High Sierra Sweethearts--book 2

I prefer never to come into a series mid way but Reluctant Warrior was offered to me as a review book and I typically love historical fiction so jumped at the opportunity.

Reluctant Warrior opens with Cam Scott recently returning from the Civil War to claim his child only to find that she doesn't know him and is very reluctant to leave the safety and security of the woman who has been caring for her.  Obviously, that doesn't sit well with Cam.  Danger does have a way of drawing people together in order to survive and the author uses a number of incidents one right after the other to force all the characters together, including Cam and Gwen.

The storyline was enjoyable and I did enjoy the quick moving pace of the book.  However, I was a bit perplexed with the simplistic language the author used.  As a middle school teacher, I expect quite a bit of sophistication from even 13 years olds and I was disappointed by Mary Connealy.  I have never given a book I have reviewed only 2 stars so this is a first for me.  If you enjoyed the first in the High Seirras Sweetheart series, I have no doubt you will enjoy this book as well because the characters are interesting and the situation/storyline is a bit unique but I had trouble getting beyond the short, choppy sentence structure and unimaginative language/word choices. For example it is on the sixth page of the book that Cam says his daughter and nephew "hate him".  They are small children for heaven's sake.  How could they hate him?

I did receive this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and was in no way obligated to write a positive one.  It is not my intent to color your opinion about the author so please read other reviews for a more well-rounded purchasing decision.

Winter touch and feel board book

Little bear meets up with a number of different animals that encourage you to huddle, nuzzle, snuggle, and curl up with your child while whispering "I love you" at the end of the day.  Each page has something soft and cozy to feel from Momma seal's soft brown coat to Momma Moose's golden brown fuzz and the longer fur of Momma polar bear.

I love the fact that this board book is interactive and your child has something soft to feel on each page.  Board books are a favorite for me as well because of the durability of the pages.  The book does exactly what the title suggests, encouraging cuddles but I was a bit surprised there really wasn't a story-line.  My favorite part is the precious faces of the animals, created by Fransesca Pesci.  A great wintertime read for very young children.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and am in no way obligated to write a positive one.  The opinions present in this review are my own.