by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 12, 2023 | Book Reviews
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is probably one of the books I like to read over and over. I remember grabbing my copy sometime in the 90s and was quite excited to have Neil Gaiman sign my tattered copy when he visited here in 2010.
If you’ve read anything written by Neil Gaiman you already know how well he builds his characters, scenes, and weaves the story so that we find ourselves immersed in it. If you’ve read anything by Terry Pratchett you are already familiar with his funny bone and his penchant for puns and satire and putting his characters into comedic situations.
As I read I can tell the parts where each author put in their two cents and, I wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but the Gaiman-Pratchett collaboration works amazingly! It is so good that the story got translated into many formats including television and theater.
I love the argument about nature and nurture and how Adam was able to prove that his upbringing was a greater influence on who he was going to be and that his future is not written in stone. Aziraphale and Crowley are definitely important characters as it is their individual mess-ups that started the ball rolling, so to speak.
I hear that Good Omens, the television series, will have a second season so this will no longer be based on the book. Since Terry Pratchett passed away in 2015, I hope the production will consult with Neil Gaiman about where the story goes. Before the second season comes out I will surely read Good Omens again.
If you would like to read this story you can probably find a copy in your local bookstore but with a different cover, like the one based on the television series. You can also get a copy of the book on Amazon in several formats: Kindle, Audible, paperback, and hardcover.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 11, 2023 | Health and Wellness
Diabetes is among the highest causes of death in the Philippines, making early detection essential to avoid serious complications. Still, many Filipinos lack access to proper resources to get the care they need.
Due to this pressing concern, leading health app KonsultaMD makes it easier for patients to take the first step to better health through the Diabetes Screening package, the newest addition to its line of tailored health packages targeting illnesses prevalent among Filipinos.
“We recognize the difficulties many people experience in finding the right tools to address their health problems. So we are helping them take the first step in achieving a healthier lifestyle,” said Cholo Tagaysay, KonsultaMD CEO.
“This new offer is perfect for those who may be at risk of diabetes or are experiencing symptoms consistent with diabetes,” he added.
The all-in-one screening package includes convenient at-home lab tests necessary in screening for diabetes: FBS, CBC, CREA, Lipid Profile, Urinalysis, and HBA1C. It also has a free video consultation with a doctor for lab test interpretation.
The package comes with one-month unlimited Concierge access for a hassle-free service. Concierge is KonsultaMD’s VIP Service experience, where a customer representative will personally handle all appointments and bookings.
Those interested can avail of the Diabetes Screening Package for only Php 3,999 through the KonsultaMD app. Just input the code “KMDDiabetes” on the homepage to talk to a Concierge customer representative.
KonsultaMD offers accessible and affordable healthcare through its app. It provides 24/7 on-demand doctor consultations via chat, video, and voice as well as access to e-Medical documents, diagnosis services, and mental health support, among others.
Download the app at use.konsulta.md/kmddiabetes. To learn more about KonsultaMD, visit www.konsulta.md.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 10, 2023 | Book Reviews
I’ve been seeing Plain Jane by Celice Wylder pop up so often and I did add it a while back but I could not seem to start it. Part of it was because I wasn’t too keen on the cover art but another was because I read a book from Celice Wylder last year that I was not happy with.
Yesterday I decided to take the plunge and opened this book. I am so glad that I did as this is a jewel. The story is well written and probably the worst thing I could say about it is that the author would use terms like “bicep” or “clavicle” when she could just as easily say arm or collarbone. Jane is also always “strangling” Roman’s hair … last I check you can’t strangle hair – it has no neck.
That aside, though the story is riveting. It is a dark romance that breaks some shifter stereotypes that could be confusing. If you read on, though, you can forgive them and just enjoy the story.
From all the clues I expected more BDSM but I am still early in the story, only chapter 38 so far, so it could still manifest later. Roman has some hard nos that are frankly confusing but I am waiting to see how this story rolls itself out.
So far Plain Jane by Celice Wylder has 93 chapters and is still ongoing on Goodnovel. Since it is already going so much better than the other book I read (which I may review later) I’m one extremely happy camper.
If you are looking for a new story to read on Goodnovel, check out Plain Jane by Celice Wylder now.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 9, 2023 | Book Reviews
They say “don’t judge a book by its cover” but I can’t help it, I’m definitely judging. I don’t like the cover art because it is flat, the characters are tiny compared to the background, and they have no faces. Having said that, City Lights Starry Nights by Kimberly Readnour is supposed to be an age-gap romance in a small town in Indiana called Sugar Creek Falls. Aside from the fact that the age difference is briefly mentioned, the age gap is not apparent as Evie is a mature and level-headed woman despite being born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
What can go wrong will go wrong! Her problems began when her parents cut her off before she even graduated in an effort to force her to go home and assume her place in society. Evie, on the other hand, wanted to work and help people. No matter how many jobs she applies for and interviews for it seems she just isn’t hirable, which is quite strange. The best she could do was get a waitressing job and she even got fired from that.
Dr. Liam Seymour is the older brother of Evie’s best friend and has hang-ups and festering emotional scars. Being the doctor of a small town means that he knows everyone and everyone knows him so getting into a relationship is difficult without everyone knowing about it.
When I started reading this, I assumed it wouldn’t take too much time to read. For some reason, though, at times I found myself slogging through it. There were just some scenes that felt like it was taking too long to develop properly or get to the point. Perhaps it is just my frustration at Liam’s “should we – shouldn’t we” thinking every time he looks at Evie. Even to me, his hang-ups seemed irrelevant.
He wanted something casual, no problem. He’s into some light BDSM and wants a submissive in the bedroom … so long as he talks about it with Evie first and she is ok with it, I don’t see the problem. But that is probably his biggest hang-up.
The author promises HEA so we know it will get there. The journey is taking so long, though … or I am just impatient. There’s more to the story than just their romance. There’s a weird ex, grumpy old men to charm, storms to get through, and an antiquated scheduling system to figure out.
City Lights Starry Nights by Kimberly Readnour is book 1 of the Sugar Creek Fall series so I am anticipating a story for Ethan and also for Matthew and Ansley (Liam’s sister) since history was hinted at earlier in the book.
If you have a Kindle Unlimited account you can read this book for free on Amazon or you can purchase it for 3.99.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 8, 2023 | Book Reviews
For idealistic girls, Puppy Madness by Flora Ferrari is a “wish fulfillment” story. Most girls grow up dreaming of meeting the man of their dreams, falling in love at first sight, and living happily ever after. That’s essentially what this story delivers in a nutshell except for a few critical points.
First, Dominic is 21 years older than Danni. Second, Dominic is the father of Danni’s best friend Elizabeth. Dun dun dun DUNNN!
Danni’s been in love with Dominic for many years, ever since she was in high school but knowing that he is her best friend’s dad and the fact she was only 16 were great deterrents to her even seriously thinking about pursuing anything. Add to that the fact that she left the country with her mom so she didn’t get to spend time with Elizabeth for several years.
She returns to live and work in the U.S. now that she is 19 and finds herself living with Elizabeth and Dominic in their house. From the moment Dominic saw her he found himself instantly attracted, not realizing who she was.
Since this is not a shifter romance, it felt weird to read Dominic’s possessive mated bond thoughts and actions. I mean, he just laid eyes on her and he was already claiming her and thinking about having babies with her. Romantic for wolves, but kinda creepy for regular humans.
The story goes on to show how they both struggle to fight the attraction as they are both worried about Elizabeth. Ultimately, though, since the author promised a HEA we already know they will definitely end up together. As a reader, I felt the need to keep reading just to know when they will finally give in to their passions and decide that their forever can happen.
I think what bothered me the most though is the description of Dominic. He is only 40 but he is described as a well-muscled silver fox. I don’t know how fast Americans age but over here we don’t usually turn grey at 40. It doesn’t even match the cover art.
Puppy Madness by Flora Ferrari is a story from the A Man Who Knows What He Wants series. If this kind of story is right up your alley you can get it on Amazon for 0.99 and free with Kindle Unlimited.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 7, 2023 | Book Reviews
Lycan background image by Patrick Tatopoulos
Not everyone is into dark romance and His Dark Obsession by Moonlight Muse is that while also a shifter romance at the same time. I mean, it’s even in the title. But while the story is tagged as a dark romance, what makes it dark is the savageness of Prince Zedkiel (in general) and Evangeline’s uncertainty about their relationship. In addition, there may be some scenes that could be triggering so, be forewarned!
The story is fast-paced and written so well that I easily found myself immersed in the story. I admit to being impatient with how long it is taking Zed and Evangeline to get to the closeness I want, but that has more to do with my personality, not Moonlight Muse’s writing. I definitely cannot identify with Evangeline at the moment as her character is generally meek.
So far 50+ chapters have been written and the story just gets better and better. His Dark Obsession by Moonlight Muse is an ongoing story on Goodnovel. Click on the link to get brought straight to the story.
There are still a lot of secrets that have yet to be told and their romance still has a long way to go. I certainly hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 6, 2023 | Book Reviews
I feel like Claimed by my Billionaire Ex by Ruby Emhart is mistitled because even after reading the entire story I didn’t notice any “claiming” happening. It could also mean that I read so many paranormal books so “claiming” means something else to me entirely, lol!
I think the last line of the preview should be changed because it does not actually happen until the very end of the book so it is misleading and will not affect the story if it isn’t mentioned in the preview.
The best thing about this story is the POVs of Lucas. I think it would have been more interesting from his POV than from Olive’s. The author tries to give each character equal time to speak (so to speak) but I found Lucas’ POV more engaging and relatable.
What bothered me was that Lucas has a security firm whose company presumably employs hackers, why was it so difficult for him to trace Olive when she disappeared? Especially since she didn’t turn her phone off immediately and turned it on at predictable times since she called home. It just doesn’t make sense.
Also, Olive’s being hot and cold with her brother has me raising an eyebrow. After the revelation, I understand why, but until she knew of the deception … why? And where are their parents? Why does it seem like they are orphans?
Romance-wise, this story could probably do with more heat but the political intrigue, sex tapes, vote rigging, and hacking issues were interesting and made this an enjoyable book to read. Claimed by my Billionaire Ex by Ruby Emhart will be available on Amazon for only 0.99 on January 9, 2023, onwards. Pre-order if you think this is something you will be into.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 4, 2023 | Book Reviews
Alpha Zander by Vanessa Turner is a love story I would put in the young adult/teen section. It is set in high school where the main characters are both in their senior year.
Zander is the son of the current Alpha of the Charwood pack. He is popular and always has a bevy of she-wolves in his wake. Ashleigh is the daughter of the current Beta of the Liverpool pack and has been trained to replace her dad when the time comes.
Because of an old rivalry involving witches and spells and general misunderstanding, Charwood and Liverpool have been at each other’s necks for several generations. The school, though, is on neutral ground and they are forced to be civil to each other.
In V. Turner’s world, werewolves will not be able to sense their mate until both parties are at least 18 years old. While it is generally expected that they would wait for their mates, many wolves don’t. You can just imagine Zander’s dismay when he discovers that Ashleigh is his mate while he is making out with another she-wolf.
While there are events that happen to make this story more exciting, Alpha Zander by Vanessa Turner is essentially a love story and revolves around the evolution of Zander and Ashleigh’s relationship and the acceptance of their corresponding families and packs. It promises HEA with a cliffhanger on what will happen in the next book (which is actually quite intriguing).
This story is available on Goodnovel and possibly on other reading apps.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 3, 2023 | Book Reviews
Our man Clay Nikolaidis is a ladies’ man. At least he was until his sister, Reece, gave him a corgi named Zeus in Man’s Best Wingman by Bryant. In case the names sound familiar, that is because we first encountered Clay and Reece (by name) in Princes of Ravenwood. Clay is part Greek, part Russian, part English, part American, and all man!
Big guy, small dog, you’d think it is a foolproof plan to get the ladies, except that Zeus is very picky about who he will allow Clay to mate with … which is no one he has met until he meets Xenia and her dog Tinkerbell.
Xenia is a spicy Latina from Puerto Rico who trains dogs for a living. That is how she ended up with Tinkerbell, a big fluffy dog with anxiety issues. Xenia is her emotional support human.
This story is a laugh-fest from start to finish! A modern-day comedy of errors, if you will. It felt like Murphy’s Law was working overtime to mess up Clay and Xenia’s fun times. As I am reading I can see all of it happening in my head and I couldn’t help but laugh each time. Thankfully, things get better as the chapters progress.
If you are looking for something light to read that will make you laugh, then Man’s Best Wingman by Bryant is right up your alley. You can find it on Goodnovel. It is only 44 chapters so can be read in a day easily.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 2, 2023 | Book Reviews
His UnEGGsalted Omega by Lorelei M. Hart and Colbie Dunbar was a delight to read. 95% of the book is happy, happy, happy which was quite refreshing. To be honest, there really isn’t that much difference between an MF, MM, or FF romance except for the gender of the main characters. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter, especially if the society the author created accepts that kind of pairing. In this world created by the authors, MM or MF pairings are commonplace.
I’m not new to reading MM stories but I must confess I was puzzled about the mechanics of male pregnancy. For the omega to be able to get pregnant that would assume that he has the reproductive organs to match, but does that mean that his anal canal is somehow connected to a uterus? Also, in this story, after the babies are born they latch to feed. Latch on what? Does that imply that Aldo had mammary glands that produced milk?
If the intention is for the story to be an MM romance, why would female physical characteristics be imposed on the omegas?
The story establishes some things, though. First, it is the omega partner who gets pregnant. Second, in mixed mating, there is no way to tell what kind of baby/babies will be born and how. Since Kirin is a dragon and Aldo is a chipmunk will they have dragon babies or chipmunk babies? Will they be hybrids of both? Will they be chipmunks that will come out of dragon eggs?
There are some passages that felt overexplained but if you skip over them it’s okay. There are also misused words or two in some sections, but nothing a copy editor who will actually read the whole story cannot easily fix.
Overall, His UnEGGsalted Omega by Lorelei M. Hart and Colbie Dunbar is a feel-good story. You can find this book on Amazon for 4.99 on Jan. 9, 2023, or for free with Kindle Unlimited.
I enjoyed it so much that I looked up the first book and will be reading it soon just so that I get to read about the romance of Abel and Cedric.
I’ve been seeing Plain Jane by Celice Wylder pop up so often and I did add it a while back but I could not seem to start it. Part of it was because I wasn’t too keen on the cover art but another was because I read a book from Celice Wylder last year that I was not happy with.
They say “don’t judge a book by its cover” but I can’t help it, I’m definitely judging. I don’t like the cover art because it is flat, the characters are tiny compared to the background, and they have no faces. Having said that, City Lights Starry Nights by Kimberly Readnour is supposed to be an age-gap romance in a small town in Indiana called Sugar Creek Falls. Aside from the fact that the age difference is briefly mentioned, the age gap is not apparent as Evie is a mature and level-headed woman despite being born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
For idealistic girls, Puppy Madness by Flora Ferrari is a “wish fulfillment” story. Most girls grow up dreaming of meeting the man of their dreams, falling in love at first sight, and living happily ever after. That’s essentially what this story delivers in a nutshell except for a few critical points.
I feel like Claimed by my Billionaire Ex by Ruby Emhart is mistitled because even after reading the entire story I didn’t notice any “claiming” happening. It could also mean that I read so many paranormal books so “claiming” means something else to me entirely, lol!
Alpha Zander by Vanessa Turner is a love story I would put in the young adult/teen section. It is set in high school where the main characters are both in their senior year.
Our man Clay Nikolaidis is a ladies’ man. At least he was until his sister, Reece, gave him a corgi named Zeus in Man’s Best Wingman by Bryant. In case the names sound familiar, that is because we first encountered Clay and Reece (by name) in 
His UnEGGsalted Omega by Lorelei M. Hart and Colbie Dunbar was a delight to read. 95% of the book is happy, happy, happy which was quite refreshing. To be honest, there really isn’t that much difference between an MF, MM, or FF romance except for the gender of the main characters. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter, especially if the society the author created accepts that kind of pairing. In this world created by the authors, MM or MF pairings are commonplace.
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