March 2020 – Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree

Ascension Saga: 8 (Interstellar Brides® Program: Ascension Saga)

Nix is about to find out Destiny’s dirty little secret…she’s even more stubborn than he is.

Destiny has a problem—a six-foot-three, stubborn, gorgeous, deadly, sex-on-a-stick—kind of problem. While her brain might want to kick his ass across the galaxy, the rest of her wants to jump him like a bouncy house.

Ardor or not, she’s hunting a killer. Nix is going all protective, alpha male, claiming she’s his mate just because she had a few mind-blowing moments in his bed. And she’s trapped deep undercover in the most dangerous place on the planet. If anyone discovers the truth, she’ll be dead. But if she gives up now, her mother will be lost forever.

And Nix is about to find out Destiny’s dirty little secret…she’s even more stubborn than he is.

What I Liked:

This one, like all the others, is well-written. The world-building is full of all the little details that make a place come alive in your imagination. The characters are complex and well rounded. The situations they find themselves in are believable and flow well.

What I Didn’t Like:

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. The cliff-hangers leave a lot to be desired. I get that the author wanted wrap everything up in the final book, but we didn’t even get a HFN in each installment. This ends just as abruptly as all the others. I dislike serials and this felt very much like one.

Grace Goodwin is a USA Today and international bestselling author of Sci-Fi and Paranormal romance with nearly one million books sold. Grace’s titles are available worldwide in multiple languages in ebook, print and audio formats. Two best friends, one left-brained, the other right-brained, make up the award-winning writing duo that is Grace Goodwin. They are both mothers, escape room enthusiasts, avid readers and intrepid defenders of their preferred beverages. (There may or may not be an ongoing tea vs. coffee war occurring during their daily communications.) Grace loves to hear from readers.

Amazon

Goodreads

Keeping Busy #Coronavirus #COVID-19

What are you doing to keep from going stir-crazy?

So, now that we are settling in for what looks like a long period of “Social Distancing”, what are you doing to keep from going stir-crazy? Hubby and I got outside this morning and washed the car 🚙. By hand!

Now, of course, Odie just had to join us outside. While we worked, he dug a hole and got comfortable. So, that led to the expected, a bath. As you can see, bath time is not his favorite thing. 🤦‍♀️

So, what did you do today?

Skillet-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pecorino Romano | America’s Test Kitchen

Got 10 minutes? Try this simple recipe!

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love the folks at Cook Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen. The testing that they do on recipes is unbelievable. They elected to share a number of these with everyone during the current crisis. So, enjoy!

Have 10 minutes? You can make the best Brussels sprouts that you’ve ever tasted.
— Read on www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/10260-skillet-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-lemon-and-pecorino-romano

Preparing for the Coronavirus #Coronavirus #COVID-19

I know, it’s nothing to laugh about, but seeing this little graphic on a news story on my local ABC station had me giggling. Now, I’m in FL, but I’m sure you can think of similar weather problems for your area.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is reminding Floridians that COVID-19 and hurricane preparedness are two different situations.
ABC Action News, Tampa FL

When I think of what happens around here the minute the local stations even hint at a storm, I get it! Read the story, enjoy the giggle

Ascension Saga: 7 (Interstellar Brides® Program: Ascension Saga)

Because Destiny is his. His body awakened for her. And if his new mate thinks Nix will stand idly by as she suffers without his skillful lover’s touch, she is very, very mistaken…

Destiny Jones is a princess with a bad attitude. She doesn’t play nice with others, she doesn’t dress up in pretty clothes, and she has absolutely zero interest in behaving like a lady. Especially when she’s so close to catching the people who tried to have her killed. Oh, and kidnapped her mother, queen of the planet Alera. Destiny’s sex-starved body, and it’s annoying Aleran Ardor, might kill her if her enemies don’t find her first. But she’s not afraid to suffer, or risk her life to protect those she loves, but she’s terrified of risking her heart.

Vennix was trained to hunt and to kill from the shadows. After years of serving in the Hive wars as an elite member of the Coalition’s Shadow Unit, he returned home to fight for the one thing he believes in, honor. Dedicating his life to the queen’s guard was an easy decision—but watching the most beautiful woman he’s ever met repeatedly risk her life is about to drive him mad.

Because Destiny is his. His body awakened for her. And if his new mate thinks Nix will stand idly by as she suffers without his skillful lover’s touch, she is very, very mistaken…

The last of the sisters begins her story. Destiny is such a strong character, she needs a man who is just as strong. Luckily Nix seems to be exactly what she needs. Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

You know that old saying? #Coronavirus #COVID-19

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink?

It’s apparently still alive and kicking in the USA. A week ago, I posted parts of a news article from my local news, (You Think?) that had a link in it to a list of items readily available in stores, that the EPA stated would kill the Coronavirus. Easy, peasy, right? Clorox – Check. Lysol – Check. Purell – Check.

Monday, while enjoying the hospitality of my local VA, I caught sight of a news story on a different channel pointing out that certain cleaners were not appropriate for this need. So let me use some old-fashion terms, maybe that will help.

No one is saying you don’t clean your home. Nope, haven’t heard that at all. The question is, “Are you disinfecting or sanitizing it?” Totally different things there.

When you spray the disinfectant and wipe it up right away, that’s sanitizing it. When you wait for 5 – 6 minutes, that’s disinfecting it. Make sure to do both. Start by disinfecting every thing, then you can sanitize it more easily.

Instant Pot Rack o’ Ribs Sandwich

A touch of chipotle adds smokiness to these ribs, like what you’d get on the grill. A quick broil at the end creates extra char and concentrates the flavors of the barbecue sauce.

Do you have an Instant Pot? For our most recent anniversary, my husband bought me one. Initially I thought it would be good for soup and stew. Then this recipe was featured on my Alexa Show. Now I had a good recipe for ribs that Cook’s Illustrated publishes. This one has rapidly replaced that one as a favorite.

Okay, I’m going to refer you to Food Network for the full recipe, but I thought you would enjoy seeing the video and a partial ingredient list.

Two 1 1/2-pound racks meaty baby back ribs
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons chipotle chile powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

Now, I don’t know about you, but I had almost all of the ingredients in my pantry.

Food Network

Totally Off Topic – #SugarCookies #ReluctantRetiree’sKitchen

Okay, all bloggers deserve to have one totally off topic category on their blog. I’ve been through several, and I’m doing it again. This started out as a basic Sugar Cookie recipe I found in the “Joy of Cooking” cookbook. As far as it went, it’s nice, but a bit bland. So here is a somewhat jazzed up version:

Basic Sugar Cookies – Cherry Flavored

2 1/2 cup all purpose-flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cherry flavoring
3 ounces pecans, chopped

Heat oven to 375 deg.
Sift dry ingredients together in small bowl.
Mix oil, butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs and flavoring and beat well after each addition.
Add flour mixture and beat well.
Form dough into small balls and place one lightly greased cookie sheet. If desired, flatten cookies before baking.
Bake for 10-12 min. Cool on rack.

Makes 36 cookies approx. Here’s the nutrition info:

Serving size: 1/36 of a recipe (0.9 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 112.56
Calories From Fat (50%) 55.83
% Daily Value
Total Fat 6.36g 10%
Saturated Fat 1.45g 7%
Cholesterol 13.72mg 5%
Sodium 73.13mg 3%
Potassium 23.83mg <1%
Total Carbohydrates 12.65g 4%
Fiber 0.5g 2%
Sugar 5.69g
Protein 1.48g 3%

You Think? #Coronavirus #Covid-19

Yesterday, the local ABC news channel carried story titled “EPA releases list of approved cleaning products to kill coronavirus.” Now this is something everyone is interested in right now. What shouldn’t have surprised anyone is some of the products listed are on the shelves on any grocery story.

The Environmental Protection Agency released its list of approved cleaning products to kill the coronavirus.

Many of the products include brands you’re used to seeing on store shelves, including Clorox, Lysol and Purell.

The products include Clorox Multi-Surface Cleaner + Bleach, Clorox Pet Solutions Advanced Formula Disinfecting Stain & Odor Remover, Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and more.

Lysol products include Lysol Brand Power Plus Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Lysol Brand Bleach Mold and Mildew Remover, Lysol Brand Clean and Fresh and more.

PURELL Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes also made the list, as well as a series of medical-grade cleaners.

Now as any Baby Boomer can tell you, there was a time when smelling bleach or lemon as you entered a home meant the house had recently been cleaned and the lady of the house cared about her family. Sadly that has gone by the way.

I’m not saying that today’s families aren’t cleaning their homes. But perhaps we need to back to the basics. I tried to purchase some wipes yesterday but the shelves were bare. For me, this wasn’t a problem. I had just bought a case of bleach and could readily make up a bottle of bleach water to spray the counters.

If you look in your cleaning closet, would you find the supplies to keep your family safe?

Ascension Saga: 5 (Interstellar Brides® Program: Ascension Saga)

Thordin Jax always gets what he wants. He’s rich. He’s gorgeous. He’s the heir to one of the most powerful families on the planet. But when his body comes alive at the sight of Faith Jones, it will take every ounce of seduction and skill he possesses to get into her bed.

But there is a traitor under his roof. A very dangerous adversary. And his beautiful, mysterious new mate is hunting him…alone.