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: Assault and Buttercream (Lexy Baker, #16) by Leighann Dobbs

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Assault and Buttercream (Lexy Baker, #16) by Leighann Dobbs opens with Lexy Baker thrilled to have been selected to cater the annual Brooke Ridge Falls Dog Show. Unfortunately, her excitement is short-lived. When Lexy brings her dog Sprinkles to the Doggy Diva Pet Salon for grooming, she discovers one of the employees dead behind the counter. As if that weren’t enough, a robbery has occurred at Farradays Jewelers down the street, a dog has been kidnapped from the retirement center, and someone is even stealing K-cups from the senior center. Alongside her grandmother and their group of senior-citizen amateur sleuths, Lexy soon finds herself pulled in multiple directions as she attempts to untangle all these mysteries.

This installment of the Lexy Baker series was more engaging for me than some of the earlier books. Most of the characters were very likable, and while there isn’t a great deal of character development, that didn’t bother me. I was in the mood for a fun, easy read, and Assault and Buttercream delivered exactly that. It was also a quick and enjoyable read.

With so many mysteries unfolding at once, Dobbs does a great job of weaving them together and throwing in plenty of red herrings. I was able to figure out most of the culprits, but there was one mystery that kept me guessing, which I appreciated.

There have been times when this series hasn’t fully worked for me, but it has definitely grown on me. The last few books have been especially enjoyable, and the author’s writing continues to improve with each installment. I’m always willing to give a series a chance, and I’m glad I did here. Overall, I gave Assault and Buttercream (Lexy Baker, #16) by Leighann Dobbs four out of five stars. If you enjoy baking, dogs, and cozy mysteries, I recommend giving this series a try. 

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