Tag Archives: Giveaway

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I Won the Bookmarking It September 2022 Giveaway, To Tame a Cowboy

Sometime last year I came across Bookmarking It’s account. Every month they post a list of challenges and for every book post challenge you complete you are entered to win a free book.

Most of the time I wouldn’t really plan out a post based on the theme but I would instead just see which prompt my planned post matched up with. It is always fun for me to see how many I can align with.

I ended up winning the September giveaway, a copy of To Tame a Cowboy by Jody Hedlund.

For September I was able to fulfill the following prompts:

Day 2 Second Chance Prompt: I was able to check this off with The Secret Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams.

Day 5 Unique Retelling Prompt: My review of The Emma Project by Sonali Dev, a retelling of Emma fit the bill.

Day 13 Strong Heroine Prompt: The character of Elizabeth Bennet and Mrs. Lanyon in An Appearance of Goodness by Heather Moll, both fit that description.

Day 20 Hispanic Character Prompt: I reviewed Mexican Gothic for my Catherine Morland’s Reading List; which was perfect for this prompt.

My book arrived and I planned to read it, but I put it on my to-read pile and completely forgot all about it.

But then I won Bookmarkingit’s March 2023 giveaway and knew I needed to read the previous giveaway win and review it right away.

I have to admit I didn’t think I would enjoy this book, what with its title “To Tame a Cowboy”, I thought this would be something like a girl who falls in love with the guy who has way too many red flags and they shouldn’t be together but do end up together.

Hmm…?

I was wrong about that, I actually enjoyed this book a lot. And even though it was book two in the series, I was still able to follow along and not be too lost in the series. I always like when books in a series can be just as alone.

To Tame a Cowboy (Colorado Cowboys #3) by Jody Hedlund

The book starts off with Savannah Marshall, living on her father’s ranch in Colorado; the daughter of the famous Cattle King. Her family had a lot of money, but the Civil War and some bad investments caused them to lose quite a bit of their wealth. Her parents want to be rich again and return home to Georiga, but are unable to. The Marshalls also lost their son and all are grieving.

Chandler Saxton has moved from Georgia to Colorado and Mr. Marshall really took to him. Chandler wants to marry Savannah and inherit the ranch, planning on giving the Marshalls money to invest again and send them back home to the South.

All is great…except Savanah doesn’t want to get married to Chandler. She wants to continue her dream of being a veterinarian, but struggles with wanting to honor her parents and help them achieve their dreams.

Trying to figure out what to do, Savanah flees a couple days before her wedding to in order fill the open position of veterinarian.

Brody McQuaid is one of five McQuaid siblings that moved out to Colorado. Wyatt McQuaid is the eldest and started his cattle ranch when the mayor and him struck up an unusual bargain, the mayor would invest in the ranch as long as Wyatt married and helped civilize the town; he marrying mail-order-bride Greta Nilsson.

Flynn McQuaid is the second sibling who is also part owner of the ranch. A few years back he agreed to help renowned botanist Dr. Powell and his granddaughter Linnea; that scientific trip turning into a romantic one.

Dylan is sibling number four and is currently only focused on having a good time. He likes to whoop it up, drinking, gambling, and visiting ladies of the night.

Ivy is sibling number five, raised out west with older brothers she grew up roping, riding, and shooting as well as any other man.

Sibling number three is the one this book focuses on. Brodie was always a good man, a fantastic horse trainer, crackshot, and aspiring artist. When the Civil War broke out, Brodie decided to fight for the Union and when it ended came back with both physical and mental scars. Suffering from PTSD and a short fuse, his recovery has been long and has caused quite a number of problems for his family. He tries, but it seems likes they littlest thing can cause him to fly off the handle.

So when Brodie sees notorious bronco buster (horse trainer specializing in taming wild stallions), abusing a mare he steps in. The two start fighting and it gets ugly fast, they only stopping when Savannah steps in and helps the horse. Brodie pays the punched out bronco buster and the two head out to the McQuaid ranch to settle Savannah in as the new vet.

Flynn is more father than brother to his younger siblings; and while he doesn’t trust a female vet he decides to hire her as he sees how her presence seems to bring Brodie alive again. He agrees to hire her, but ONLY if Brodie watches out for her and attends every vet outing with her. That works out fine for Brodie has he is extremely attracted to Savannah and wants to be with her.

Brodie figures out who Savannah is right away and gets the real story of why she is out here. He respects her privacy and won’t tell others who she really is, the Cattle King’s daughter, but at the same time tries to discourage her from marrying Chandler Saxton. Brodie admits his attraction to her early on, but his dislike of Chandler is more than his romantic feelings, Chandler is a real jerk.

The two grow close as Brodie encourages and supports Savannah’s decisions and also helps embolden her to figure out what she wants in her life and what she wants to go after. He also tells her that her choosing not to sacrifice herself for her parents happiness isn’t necessarily being dishonoring. Most of all he encourages her to try and talk to her family about what she wants.

Savannah helps Brodie calm down and inspires him to restart his relationship with God, also pointing out to him that there is more to him than just the evils of war that he went though; and that he is more than what he did. She also supports him and helps him begin to truly recover from what he went through.

Savannah and Brodie bond over horse training and trying to protect the wild mustangs. In order to save these wonderful animals, they decide to lead them away from the civilized parts of Colorado; Savannah eager to join in with Brodie, Dylan, and Ivy.

While on the trip, Brodie takes Savannah out on a picnic, hoping to woo her and convince her to choose him over Chandler; when a freak storm comes up. The two try to get back to the others but end up having to make do in a sad little lean-to cabin and only one bed. The two are stranded out there for a while, with Savannah growing deathly ill.

Brodie is able to help her survive until they can try and get out, running into a search party and helping her get saved. But that’s when the real trouble starts. With Savannah too ill to talk and Chandler turning out to be a power crazy, angry, narcissist who doesn’t want any man touching his woman; eager to get rid of Brodie and get back at him for touching Savannah. To get even, Chandler stirs up the town and rustles up a mob to hang him.

mob
Grab your torches and sharpen your pitchforks!

Can the McQuaids save their brother in time? Or will Brodie have gone on his last ride?

From Supernatural

I actually became quite invested in this story, a lot more than a thought I would be. Brodie turned out to be a well written romantic hero, not exactly my ideal type, but I was rooting for him to end up with Savannah. The ending was written very well as I thought it would end one way, but Hedlund threw out a couple curveballs.

I also really like how they wrote Savannah. One of my biggest complaints about authors is when they make their female character very meek and submissive at home; but then when they meet their romantic hero they are suddenly super empowered. With this Savannah was strong willed in some ways, but also a people pleaser and one to give into others. It’s only after being encouraged and supported by Brodie who pushes her to say what she thinks and go for what she wants that we see a change in character and a woman willing to stand up for herself. Very well done.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for Jane Austen fans as I didn’t really connect her to any Austen character except maybe Savannah had a little Jane Bennet in her. However, I would recommend it for any one looking for a Christian western historical romance.

For more giveaway reviews, go to I Won the SaChasi Blends Giveaway

For more westerns, go to Dark Times on the Ranch: Ramrod (1947)

For more Christian fiction, go to I Won the Tea and Me Blog & Harts of America Giveaway

For more historical fiction, go to Bewitched, Body and Soul

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I Won the SaChasi Blends Giveaway

Back at the end of February a friend entered a SaChasi blends giveaway and I decided to as well. Part of the entry was to share what else have you used tea for and I replied that I have used it for my dry or irritated skin, made a hair rinse, and have baked quite a few tea-infused items: such as Crispy, Chewy, Matcha Green Tea Cookies; The Picture of Earl Grey Tea Cookies; Lavender Earl Grey Tea Shortbread Cookies; Cranberry-Spice Scones; Lavender and Earl Grey Scones; Cranberry Chai Scones; and Brown Butter Matcha Brownies.

Unfortunately, after I won I realized I hadn’t paid attention to the giveaway rules and that it was actually only open to UK residents. I apologized and said I would understand if they would need to choose another winner, as it was clearly my fault for not reading the rules correctly. However, they decided to send me my giveaway prize in exchange for a review. You know me and free, I just can’t resist.

I ended up winning a sample bag of Maple Pecan Pie Tea.

A slice of heaven. Famous for serving a sweet, buttery crunch with every glazed, nutty bite – our Sri Lankan black tea and wholesome rooibos perfectly recaptures this delicious North American dessert. All intricately enhanced with a sprinkling of indulgent, yet bountiful, carob and creamy lucuma.

SaChasi Maple Pecan Pie Tea

Ingredients: Ceylon black tea (Orange Pekoe), rooibos, dried apple, dates (rice flour), organic cacao husks, organic carob powder & lucuma powder, pau d’arco, vanilla powder, orange blossom and natural flavouring

I tried the tea and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was delicious, comforting, sweet, and a little nutty. I have to say this tasted much better than a lot of other pie flavored teas I’ve had before. A lot of pie flavored teas are either extremely weak and need multiple teaspoons or tablespoons like the Pinky Up brand. SaChasi gave you a full flavored tea that didn’t require adding extra amounts of loose leaf to your tea cup/infuser.

Prices range from $4 for a sample size (20g) to $8 for 50g and $16 for 100g.

As Wednesdays we have tea (one of my book clubs meets on Wednesdays) I decided to share the tea with the other members.

Two of us members loved the tea while the other two thought it was a great Pecan Pie Tea, but could use extra maple pieces or maple sweetener to really make it pop for them.

I still thoroughly enjoyed it and drank most of the pot all by myself! (Sorry book club members, once I start drinking tea it can be hard to stop).

For more giveaway posts, go to I Won the Ellery Adams’ September 2020 Giveaway + My Review of the First Two Books in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society Series

For more tea posts, go to Magical Matcha Latte

A few years back I was given a collection of five teas, A World of Teas. As I was about to try them out, I started thinking: which books would best suit these teas? After all, nothing goes together better than a good book and a delicious cup of tea.

Thats me

Since then I try my best to repeat it whenever I review new teas. 🙂

Let’s spill the tea.

I was trying to think of which book best went with this tea. I needed something comforting (a comforting read), something that was relaxing but sweet and fun; along with having a few nutty characters thrown in there…and finally decided this tea paired perfectly with Emma.

For those of you who haven’t read it, Emma is the story of a girl who has been mistress of her house and doted on by her father. After her governess marries (a match she believes she put together) she becomes bored and intends on trying her hand at matchmaking. She pygmalions her new acquaintance, Harriet Smith, and plans to set her up with the new minister. Things do not go according to plan as her matches do not take hold and her “creation” takes a life of their own.

For me Emma is a fun comedy (although it does have its dramatic parts) with quite a few nutty characters and situations. We have Emma’s failed matchmaking, Miss Bates’ silly chatter, Mr. Woodhouse hypochondria, etc. Everyone in the book is guilty of being silly at one point or another.

For me it is a comforting read and even though Mr. Woodhouse wouldn’t approve of the sweetness of maple pecan pie; when I drank the tea it made me think of spending a chilly day by a fire (or heater), and the following quote popped in my head:

For more Emma, go to The Emma Project

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If Adventures Will Not Befall a Young Lady in Her Own Village, She Must Seek Them Abroad

Happy New Year!

So even though this year is the 210th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice.

I went with a Northanger Abbey quote because I am going abroad to Ireland in the fall!!! I’m so excited!

But even though I am deciding to make this my “Catherine Morland” year (I’m coming for you Mr. Tilney)-I do plan to try and review/post something Pride and Prejudice related every month. Now I know I failed in reviewing Emma (1972)-but I’m really going to try and do my best!

Now on to the year in review!

The Views

This year I had over 56,000 views! That might not seem like a lot to some but I’m thankful for each and every one.

Thank you!

The Top Five Posts

Here are the top five most viewed posts of the year, although again none were posted this year. I guess whatever I post in the actual year is never popular enough? Who knows.

5) I Ran Out of Milk So I Put Buttermilk in My Tea from 2019

This was just a silly post, I’m surprised it was so popular this year.

4) A Real Man from 2014

Why is this post so popular? I don’t know, but once again it’s in my top 5.

3) Which Husband Ran Off With Addie Ross?: A Letter to Three Wives (1949) from Horrorfest VII from 2018

This is a fantastic film and I know it is one of the top viewed as people are always trying to find out which husband ran off with Addie Ross. The answer lies in my review.

2) What Happened to Ally Palmer?: The Good Student (2006) from Horrorfest VII from 2018

When I first saw this film with my friend I was confused. Ever since I have reviewed it, the review has been read by fellow confused viewers.

1) Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002) from I Only Want To Be With You: Romance is in the Air from 2013

Ever since I have posted this it has been my number one viewed post. For 10 years nothing has been able to knock it out of first place. I’m extremely surprised.

First of all I celebrated my 10th Blogiversary! I’ve been doing this for 10 years! Can you believe that?!

Jane Austen Posts

It’s the name of the blog, of course there will be posts on Jane Austen or her works!

Pride and Prejudice:

Sense and Sensibility:

Emma:

Northanger Abbey:

Persuasion:

Jane Austen and the Regency Era:

Non-Austen Films for Austen Fans

Have you watched every version of Jane Austen’s works in film and TV and now wonder what to watch next? That’s why I started making a list of films that have components similar to Jane Austen’s works but not an exact retelling or a variation.

Spill the Tea, Tea Reviews

Reviews of tea shops, cafes, & more!

Recipes:

Who doesn’t love having a nice teatime snack to eat while reading or watching Jane Austen?

Crafts:

I’m going to try and share any regency, Jane Austen, or tea related crafts!

Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers:

What do you read after you’ve read all of Jane Austen’s works? That’s why I started making a list of books that have components similar to Jane Austen’s works but are not an exact retelling or a variation.

Giveaway Reviews:

Who doesn’t like free things?

Catherine Morland’s Viewing List

Similar to Catherine Morland’s Reading List, this is a list of gothic films I recommend for the Henry Tilneys and Catherine Morlands out there who are looking for something spooky to watch.

Catherine Morland’s Reading List

Similar to Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers this is a list of gothic books I recommend for the Henry Tilneys and Catherine Morlands who are looking for something spooky to read.

Horrorfest XI

31 reviews of horror films, mysteries, monsters, etc; and of course Northanger Abbey.

Instagram Stuff

On Instagram (@janeaustenrunsmylife) I try to achieve a Bookish Bingo every month. I usually read whatever I like and then see which slot it fills. I write how it fits the categories in my stories and save them for the month and the one after, replacing it with the new month’s selections. It is a lot of fun, and I recommend trying it out.

I also did a countdown to Halloween by reading a chapter of Northanger Abbey everyday, created 31 Days of Hallotean countdown to Halloween, and a countdown to Christmas with my Advent calendar the 25 Teas of Christmas.

July Blogiversary

I celebrated my 10th Blogiversary this year, my niece and I reviewing Austenland. Thank you to all who have been a part these past 10 years. Also on my Instagram I asked a series of questions and posted the results. I asked the following questions this year:

  • If Austen characters could have any food we have today, which one do you think they would go the most crazy over?
  • If the Jane Austen characters were alive today, what jobs would they have?
  • If you could cast any actor/actress in a Jane Austen production, who would it b
  • If you could cast any actor (alive or dead) as Mr. Darcy, who would
  • If you couldn’t marry one of Jane Austen’s Main Characters/love interests, which character would you marry?
  • If you were to make a modern adaption of Jane Austen, which book would you pick and what changes would you make to have it be ‘modern’
  • Jane Austen opinion you will never be talked out of?
  • What are your top 5 Jane Austen adaptions/retellings?
  • What is a Jane Austen themed tradition, oddity, or eccentricity you have/have in your family?
  • What is the best Austen themed product you have purchased or been gifted?
  • What is your favorite Jane Austen book cover?
  • What Pop Culture thing would the Austen characters be into?
  • What’s your favorite costume/outfit from a Jane Austen film.
  • Which Austen parent is the worst?
  • Which character in Austen’s works do you dislike/hate
  • Which Jane Austen character deserves a novel showcasing them?
  • Which is the worst film or TV adaption of Jane Austen’s work

25 Films of Christmas

I like to watch a Christmas film every day in December. Theses are the ones I watched this year.

That’s it for 2022, here’s hoping 2023 will be better!

For 2021 in review, go to I Always Deserve the Best Treatment, Because I Never Put Up With Any Other

For 2020 in review, go to I Will Be Calm. I Will Be Mistress of Myself

For 2019 in review, go to The Mysterious Affair at Jane Austen Runs My Life

For 2018 in review, go to The Future is Bulletproof

For 2017 in review, go to Life Seems But a Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

For 2016 in review, go to A New Hope

For 2015 in review, go to To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

For 2014 in review, go to Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads

For 2013 in review, go to Looking at the Past, Focusing on the Future

For 2012 in review, go to Looking Back, Moving Forward

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I Won the Ellery Adams’ September 2020 Giveaway + My Review of the First Two Books in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society Series

So two years ago, (I wasn’t kidding when I said I was behind on my posts), I won the Ellery Adams giveaway. You know me and free, I just can’t resist.

Anytime I see a giveaway I have to enter it.

So I ended up winning a copy of Solve it With Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Gripping Casebook of Stories.

I loved the Solve It book as I have always been a huge fan of Encyclopedia Brown and other mini mysteries. As I’m also a giant Sherlock Holmes fan, it was just perfect for me and I was so happy to have won it!

I also enjoyed Sherlock Holmes: A Gripping Casebook of Stories; which has the first Sherlock Holmes book (A Study in Scarlet) and fourteen other cases. Loved it!

Mystery, you say?

Ellery Adams also give me a cute I Love Mr. Darcy Bag, which you might have spotted I some other posts. It has popped up in several photos.

She also included a copy of her book, The Whispered Word (Secret, Book, & Scone Society #2).

We decided to read it for my book club, and of course as we read that one, we ended up reading the first book in the series.

The Secret, Book, & Scone Society (The Secret, Book, & Scone Society #1) by Ellery Adams

Nora Pennington has a terrible secret, and equally terrible burn scars. She moved to Miracle Springs, North Caroline to get away from it all and start her life anew. She runs a little bookshop called Miracle Books where people can come and receive bibliotherapy; books to help with whatever sadness, depression, anxiety, or other issues they are facing.

“She held up her hands. “This won’t be like a traditional counseling session where we sit down and you talk for a long period of time. You won’t need to go into detail with me. I only need a broad brushstroke—a brief glimpse into the heart of your pain. That way, I can select the right books. After that, you can start reading your way to a fresh start this evening.”

-The Secret, Book, & Scone Society (The Secret, Book, & Scone Society #1) by Ellery Adams

A businessman comes to town who is very upset and Nora recommends him getting a comfort scone from the bakery while she gathers a stack of books to help him overcomes his troubles. Before he can make his appointment with her he is found dead on the railroad tracks.

The man made a real impression on Nora and she starts investigating; being joined by three other women-Hester Winthrop, owner of the Gingerbread House bakery; Estella Sadler, owner of Magnolia Salon and Spa; and June Dixon, Miracle Springs Thermal Pools employee. None of these women want any friends, but they find themselves growing closer together and creating their own little book club, sharing their secrets along with their hopes and dreams. As they investigate into a development scheme, things turn to more troubling than they originally thought with one of the book club members getting arrested. Will the ladies be able to discover the truth and save their friend? Or will things turn deadly.

All those in our book club really enjoyed the book and the way that Adams incorporated all these twists and turns in the mystery. We also loved the characters, each of them were very unique but also very real; reminding you of people you know or people you have met.

As this was an indie author, our group had a few questions and reached out to her. She very kindly responded to them.

Me: Hello, my book club is reading your first book and we had a couple questions for you: Where did you get the idea of the comfort scone? Had someone ever made that for you? And the different secrets the ladies have, how did you come up with them? Did you know people who had experienced similar traumas? Was there anyone you knew that had suffered burns?

Adams: I witnessed a terrible burn incident at a county fair about a year before I started writing this book. She was a beautiful young woman and I couldn’t stop thinking about her. After that, I did lots of research on burn victims.

Adams: As for the womens’ pasts, I knew women with similar secrets. I was in a Bible study group with about 30 women for years and the women were of all ages and backgrounds. I heard all kinds of stories during that time but never repeat anything exactly out of respect for them.

Adams: The comfort scone just popped in my head 😊

Me: We loved the comfort scone and all those scenes. What about the bibliotherapy? Is that something you did or someone did for you?

Adams: I feel like all book lovers do it—we offer certain books to certain people, knowing they’re a good match. I’ve done that for years, but like Nora, I’m not trained in the practice and haven’t had a session myself.

Me: Thank you so much for taking time to answer our questions. 😊

The Whispered Word (The Secret, Book, & Scone Society #2) by Ellery Adams

In book two, Nora and the woman have formed a strong bond and are ready to handle anything…that is until an injured, emaciated woman shows up in the bookstore. The woman want to help this “Abilene Tyler”, but it’s hard when they know so little about her and she’s not sharing anything. To further complicate things a woman all disliked turns up dead, presumed suicide; however Nora feels it is murder. And even though the woman was unpleasant in life, Nora still plains to honor her.

The ladies are not sure if they can trust the new sheriff, and end up on the case, although when it turns out that Abilene might have a connection to the murder, will their group grow closer or split apart?

Hmm…

And if that wasn’t enough on the ladies’ plate, a new business rolled into town that seems too good to be true. Many of their friends and neighbors are falling victim to the scheme and these ladies are doing all they can to stop them.

Will the ladies be able to handle this mystery as well? Or will this be their final case?

We also all really liked this book as we saw the characters continue to grow and trust each other from the previous one. I really enjoyed that the characters wanted to help this stranger, as they could see she was in need of it, but at the same time were still cautious. I read another book, Patterns in the Sand (A Seaside Knitters Mystery #2) by Sally Goldenbaum, where something similar happened and I did not care for it at all. In Patterns in the Sand all the women instantly trust this stranger found in the shop and defend her innocence because she is a “talented artist”. This was super annoying as a reader. I think Adams did it better by having the women want to help, they could see she fled a troubling situation, but were also hesitant as they don’t know her or anything about her past.

We also loved the solution to the mystery, one we all did not see coming at all. I read so many mysteries, but this solution was right in front of my face and I was completely blind to it. Very well written.

If you enjoy mysteries and are a book lover, you should definitely give her books a read.

For more giveaway reviews, go to I Won the Tea and Me Blog & Harts of America Giveaway

For more on Sherlock Holmes, go to I Won the Cederberg Tea Giveaway + Book Club Picks: The Insanity of God

For more mysteries, go to Jane Austen Children’s Stories: Northanger Abbey

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I Won the Tea and Me Blog & Harts of America Giveaway

So two years ago, (I wasn’t kidding when I said I was behind on my posts), I won the Tea and Me Blog & Harts of America giveaway. You know me and free, I just can’t resist.

Anytime I see a giveaway I have to enter it.

So I ended up winning a bag of Pacific Spearmint and Sleepynight Extra Strength Tea

Harts of America is such a cute company. When you open the package of your tea, each bag of loose leaf has a cute little postcard, which not only discusses the ingredients of the tea but has a little romantic meet-cute that has been shared by fans of the tea. So romantic and sweet!

Soooo cute!!!!

I tried the Pacific Spearmint right away, but even through it was delicious, something in the ingredients activated my allergies and I couldn’t continue to drink it. I believe I am allergic to spearmint as I love mint it never seems to bother me.

However, my niece absolutely adored it and I ended up giving the tea to her.

Pacific spearmint tea and Anne of green gables
Pacific Spearmint Tea and Anne of Green Gables

Now the Sleepytime tea, that was a different story. I have suffered from insomnia for years and nothing has helped. I can’t take most medications as I’m really sensitive to them and always experience the side effects. I have tried all kinds of different teas, habits, etc.; but nothing has helped. The only thing that has worked is this amazing tea! Every time I am struggling with sleep, I drink it and it helps.

Because I love this Sleepytime Extra Strength tea I have shared it with friends and family, converting one of my friends into becoming a serious customer of Harts of America. She recently shared a Chamomile Mint she had just ordered and it was delicious.

Sleepynight Extra Strength Tea

This company has absolutely wonderful tea and I highly I recommend it. Every order has free shipping, it’s reasonably priced (on average $4-$5 a bag), and they have a variety of caffeinated and non-caffeinated tea.

And again, if you too have any issues sleeping or troubles with insomnia i cannot stress enough to check out Extra Strength Sleepytime Tea. You won’t be sorry!

For more giveaway posts, go to I Won the BookNookMajorieMaeShop Giveaway

For more tea posts, go to Spill the Tea: Tea Bar and Fusion Café Review

A few years back I was given a collection of five teas, A World of Teas. As I was about to try them out, I started thinking: which books would best suit these teas? After all, nothing goes together better than a good book and a delicious cup of tea.

Since then I try my best to repeat it whenever I review new teas. 🙂

Let’s spill the tea.

Tea #1: Pacific Spearmint

Pacific Spearmint was cool and relaxing. Spearmint is known to help with fevers and digestive disorders, and if I hadn’t been allergic to it, I definitely would have drank more of it.

As this tea is from the Northwest, I tried to find a book to match. One I enjoy reading and find to be equally enjoyable and a relaxing reread. I decided to pair it with Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

The story of Redeeming Love, is a retelling of an Old Testament book of the Bible, Hosea, but in this depiction follows a Gold Rush Era prostitute, her farmer husband, and the redeeming love God gives to all sinners. Angel has been a prostitute for as long as she can remember, hoping for the one day she can make enough to have a life where she is in charge. Michael Hosea is a Christian farmer who is baffled when God tells him Angel is the woman he should marry. After convincing her to marry him, their marriage life is not the smoothest journey as Angel has never been shown true kindness, affection, love, or caring; and Michael tries to discover a way to show it to her. Other obstacles come in their way such as doubt, jealousy, insecurity, fear, etc. before this book reaches its powerful conclusion.

This was first given to me by a friend, and I really enjoy this book and while there are serious events and traumas in it, reading it always relaxes me as I enjoy the journey to a fitting conclusion. The other reason why I pair these together, is the steadfast, relaxed, collected, and mostly even-tempered (occasionally he gets riled up) character of Michael is similar to the coolness of the spearmint.

A film of this book was just released in theaters, but I strongly recommend reading the book as all my favorite scenes and moment are not in the film.

For more on Francine Rivers, go to Book Club Picks: The Masterpiece

Tea #2: Sleepynight Extra Strength Tea

As this tea is for one who is having restless nights, I thought no better book would be suited than The Storyteller’s Daughter by Cameron Dokey.

In this adaptation of 1001 Arabian Nights, Shahrayar was betrayed by his wife and after he executed her he decides to never love or trust a woman again. Shahrayar decrees that he will marry once a month for one night only, executing his brides in the morning so they cannot betray him. If a maiden volunteers for the first month, all those who come after her will merely be imprisoned. Shahrazad, the daughter of the vizier and a famous storyteller, volunteers and comes up with a plan to try and turn Shahrazad’s heart. Every night she tells a story, but doesn’t end it, continuing the next night. But while her plan is a success at first, the family of Shahrayar’s deceased wife continue to plot to bring their destruction. Will Shahrazad save Shahrayar, or will she run out of time?

I really loved the way the characters are in this and the stories they kept, although I wish there was a few more stories in this. Something that is different about this retelling is Dokay wrote Shahrazad as blind, which I thought was interesting and helped tell this particular version of the story better. One scene I really liked is when Shahrayar is upset that Shahrazad came to be his first wife as he doesn’t want to kill a blind woman and she basically sasses him, politely, about why it should matter as he is going to kill the first wife anyway. He immediately starts feeling bad about himself. Haha.

And just how Shahrazad puts the king to sleep, this Sleepynight Extra Strength tea will help you fall asleep.