Review from Rambles of a SAHM
343477
When you've been burned by someone you tend to stay away from that type of person. In Kelsey's case it is cowboys. She doesn't want anything at all to do with them. She's made a vow to herself that she will never ever fall for a cowboy. But then along comes Brent Corbin. He's everything she wants in a man, but he's a cowboy and that is a definite NO!

Brent is determined to wear Kelsey down. He's had hurts of his own, but just being in the presence of Kelsey is a salve to those old wounds. If he can just get her to let her guard down long enough to prove to her that he can be trusted.

Who doesn't love a little romance of the cowboy variety?!! An August Bride is so much deliciousness (pun intended) all wrapped up in this little novella. Just getting to read about Esther Mae, Norma Sue, and Adela also known as the notorious Matchmakin' Posse of Mule Hollow is a treat in and of itself. Everyone needs an aunt like Ester Mae . . . scheming but utterly lovable. Did I also mention that the story is set in Corpus Christi? So not only does it include handsome cowboys but a beach is involved. That's an absolute win-win in my book.

This was a great addition to the Year of Weddings series. If you like a little romance mixed with humor you're going to enjoy this one. It is a quick read so grab your glass of iced tea and find a comfy spot then just relax and enjoy!

I received a copy of this ebook to facilitate my review.
3502160
Review:  Yay contemporary! I was so excited when I received the email about this book. I intended to be a part of the blog tour, but things did not work out in time. Despite that, Running Press Kids was great enough to still send a print ARC for me to read and review. Let me state that this is my first EVER print ARC, and I may have squealed a bit (or a lot) when it came in the mail. So, thank you again, RP! I really, really appreciate it.

This book was so much more than I could have expected. I feel like it could have been far less detailed and exciting if Baker had simply wrote a book about a girl who went on a reality show to lose weight and get money for it. While that was a part of the plot, it certainly was not the whole thing at all. Instead, we have the character of Emery Jackson, who is one of the best female YA contemp characters I have read in awhile. She is an individual, spunky and sarcastic, and she is also a very real person with very real problems.

The whole set up for the book was incredible. You have the former athlete father who now does motivational things and travels all of the time, so he is rarely around. You have the mom who spends too much time focusing on her appearance, and the appearance of her daughters (getting your daughter a book job at age seventeen? WOW!). You have the older, perfect sister who seems to only care about herself and how she looks. Then you have Emery. The black sheep in the family, though we find out more and more about why this is throughout the book.

Ultimately, this book hit hard at a topic that is becoming a pretty big problem. I love how in the book, the f-word and f-bomb stand for something very different, and even more hurtful - FAT. Baker does not just focus on people being cruel because of weight, though. Based on vlogs that Emery does as part of the reality show, Baker writes parts of how awful we can be to each other about anything or everything. Someone is too skinny, too fat, too pretty, too ugly...too anything and suddenly that makes them worthy of ridicule. I love how Emery opens the readers eyes to this, and shows how it is definitely NOT okay.

This book was everything I want in a contemporary novel; a strong female character who is going through difficult, relate able things. A realistic romance that goes through its ups-and-downs. I absolutely loved Ben and how much he loved Emery, not caring at all how she looked, and always having complete faith in her ability to be successful. Teenage girls need to know that they don't have to settle, that there ARE good guys out there, ones who will love them for who they are without needing to change. We have family problems, and huge secrets. Ultimately, this was a book I did not want to put down. I read it in one sitting, and I laughed and cried, and felt and thought so many things as I read it. I would certainly recommend it to everything, and I do believe that it is a book that every teenage girl needs to read.
1885526
A friend introducted me to this blog a while back with the post about the "mutated version of the flu", and I feel in love (that one is actually in the book too!).  I now follow the blog daily and it never fails to crack me up.  I preordered the book and couldn't wait to get home and read it yesterday.  I devoured it in one night and laughed out loud at all the different stories.  As a mom of four (boys 8.5 & 7, girls 4.5 and almost 3) I could relate to it all.  What was nice is that so many of the stories bring back the memories of when we just had the two boys and went through these stages, and then they are fresh for my day to day life with my two girls.  It touches on how in the moment sometimes things suck, but when you look back at the memories, they bring laughter and happy thoughts.  This is especially true with the travel chapter!! I think that was my favorite.

Some of the stories are from the blog but most of it is new material.

The book is beautiful - the artwork really comes across well on the page.  Awesome job!!!
878314
I'm writing this review on the story I Win by Dylan Allen

Omg I loved it!! This is so spot on with the issues most of us working moms deal with! This is a light funny read. The first lines pulled me in and had me cracking up! I'm so happy that other moms feel my pain!!!! I love being a mom but sometimes I want to hit that escape button! #MomFail, what an amazing title, and such a fantastic book!
1553036
I had thought a lot about what parenting was going to mean for me and how I was going to go about it. I read a lot of different books covering all areas in great detail and discussedit with my partner. When my son arrived the experienced surpassed the greatest of expectations. Being the mother to a baby was just wonderful. BUT THEN one day, our baby was a boy who wanted to PLAY. He really showed that he needed me to get down on the floor and PLAY with him and his toys. I was totally unprepared for this. I could do it for a bit, but then after a while I was exasperated and he was restless. After some time of games like putting all the farm animals in the correct part of the plastic barn and pretend feeding them and putting them to sleep, it was just SO BORING and I couldn't think of what to do next. I felt terribly guilty about checking my watch throughout and then I felt like I was the most boring and unimaginative person ever. I felt there was obviously some wonderful world of fantasy and fun he was in which I as an adult had lost. For the first time I felt disconnected from him.  After a few pages of this book, I got down on the floor with my son and played with gusto. I loved it and I could tell that my son was enjoying it. He was only one year and a half at the time. His eyes lit up and at the end of one game that same afternoon he really just looked at me into my eyes with some new curiosity and he stopped repeatedly and intermittently to give me huge hugs in a way which he had never done before. They were not the regular cuddly hugs, but more like "this is new, we're having fun together aren't we?" hugs. We'd started a new way of being together.  The book affected not only the way we play together but it introduced for me a whole new way of being a parent which has made it even more rewarding for me. I felt that I had (as much as I could !) really got to grips with what I wanted to do in terms of the attachment parenting issues, "disciplining", communication, connecting and all the practical parts of parenting, but here was the fun and the drive to infuse ALL of those areas.  Each page is packed with intelligent thought-provoking ideas and sometimes very serious issues, all of which are embedded in such simple and funny anecdotes from his own practice that there is never a dry or "heavy" moment. There are suggestions HOW to play, how to enjoy it as a parent and how to make the most of it for your child as well as your connection with your child. I also knew that playing was also really important for the development of a child, but I'd just taken this as a given and  never spent much thought on what it actually meant. Cohen's ideas about why it is developmentally important opened my eyes. It makes one really think about how to play and Cohen has so many smart ideas about how to use play to contribute as a parent to that development.  I know that there are those who really believe that children should "learn" as soon as possible to play by themselves and you might get the impression you have to spend time, which you do not have, playing for ever. But this book is about making the whole of parenting fun and rewarding for everyone. PLUS, a couple of months on, our boy DOES now play by himself (as well as with us) and he is fantastic at initiating games with other children. After all as a parent, you can only be that much fun at the end of the day...He plays loud intense and funny games with his toys by himself and sometimes I have to stop myself from bothering him and joining in.  Groundbreaking.
596374
It's so nice to see actual examples of positive parenting in action! I've read so much on positive parenting but seeing examples of the exact words to use make it so much easier for me! Thank you for sharing this!
1330207
Here is a link to my book review on this book,
The Busy Mom's Book of Inspiration: Devotions to Renew Your Spirit.
I absolutely love it! Thank you
for making it available on Amazon!
[...]
God bless and have a great day!
Be sure to post your positive feedback here at Amazon if you too have enjoyed this book so that
other moms and caregivers and enjoy it as well!
521357
The complete novel was worth the wait :) I didn't laugh at your scenes but in my head I was like 'Lol'. I liked it how Kyle's mother was kind of showing off to Melody about Kyle. I'm not surprised as I think that pretty much every parent would want to show off their child. I did however find his mum abit of the type of parent that wants their child to go to college no matter of what their wishes are. I mean like, what if Kyle wanted to pursue other stuff like an occupation for example instead of college but I doubt it. I wasn't surprised about Kyle's 'secret'. In fact I'm not even surprised that he is hiding it from everyone besides his family as I have read other stories before that make some popular characters change their personality and 'pretend' to be normal :D

Oh and Kyle's brother, Max or Maxi is definitely a troublemaker! Haha. His plan to make Kyle jealous obviously worked.

I read a reviewers comment and they spoiled Melody's choice by putting it in the review for people who haven't read Part 1,2 and 3 before! But oh well. So because they said that I will let you know that Kyle was a good choice.

And yes I still think that Kyle will be a good dad in the future :)
1135087
thanks for the work you do!!
I listened to your podcast on atomic moms this morning and am buying the book now. I'm a coach and plan to recommend it to my clients. It will be my highlighted book of the week in my june 27 newsletter!! Thank you!!! #togetherwerise
737543
Spoken From The Heart: Parenting 101 by Cheri Swalwell
Have read many of the authors works in the past several days. Hope I've kept them straight with my reviews.
A spirit week, SO creative and fun!
Like other book titles as I've read many of the same books and or authors
Gifts from our parents I was with my parents as they fought for guardianship of my deceased brothers three children in court one day and something came up as we waited to be heard by the judge.
I was there to show support and if needed I'd babysit or anything my parents needed me to do. We saw many handcuffed and someone commented about the amount of them and I said our parents raised us too good so we know nothing other than that and how to treat others.
Brought tears to my parents eyes.
Geek time - we ran into a problem with his during our trip to the west coast. I would knit and use my tablet, others were busy with theirs, not realizing the grandson just wanted our full attention and it dawned on me one night as we left to spend the night at the hotel. The next day upon arriving back no pc's were put on and the child was a fun loving one again.
Keep pc time to a minimum because you can lose yourself in doing things on it. Face to face communication is the best.
I was given the book by the author who I met via Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and this is my honest review
4319967
Love her timeline (dropping night feeding around 8-12 weeks) and her forgiving spirit (if you've already missed that window, all is not lost, and you're not an idiot parent).  I wish she'd be a little more explicit with her language sometimes.  She rarely uses terms like 'cry it out,' but it is implied by statements like, 'let the baby work it out himself.'  For someone not coming from a 'cry it out' approach, they might miss some of her helpful guidance because it is not direct enough.
3263096
I'm 35 and have always been pretty much good at things.  I did well in college, have a successful career, and a happy relationship.  We chose to get pregnant last year and I thought that I could be a good parent by reading.  After all-reading things has always been my way to success.  I got "The Baby Book" because it looked extremely comprehensive.  I had heard wonderful things about William Sears.  In fact how could attachment parenting be a bad thing?

In theory everything was great.  When I was pregnant I thought yup I will do all that.  Of course I would breastfeed, of course I would babywear (the slings are so cute!), co-sleeping seemed just the right thing to do-I would do this and have a happy attached baby.  I should have known after reading the section on being a working mother that maybe this book was not for me.

My son is 8 months old.  Since he was born it has killed me that I work.  I work because I have a mortgage to pay, but I also (gulp) love my career.  I however felt horribly guilty because I had to work-until I realized that having a mom who was happy and fulfilled is better for my son than being a mom who stays home and is depressed and mentally stimulated with playgroups and Oprah. (Failure number 1)

Then while I tried really hard to have a natural birth-it didn't work.  I ended up needing a C-section after 3 hours of pushing.  Not good for bonding according to Dr. Sears-and he was taken away from me and I did not see him for 2 hours. I figured it was better to have a C-section and a healthy child, vs a natural birth and push for God knows how long (AP failure number 2).

I wanted to breastfeed I really did.  I knew I might have problems due to past surgery but I tried anyway.  I simply did not produce enough milk.  A lactation consultant told me I could nurse for comfort-I just couldn't do it.  There was no way I would allow my child to suck on my boob if no milk was coming out.  Sorry-it was creepy.  I did try to nurse with a supplemental nurser-that thing was awful.  But either way I was still a sub-par mother because I gave my child formula either at my boob or in the bottle.  According to Sears my son won't thrive because his food is dead. (Failure number 3)

The good stuff:

Babywearing-it does calm a fussy baby.  Sears recommends doing it 4 hours a day.  For me it was impossible due to working but it also hurts! I don't care how good the carrier is 20 pounds on your back, on your front, in a sling eventually starts to hurt! Also-it's really hard to pee with a baby in a carrier-I tried I really tried.  However wearing your baby when he/she is fussy does calm them until you are able to attend to them (getting them to sleep).  BTW_Sears recommends wearing your baby to sleep-yes you can do it-however he fails to mention that they scream bloody murder upon the transfer from carrier to crib. (I think I get a D in babywearing).

Co-sleeping-I do like this.  However my 25 pound 8 month old kicks alot and likes sleeping horizontally.  It was nice to get support for what I like to do.  I also think that if you choose not to co-sleep that it's OK too.  This sort of works for us-however it makes sex kind of hard.  You also have to be careful-my little one fell off the bed this morning.

The stuff on first aid is wonderful  I also like the development stuff. he seems like a good doctor.

So bottom line-take the parenting advice from parenting experts (child psychologists, people trained in infant development not a pediatrician). Go to the pediatrician for advice on medical stuff.
4870624
Hi Alora,
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your book. I especially love Melodys relationship with her mother, how close they are. I love how real Melody is, how she stand up for herself and not be bullied into thinking she's anything less just because she didn't have the right family background. I am glad she ended up with Kyle (YEAH TEAM KYLE!!!!).. And how Jake let her go...
Please say there's more stories about them? I want to read more about them, maybe college.. and hopefully have a story for Jake and Max?
My daughter and I enjoyed this story so much especially the debates we had...she's team Jake..
You are an amazing writer. You made us laugh, cry and cheer for Melody.. I cannot wait to read more of your work.
114488
So sad to be done reading this! Definitely going to check out Heather 's blog. I feel like a know her!
830738
3.5 stars

This a book for every mom out there...
Whether you are a single mom or not, Man Flu captures the worst of the worst and casts it in a humorous and hopeful light.

I liked Hannah and Logan and honestly had to laugh at a couple of the situations they found themselves in. I also appreciated the emotional growth we saw Hannah go through while she completed the process of saying good bye to her marriage and moving forward.

As much as I enjoyed this book, some of the quirks in Logans personality kept me from giving this a full 4 stars. As much as I liked him, some of the hot/cold stuff put me off of him a little bit too.

Overall, this is a super fun book with some heftier emotions woven in. There is a bit of a reminder for all of us about taking care of our selves and remembering to love ourselves enough to share.
2987051
i kept seeing this book everywhere. since i have read something else by the author, i decided that i probably better wait to start it when i have a good amount of time to read it. so i waited for a rainy weekend day when all the sports were cancelled. i knew i probably wouldn't want to put it down, and i was right. it deserved not distractingly rushing though it
Elizabeth suffered a crippling loss and decided to go and stay with her momma for a while. her mother had lost the love of her life (her father) and had not been the same since. She felt like she lost her mother too. she didn't want to be that way for her daughter, so she decided it was time to go home and attempt to get on with her life. She didn't make it five minutes back into town before she came in contact with the town jerk. who just happened to have moved next door to her while she was gone. he suffered a devastating loss too. together, could they find a way to heal?
i felt so bad for Tristan. i couldn't do that. if i had to go thru what he went through, i would do a lot worse than shut people out by being a jerk. Faye was awesome. Elizabeth's best friend was so hilarious. At one point she said "filters are for humans, not for cigarettes". the fact that she spoke her mind provided some lighter moments that were appreciated. i hope she has her own book. while i anticipated the biggest issue between Tristan and Liz, i didn't mind. i definitely didn't anticipate the part b to that issue, and i'm not as gaga over that little bit. initially i was unsure if i should rate this 4 or 5- but when i looked back over the gaggle of quotes i highlighted, and started to think and feel again, it was easy to make up my mind. i could read this again.
1437900
It's a laugh a minute, totally relatable Mommy Diaries. The fact that they're based on some true events makes it even more funnier. The daily tasks and struggles that mommies face is so truthfully recounted.
There's stories of every kind, from Brest pumps to annoying toy gifts, to accidentally stealing a child to diaper disaster to kids stealing sex toys. It's a hilarious pot pourri of Mommies Funniest Home Stories !
I LOVED and laughed out loud throughout
Makes me feel like im an Imperfectly Perfect mom.
Kids don't come with a manual and Parenting is hard
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Let us moms not be so harsh on ourselves and be judgemental
So 24 cheers to awesome Moms , ALL round the world.