contemporary – Sydney Winward

Book Review of Covet Thy Neighbor by Denise Carbo

My Review

Divorce is hard. Divorce with kids is harder.

Single mom, Olivia Banner, is trying to make ends meet by taking on more hours at her job, going back to school, and taking care of her twin boys. But when a mysterious new neighbor moves in next door, she can’t help but be intrigued.

Covet Thy Neighbor takes on a lot of the struggles you will find in divorce, such as sharing the responsibilities of kids, moving on and finding love, and even doubting your self-worth. The author did a great job at showing the realities and difficulties of two households rather than one, and keeping a strong family unit despite the divorce.

My rating: 4 stars

February 26, 2021 by Sydney Winward

Top 5 Novellas/Short Books I’ve Read This Year

Tangled Fates by Denise D. Young

Tangled Fates could either be a long novella or a short book, but I just had to include it! The author writes such vivid and amazing descriptions, placing the reader right in the story with an interesting setting and even more interesting characters. Who doesn’t love a good shifter book?

Read my review here.

You Stole My Heart by Kristal Dawn Harris

This was my first introduction to Kristal Dawn Harris’s books, and I have to say I loved it! She played with one of my favorite tropes in an exciting way. If you haven’t read Kristal’s books, I highly recommend you do! I’m looking forward to reading more myself.

Read my review here.

Forever in a Moment by Charlotte O’Shay

Charlotte O’Shay is an author who can make you feel so much in a book. She writes incredible characters and sets the scene so well as to put the reader directly in the book. I loved Forever in a Moment and I know others will too!

Read my review here.

Curse of the Blacknoc Witch by Tori V. Rainn

I love Grimm’s fairy tales because they have a distinctly dark fantasy feel to them, and I love that Curse of the Blacknoc Witch has a very similar feel. This book was about redemption, sacrifice, and love. A perfect short read for those who like dark fantasy.

Read my review here.

He Is Watching by Denise Carbo

I’ve read two books by Denise Carbo this year and they have both ended up on my top 5 lists in their categories. I’m excited to explore more! He Is Watching is a great story about Julie escaping to a small town to avoid her stalker when she runs into a sweet guy named Joe who helps protect her. It’s really worth a read!

Read my review here.

December 31, 2020 by Sydney Winward

Top 5 Contemporary Long Books I’ve Read This Year

Damned When I Didn’t by CHerie Colyer

This is one of my top favorite contemporary paranormal books I’ve ever read! The writing is amazing, the characters are awesome, and the story idea is super unique. I would definitely be happy if the author ended up writing a sequel to this and explored the world a bit more.

Read my review here.

Secondhand Cowboy and Cowgirl Next Door by Lacy Williams

I couldn’t decide which one I liked better, so I included them both. I love Lacy William’s writing style. Her stories always manage to tangle my heart, and I found I can easily relate to the characters. If you haven’t read this author’s works, I high recommend you get started!

Read my reviews here and here.

Professional Boundaries by Jennifer Peel

This book combines the tropes of office romance with second chance romance. I loved the rollercoaster this author put me on as I read the book. Frustration, anger, happiness, victory, and then restart the cycle. I’m super excited to pick up my next Jennifer Peel book, because I have no doubt that I will love it as much as I loved this one.

Read my review here.

My First My Last My Only by Denise Carbo

I’m a big fan of the books I’ve read by Denise Carbo so far. Her writing style is amazing, and she has a way of pulling you into the book so deep until you realize you’ve been completely sucked in. Franny and Mitch were my absolute favorite and they had such great chemistry. I’m looking forward to giving more of Denise’s books a try.

Read my review here.

Will O’ the Wisp by Lucy Naylor Kubash

For fear of giving anything away… I’ll just say Lucy Naylor Kubash managed to take my favorite trope of them all and smashed it out of the park. This book was amazing! I seriously loved it so much. It was a great contemporary western with a lot of secrets and awesome characters. It pulled on my heartstrings more than once. Highly recommend.

Read my review here.

December 31, 2020 by Sydney Winward

An Interview with Debby Grahl

Can Dillon and Diana elude a killer while their newfound love grows?

Hi Debby, and welcome! I’m excited to have you on my blog today, talking about your new release, Mountain Blaze. How did you get interested in writing fiction?

This began at a young age. I have a disease of the retina called Retinitis Pigmentosa which causes gradual vision loss. I lost the ability to read in my early twenties, but even when I had sight, seeing the printed word was always difficult for me. Reading a book would take me twice as long as a person with normal sight. I became frustrated with this and began to make up my own stories. I recall entertaining my girlfriends on our way to school, by telling them my latest story. Today, they’re some of my biggest fans.

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 by Sydney Winward

Book Review of The Warrior’s Progeny

My Review

When you think of Greek gods and goddesses, you don’t usually think of them in a modern sense. Jeny Heckman did an amazing job at bringing the traits of Greek gods into modern day people such as football star, Colton Stone, and Dr. Lillian Morgan.

The author created realistic situations and excelled at placing obstacles between the hero and heroine. One of her strengths that amazed me was her ability to write from a man’s perspective. It was fun getting inside Colt’s head and witnessing his easy temper. Well written and a great read.

My rating: 4 stars

August 10, 2020September 16, 2020 by Sydney Winward

Interview with Author S.P. Dawes

When Callie’s husband died on the field, everyone mourned the hero. But what Callie kept from them was the abuse she had suffered at his hands and while her kids grow up believing the stories, she has to rebuild her life. When she meets Eddie in a chance meeting she’s taken in by his warm eyes, having put all her efforts into her children, is it really time to test the waters again with a new relationship? But after getting together, their shared past reveals itself, and while everyone believes the myth do they really stand a chance at a happy ever after?

Get on Amazon

When Imogen is asked to be her best friend’s Maid of honour, she wants to ensure she gifts her with the best Hen party possible, but in doing so, it pushes her entirely out of her own comfort zone. When she’s reacquainted with her best friend’s brother though, old feelings re-surface, but when her life is put in the balance it’s not just his true colours that show and she’s left with more questions than answers.

Get on Amazon

July 25, 2020September 16, 2020 by Sydney Winward

New Release from Mona Sedrak

From the Author

Gravity is a heart-warming story of two individuals from remarkably differing backgrounds that are inexplicably drawn to one another, forming a strong friendship and falling in love–– despite the odds against them. The story depicts the beautiful Middle Eastern culture I was raised in and its many traditions as well as some of its challenges. Readers will identify with this story, no matter their background because it speaks to and awakens the human heart.

Gravity is about tolerance, acceptance, understanding, and forgiveness. Finally, it is a story of love and hope. When I started writing Gravity several years ago, I couldn’t have predicted how relevant it would be today. At the end of the day, I want readers to understand that although we may be different, as members of the human race, our similarities out-weigh our differences and love is the universal language that binds us.

July 16, 2020September 16, 2020 by Sydney Winward

Book Review of Praline Dreams by Annette Miller

My Review

Very cute.

I really enjoyed this addition to the One Scoop or Two Series. I loved the characters and I especially loved the relationship between Zaria and her dad. They are so open with each other, even about the handsome man with dark hair that keeps frequenting the ice cream shop. She’s not shy to express her feelings about the man, and her dad is incredibly supportive of all her decisions, no matter what they are.

Plus, a drop dead gorgeous merman captain. Need I say more? A fun read!

July 4, 2020September 16, 2020 by Sydney Winward

A Character Interview with Isis Rivera From The Witches of Vegas

Sydney: Welcome. To start, why don’t you tell us your name, age and a little bit
about yourself.

Isis: Hi, my name is Isis Flores Rivera and I’m fifteen years old. This is my first time
being interviewed, so please forgive me if I’m a little nervous. I’m also a member of The
Witches of Vegas, the number one magic show on the Las Vegas strip. Well, I haven’t
actually performed with them yet, but I get to practice on the stage when the theater is
empty. They promised me that my time is coming soon. I’ve been with them since I was
nine.

Um, okay, I’m going to tell you a secret and I need you to promise not to tell anyone
okay? The truth is, I really am a witch. The others are too. We use the show to practice
our witchcraft. It keeps us strong, and we need to be. According to Luther—he’s their
mentor, he’s also a five-hundred-year-old vampire—there’s a threat coming that we may
need to fight. I don’t know what that is, but he’s been getting witches ready for it long
before any of us were ever born. We’re just the latest group of witches he’s getting ready
in case the threat comes.

June 25, 2020September 16, 2020 by Sydney Winward

Release Day for Root Brew Float!

Wow, I am so excited! Today is finally the day that Root Brew Float releases into the world. When I first heard of the call for submissions for the One Scoop or Two series, I was convinced I wasn’t going to give it a go at all. But then I thought, what the heck? Let’s see if I can do this thing!

So I sat down with the hubs and brainstormed some ideas. We came up with a contemporary witch story, and Root Brew Float was born! (After many failed scene ideas, a bit of rewriting, and more editing.)

Get to Know Some of the Witchy Flavors in the Novella!

Scoop of Sunshine: ~Peanut butter banana ice cream~ Clarence refers to it in the book as “happiness on a spoon”.
Huckleberry Love Potion: ~Sweet, fruity huckleberry ice cream~ It is what it sounds like! Eat a little bit of this, and you’ll fall head over heels in love.
Summer Nights: ~Chocolate ice cream with a caramel swirl~ Need a bit of help relaxing? Try a Summer Nights ice cream cone and let all your stresses melt away.
Root Brew Float: ~Root beer with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream~ Now, I can’t give this one away! You’ll have to read the book to find out more 😉

Grab Your Copy Today! And Thanks so Much for Your Support!

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Applebooks

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020 by Sydney Winward