Book Review: All the Ice Cream in the Land by Emmy Kastner

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All the Ice Cream in the Land  by Emmy Kastner  is about a princess, the kingdom she lives in, and her loyal subjects. Full of twists and turns, children will surely delight in this story about ice cream. When I saw the title and cover art of this kid's book, it made me instantly think of my childhood and how I would've loved a book like this one. A huge shout out and thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for approving my request to read this book. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The storyline is very easy to follow, making it especially suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers, particularly children between the ages of two and six. Its straightforward narrative and clear structure make it an excellent choice for read-aloud sessions at home, bedtime stories, or classroom story time. While there is limited character development, which is typical for a picture book format, the princess is still an intere...
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Book Review: Heartbreak Bay (Stillhouse Lake, #5) by Rachel Caine

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book review heartbreak bay rachel caine

In Heartbreak Bay (Stillhouse Lake, #5) by Rachel Caine, a car is found submerged in a pond with twin girls still strapped in their car seats and their mother nowhere to be found. Detective Kezia Claremont of Norton requests the help of private investigator Gwen Proctor, who has recently moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. As the threats mount against both women, they know they have to fight to the end to save their families.

I absolutely loved this most recent installment in the Stillhouse Lake book series, and it makes me extremely sad that this is the last book since the author passed away from cancer late last year. With that being said, I wonder if she had help with writing Heartbreak Bay because there were a couple of times a sentence didn't quite sound like her writing style. However, even with those few lines, the writing still felt like Rachel Caine wrote it, so I guess it could have been the editing.

The character development with Laney, Connor, and Kezia was remarkable. Even Vee had some growth, which was nice to see. It's also gratifying to see a book series with several strong women characters, not just one. And, I love the fact that they're shown in a good light.

I tried to take my time reading the story instead of rushing through it like I did with the other books in the series. But it was so hard to do so because I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I kind of figured out who the bad guy was, but there was a twist with the identity that I didn't see coming, which is why I say I kind of figured out who it was. I won't say more as to not ruin it for everyone.

You can read this book as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the other books in the series first. I gave Heartbreak Bay (Stillhouse Lake, #5) by Rachel Caine five out of five stars.


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