Mistletoe & Mr. Right

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Lana Montgomery works for her family business, a real-estate conglomerate. She recently bought most of the properties in the small town of Moose Springs, Alaska, with the purest heart and intentions of helping the residents maintain the small-town feel while also bringing in new tourist revenues. Let’s just say, the town doesn’t take nicely to their new collective landlord, or her plan to build a fancy new condo complex.

Rick Harding, on the other hand, has had his eye on Lana for a long time. And when Lana accidentally shoots him with a tranquilizer gun while trying to hunt down a rogue moose that’s been destroying Christmas decorations all over town… he might just get the chance to prove to her that this small town can love her for who she is.

This is the second book in the Moose Springs, Alaska series. You don’t have to have read the first book for this one to make sense, so feel free to pick it up if you’re looking for a cute Christmas read! However, the main characters from the first book are also in this one… so you might get a couple spoilers on their romance if you read Mistletoe & Mr. Right first.

What I loved most:

I am HERE for cozy, Christmas romances where things are generally pleasant and light and just all around fun. The characters in this series are people that I can see myself being friends with. Morgenthaler has a beautiful style of writing that pulls you in from the very first sentence, and it’s a funny book to boot. Light a fire in the fireplace, brew a cup of tea, grab a cozy blanket, and get reading.

Read this book if you like:

Christmas, snow escapades, genuine friendships, hedgehogs in Christmas sweaters

Book details:

  • Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
  • Series: Moose Springs, Alaska #2
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
  • Date of Publication: October 6, 2020
  • Interest Level: Adult
  • Look up Mistletoe & Mr. Right on WorldCat to find it at a library near you!

Honey and Venom

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

When I think of beekeeping, I definitely don’t tend to think of New York City. Little did I know… urban beekeeping is a thing. In Honey and Venom, Andrew Cote shares a year in his life as a beekeeper in NYC. From selling honey from his hives at local farmers markets, to serving as a liaison between beekeepers and businesses that don’t want bees near their companies, to helping police remove illegal beehives… Cote is as busy as a bee (I’m so sorry but how could I possibly resist). For real though, this is a captivating memoir that I would highly recommend.

What I loved most:

I drink black tea with honey every. single. morning. of my life. As such, I was excited to learn more about the honey production process, and bees in general. This was such a good mix of bee information with personal stories – it was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Plus, Cote founded a nonprofit organization called Bees Without Borders. This group teaches beekeeping all around the globe to fight poverty. Cote shares some of his stories of traveling around the world to teach people beekeeping, helping them figure out a new way to earn income. I always get super pumped when people want to use the skills that they have to make other people’s lives better, so I love that Cote started this organization and is helping provide people with information and tools they can use to climb out of poverty.

Read this book if you like:

Biographies, bees, honey, nature, figuring out what nature looks like in an urban setting

Book details:

Once Upon a Unicorn

~ rachelbenzine ~ Leave a comment

Plot:

Curious is a unicorn. He doesn’t quite seem to fit in with the other unicorns, because his Scientific Mind makes him interested in things the rest of them don’t care about.

Midnight is a night mare. She can’t quite seem to keep her fire under control, and that makes it hard for her to be included with the rest of the nightmares.

Everyone knows that unicorns and night mares don’t like each other. It’s just not how things work. But when Curious and Midnight cross paths while on an Experiment and a Plan (respectively), they’ll have to work together to escape from pumpkin-headed fae, figure out what the fairy queen is up to, and maybe save their world.

What I loved most:

I picked up Once Upon a Unicorn on a day when life was feeling heavy and I wanted to escape the world for a while. Anders built such a fun, rich, beautiful world – and it was a delight to escape to. I love unicorns, so trust me – I have read a lot of unicorn books (see my post on Welcome to Unicorn School for another one of my fav unicorn stories). I’ve never encountered anything quite like the night mares found in this story (which are clearly NOT the opposite of unicorns – just ask Midnight). I appreciate the way that Curious’s and Midnight’s eccentricities were strengths, and essential to who they were. I am also a sucker for any chosen family stories, and I adore how Curious and Midnight overcame their prejudices to create a solid bond. I loved this story as an adult, and I know that any kids reading it will be just as swept up into this world as I was.

Read this book if you like:

Unicorns, fantasy worlds, enemies-to-friends scenarios, fae, laughing while on adventures

Book details:

  • Author: Lou Anders
  • Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
  • Date of Publication: August 25, 2020
  • Age Recommendation: 4th – 7th grade
  • Look up Once Upon a Unicorn on WorldCat to find it at library near you!