Maggie the Cat Loves Pip’s Thanksgiving Surprise

by

Julia Russo

Illustrated by Grace Metzger-Forrest

A heartwarming, nostalgic, and cozy Thanksgiving tale for children.

Maggie the Cat Loves Pip’s Thanksgiving Surprise is a warm and cozy children’s chapter book and the second in author Julia Russo’s series featuring Maggie the Cat. This latest tale is centered around Thanksgiving and the wonderful memories Maggie’s owner, Wilhelmina Olive Blessing, is making at her grandfather’s apple farm during the week leading up to the holiday. While her days are made special with fun fall activities that she’s not previously experienced, such as flying a kite, it is the simple moments spent with her loving grandpa that will linger with her for the rest of her life. Readers will easily relate to her story with similar times in their own lives. 

However, this visit to this grandpa has some twists! Grandpa has a tiny pet goat named Pip who lives with him in the farmhouse, and next door, on an adjoining piece of property, a new park is being built for the county’s children. The former owner, Farmer Ted, has put small goats there to eat the unwanted vegetation that needs to be cleared before opening the park to visitors. The smallest of the goats, Barney, has taken a shine to Pip and Grandpa’s home and keeps finding his way to the farmhouse’s back door. The situation leads to the surprise in the book’s title. 

The narrative is good for children who are ready for chapter books, and the more unusual or advanced words in the text are explained as they appear in the story. The author includes a helpful vocabulary list compiling these words at the end of the book. 

I recommend MAGGIE THE CAT LOVES PIP’S THANKSGIVING SURPRISE to elementary school readers of chapter books, especially those who enjoy stories featuring animals. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

Santa Claws

A Christmas Tail for Cats

by

Denise Alicia

Illustrated by Sadiqa Akhter

This adorable Christmas story is about Apollo, the cat who becomes Santa Claws.

Santa Claws: A Christmas Tail for Cats by Denise Alicia is a cute and cozy story for the little ones besides the cats. With an adorable cat main character, a lovely tale arising from his wish for all his fellow cats who have not yet found their forever home, and vivid, realistic illustrations by Sadiqa Akhter, this book would be a perfect one to share in the days leading up to the big night. 

Apollo, a former stray, has found his forever home, a loving family, and all the amenities his little kitty heart could desire. But when Santa Claus comes down the chimney on Apollo’s first Christmas at home, he’s amazed by what Santa will accomplish that night. His only wish is that all the cats still living on the streets could have their own home. However, Santa Claus has a plan. 

The story is heartwarming, and there’s a lesson there for children and adults to explore. Apollo immediately thinks of others who need a “Santa” in their lives. The illustrations of Apollo with his large, yellow-green eyes will melt your heart, and each setting is perfectly depicted, whether it’s inside his warm and cozy home, a cold, dirty alleyway, or a snow-laden street scene. I think children will enjoy looking at the pictures alone or while the story is read aloud. There is a lot of detail to notice in the backgrounds of each beautiful picture. This is a book that will require more than one reading. 

I recommend SANTA CLAWS to children from young to old, especially those who like cats. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

The Spiderboys of Aranae

Volume I

by

Glenn Thomas

A story and writing so good I saw it as a movie in my head!

The Spiderboys of Aranae: Volume I by Glenn Thomas is a wonderful science fiction/western tale set in the Earth colony of Aranae, where spiders are the size of horses and are used in much the same manner. Sixteen-year-old Haley Morgan, the youngest daughter of Aranae billionaire and inventor Wes Morgan, is undergoing some growing pains. Having recently witnessed her mother’s murder during a holdup, she has one more argument in a string of arguments with her father and decides to show him the error of his ways by going after the man responsible for her mother’s death. 

Haley is everything her father claims she is: impatient, impulsive, reckless, and short-tempered, but also absolutely adorable. At that awkward point of adolescence, not a child but not yet an adult, Haley longs for the freedom she is sure her older siblings already enjoyed when they were her age. She’s determined to strike out on her own, support herself, and retrieve her mother’s wedding ring, stolen by her killer, to throw back in her father’s face as proof of her worth. 

She steals her favorite spider mount, Paladin, the subject of her and her father’s last big blow-up, and heads out across the treacherous and deadly desert plain of Aranae toward the outlaw Frank Nugent’s last known whereabouts. The girl is engaging and proves to be fairly adept at taking care of herself, not only eluding her father’s hired hands sent to bring her back home but staying one step ahead of the many villains she encounters along the way. 

I enjoyed that she met some of her goals and was disappointed when others didn’t work out as planned, which left room for future adventures. A tense standoff with a vicious example of one of Aranae’s native inhabitants had me on the edge of my seat. I fervently hope for a Volume II in the near future! 

I recommend THE SPIDERBOYS OF ARANAE: VOLUME I to readers of science fiction/space opera-style stories.

See this and more of my reviews HERE! At times, I host book and gift card GIVEAWAYS!

Murder and Matrimony in the Castello

by

Tessa Floreano

An atmospheric and immersive historical mystery with a touch of forbidden attraction set in the late 1890s in northern Italy.

Murder and Matrimony in the Castello by Tess Floreano is a new historical mystery set in the late 1890s in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. With an engaging main character and suspenseful domestic mystery wrapped in an immersive historical setting, I felt I was side-by-side with a new best friend as she prepared for her Yuletide wedding in a miasma of menace. 

When bride-to-be Renata Bombonetti witnesses a man plunge to a certain death from the top of a tower on the grounds of the castello, she is shocked to discover that no one else seems to know that this tragedy has even occurred. Puzzled by Placido’s failure to greet her and her family upon their arrival at his home, his absence vaguely explained away by his relatives as he was away handling a furniture delivery, her concern grows day by day with the arrival of cryptic notes, the disappearance of the best man and his pregnant wife, and still no bridegroom. Renata determines she must investigate. 

Renata is a likable, enthusiastic, young amateur sleuth and diehard fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. While her mother had ensured her training in the administration of an aristocratic household, her father, an early advocate of higher education for women, has nurtured her intellectual growth. Her investigation is hampered by conservative societal expectations for her gender and station in life, a hostile castello staff left too long to their own devices, and the appearance of an intriguing but aggravatingly temperamental local police inspector with whom Ranata shares some definite chemistry. Her best friend, Nataliz Nunzio, proves a true “die or ride” sidekick, if for no other reason than she effectively distracts Renata’s mother from figuring out what her daughter is up to. 

The plot is compelling, and it is not until the big reveal that the identity of those responsible for the accidents and murder becomes clear; the author really keeps you guessing. Still, I felt one suspect’s motive for mayhem was weakened by our lack of contact with them and the dearth of character development. While one is present and vocal about their grievances, the other is absent for most of the story, no history of animosity is given to support the motive, and they don’t take any action to further their intentions against their actual target other than issuing a threat for them to come out of hiding or else. However, it was an acceptable explanation and perhaps one that will prove to become more understandable as the series progresses. 

I recommend MURDER AND MATRIMONY IN THE CASTELLO to readers of cozy and traditional historical mysteries. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

Pralines and Creamed

Sweet Dreams Mystery, #2

by

Elizabeth Maria Naranjo

Nancy Drew meets Mystery, Inc!

Pralines and Creamed is the second book in author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s fun and cozy teen/young adult Sweet Dreams Mystery series featuring high school senior Genevieve Winterland, her best friend, Brandon Summers, and her canine sidekick, Butterscotch. When Brandon’s family-owned bookstore hosts a book signing on Halloween for well-known mystery/horror writer and serial womanizer Jack Kelley, there’s friction between his parents due to some unpleasant history with the man. But when he’s murdered in the signing line, Brandon’s father quickly becomes the police’s number one suspect. Genevieve is compelled to investigate and clear Mr. Summers’s name. 

Genevieve has her hands full, splitting her time between her senior year classes and working at her family’s ice cream shop; however, she is determined to solve the murder at the bookstore. When her mother arrives for an unannounced week-long visit, she’s caught off guard and soon realizes she’s doing everything she can to avoid spending time with her. Up until now, her long-distance relationship with her mother has seemed to work for both of them: occasional calls and short visits two or three times a year kept them in touch with each other. But her mother’s sudden desire for more upsets the balance they’ve established, and Genevieve finds herself backing away. Genevieve does some soul-searching to process her reaction, and young readers may be able to relate to their relationship with a distant parent. 

Genevieve and Brandon make a good team and are especially kind to his younger sister, Charlotte, even dressing up as Velma and Fred from her favorite cartoon show, Scooby-Doo. However, during this case, Genevieve often prefers to pursue her ideas alone, even misleading her friend about her plans to avoid being slowed down or having to wait for him to become available to join in. Consequently, she makes some mistakes and takes some obvious risks, meeting solo with potential suspects and people she already believes may be a murderer. In the end, the resolution makes sense, and there is an exciting confrontation where the author works, “And I would have gotten away with it too…” into the beaten villain’s dialogue. 

I recommend PRALINES AND CREAMED to readers of teen and young adult cozy mysteries. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author.