the magic, it is only the fact that they are right for each other, but until feelings are spoken they both think the feelings are only one-sided. It surely does have a happy ending but be prepared to shed a tear or two now and then.

Reader type: If you like lesbian romance, the cheesy sweet type and love Christmas, this novella it is especially for you. If you realized that you read it in one sitting, it won’t surprise me. I can recommend it to YA readers too.

My favorite quotes from this book:
“It always amazes me how naive kids could be. But I guess that was the beauty of childhood. You could believe in everything because the world hadn't proven otherwise yet. If only life could stay that way. My life would be a whole lot easier if I could just believe in things like a child would.”

“If you keep an open mind, I bet you’ll find something that is even better than you ever dreamed. It could be in front of you the whole time and if you don’t give it a chance, you could miss out on something spectacular.”

My rating: 4/5.

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What would you do when your family pressures you into having a child using as a reason something that you hardly believe in? You have your doubts but you will think your parents got a bit crazy and even if you love them, you simply can’t believe that they are telling the truth. But then you start to believe and you also realize that you wish to have a child more than anything in the world. Wanting a child is one thing, but conceiving one in a gay relationship seems a bit complicated. Well, nothing would be impossible if you would be able to get pregnant. Despite the seriousness of the topic, the novel is full of humor also. As the main character comes from an Indian family and the big secret is related to India, the book gives you some insights in this area too. It is mysterious, sweet, funny and entertaining at the same time. The words are flowing nicely and you get caught up in the story before you even realize.

Reader type: If you like romance, with or without lesbian characters and with a bit of mystery, this is the book for you. Give it a try if you didn't already, I am sure you will love it.

My favorite quotes from this book:
“Sometimes the answers are right in front of our face, but we just don’t listen.”

“It’s not just ‘old stuff’,” her grandmother said adamantly. “It is proof that you are related to our Great Teacher and are the last in line. Do not take this lightly. It is not just a matter of faith. It is your responsibility and the greatest of all honors.”
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“Sometimes we’re so close to a situation or problem that we can’t see the solution, even when it’s as close as our own womb?”

My rating: 5/5.

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There is no need to use our logic when reading a paranormal story. And this definitely applies to this book. Once I managed to give up on using my down-to-earth logic I found myself enjoying discovering what was going on. How would you feel to discover all of the sudden that you are a succubus (a creature of female form who has sexual intercourse with us in our dreams and fantasies) and you dream about being hunted by a vampire and at the same time searching and feeling safe in your dreams only because of the man that made you fall for him from the first time you laid eyes on him? The story of Emily and Matthew is by far a different kind of love story on a different level, not known to us ordinary humans. I enjoyed seeing a new modern approach to the vampire world, some of them with more respect towards human lives and consuming special medication created for them. This medications are keeping them from hunting humans for their blood. It was thrilling to read about different ways how some of the characters in the book became vampires, werewolves or succubi. I did, however, lack something in feeling the big love between Emily and Mathew. The words were spoken, the gestures were there, but I couldn't just feel this strong connection between them. I did enjoy though every other aspect of the story and I must admit that the author surely has a rich imagination and good writing skills in displaying a great show in front of reader’s eyes.

Reader type: Any fan of paranormal, occult, vampires and other supernatural powers that love to read a well-written story that will not disappoint you but  will make you wanna read more.

My favorite quotes from this book:
“I saw something that I could never forget. He was both old and young at the same time, with two faces inhabiting the same body.”

“The unwelcome beeping of my alarm broke through the dream, and I sat up, catching my breath. He was real. I had felt him, as if he was there right in front of me, once more. I had seen him change with my own eyes, and I knew I had to find him again.”

““Who are you?” I asked him. He told me his name was Mathew. This is how we first came to know each other. I didn’t fully understand what had happened that day in the street, but it had brought me to him. I wanted to stay like that forever, in the dream with him.”

My rating: 4/5.

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Everything happens to, around and only because of Poppy. She seems to have it all: beauty, character, good manners, intelligence, love, success...but as there is no such thing as perfection, life was often cruel to her. Even though she never lost her smile and her good heart, she did at moments lost her hope. The hope to have again something that she once lost. Page after page, with a gradually increased intensity, the story of Poppy becomes addictive and you simply can’t put the book off, curious and surprised to see what’s happening next. It is definitely a plot that proves that everything does happen for a reason and the author worked it brilliantly. Wonderfully written, smartly deployed, a novel I surely recommend. This is the author’s debut novel and it simply makes you wanna read the sequel and find what more had happened in The Hamptons.

Reader type: If you like romance, chick lit or a lover of women’s fiction with twists and turns, look no further. The book is so wonderfully written, perfectly crafted and you will not even realize what is going on around you as you are breathing with the story and its characters. A true page-turner.

My favorite quotes from this book:
“Then, suddenly, Poppy recalled her thoughts from earlier in the day, making her gasp. Hadn’t she’d wished for an urgent drama to appear, enabling her to escape tonight’s dinner? Completely horrified at having harboured such thoughts – which had now become reality – her hand flew to her mouth in an effort to stifle the sob that was currently rising in her throat. Of course, she knew it wasn’t her fault really, but that didn’t stop the small feeling of guilt from blossoming deep in her gut.”

“She was quite taken aback; no one had ever been this forthright with her before. Ever. And anyway, what did he mean she intrigued him? Irked, she turned to look at him, her eyes flashing dark with anger.”

“His gaze fell to her dark hair, cascading gently around her face and shoulders. She was so beautiful; all he really wanted to do was to envelope her in his arms.”

My rating: 5/5.

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Knowing this novel is lesbian fiction, my first thought was that the name OUT means that one of the characters will come OUT (I admit I didn’t read the blurb at that moment:-)) and, while reading it, soon I realized that OUT it’s also the name of a gay bar, cool wordplay. I liked that this coming out was for a movie star, which makes it harder in a different way than for not-famous people. Gorgeous movie star Shelly Hamilton falls in love with blue-eyed blonde Cam, the owner of the gay bar. While for Cam this means finding love again after a harsh breakup, for Shelly this means finally following her sexual orientation. The story is sweet, nothing very new as a concept, but still lovely and some twists and quite steamy at times. It features a fair amount of betrayal and angst but the happy ending will do. I liked the writing style of the author and hats off for this being her debut novel.

Reader type: If you like lesbian fiction and you're looking for some sweet romance with steamy scenes, look no further! Or better say, if you like romance, curl up and enjoy reading it. A real page-turner.
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My favorite quotes from this book:
“...and it burned her to the core to see it so up close and personal. Watching as someone else leant in and kissed her, those same soft lips that until two weeks ago had been solely hers to kiss.”

“Even under these circumstances, with her heart hurting the way that it was, Cam still saw the beauty of it all.”

My rating: 4/5.

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I found this a good, decent thriller. Unfortunately, the ending just didn't do it for me, it fell a little short and that diminished the pleasure I had reading it. The author does a wonderful job converging the destinies of Rachel, Megan, and Anna telling the story through their voices. The main character, Rachel, is a divorced alcoholic who wastes her time daydreaming about the lives of strangers while in denial of what a mess her own life has become. I admit that Rachel’s drinking problem was bothering at moments, even though this was understandable. Because she is often drunk, nothing she says or recalls is trustworthy. Who would have thought that so much can take place by starting of observing the houses Rachel sees while traveling by train?

Reader type: Thriller/mystery/suspense, not pretentious fans, prepared for a quick and easy read, but certainly above 18 as there are some gruesome violence and heavy drinking.

My favorite quote from this book: “I’m playing at real life instead of actually living it.”
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My rating: 3/5.
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This is a motivational self-help book, but the first one I read for anyone creative. As with any self-help books, some advice is given directly, some are written between the lines. As with any other book, the way I've got it doesn't have to be the same with yours. And that is perfectly fine. It is called Big Magic and it really can be if you are in the mood in seeing things as simple as they can be. Presented in a very realistic way, I believe this describes perfectly what creative life means and how we should or not be afraid, quit or continue, have passion or just curiosity, but what I think it’s the most important of all: Do what we love without any expectations. This will keep us safe and we will be able to continue creating. Every artist is unique. Every form of art is magnificent. If you found yours and you enjoy it do it with perseverance, fearless and discipline. Sometimes luck plays a big role. The moment you let your work out of your hands don’t hold it to your heart too much if some people won’t like it, don't bother if financially it will not bring what you would expect. A real artist should know how to go above all that. I know it is hard, but it can be possible. Enjoy your creativity and have no expectations.

Reader type: Anyone that deals or plan to actively practice any form of creativity. Especially if you are a writer or plan to become one, this book will definitely be helpful. Being an author myself, a big part of this book felt as it was written for me :-)

My favorite quotes from this book:
“You can measure your worth by your dedication to your path, not by your successes or failures.”

“But to yell at your creativity, saying, “You must earn money for me!” is sort of like yelling at a cat; it has no idea what you’re talking about, and all you’re doing is scaring it away, because you’re making really loud noises and your face looks weird when you do that.”

“Nobody needs debt less than an artist. So try not to fall into that trap. And if you have already fallen into that trap, try to claw your way out of it by any means necessary, as soon as you can. Free yourself so that you can live and create more freely, as you were designed by nature to do.”

My rating: 4/5.
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I believe there aren't many romance readers that haven't heard or read this book. Well, there are some, as me, that read it more than once. Many of us saw the movie too, but here I will be talking about the book.
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Besides the fact that I can read pretty much any genre, romance is one of my favorite.
The love story of Noah and Allie really touches your heart. It is a lot going on with emotions and beautiful words that make you stop and savor each and one of them. It made me happy when Allie returned to Noah, it made me sad not knowing what will her decision be. Noah was the character that I liked the most. It feels surreal that his love for Allie survived so many years only to grow bigger when he saw her again. His character grew in my eyes with his effort on carrying on, writing and reading her the story of her/their lives in order to help her remember, remember the miracle of their love and dedication to each other….something that the doctors didn't believe it was possible. But, love is stronger than science!

Reader type: If you love romance and pure feelings and believe in one and only love that lasts for as long as you live and the passion never fades away, this is the book for you. Overall it is a heartbreaking story, beautifully written, a bit too corny at times, but still worth the reading.

One of my favorite quotes from this book: "We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that's why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it."

My rating: 4/5.
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