Reviewed by Lauren Carr

Kari Bovee amazes me. I have tremendous respect for any author who can take a compelling challenging mystery and wrap it in an intriguing period of history. Writing a mystery novel is hard enough. Add to that the research to convincingly bring the characters, places, and time to life takes a special talent and Kari Bovee has it.

Set in Hollywood in 1924, Kari’s second installment in the Grace Michelle mysteries has Grace and her husband Chet owning a ranch in Burbank. Grace is a costume designer for movies while Chet, a retired private investigator, rehabilitates horses on their ranch. They have employees in their home to help with numerous children who Grace and Chet foster.

The trouble starts when a movie producer who Grace works for requests that they host his party at their ranch. Of course, she can’t exactly say no. This party seems to draw in all the stars in Hollywood, but Grace doesn’t have time to mingle. She’s too busy keeping an eye on the partiers and the children. She is particularly concerned about the well-being of Lizzy, a teenaged girl who has caught the attention of both the producer and a movie star.

Grace’s concern is with good reason. After losing sight of Lizzy, Grace finds her unconscious in the barn next to the producer, who’s been murdered.

Now the mystery begins!

Everyone is questioned. Lizzy is taken into custody. Another murder is discovered. AS if that’s not bad enough, another of their children is arrested. Chet comes out of retirement to investigate the case and Grace searches for clues to clear her children’s names.

FIVE STARS! Lovers of both history and mystery will certainly love Kari Bovee’s new release. GRACE IN HOLLYWOOD is an excellent mystery that grabs the reader by the throat and won’t let go until they have made it through the last twist and final turn. Be warned, there is a lot going on in this book, but each ingredient adds meat and depth to the plot. The equal mixture of mystery and history pulls the reader into another world that will both fascinate and intrigue them.

​​

Amazon

Add to Goodreads

​When she’s not on a horse, or walking along the beautiful cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovee is escaping into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real and imagined, and helping them to find order in the chaos of her action-packed novels.

An award-winning author, Bovée was honored with the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards Hillerman Award for Southwestern Fiction for her novel Girl with a Gun. The novel also received First Place in the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards in the Mystery/Crime category, and won First in Category in the International Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards. It was also a finalist in the 2019 Next Generation Indie Awards. Her novel Grace in the Wings won First in Category for the 2019 International Chanticleer Chatelaine Awards. Peccadillo at the Palace won Grand Prize in the 2019 Goethe Awards, and was a finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards Historical Fiction category.

Bovée has worked as a technical writer for a Fortune 500 Company, has written non-fiction for magazines and newsletters, and has worked in the education field as a teacher and educational consultant.
​​

Ends July 26, 2021

​​
​Carl Buccellato was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1942, and is of Italian-American descent. Throughout his career and travels, Carl has met a broad array of different people. Some, down on their luck, some at the pinnacle of their careers and personal lives. Many of the people and their stories left a mark on Carl's heart and mind. It is from some of these encounters that Carl has drawn inspiration for a few of the fictitious characters in this novel. Today, Carl resides in Coral Springs, Florida, with his wife Mary Ellen. She is an award-winning multimedia artist and speaker. Together, Carl and Mary Ellen love traveling the globe and looking for new inspiration for their gifts and talents given to them by their loving God.
​​

Ends July 26, 2021

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

It Happened in Tuscany was a very pleasant read with short chapters that moves the story along quickly. I loved the premise of an American soldier going back to Italy after a lifetime to search for a lost love and answers. Will and Sophie are neighbors, but they are often at odds with each other because Will is grumpy and gripes at Sophie. Both have lost family and are lonely. Will convinces Sophie to embark on a journey with him to Italy. Sophie is reluctant because Will is over ninety, but Will is determined and soon they are off to Tuscany.

The story starts in 1945 with Will fighting the Germans in the Italian Alps. Just when it was getting very interesting, it switches to the present day and unfortunately does not go back to that time. Both Will and Sophie have hidden emotional burdens they carry, which come to light once they are in Italy. This was a really good story, however, I feel that it could have been longer, with more backstory scenes of both Sophie and Will's past, which I found were glossed over in exchange for more lighthearted cooking and touring scenes. I was hoping to discover more about Will's relationship with his first love Francesca, but we know very little of her. Also, I'm not a fan of insta-love so I thought the romance between Sophie and Niccolo was a little too quick.

Apart from this, the story flowed well and I enjoyed the setting and the Tuscany history. Will was my favorite character and grew on me as the story progressed. I wanted to get to know him better as a soldier in Italy. 

If you like quick reads set in Italy with romance and adventure, this one is a fun read.

Gail Mencini is the acclaimed author of It Happened in Tuscany and To Tuscany with Love, both of which are Denver Post #1 bestsellers and award winners. Gail grew up in DeWitt, Nebraska, graduated from Wartburg College with a BA in Accounting and Economics, and earned a master of taxation degree from the University of Denver. A frequent visitor to Tuscany and a homegrown gourmet cook, Gail has toured Italy by car, train, bus, Vespa, and foot. She lives in Colorado with her husband.

Ends April 9, 2021

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

War at the Ice Cream Store is a super fun book with a great message. I read the interactive multimedia version, which included videos of Frank TL Frogg and friends narrating the story with every turn of the page. At the end of the book, there is a song sang in a Southern tune summarizing the story. The song is quite catchy and is sure to be a hit with kids. I found myself singing along!

The story is about the ice cream flavor vanilla (Bully Vanilli) who bullies the flavor pistachio (Mustachio Pistachio) because he is the least favorite. But Bully learns a valuable lesson when the other flavors, toppings, and ice cream tools show Bully Vanilli that he thinks too highly of himself. Without them, he is quite plain.

Parents reading this book with their young ones will enjoy the many witty puns used throughout the narrative. I chuckled a few times. What a fun book! The authors' talents are quite evident in this colorful book full of imagination and community feeling. The Frozen Frog ice cream store is filled with interesting characters that rallied together to bring about change.

I know my kids (now grown) would have loved this book because of the puppet characters that come alive on video to tell them the story. I think interactive books are a good way to get an immersive experience for children, especially those who are reluctant readers or who like songs related to a book they read.

Cheryl is an award-winning songwriter, children's song recording artist (as the cartoon character CADi Grace), and the co-creator of the puppet musical and comedy show, The Waterhole Bunch. After the success of The Waterhole Bunch, Cheryl along with co-creator Dave Gibson, spun off the main character, Frank TL (The Lucky) Frogg, into a children’s entertainment concept, Frank TL Frogg and Friends, featuring the puppets in a magical town called Lucky Fork, Tennessee. Frank TL Frogg and Friends includes books, songs, videos, games, and more for younger audiences. War at the Ice Cream Store is the first of the Frank TL Frogg and Friends children’s book series.

Dave is an award-winning Nashville-based songwriter, having written hundreds of hit songs for artists including Alabama, Montgomery Gentry and Marie Osmond. Dave’s own group, The Gibson/Miller Band, won the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Award for a best new group in the early nineties. He is the co-creator of the puppet musical and comedy show, The Waterhole Bunch. After the success of The Waterhole Bunch, Dave, along with co-creator Cheryl DaVeiga, spun off the main character, Frank TL (The Lucky) Frogg, into a children’s entertainment concept, Frank TL Frogg and Friends, featuring the puppets in a magical town called Lucky Fork, Tennessee. Frank TL Frogg and Friends includes books, songs, videos, games, and more for younger audiences. War at the Ice Cream Store is the first of the Frank TL Frogg and Friends children’s book series.

Ends April 2, 2021

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Marvellous Macey is about a little girl, who despite difficulties, has a zest for life that she loves to share with others. She loves to sing, laugh and play, and interact with people and animals. But school is hard for Macey and makes her brain very tired. Despite certain disabilities, Macey makes every day her best day ever. She is a delightful girl and her enthusiasm comes across beautifully in this book.

Macey is also inspirational, even more so because this book is based on the author's own daughter, who as a toddler, fought leukemia cancer, and a bacterial infection that turned septic. I learned this from reading Macey's journey on the author's website. She truly is a miracle child. Although the book's narration says that when Macey was younger she had some mountains to climb and battles to fight, it does not give any details as to what these battles were. I think that the book would be more relatable to children suffering from serious illnesses had it given some indication as to what these battles had been.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Csongor Veres. With whimsical illustrations, he captures the essence of Macey, her spunk for life, and her delightful days. In addition, from the beginning, the reader is encouraged to search for a weasel that shows up throughout the pages 16 times. I loved this because I know my kids used to love books that included some searching in the pages.

Marvellous Macey is a beautiful book with a positive message for everyone, children and adults alike. She inspired me! As a person and as a parent. Her zest for life is contagious and her exuberance for life, despite all that she went through, is inspirational. A delightful book that is timely and can help children to focus on others as they overcome their own difficulties.

Caitlin Bangsund is the author of Marvellous Macey, The Delightful Days. It is the first in a series based on true life. Caitlin knows the trial and trauma of childhood cancer, childhood disability, and the fear of almost losing her daughter — the star of the series — Macey. She encourages readers to look for the treasures that hide in the rubble and gloom. Life is beautiful chaos and her message is to press on and conquer. Read her stories and help create a world that is full of kindness and acceptance.

Ends April 2, 2021

I am a wife, mother of two kids, a lover of comic books, and a home cook. I believe in making mealtime an enjoyable experience through joint cooking and kid-friendly meals. I also believe kids that help with the cooking process are more likely to eat their meals, which leads to a happy, peaceful dining experience. Be a Superhero in the Kitchen is my first children’s cookbook, but I strive to publish more.