December 2020 – Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree

Hunted and Claimed (Wayward Mates Book 7)

She thought she could run from her mate. Then he lassoed her.

Riley decided years ago that she would be better off on her own, but when the alpha of the local pack finds out there’s a lone wolf causing trouble on his turf he takes matters into his own hands.

As far as Cameron Nichols is concerned, Riley will be joining his pack whether she likes it or not. Her only choice will be whether to submit to his authority with or without needing to be stripped bare and spanked over his knee until she is kicking and crying and promising obedience. When she chooses the latter, the Navy SEAL turned cowboy is more than happy to oblige.

But Cameron knows instantly that Riley isn’t just a feisty female in need of an alpha’s firm hand. She is his mate, and she knows it too, despite her best efforts to deny it. No matter how many times she tries to run, he will always chase her down, punish her thoroughly, and then mount and claim her so roughly that all she can do is scream her helpless, shamefully intense pleasure into the pillow as her body betrays her and surrenders ever more completely to his demands.


Salli
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful heroine
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2020
I have loved the Wayward Mates series and have reread all of the previous books in the series. Delta James is one of my favorite romance authors and no one does shifter romance better. I especially liked Hunted and Claimed because of Riley, arguably the strongest of the many strong heroines in this series. I also liked the hero’s appreciation of Riley’s strengths and his persistence in pursuing her. The books may be standalone, but are best read in order. I highly recommend this series.


Marybeth
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2019 Verified Purchase
First of all, let me tell you that I love this series! The women are so strong and the men are wonderful overprotective asses! 😁 Riley and Cam are no different.

Riley has run from her pack so that she can have her own life. She spends time with Bae Diogel and Skylar before they are disbanded. Riley rescues the women that are being stolen and abused by the clans that don't have mates. She is found by Cam and he realizes that she is his fated mate. Riley doesn't disagree, she just doesn't want to be mated. She wants to continue her mission. She escapes before he is able to mate her and that is the start of their game of cat and mouse.

I loved this story, as I have loved all the stories in this series. I rejoice with the women when they defy their men, who are overprotective and overbearing. But, I still like them. I can't wait for the final book to come out! I give this book 5 stars. I would give more if I could!


CChase
5.0 out of 5 stars Riley & Cameron amazing love story.
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2019 Verified Purchase
Loved Riley and Cameron, amazing chemistry together. Fated to be mated. But only thing is Riley didn't want to be Mated. Cameron was determined that Riley was his mate. Will not let her go. Well hence s for a surprise of hide and seek. Will he be able to catch up to her. Specially when the other mates help her with her mission of getting the women that being changed, kidnapped.
Do you think he will catch up with her? If or when he does will she go willingly?
Ya have to read see what happens if Can does catch up, with Riley.
Amazing love story also much more. So enjoyed reading this book and the others before it.


Judith D. Woronka
4.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2020 Verified Purchase
This is my first book in this series and I know starting 7 books in is stupid but I did it ,it does make me want to read the series.
as for this book I Loved the hero the heroine I just wanted to hit upside the head always always thinking only she could do everything the elusiveness of avoiding her mate was dragged on far to long that I almost stopped reading quite a few times but the premise of the story was to good to stop

The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook

650 Recipes for Everything You’ll Ever Want to Make

Because smaller families shouldn’t have to rely on recipes built for four or six, America’s Test Kitchen has reengineered 650 of our best recipes to serve just two. Over the years we’ve discovered that scaling down a recipe isn’t as simple as cutting the ingredients in half—cooking times, temperatures, and equipment need to be adapted as well. This comprehensive cookbook takes the guesswork out of cooking for two so you can be sure that anything you want to make—from Classic Beef Stew to Lasagna to a mini batch of Fudgy Brownies or a Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake—will come out right (and perfectly proportioned) every time. We’ll also give you options when you’re short on time. 150 recipes, including Chicken Saltimbocca and Pan-Seared Rib-Eye Steaks with Sweet-Tart Red Wine Sauce, can be on the table in 30 minutes or less. For those times when you want healthier fare, we’ve provided more than 100 recipes labeled “Light” such as Provencal Vegetable Soup and Poached Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit, each with nutritional information listed in an easy-to-read chart in the back of the book. And we include chapters on for-two slow cooking, grilling, and baking pies, quick breads, cakes, and cookies. A 25-page manual teaches the basics of cooking for two, including clever shopping strategies to reduce waste, smart storage tricks help extend freshness of key ingredients, and our picks for the most useful kitchen equipment for any two-person household.

The reason given in the forward for this cookbook is really quite sweet. A neighbor, a man and his daughter, complained that about having too many leftovers after he cooked. After receiving hundreds of requests along the same line, the editors decided answer the requests. Then they discovered that cooking for two people required much more than just dividing the recipe in half!

This cookbook is the result of their work. I’m an empty nester so it was perfect for my husband and myself. I was so impressed I bought copies for both of my daughters! It was so great to see a cake recipe that wouldn’t leave me with enough cake to eat every day for a week!

Even better, IMHO, is the section in the beginning where they give some tips on buying for a smaller household. Tips for using up the leftover ingredients, smaller sized pans. These are all things I personally struggled with after my last daughter moved out!

Joe Gee
5.0 out of 5 stars Great explanations as to why the recipe works!
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2020 Verified Purchase
Great pictures, easy instructions, and really great recipes.


P. Warner
5.0 out of 5 stars Big Beautiful Book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2020 Verified Purchase
Lots of yummy recipes structured for one and two servings. Beautifully illustrated. Great for a gift so buy two...you will want to keep one.

Scott Barnard
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome cookbook, every kitchen should have one.
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2020 Verified Purchase
A cook book that weighs 4 pounds, 450 pages, 650 recipes and information on everything from preparing food, the deferance between canned tomatos, how to cut meat and everything and anything that deals with cooking in between. If I could give it a 10 score I would. Funny thing is I have not made one recipes yet. By the recipes I've look at in this book, I will be making a lot of these recipes. And before I read a review of a reviewer that is complaining they have to send this book back because " it's to big, "there's no pictures", "to bulkie". I have this to say, stop your whining and do some COOKING!!!! This cook book uses common ingredients and common sense to make theses recipes. Yes it has common information that a beginning cook can use. And deeper information that over time a beginner can use. But the best part of this cook book is this. COOKING FOR TWO PEOPLE !!!!

Katie likes books
5.0 out of 5 stars Well thought out and informative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2020Verified Purchase
Plenty of recipes and additional information regarding all aspects of food and cooking. Its complete in itself for 2 people wanting to stop waste.

Claimed and Mastered (Wayward Mates Book 6)

She vowed she would never be mated. He claimed her anyway.

Ava Rhys has always chafed at submitting to the authority of her pack’s alpha, but when he tries to sell her body in return for money and influence, she decides she would be better off on her own. Ava’s plans to live as a lone wolf in the backwoods of Maine are thrown into turmoil, however, when the local game warden makes it his business to take her in hand, and the battle-hardened former Army Ranger soon proves to be just as fiercely dominant as any alpha shifter.

Declan Collins knows a woman in need of a man’s firm hand when he sees one, and it isn’t long before Ava is kneeling naked at his feet with her well-spanked bare bottom on display. Once he has taught her a better use for her sassy mouth, she quickly finds herself screaming her helpless, shameful submission into the bedsheets as he claims her so roughly and so thoroughly that she is left in no doubt that she belongs to him and there is nothing whatsoever she can do about it.

With each passing day he masters her body ever more completely, never hesitating to punish any hint of defiance before using and enjoying her in ways more humiliating than she could have ever imagined. But when instinct causes her to bite him in the throes of yet another intense, desperate climax, will she lose him forever or will she end up mated to an alpha shifter after all?


CChase
5.0 out of 5 stars Ava and Declan story
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019Verified Purchase
At first I wasn't to sure about Ava , after reading her story . I understand why she was way she was with others.way she raised . She didn't want to believe in fated mates. Ran from her pack when they were going to look for a mate for her. Then she met Declan, almost feel the sparks from them . Hot heavy . Even thought first she didn't want nothing to do with him . The chemistry between them was off the charts. Enjoyed reading Ava's story. Wayward mates series keeps getting better and better. Already amazing from the first book .

Marybeth
5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT series!
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2019Verified Purchase
When we were first introduced to Ava, she was not a loved character. But, she spoke to the author and her story was written. It turns out she is just misunderstood!

Ava wants a love, but she doesn't believe in fated mates. When she escapes from her pack, she goes to the United States and starts over. But, fate is keeping an eye on her and she meets Declan. Their story is wonderful and I love how the complications are resolved!

This series keeps getting better. I can't wait for the next book!


TLG
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2019Verified Purchase
Ava runs from Wales to escape a forced mating. She unwittingly puts herself in the clutches of her mate - her human mate. What's an alpha wolf girl to do? Steamy as all heck. Still don't like men's attitudes. Alphas. Bleh.


Renee
5.0 out of 5 stars Yay! Ava's story... my favorite so far
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2019Verified Purchase
I think this is my favorite so far in this series. Ava was not a character I liked in an earlier story. However in this story we see another side of her. Declan is so dominant even as a human. I really liked how quickly and easily he took to the idea shifters and wolves. He is the perfect fated mate to Ava. Their chemistry is purely explosive. This series just keeps getting better and better.

Master of the Grill: Foolproof Recipes, Top-Rated Gadgets, Gear, & Ingredients Plus Clever Test Kitchen Tips & Fascinating Food Science

Part field guide to grilling and barbecuing and part cookbook, Master of the Grill features a wide variety of kitchen-tested recipes for meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, pizza, and more. These are the recipes everyone should know how to make— the juiciest burgers, barbecue chicken that’s moist not tough, tender grill-smoked pork ribs, the greatest steak (and grilled potatoes to serve alongside). Regional specialties are included, too—learn how to make Cowboy Steaks, Alabama BBQ Chicken, and Kansas City Sticky Ribs. Colorful photography captures the beauty of the recipes and step-by-step shots guide you through everything you need to know. A section on grilling essentials covers the pros and cons of gas and charcoal grills and which might be right for you, as well as the tools you’ll use with them— such as grill brushes, tongs, vegetable baskets, and wood chips and chunks.

Do you know someone who loves to grill, but needs a little help? I bought this book for my husband. He loves to grill, but doesn’t always know how to make what he wants. This book is perfect for that. Besides all the wonderful descriptions that ATK is known for, they have step by step photographic directions! That makes it easier to understand what they are telling you do. I would point out, however, that’s better to only try one new recipe at a time!


Matthew
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2018Verified Purchase
I love cooking the recipes in this book. I find that even deviating from them still results in great success. This book however is a little strangely formatted, I was expecting each page to have a recipe and it sometimes has 4-5. Or one recipe and multiple alternatives of the same type of dish.
Each dish has been very good and the book has educated me in becoming a much more successful cook.

C. Little
5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks to this book my son is the perfect-er husband of all time!
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2019Verified Purchase
I bought this for my son and daughter-in-law's 5th anniversary and I'm sure they'll be married forever if he keeps using this book. They are so happy. Everything is rainbows and sunshine. They not only know what works on the grill, but why. Or I should say oh, he knows. She doesn't cook , she just loves him like no other. Especially since he is now the Grill Master. I'm his mom so I think he's perfect but now he really is perfect because he can cook recipes from this book while his bride and his Pugs look on adoringly.

Mark6936
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Info
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2018Verified Purchase
Look, this is a great book as far as the information goes. I would have rated it 5 stars except for the organization of the information. It's really not good. It's hard to find stuff. The little tips are scattered throughout the book making it impossible to find them. Then there's three sections (easy, medium and advanced) with each section having the same categories (chicken, steak, pork, ect...) It just could have been organized way better with a better index.

Kevin S. Parcher
4.0 out of 5 stars Great recipes - but it is a collection, not really a new book
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2016Verified Purchase
This book has many terrific recipes in it; I know because I have made and enjoyed many of them. As far as I can tell, all of these recipes have appeared in the magazines (Cook's Illustrated/Cook's Country). So, yes, I gave it four stars because the recipes are great, but I am returning it because I have a full set of the magazines - that is why I am writing this review, so that potential purchasers will know that if they have a full set of the magazines, they essentially have this book. IMO it would have been more accurate if ATK had subtitled this book "A Collection of the Best Grilling and BBQ Recipes from Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country".

That being said, it is a beautiful book with great pictures, good tips and advice, and a fun format. I am a big fan of ATK, but I don't have room on my shelf for another book when I already have the recipes. BTW - For anyone interested in canning and preserving, check out ATK's new book that subject. It is great!

Claimed and Mated (Wayward Mates Book 5)

He tried to romance her, but now it is time for his mate to be claimed.

When Catherine Livingston travels to Italy to investigate her sister’s disappearance, it isn’t long before she crosses paths with the man who has been ravishing her almost every night in her dreams. More shocking still, the mysterious, darkly handsome stranger leaves her in no doubt that he is well aware of the connection between them and he has no intention of ignoring it.

Marco DeMedici seems to all but own the city of Florence, and it soon becomes clear that he will not rest until Catherine belongs to him, even if it means carrying her off, stripping her bare, and spanking her until she is sobbing, obedient, and begging him to take her hard and thoroughly.

Despite Catherine’s efforts to run from him, her body’s response to Marco’s stern dominance cannot be denied, and when he reveals that he is an alpha shifter it only makes it more obvious that her world will never be the same. She will be his mate, and the only thing left up to her will be how loudly she screams his name as he claims her as roughly and shamefully as he pleases.

O.M.G! There were definitely times when I had to admit that I would have done the exact same thing as Catherine. It made me laugh to read it. Strong willed as she is, only Marco could have stopped her!


21st Century Woman
5.0 out of 5 stars Strong men love their women well
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2019Verified Purchase
I am hooked on this series. Strong men who love strong, sassy women. They love, laugh, and play in a world where the rules are rock solid, respect is extremely important. Good mix of drama to make this story more than just spanking naughty mates and detailed sexy scenes for the reader to experience through the characters.

This is Catherine and Marco's story. Catherine is human and Marco, Italian wolf, feels her presence while enjoying a bite with his wolf friend Griffin. Marco chases Catherine hard and Catherine runs. Great lines from Marco to Catherine like 'you have not had a man worthy of your submission, so you have withheld it.' Talk about lines to warm your girlie parts. Catherine has a lot of spunk and sass even after it results in lots of spanks and hard loving to ensure all is forgiven.

A story I will read again and again.


CChase
5.0 out of 5 stars Claimed
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018Verified Purchase
On my gosh, I just love Marco . He and Catherine work so well together, fated mates .where ya just know in your soul met to be. Love the hotel where Marco brings her to heal .In a all alpha way.
Had some of the best hot scenes, suspense , spankings. Y'all will love Marco and Catherine


Krystle DeCantillon
5.0 out of 5 stars Spankings galore
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2020Verified Purchase
What can I say...Marco and Catherine they are one of my favs. Marco is such a compassionate and caring alpha. Cathrine is a sassy independent woman who needs no man. Little does she know, how wrong she is. Delta James is a fantastic writer and I love the imagery she sets in Florence; you feel as if you are there with Catherine seeing what she is seeing. Well done

Meal Prep in an Instant: 50 Make-Ahead Recipes and 7 Prep Plans for Your Instant Pot

Make weekly meal prep in your Instant Pot easy with over 50 recipes and 7 weekly prep plans

Meal prep has never been easier with an Instant Pot. With it’s versatility and ability to cook quickly and efficiently, you can use your Instant Pot to cook meals for the week ahead, or prepare your meals on your prep day and just dump them into the Instant Pot for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. With seven customized prep plans, Meal Prep in an Instantwill show you how to use your prep day efficiently to prepare three lunch or dinner meals and one breakfast meal, package them up for the week ahead, and enjoy fresh, delicious meals without struggling to figure out what to make for dinner every night. Here’s what you’ll get:

•Over 50 recipes that will appeal to a variety of tastes and appetities
•Seven weekly meal plans, each featuring four primary recipes, three alternate recipes, and one dessert, and many of the recipes are dairy-free or vegetarian
•Detailed prep day plans for every weekly meal plan, each designed to help you maximize your time in the kitchen on your prep day
•Handy shopping lists and equipment lists to help you execute your plan perfectly and efficiently

This book is so good that I’m giving serious consideration to buying it for both of my daughters! I’m retired so I have the time to pick and choose my recipes. Both my daughters are working with a child to cook for. Anything I can do to make things easier for them, I’ll do. The organization of the preparations and the recipes are wonderful. I especially enjoyed the range of accessories that are utilized in the recipes.

Taking His Mate (Wayward Mates Book 4)

She is his to protect, whether she likes it or not.

Years ago, Madeline Stone was attacked by a rogue band of wolves. Now they are hunting her again, but to get to her, they’ll have to go through Griffen Owen. The ex-Special Forces operative is the rightful alpha of his pack, and the moment he sets eyes on Madeline he knows the beautiful, feisty human is his mate. But to keep her safe, he will need to teach her to obey.

Doing as she is told doesn’t come easily to Madeline, and it isn’t long before she finds herself naked, helpless, and tearfully promising to be good as her bare bottom is soundly spanked. Her mate’s mastery of her body is put on full display as Madeline is brought to a quivering, shameful climax while still over his knee, and soon she is begging to be taken hard and thoroughly.

Madeline’s need for Griffen only grows stronger as she is marked and claimed, and his savage lovemaking leaves her in no doubt that she belongs to him. But with war brewing between the packs, can Griffen protect his mate from both their enemies and her own headstrong defiance?

Mozzy
5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2018Verified Purchase
What a thrilling and exciting story this was to read. Maddie a romance writer human but converted not long after meeting Griffin. She is his fated mate, but like a few other women she also is firey and has a temper, which she is spanked for. But things are heating up and the men must take down the rogues. The women including Maddie wont to be apart of the takedown, but the men wont hear of it. These men, Alpha males wont hesitate to lock them up to keep them safe.

What i loved most about this story is that we get to hear more from the women of Bae Biogel as they make their appearences in the book. They sre all so happy but still give their men grief occasionally.
This series i really have to say has been great to read, and i will be looking forward to Deltas next book


21st Century Woman
5.0 out of 5 stars Alpha male knows what he wants
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2019Verified Purchase
The story of Maggie and Griffin will make you laugh out loud, feel warm inside, and sizzle your girlie parts. Fun read with all of Maggie's sassiness and antics. Enjoyed hearing from ole friends from the previous stories , like Marco and Jean-Michel. Griffin made you want to be possessed, by him, like Maggie and the spankable offenses just made the story hotter. And I agree with Griffin that beautiful mates do not use bad language without themselves earning a mouth full of soap and a trip over their mate's knee - a lesson Maggie learned the hard way. And yes, there is a happily ever after.


Nancy Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed the whole series
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2020
I would recommend all of the books that Delta James has written. I have read all of her books and have enjoyed every one of them. The women are strong in all her books and love their mates just as much.


Patrice
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2020
I love all the books from this series. This is definitely my second favorite. My first one is Darby’s Story. I recommend this book to anyone that loves an amazing shifter romance novel with a little bit of action!!

Mastering His Mate (Wayward Mates Book 3)

Love the book, but just don’t have the time to read it? Did you get started on it at home, but need to leave the house for a while? Wish that you could take it with you as you go through your daily routine? Grab the Audible version of this book! You can start reading it and continue to listen to it easily. I’ve done this many times!

He has been patient with his mate for long enough. Now she needs to be mastered.

After she was injured in an attack by a rogue band of wolves, Rosalyn Kincanon awoke to discover that her life had changed forever. Angry and distraught, she fled from those that nursed her back to health and found her own place in the world. But now the all-female pack she helped lead has been disbanded and the women are to be claimed as mates whether they like it or not.

The moment Oliver Halsey saw Rosalyn, he knew she was his mate. But she was born a human, and the vicious brutes who turned her did so against her will, so he set aside his rights as alpha and gave her the freedom she needed to come to terms with her new reality. Now her time is up.

Oliver knows what Rosalyn needs, even if she doesn’t. When she runs, he will catch her and bring her back. When she disobeys, he will bare her and punish her. He will take her harder and longer than she would have ever thought possible, and she will scream and beg as one climax after another is forced from her naked, quivering body. It is time for his mate to be mastered.


Mkaye
5.0 out of 5 stars Mastering His Mate
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2020
This was another great fated mates story. The beta of the all woman pack meets her match in the alpha of the Hamptons pack. Her sister’s fated match is also a part of this story. I love that Oliver had to have patience before he met her, and then afterwards until she came around. He was quite sweet in his romance, and even though he spanked Roz for disobedience, he never really tried to change her!

Sue T.5.0 out of 5 stars Love this series
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2019Verified Purchase
This author melds adventure, excitement, romance, and searing passion between strong male and female characters. Each book reads as a stand-alone, and I have read them out of order. It just gave me the bonus of knowing how certain characters would find their fated mates and the fun that is to be had by all. I would recommend however reading the books in order to keep the underlying storyline intact and allowing the tension to build as the danger escalates. But whatever you decide, read them all! My only refpgret isn’t that now that I’ve read the entire series, I must wait for the next release - five sexy growling stars for a wonderful shifter series.


Bethann
5.0 out of 5 stars Alpha shifters/getting their mates
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2019Verified Purchase
This to me is a fantastic series I,splurged on these were my first books from delta james and was hooked on the complete wayward series these are fun great reads about shifters hot dominate alphas who take what they want in their mates wether they want to be mated at first or not and the alphas are not afraid to spank their mates into submission. These were just fun flirty and kept you reading to see what happens. Give delta book a try you won't be disappointed

Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Farmhouse Favorites Cookbook:

Ever feel as famished as a farmer and long for simple country cooking ideas? Find them in this new collection of recipes, tips, and stories from Amish cooks.

CUSTOMER
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Color Photos
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2020Verified Purchase
This cookbook is a treasure for my collection! Color photos on heavy glossy paper. Includes Recipes, Time-Tested Home Medicinal Remedies, Cooking Tips & Wisdom, Condiments from scratch, Homemade Cottage Cheese, and has a bonus of natural bug and critter repellents, barnyard tips for animals, and garden tips. Just simple & just fabulous


Deanna Stevens, Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice collection of Amish recipes
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2020
I enjoy browsing through cookbooks and this sample cookbook was a nice example of what Wanda's Amish Friends Farmhouse Favorites contains. I tried a few and found many more I am wanting to try. Wanda's books are always a pleasure to buy or receive.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Barbour Publishers my review is voluntary.

Kimberly S
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Cookbook
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2020
This cookbook is another wonderful treat from Wanda E. Brunstetter! It is packed full of easy recipes, wonders stories and advice. I love that anyone, of any age can pick this cookbook up and start cooking!
Filled to the brim with beautiful pictures and over 200 delicious recipes. The Breakfast Protein Cookies are a family favorite now!
I highly recommend this cookbook to everyone!
I was given an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest review