Hello! It took me a solid two plus months to finish the moisturizer I was using and I am finally onto something new. For the past week and change, I have started using the Glow Hub Nourish & Hydrate Moisturizer and it has been a revelation. I have literally never used a moisturizer like this one before and I just had to share it with all of you. If you are looking for baby soft skin and the most radiant glow, then you have got to try this Glow Hub one out. The moisturizer definitely lives up to the brand name! Let’s discuss further:
There are so many things that I love about this moisturizer but let’s start with the texture. Can you see the bubbles in it? SO satisfying! Gel moisturizers are my absolute favorite and I can’t get enough of the hydrating burst I feel when I use them. The Glow Hub moisturizer is, hands down, the best gel texture I have ever used. It is the bounciest, lightest formula and it sounds weird but it almost feels like rubbing jelly on your face? Lol as soon as I start applying it, I can slightly feel the moisturizer crackling on my skin in fizzy delight and it is so invigorating. It’s a bubbly blast of cool, hydrating magic!
Not only does the texture of this moisturizer amaze me, but the scent does too. It is infused with peach and coconut but all I can smell is the peach. I am so not mad about this because anything peach scented is my favorite! The Glow Hub moisturizer smells exactly like a fresh bit peach and it’s honestly an experience to use it between its fragrance and the fizz. After just one use of this product, it was like a transformation. My skin looked fresh, bright, and clean and felt soft as can be. I genuinely can’t recall ever using a moisturizer with such immediate and apparent results. If I ever see this bad boy again at TJMaxx, I am buying Every. Single. Jar. Available. It is that good.
Gel moisturizers are perfect for spring and summer and the Glow Hub Nourish & Hydrate Moisturizer is perfect in general. Highly recommend!
What is your favorite skin care brand? How about your favorite moisturizer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller called Gone Before Goodbye cowritten by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben. This book revolved around a top secret mission that was a definite change of pace from my normal Lifetime Movie books and it was actually pretty good! I wouldn’t say it’s the best book I ever read but it held my attention from start to finish because it was just so different from what I usually read. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Gone Before Goodbye for combat missions, graphic violence, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:
Former Doctor Maggie McCabe is down on her luck big time. Her beloved husband, Marc, was killed during a humanitarian medical mission and life has been spiraling rapidly since. A pill addiction caused her to lose her license and she is currently living with her sister while they each face crippling debt. Then, an opportunity falls into her lap that is too good to say no to. Evan Barlow, her old mentor requested that he pay her a visit at his ultra luxe cosmetic surgery office so he could offer her a job. One that is a little unorthodox but it would completely eliminate her family’s debt and relieve her of her medical malpractice suit. All she has to do is go to Russia and perform surgeries on a rich and powerful man and his girlfriend, ensure their stability after surgery, and go back to America.
With no time to think about any repercussions, Maggie immediately hops a private plane to Russia to meet her new employers. Upon landing, she is taken to a remote wooded area with a sprawling palace right in the middle. The home of Oleg Ragoravich, a reclusive oligarch, and his young girlfriend, Nadia. The palace boasts priceless art, an Olympic sized pool, a garage full of dream cars, and a surgical wing straight out of Johns Hopkins. She will be performing a breast augmentation on Nadia and several facial surgeries for Oleg. While this seems questionable, Maggie is the perfect candidate. She is the best that money can buy but unlicensed and therefore her discretion for the matter at hand will be without a doubt.
The surgeries are each performed to the highest standard and then, everything goes to hell in a hand basket. As Nadia recovers, Maggie notices a mark that ties her directly to her deceased husband. And, in that moment, Oleg flees the makeshift medical facility. Security guards swarm the palace while Maggie’s head swims. Is this powerful family more connected to Maggie than she knows? Was Marc simply a casualty of war or was his death the result of something far more sinister? Read Gone Before Goodbye to find out!
Gone Before Goodbye was completely far fetched. Lol, there. I said it. Was it a lot of fun to read, though? Absolutely! This twisty novel read like a spy thriller and, although it took me a fair bit of time to get into it, I eventually was so in for the ride. Gone Before Goodbye had it all. Shocking grand reveals, a revolving door joining past and present, and secrets that would shake Maggie to her core. Maggie’s new gig put her in an impossible situation as soon as she agreed to it and when things went sideways, it was up to her to save herself.
Maggie McCabe was a formidable leading woman who had the smarts, guts, and level head of the most seasoned spy. Through the brilliant mind of a world renowned surgeon, she was able to begin putting together the puzzle she found herself in. Maggie went from seeking redemption from these surgeries to demanding answers about her husband’s death. And, she was redeemed. She went from a woman with grief permeating off of her to a bonafide badass. It didn’t matter to Maggie if this job killed her so she had nothing to lose. As the reader, all I could do was hang on tight to see what happened next!
Overall, I am going to rate Gone Before Goodbye with a six out of ten stars. I’m glad I read it in the name of trying something different but it wasn’t my favorite. This is a book you could take or leave!
What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and happy April!! March was a big month full of travel, new hair, and a whole lot of fun! It took a while to get myself back in the work flow after my mini New Orleans vacation but I am in full swing now and it feels great to be back. I even started another new social media job so stay tuned for more on that later. 😀 Before we dive into April showers in the hope of May flowers, let’s back peddle a bit to discuss my beauty finishes for March. There were several new favorite items in there so let’s get to it:
Aroma Naturals Moisturizer: I purchased this travel size Vitamin E moisturizer by Aroma Naturals for my trip to New Orleans and I liked it a lot! This moisturizer was nice and light which was perfect for the warm days and all of the walking in NOLA. It absorbed very quickly and I like to think it made me look slightly less tired after a trip to the bars on Bourbon Street lol! It took me a little over two weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar and I would happily use it again. In fact, I plan on it when my family goes to Italy this year!
Trader Joe’s Lip Mask: I started using the Trader Joe’s Watermelon Lip Mask in August and just finished it during the first week of March. Talk about a long lasting product and an excellent value! I used this lip mask every night before bed and really enjoyed it. The scent was delightfully reminiscent of Lip Smackers, a small swipe across the lips went a long way, and I woke up every morning with lips that were kissable and soft. It was especially helpful during the cold months of winter when my chapped lips get out of control. Definitely grab one if you are at Trader Joe’s – you are in for a treat. 😀
Dr. Wellness Moisturizer: Speaking of a long lasting product and an excellent value, we have the Vitamin C Moisturizer by Dr. Wellness. I began using this moisturizer during the first week of January and finished it up in the middle of March. I was SO sad when it was all gone because this moisturizer was phenomenal and I would be thrilled to find it again at TJMaxx. This product was literal radiance in a jar and my skin looked bright and alert after each use. The texture of the Dr. Wellness moisturizer was light and bouncy while still feeling incredibly nourishing. Even Johnny liked using this one so it is a double winner!
Trader Joe’s Body Butter: I was raised on the body butter from The Body Shop and miss having it in my routine so very much. The Ultra Rich Body Butter from Trader Joe’s is the next best thing. Although nothing will be better than The Body Shop, this is a close second. The vanilla orchid scent was so soft and pretty and, yes, this body butter was ultra rich. The Shea Butter formula made for a much denser body butter that did require a fair dose of rubbing in. Once it was on, you could feel it working immediately and my skin was so happy and hydrated. Both Johnny and I used this body butter and loved how it took away all of the redness from our dry hands in one night! It took me a month and a half of a few quarter sized dollops per night to finish the jar.
This was a GREAT SUCCESS for my March empties with all of them being potential repeat purchase products. I highly recommend all of them so be sure to add it to the cart if you see them while out and about!
Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing an excellent thriller by Mary Kubica called It’s Not Her. Although there were several parts of this book that were very hard to read, it was completely unputdownable and I finished it in three sittings. I am definitely interested in reading more by Kubica and plan on starting with Local Woman Missing as It’s Not Her was one of the best thrillers I have read all year. Before we begin, I will be placing a big fat trigger warning on this book for graphic violence, sexual violence, mental health disorders, and highly disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:
It’s family vacation time! Courtney and her husband Elliott and daughter Cass will be having a joint vacation with Courtney’s brother Nolan, his wife Emily, and three children named Reese, Wyatt, and Mae. Their getaway takes place in the remote woods of Wisconsin in a resort along the lake. Resort might be a far stretch for their destination as it’s pretty ramshackle but it will be home for the next few weeks. Mae and Cass are close in age and spend their days joined at the hip. The adults drink and have grown up conversations while Wyatt does whatever fourteen year old boys do. Meanwhile, Reese can be found wallowing in the misery of all of this family time until a young man named Daniel makes her do a double take.
The vacation is, indeed, in full swing. Until it gets cut short. After Cass and Mae enjoy a slumber party in Courtney and Elliott’s cabin, Mae makes her way back to her family with a belly full of pancakes and a smile on her face. A few minutes later, she runs screaming back to Courtney and Elliott’s place. Mae has discovered the deceased bodies of her mom and dad. Reese is nowhere to be found and Wyatt managed to sleep through the entire ordeal. Courtney returns to the grisly scene and it is so much worse than she could ever imagine. Her brother and sister-in-law have been slain brutally and Reese could be anywhere dead or alive.
A police investigation immediately follows and there is not much to go off of. There are no leads to point to the murderer and no traces of Reese after extensive searches. All the while, Courtney, Elliott, Wyatt, Mae, and Cass are holed up in a tiny cabin and are not allowed to leave. Courtney can not handle the stagnation and decides to do her own investigating in her determination to bring Reese home. However, the clues that she finds only incriminates those closest to her. How could Wyatt sleep through the murder of his parents? And why is there blood on her husband’s shoes? As the days drag on, Reese is nowhere closer to being found until Courtney discovers a major break in the case. Who is responsible for this terrible crime? And will Reese be alive to tell the tale? Read It’s Not Her to find out!
It’s Not Her was a wild ride from start to finish. It was harrowing, heartbreaking, and So. Freaking. Twisty! Just when I thought I had a feel for what might have happened, Mary Kubica’s expert writing pulled the rug out from under me. And it kept happening again, and again, and again. I always love when I can figure out a grand reveal. I love it even more when I can’t, though, and the final twist left me absolutely shook. It has been a few days since I finished It’s Not Her and I still can’t stop thinking about it.
I very much enjoyed Kubica’s writing style because it was so raw. She kept the punches coming rapidly and interspersed them with such tender moments that the next blow would feel even more heart wrenching. Every dead end was a kick to the gut. The agony of every passing day with Reese missing was palpable and every single Red Herring felt infuriating. It’s Not Her will leave you questioning your own ideas as to what happened with each turn of the page until you have no idea what to think. And, when you learn the truth, you will be just as shocked as me.
I am going to award It’s Not Her with the coveted ten out of ten stars. This was a dynamite introduction into Mary Kubica’s work and if her other books are anything like this, then I know I am in for a treat. Highly recommend!
What are you currently reading? Have you read any of Mary Kubica’s books? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello! Johnny and I absolutely love playing puzzle solving video games together like Unraveled and Little Nightmares. We were incredibly excited for Little Nightmares III and were thoroughly disappointed by it. Blessedly, shortly after, a new game called Reanimal came on the market and Johnny got it for me for Valentine’s Day. Reanimal was made by the same people who created Little Nightmares I and II and it begs the question of why the heck it wasn’t just Little Nightmares III to begin with. Reanimal completely blew it out of the water!! Let’s discuss:
Reanimal is everything that Johnny and I like. It is a fast paced horror driven puzzle solver revolving around a little boy and girl. Very similar to Little Nightmares! In fact, we lovingly just call our characters “Little Boy” and “Little Girl” which reminds me of Bird Box. In Reanimal, Little Boy and Girl must traverse through a war ravaged world to rescue their friends and defeat an overgrown sheep who is destroying everything in sight that remains. Whether they are hoofing it, traveling by boat, or vehicle there is imminent danger with every second that passes by. Little Boy and Girl are armed with nothing but lanterns, a knife, and a wrench to protect themselves. Combined with their smarts, they might be able to save the world yet!
From start to finish, Reanimal was a wild ride and was jam packed with gorgeous imagery. Like Little Nightmares, it was quite short and Johnny and I beat it in three or so sittings and we plan on playing it again ASAP. It is that good. This world that has been created is terrifying but simply amazing to behold and every moment felt noteworthy. I was especially partial to the first “boss” which definitely felt like a tip of the cap to the first two Little Nightmares. Upon its completion, however, is when things really started to pick up.
About midway through the game, a WWI arc began and that blew our freaking minds. We had to run through trenches, cross No Man’s Land, and inch our way further with puzzles without being shot. These scenes were such a white knuckle moment and any misstep resulted in fatality. While Reanimal was wicked fun to play, part of the delight came with communicating with Johnny. There were countless times when we had to put our heads together, workshop possible solutions, try them out, and alter our course to what we found. It was so interactive and was a game that you simply did not just play but worked through with your teammate. If Little Nightmares III didn’t do it for you, either, then you are going to love Reanimal just as much as we did. Highly recommend!
To me and Johnny both, Reanimal was a ten out of ten star experience. Buckle in and hang on tight because Reanimal is one of the craziest, best games we have ever played!
What was your favorite Little Nightmares game? Do you have a favorite puzzle solving game? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hi! As you all know, I am a huge horror movie fan and like to see them in theaters as often as I can. One that I was really looking forward to going to was Scream 7. The Scream franchise is such fun. It’s got the gore and the kills but they are also hilarious and don’t take themselves seriously in the slightest. I have always found that the Scream movies give their viewers exactly what they want to see and fall under the “if it’s not broken then don’t fix it” motto. Unfortunately, I don’t think any of us wanted what Scream 7 had to offer because it was a massive snooze fest. Let’s discuss in a spoiler free setting, as always, but before we begin let me place a trigger warning for graphic violence. Here we go:
^^^ As per ushe, I have no rights to this video!!
Sidney Prescott has made a new life for herself. She is married with children, runs a coffee shop, and is determined to leave her trauma in the past. Of course, her life can never remain normal for long so cue a call from Ghostface. The new killer gives Sidney a buzz at work and requests that they see each other face to face in a video call. Who she sees on her screen is impossible, right? He died years ago but his threat is very real. He is outside her daughter, Tatum’s, school and her and her friends are in big trouble.
Tatum and her mom have a rocky relationship. Sidney keeps her past buried while Tatum wants to learn more which results in blowout fights. Tatum is about to get a crash course in that fateful night that turned Sidney into a living legend and all that can be done now is to survive. With help from her friends, mom, and a few fan favorites – it’s time to hunt Ghostface. However many there are, this ends now. Who is behind the masks this time? Watch Scream 7 to find out!
Scream 7 was a smidge under two hours and it was honestly two of the longest hours of my life. The opening scene set the stage for some classic Scream shenanigans and then it just kept going… and going… and going. In the entirety of the movie, there were only three or so major action scenes. The remainder was a whole lot of nothing – tender moments between mother and daughter, friends freaking out, and snippets of the oddest musical ever. The lackluster plot was followed up by perhaps the most disappointing Ghostface reveal of the franchise and when the movie ended (Thankfully!), all I could say was “oh”.
This movie plugged along at a painfully slow pace and provided jump scares that were few and far between. Maybe I would have liked it more if I cared about the additional cast members but they were hard to get behind. Tatum and her friends were seriously just annoying and Tatum was the whiny, bratty teen to the T. Even when the focus shifted to Sidney and Gale, their scenes felt half-hearted and wasn’t enough to strike my interest in any way shape or form. The only good parts of Scream 7 took place on brief video calls and five minutes isn’t enough to save two hours of straight up boredom. So disappointing!
In a shocking turn of events, I will be awarding Scream 7 with… no stars. This was, hands down, the weakest movie in the franchise and it is not worth your time and money at the theaters!
What is your favorite scary movie? What is your favorite Scream movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing a thriller by Freida McFadden called Ward D. Freida McFadden’s books have always fell under my “just okay” category. They are quick reads and twisty but are they mind blowing? No. Are they far fetched? Always! However, Ward D was probably one of the best books that I have read by her and landed under my “pretty good” ranking. Honestly, it’s quite a boost! Before we begin our discussion, I will be placing a trigger warning on Ward D for mental health, child abuse, disturbing content, and graphic violence. Now, let’s get to it:
Amy is a medical student and tonight she is scheduled to work and learn in Ward D, the mental health unit of the local hospital. It’s not that she’s nervous or anything. More like terrified. It will be the night shift in a locked ward with people who are potentially dangerous. Her biggest fear, though? Being mistaken for a patient as Amy has had her own share of mental health issues too. It’s safe to say that Amy has no interest in studying psychiatry further, but it’s just for one night. All she needs to do is make it through.
After being buzzed into the locked ward, Amy gets the lay of the land from Dr. Beck and nurse Ramona. It would be a relatively quiet night in Ward D but there is a glaring issue. A dangerous patient is in one of the seclusion rooms and will be transferred to a more secure setting in the morning. All of the other patients are fearful of him and have made this perfectly clear to Amy with claims that he is going to kill all of them this very night. Dr. Beck’s advice? Stay far away.
The atmosphere in Ward D is tense with patients acting out and it only gets worse. There is a ghost of Amy’s past who is also a patient tonight. Her name is Jade and she was Amy’s best friend in the world until the girls turned sixteen. Jade went from a good girl to an absolute wild child in a matter of years and put Amy into a lot of problematic situations. Some would result in a grounding or possibly a suspension from school. Others would put both girls behind bars. Since then, Amy has turned her life around and is fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor. Jade, on the other hand, has been in and out of mental health wards for the past eight years.
Between the stress of the patients and the fear that Jade might reveal Amy’s darkest secret, her own mental health begins to deteriorate swiftly. Amy begins seeing shadows, hearing animal like noises from the seclusion room, and even seeing blood on the floor. Is she hallucinating or is something far more sinister happening on Ward D? As the night continues, coworkers and patients alike seem to have simply disappeared. Amy no longer has to get through the night but survive it. Will she evade the man in the seclusion room? Or is this just all in her head? Read Ward D to find out!
One of my biggest qualms with Freida McFadden books are their lack of originality. They all read like plots of thriller books that I have read before with sloppy twists that feel like an afterthought. This, combined with the far fetched nature of her plots has always made her books lackluster for me. Ward D, however, actually read like something new and made for an unputdownable experience. I finished the book in a day! Although I figured out all of the twists and turns in Ward D, is was still a refreshing read with a plot that I was actually interested in that took place in a unique setting.
Ward D was definitely a page turner and I really liked that it all transpired in the course of one night shift. It made the situation at hand feel so much more dire because you just knew that something major was going to happen as the hours counted down. This book also flip flopped to eight years prior which gave a chance to learn more about Amy and Jade’s friendship as well as the hallucinations that Amy suffered from. These flashbacks made Amy shift into an unreliable narrator to the point that it was hard to tell what was real at all. I would never call myself a huge McFadden fan but she was onto something with Ward D!
Overall, I am going to rate Ward D with a six out of ten stars. This is the highest I have ranked any of McFadden’s work since reading The Housemaid series and I have no problems with recommending this book!
What is your favorite Frieda McFadden book? What is your favorite thriller novel? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing the sequel to Laura Dave’s thriller, The Last Thing He Told Me, called The First Time I Saw Him. I read The Last Thing He Told Me five years ago and I have to admit that I don’t remember much of it. However, I guess I liked it well enough because I gave it an eight out of ten stars in my review! Perhaps I would have liked the sequel more if I had a better recollection of its predecessor because The First Time I Saw Him really missed the mark for me. There is no content in this book that requires a trigger warning so let’s get right to it:
It has been over five years since Hannah’s husband, Owen, has disappeared off of the face of the earth due to providing evidence against a dangerous crime organization. It was all for the safety of Hannah and his daughter Bailey and they have been rebuilding the pieces of their lives since he vanished. Bailey is now a college graduate and Hannah is still making fantastic pieces of hand carved furniture. They have also grown very close to Bailey’s maternal grandfather, Nicholas, who was also part of the crime syndicate that Owen turned against. Nicholas also played an integral role in protecting Hannah and Bailey. After decades of loyalty to the big boss, he left with the promise that as long as Nicholas is alive that no harm would come to those he loves.
Unfortunately, that promise is swiftly broken upon Nicholas’s passing and the crime family wants blood. They still hold a grudge towards Owen for his betrayal and as he is in hiding, the only way to get to him is to get to Hannah and Bailey first. Almost as soon as the death of Nicholas is announced on the news, snatchers from the organization are deployed to Hannah and Bailey’s homes. Luckily, they have prepared for this situation for a long time. They hoped that their plan of escape would never have to happen but they are now thrust into it with both of their lives on the line.
Hannah and Bailey are on the run and the name of the game is to get as far away from their usual haunts as possible. Through back roads, safe houses, and the help of a friend with a private jet, they end up in France. Who they meet upon their arrival is certainly not who they were expecting but their help could provide the protection they need and a way to find Owen again. While Hannah and Bailey prepared and perfected their escape plan for over half a decade, other plans were being made too. Plans for a last ditch effort should the truce between Nicholas and his former employer no longer be honored. Hannah and Bailey have one final go at a normal life with or without Owen. Will the help from an unlikely ally see it through? Or will the family they could be simply vanish? Read The First Time I Saw Him to find out!
The only thing I really remember from The Last Thing He Told Me was essentially a wild goose chase. Hannah and Bailey on the run, their initial poor relationship, plans being made, plans changing, and the ever watchful organization hot on their tail. The First Time I Saw Him was basically the same thing minus Hannah and Bailey being besties now. Regardless of how long it has been since I read the first book, I had the nagging feeling as I read its sequel that I have read it all before. The bones of The First Time I Saw Him were so similar to its predecessor that it felt more like a review than a brand new book.
What I remember liking the most about The Last Thing He Told Me was its sense of urgency that was so palpable on each page. Both Hannah and Bailey had no idea what was happening as they avoided peril and I could feel their anxiety so clearly. That swell of emotion was just not there as I read The First Time I Saw Him because its plot had already been done before. Yes, it was scary that Hannah and Bailey were put in this situation once again but it was also such a crazy story that it felt like a really bold move to rinse and repeat it. While I enjoyed Laura Dave’s writing, the sense of deja vu was much too prominent and The First Time I Saw Him felt like something borrowed over something new. This might sound harsh but it just felt like a lazy effort on Laura Dave’s part and I was happy to be done with the book or, rather, the CliffsNotes of the first one.
Overall, I am going to rate The First Time I Saw Him with a three out of ten stars. It was well written but that didn’t save the repeat plot one bit!
What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hi! My parents were so sweet to treat me to a few goodies from Trader Joe’s for Valentine’s Day. My prezzies included a yummy new salsa, a frozen dish, and a tub of their Ultra Rich Body Butter. Back in the day, I lived for the body butter from The Body Shop that used to always be available for a song at TJMaxx. Then, they closed down for a while and it was bye bye, body butter. Since I could no longer have the good stuff from The Body Shop, I became fiercely loyal to Bath & Body Works and can’t recall the last time I enjoyed a body butter. I couldn’t wait to dive into the Ultra Rich Body Butter from Trader Joe’s because if it was anything like their amazing lip mask, I knew I was in for bath and body care delight. Spoiler alert: It was fabulous! Check it out:
^^^ I had to take a product picture after using it because is it just me or does that second picture look like a nipple lol
The Ultra Rich Body Butter features a warm vanilla and orchid scent and it is oh so nice. I love all things vanilla and this body butter has a true vanilla fragrance with the slightest hint of floral thrown into the mix. The scent is incredibly light and just right for slathering on before bed. Speaking of incredibly light, the Ultra Rich Body Butter offers a pillowy soft texture verging on being whipped. I don’t mind a harder body butter but this is definitely the texture that I prefer and it was so easy to apply. A couple of quarter sized dollops slicked on with ease for full upper body coverage.
This past winter, I have noticed that my hands were still red and quite dry in the mornings as I only wear lotion at night. Some parts near my wrists were even bordering on scaly. After using this body butter was the first time I have woke up with my normal skin tone on my hands in months! There was no bright red to be found and my hands are the softest they have been since winter began. In fact, my skin still felt really hydrated after my morning shower too. My only regret? That the closest Trader Joe’s is almost an hour away because I think I just found my new favorite body butter!
If you are suffering from dry skin or simply need a treat, I cannot recommend the Trader Joe’s Ultra Rich Body Butter enough. You will notice an amazing difference with just one use!
What is your favorite bath and body care brand? How do you improve dry winter skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Kate Alice Marshall called A Killing Cold. My sister, mom, and I tend to read the same books and this was passed down to me from my big sis once she was done reading it. About halfway through the book, she told me she was enjoying it. Then, upon completion she changed her sentiment as it was far too far fetched for her liking. I agree with this wholeheartedly. It started strong enough but I was SO ready for it to be over when there was about sixty pages left. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on A Killing Cold for domestic violence, general violence, child abuse, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:
Theo and Connor met at a party and both of them felt like they had seen each other before. But where? And when? Call it fate, but a whirlwind romance began and after six short months they are engaged to be married. Theo came from a troubled background. She has no idea who her real parents are and is permanently estranged from her adoptive family after years of trauma they caused. Connor, on the other hand, lived a life of wealth and privilege. His family, the Daltons, are powerful in ways that regular people would never understand. They protect their own, keep secrets buried, and go through life with the air of those who are untouchable.
Every Christmas, the Daltons spend two weeks in their luxury mountain retreat and it will be Theo’s first time meeting them. As she braces herself for their interrogations, she begins receiving texts that warn her to stay far away from Connor. She chalks it up to a jealous ex or perhaps one of Connor’s siblings looking out for him for moving too fast. Besides, it’s too late to cancel the trip now and she is head over heels for her fiance. To the mountains they go and upon their arrival, Theo can’t help but feel that she has been there before.
Her welcome from her new family is icy, if not frigid. They are sizing her up and appear to have every intention of scaring her away. After all, Theo is a poor girl who now has unimaginable wealth falling into her lap. As much as she would like to turn on her heels and run, she holds firm. Of course, she is there for Connor, but for the first time fragments of memories from her early childhood are returning to her. What used to be dicey images pulled from nightmares are piecing together. Real or imagined, one thing is for sure: The Dalton family has something to hide.
As the days on the mountain drag on, Theo begins to explore. She is particularly drawn to an abandoned cabin that the family no longer has use for. In this cabin, a small semblance of truth is revealed. Theo can remember the small bed with flowers on the sheets. It was hers. And, tucked away, she finds a photo of a little girl with Connor’s late father smiling in the snow. There is no longer any denying it. Theo’s childhood began and ended in the mountains. She remembers fleeting moments of her and her mother pretending they live in an enchanted forest. Until it all came to an abrupt halt because her mother was wearing a blue scarf that turned red. What happened to Theo’s mother? And how far will the Daltons go to keep the truth buried? Read A Killing Cold to find out!
A Killing Cold was a shining example of a disappointing thriller. Sure, it had the twists and turns. Were they any good? Not really lol. When I am reading a novel of suspense, I love when they are just plausible enough to have some truth to it. Alice Kate Marshall spun a story with A Killing Cold but it was a plot that couldn’t stand on solid ground. As I read, all I could think about was the example of a Hallmark movie where a girl ends up with her childhood pen pal. It’s a story, yes, but it is as unlikely as the grass being purple.
As I turned the pages, A Killing Cold became more and more convoluted and there came a point when I just had enough. With a quarter of the book left, I was damn near begging for it to be over. The poorly placed Red Herrings, overplayed dysfunctional family trope, and the constant shifting of blame was just too much. It felt like Kate Alice Marshall threw Every. Single. classic thriller writing tool at the wall to see what stuck. Sadly, few of these attempts helped push the painstakingly slow plot forward and I felt nothing but sheer relief by the time the last page was read. A Killing Cold was a total and complete dud.
In a shocking plot twist of my own, I will be rating A Killing Cold with zero out of ten stars. I understand this book has received a fair amount of hype and I promise you it is not worth it. I wasted my time so you don’t have to waste yours! ❤
What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
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