Dr. Tuteur holds no punches back as she systematically breaks down the misconceptions fueling the "natural" birth movement. I found this book utterly refreshing. Romanticizing how women birthed babies before the advent of modern medicine is dangerous and elitist. My favorite point that Dr. Tuteur hammered home after each chapter is that the most important thing for a baby is love, not how the baby came out of your body (if at all), how you feed your baby, or if you let your baby sleep in your bed until they are grown.

Other points I especially enjoyed:
-natural parenting is just as much about consumerism as any other "style" of parenting
-breastfeeding is NOT free
-women are more than their vaginas and breasts.
-breastfeeding is not demonstrably healthier for babies in first world countries than formula feeding.
-"natural" parenting is not feminist, especially if "natural" birth and parenting is the only approved choice.
-No other medical condition asks you to suffer through pain. Pain in childbirth is not necessary for bonding to a baby.

So many more - great read. I also appreciated that the book was fully cited, had a bibliography, and was fully indexed. I'll be keeping up with Dr. Tuteur's blog.

Unfortunate misunderstandings ended Lady Helen and Winterborne's engagement in [b:Cold-Hearted Rake|24431358|Cold-Hearted Rake (The Ravenels, #1)|Lisa Kleypas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431563998l/24431358._SY75_.jpg|43110668], but these are quickly resolved at the beginning of this sequel. However, different parties are so upset at Winterborne for these misunderstandings that it isn't enough to resume the engagement. Thus Helen agrees to let Winterborne "ruin" her to ensure the engagement, this being the plan of action because Helen does not want to elope. Of course, various other circumstances arise to threaten their marriage.

I had a lot of fun with this book - especially the Welsh nationalism.

Listened to the audiobook - which was perfection. Mary Jane Wells nails the character voices and the emotions. A lovely listen.

Weird and oddly Seuss-ian poems by a local Milwaukee figure. My favorite was the haiku about Godzilla.

So much fun! Napoleonic war hero Gabriel is called back to England to accept a totally unexpected inheritance, including a large Scottish estate. Finding information from the current estate manager to be less than forthcoming, he decides to visit himself and finds to his surprise that a strong willed Scottish lass named Fiona is in charge. Fiona is simply trying to keep the estate afloat and keep her kin gainfully employed is none to happy that an uppity Sassenach is trying to remove her from her duties. Of course, sparks fly between the two in a classic enemies to lover scenario that is still refreshing and a rollicking wild ride.

I especially enjoyed the two main characters, who bucked many romance tropes, especially Fiona. She is no shrinking virgin, has in fact a very healthy attitude towards sex (and has had other lovers), and is not apologetic for it. Good times!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This wasn't for me. I found the plot line about rescuing a Middle Eastern girl from servitude way too far of a stretch, and that was only one of MANY crazy things going on with the main characters. With so much going on, I didn't really connect with the romance of the book nor found it super believable. I DID enjoy Piper as a main character. She is smart, sassy, and sticks to her guns. Still don't think shooting a drone out of the sky with a Glock would go unnoticed by the Chicago Police though.

This book will make you uncomfortable, and I guess I enjoyed that? I'm still not sure. Focusing on mother Katie, her exceptional gymnast daughter Devon, and a horrible accident, readers will definitely be kept on the edge of their seat. Definitely worth a read, but I will never read it again.

Refreshing, candid, and surprisingly serious at times, I loved Amy Schumer's narration of her essays. Definitely a must-listen of Summer 2016.

Read for a graduate school class on genocide in 2009.

My first Susan Mallery, and this was not for me. With three sisters, three love interests, and a wedding, so much was happening I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters especially as they dealt with very stereotypical 'women's issues' like weight and trust. Also, the romances were a bit of a stretch for me. I found oldest sister Rachel's the most believable, but even still it was fairly annoying.

Cheeky pickpocket Bertie is intrigued by the seemingly fair minded Scottish barrister Sinclair McBride, who seems to actually care about what is right versus what is usually done. After a steamy meeting, Bertie also finds out Sinclair is trying to raise two hellion children who she soon rescues from a sticky situation in London. Finding Bertie is the only woman who seems to be able to take on his challenging kiddos, Sinclair soon finds himself romancing this new governess despite her station in life and her horrible family.

Pretty cute, but as this was my first Jennifer Ashley I found myself a bit disconnected from a slew of other characters introduced in previous books in this series. I also didn't enjoy the writing style as much as I have other romance novelists, there was a lot of happening and parts were often a little choppy.