Jennifer Sylvester holds an important title, she's the Banana Cake Queen, but that doesn't mean she's going to let a title define who she is, or at least not for long. She's looking for help and desperate times call for Cletus Winston, maybe the smartest of them all.
Cletus is a mystery, even when you think you know him, he shows you a different side of him. He's been in charge to take care of his family ever since his father left and that has lead him to do some crazy things to keep the Iron Order at ease, but the Banana Cake Queen is new territory and maybe more work than he can handle.
What I liked:

• Cletus may be not be the best communicator but the thought behind the character was certainly there and it was impressive, you could see how he was different from his brothers and how he tried to be so in control of the situation. He stood out to me from the beginning of the series and his book didn't disappoint.  
• Jennifer's character represents a reality a lot of people deal with in a daily basis, trying to fit in a mould that isn't yours can wreck a person's character and you can see how much she has to fight to be strong again. I loved her character and how much she grows. 
• The way they create a connection with other novels and new to come.
• The balance between comedy and drama in the novel was refreshing and it goes with the characters. 

"Don't let fear or insecurity stop you from trying new things. Believe in yourself. Do what you love. And most importantly, be kind to others, even if you don't like them. "

Stacy London

Sienna Miller, best known for her work in different movies, comedian, writer and food lover, has the worst sense of direction in the area as she heads to the set of her latest movie. Her saviour may not be Hollywood's latest "hottie", but that doesn't mean she's not attracted to the real wild-life, small town Park Ranger and oldest of the Winston brothers.
Jethro swore off of women after his wild days with the toughest group in town the "Iron Order". Things may change when his past comes back to bite him, just as he discovers that Sienna is more than just a pretty face and love may be the one thing he should hang on to.





What I liked:

• Sienna's character was more than just a pretty face, she had confidence being a little bit bigger, she has the heart and comedy in her. Even when she suffers heartache, you can see how strong she is to keep going. 
• Jethro's fears and insecurities throughout the book, he wants to make everyone proud after everything his family went through.
• The love line was something I could relate to and something that ringed a bell in me as I've in situations where a relationship doesn't work merely because of fears or bad timing. 

After last Friday you may be thinking to yourself that I had something radical for this weekend, but no, not really. This week was about taking care of your body to help your mind feel better, more relaxed and maybe get rid of the stress you've been carrying around, so I thought, what better way to forget about your problems than relaxing and pampering yourself.
Doctors recommend you do this on a daily basis, taking a few minutes out of your day to spend time alone and indulge in an activity that lowers your stress levels, but in case you take that for granted and you don't do it, now it's your time to do something for yourself.
Do those things you always leave for later, like getting your hair cut ( I haven't cut mine in over 6 months and it's due, everyone can see it), paint your nails, take care of your feet, watch your favourite movie without intrusion, even taking a hot shower can help you. The options are endless here and most of them can even be done for free.
With all that you have been doing on your day-to-day you need those hours to take care of your mind, we've got to remember that stress is bad for you and your mind, it clutters your thoughts and can lead to many illnesses and weaker inmune system.
Choose a day or even an hour off of your day and go for it, do what you love, forget about your phone. You'll be able to see a difference in your mood and the way you treat others, you are going to feel happier, and it will even help you focus easier as working with a clear mind is better.
Never think of this as a frivolous activity, because you truly deserve to take care of your body and mind, otherwise you are not going to be able to perform properly on all the activities you have on your plate. It's smarter to take day off than to work your whole life feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders.
You only have one body, one mind, once you learn to take care of them, everything else can go smoothly.

“It's not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and make your happiness a priority. It's necessary.”

Mandy Hale

... keeps the doctor away, or so they say. I bet you already guess what today is going to be about, after all we worked on adding physical activity to our routine on Monday, it's time to take care of our body by changing the way we eat and the way we make certain day-to-day decisions.
Everyone talks about calories, but what about nutrients? Feeding your body the right stuff is not only going to help you not get sick but it's going to reinforce everything that you've been working on and if you are aiming for weight loss or building muscle mass, this is going to be a really important part.
Just as we talked the last time, doing this little changes are going to help your body be and look better, making you mind also feel better. When you choose a piece of white chocolate instead of a fruit or vegetable, your body can suffer because you are giving it a bunch of sugar and artificial flavouring that we don't need.
Next time you go to your local supermarket choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains that are going to give your body the right nutriments it needs, you'll have more energy and that will boost your metabolism and mood. It doesn't take a lot to recognise that the simpler the product, the better is going to be for you.
There are many options out there and if you don't like something, change it up, there are a million and one ways to eat healthy. Some of them can be delicious and you'll feel a change in your gut, heart and even skin. Choose a diet that goes with your lifestyle, you've got to remember that it doesn't have to be this elaborated meal, even if it's just a plain salad, is going to be better for you than a burger.
I once read that eating healthy is expensive, but wait until you see your doctor's bills to realise that it isn't as much as you thought. Do something for yourself before it's too late or before you get sick, it's worth taking care of your body.

Last week we focused on the mind and how to make it feel less cluttered, now it's time for you to focus on your body, which is just as important as your mind. Without health we can't function properly and that's why we have to take care of it.
Today is time for you to do a workout, get your body moving, and if you are not used to this and rolling your eyes at me, listen, it doesn't matter how hard or how long you go for, it doesn't matter if you go for a walk or do a 2h intensive workout, as long as you get your body moving, you are going to be and feel just fine.
Remember that working out has many health benefits and can help you prevent many illnesses, it will strengthen your heart and you'll be less likely to suffer from diabetes, heart diseases or high cholesterol levels. If you are trying to lose weight this will be a perfect way to lose and then maintain it.
You'll have more energy throughout the day, but this can actually help you feel less stressed or anxious as it can relax you and help you fall asleep easier at night. You'll reach a healthier state of mind that will help you with all of those worries. Think of it as a time to disconnect and focus on the movements.
Aim for 30 min a day and start by doing mild activity if you are not used to it and build it up from there, make little changes and before you know it, you are going to be able to do a lot more than what you think and you'll feel stronger and better about yourself.
Don't punish yourself to doing a lot of activity in small periods of time, any physical activity is better than no activity and you've to always remember that.

I haven't been writing as much as I would want to. Lately everything seems to be falling apart around me, and yes, I do know that I'm the main problem here, I haven't been handling everything as nicely as I would've wanted to, but I'm learning and that's the important part.
I had a very stressful couple of weeks, my family and myself went through some serious problems and it took a tool on me emotionally, my anxiety spiked sky high and as much as I wanted to do something for myself, I couldn't. It was one of the worst episodes I've had in a long while. It took me a week to regain control over myself and my emotions.
When something is out of your control it can really affect how you perform and how you act around everyone, when this happens you have to learn how to make the most of it and right now I feel like I'm learning how to deal with this new set of overwhelming emotions. I just wish it was easier.
This week I've been trying to work on everything that has been bothering me and not blaming everyone else for my lack of organisation or my failures and it has really been working, I've been the most productive girl. I did what I couldn't do last week plus everything I had for this week.
I also started working out more and it hurts, my body aches every time I move but I feel happy and more relaxed, I feel like I have more control over my body and my life in general. I want to do well this month, I want to feel happy again and I want everyone around me to look me with happy eyes, not ones that are full of worry.
I feel like the main lesson here for me it's that if I can deal with everything that has been going around this past months, I can take over the world, not necessarily but that I am stronger than I ever thought. There's so much to do and unlike last week I don't want to crumble under pressure.
As a final note I would like to add that flipping your life around is really hard and tiring, I've been sleeping over 8 hours each night and they have been the most amazing nights ever, I fall deeply asleep and wake up refreshed and ready for what's next.
If you are hurting, if you are in a bad place I want to tell you that you are not alone, there's people out there willing to hear you, to help you. I'm lucky I have amazing friends and family by my side. Look out for help if your feelings are overwhelming you, remember that there are many options out there and you should never give up on you. You are more than worthy. Always remember to keep on dreaming.

What I liked:

• Jessica James' character is really funny and in some ways relatable as she's a teacher, college graduate and has tried to leave her small town to go for bigger things. 
• Duane and the interaction with his brothers. They are close and they have been through a lot that has reminded them that they are their best when they are together. 
• The plot twist in the middle of the book, we aren't seeing just a love story develop but also the fixing of many years worth of problems with the Winston family. 

The weekend is ahead of us and it's time to tackle one of the most dreaded tasks, cleaning and organising. Most of us are used to spot cleaning, which means we almost never do a proper clean of our spaces leaving dust and other things pille up under our furniture and unlike many people think, this can really have an impact on your mental and physical health.
Let's start with the obvious you need to go by areas, don't go from room to room trying to fix one thing at the time because you are never going to find an end to that. My advice, start in the bedroom, this way you are going to have a clean room at the end of the day even if you didn't finish everything else. Wash your sheets, comforter and pillow cases, air your pillows and your mattress. It's quite a simple task that can make the room feel cleaner almost instantly.
It's time to dust furniture, clean windows and any surface that can collect dust over time, take your time and once you are done and happy, clean the floors and under the bed, vacuuming under there every once in a while makes a difference and it doesn't take that much time.
Move to the next areas start from the tallest of the furniture to the smallest, remember that dust falls. While you are at this, water your plants and throw away stuff you know you don't need anymore, be harsh with what items you decide to keep, avoid keeping clutter around. Take this time to understand and see what you are really using. 
Clean under your furniture, it may be a hassle but you are going to be amazed at how much junk, garbage and dust can be living under your sofa. By doing this not only are you getting rid of things that can cause you allergies but you can also be preventing future illnesses. Before you are done with this vacuum and mop your floors.
This are the tasks that can certainly take a toll on all of us, they take time and energy but the magic of this is that you don't have to do it every day, let alone weekly, think of it as a seasonal task. Also, remember that having a clean house is going to make you feel so much better about yourself and your home.
Now, it's time for you to enjoy your clean home, and remember, in order to avoid long cleaning days you can always reset your home every night. Get in the habit of putting everything away, where it belongs, it takes 10 to 20 minutes at night and the feeling of waking up to clean home is amazing.

"The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment. "

Marie Kondo

During the past days you've done a lot of thinking, a lot of self reflection and task management, so now it's time to let our minds wonder around a little bit, to let them be free of problems and bad thoughts we may be having after this past days. At the end, all of this is to help you heal and have healthy thoughts.
Leave your house for a couple of hours, it doesn't matter where you decide to go or if you want company or not, what matters is that you don't take work or responsibilities with you. It's time for your mind to be freed of anything that may be causing stress or sadness.
My advice, go for a long walk, listen to your favourite music. Take this time to do something you enjoy a lot but don't get to do as much as you would want to. Go to one of your favourite places, watch people pass by, read a book, choose one but do it outside.
Enjoying time outside, not only is it going to help you relax but it has so many health benefits like lowering your blood pressure, helping to eliminate fatigue and it may also help you if you are dealing with anxiety or depression. Remember that it is this kind of tasks and actions that may help you focus and perform better on future assignments, more if they are of the creative kind.
Seeing as the weather is getting better, at least in the part of the globe, you don't have any excuses to not enjoy nature or anything that your city has to offer. As Billy Joel would say, " Take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile. It's all right, you can afford to lose a day or two"
Let your mind wonder free and let all of those worries go, at least for a little while.

“In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let's start the week right. Now, that we've assessed the situation and we know what we want to work on, it's time to put it onto something that lasts, because unless you have an amazing memory, you are likely to forget everything you want to accomplish in the next few days.
Make a list and please be realistic with this one, don't put anything that you can't accomplish in the days you are wanting to. This is only going to cause a lot of frustration and it will never end well.
There are many options out there for you to work with and they go from agendas, to pre-made lists, to simple notebooks you can turn into your personalised agenda or create a BuJo. You can go as intricate or as simple you want with this one, but be aware that once you chose a method, you have to stick with it and maintain it.
Write every single thing you want to accomplish in the time window you are setting for yourself. Like clean bathroom, do your backups, drink 2l of water, or do yoga every afternoon. This is the only way you can assure the list is going to work for you.
Finally and most importantly, don't set yourself for failure, don't write down 50 tasks to do in a day and don't write just one for the next couple of days. You can't write a good project in a day and you certainly don't need five days to clean a room.
Take your time with this one, no one is rushing and you should now what you are capable of doing without burning yourself out. It takes time to get used to it, to follow a plan, but once you get the hang of things you'll be happy knowing that you can do more than what you think, and please, never punish yourself for not doing everything you wanted to, life happens and we are not perfect, there are more days in the calendar for you to do what you want.

“I love the ritual of drawing up lists, and there's something wonderfully satisfying about ticking tasks off.”

― Shaida Kazie Ali

I know what you may be thinking, how did life arise on Earth? Maybe not, maybe you are thinking about the books I didn't review last month after I said I didn't like them. The hard truth is that I couldn't, every time I sat down to write them I would get so discouraged, there was nothing good I could say about them, at least not about the first two, and felt really bad about bashing someone's work.
This month I'm making up for it, I'm reviewing my second favourite series and some of my new A-list books. We are diving deep into country side life and it's going to an interesting ride.