Niagara Falls was a breathtaking and beautiful experience. I can write a thousand words on the mysterious, majestic creature that it is, but instead I will sum it up and just say GO! Everyone needs to see it at least once. You don't need to spend a lot of money investing in the tours and commercialism that surrounds it. You can simply walk up to the edge and view all the falls for free. We went during the off season so no fireworks nightly, but they didn't need it. They have lights and it's beautiful to watch and fall asleep to.

We walked from our hotel down to the viewing area and that is where I'll share some recommendations. We were staying at the Niagara Falls Marriott on the Falls and should have done more research because we just assumed we could walk straight down the hills to the viewing platform but ended up walking about two miles parallel through the city and a park to finally get down to the park entrance. The little trolley you can ride straight down was closed for the off season, but on the way back up we latched on to the souvenir shops wifi and realized that the shuttles will drive you for free the same distance we had just walked...oh well. The shuttle stop is right outside the souvenir shop and the main hub where you purchase tours, so getting back to the hotel was a breeze.

Niagara Falls Marriott on the Falls
I was terrified of getting a bad room or picking a bad hotel because one FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and two all hotel websites are going to show you the best case scenario pictures that might make things appear better than reality. I was extremely relieved after checking into this hotel though. Niagara Falls Marriott on the Falls did not have a double sided hallway which looked weird at first but completely made sense once walking into the rooms. There is not a bad room in this hotel because every room faces the falls. There were floor to ceiling windows and it was the perfect distance away from the falls the you could see everything beautifully.

This hotel definitely has their priorities straight with the huge windows and private in suite lounge area facing them. I started reading our first night and had to put my book down because it was just such a beautiful sight and a once in a lifetime experience. My husband and I ended up falling asleep in the chairs to the sound and lights of the falls. The next day after all our walking around town and exhaustion and cold wearing us down, the bathrooms at the hotel are heavenly. There was a shower and a Jacuzzi tub that I took full advantage of. The rooms are extremely welcoming, comfortable, and spacious. I definitely hope to revisit the area and stay at this hotel a second and third time.

Lastly, we had a breakfast included and it was AMAZING. We had a buffet certificate which unlocked so much food we didn't eat again till much later in the day. The waitstaff was superb and friendly not only making sure we were taken care of, but enjoyed bragging about the falls and making sure we didn't miss any of the top things to do in the area.


​Wineries
When researching the Niagara area, I came across the term "ice wine" several times, but assumed it to be a slushy type ice that was flavored with wine. I was so wrong and it was freaking DELICIOUS!!! On our last day before flying back we hit as many wineries as we could. We were definitely interested in the Peller Icewine Lounge, but it didn't open until later in the day, so we only did a sampling there. All the wineries we went to were gorgeous. I've never been to an area with so many choices in wineries so close together. They were all located in mansions and all the grapes were grown onsite which made for beautiful estates.

Our favorite by far was Inniskillin. We toured there along with our tasting, which is where we learned truly what ice wine was for the first time. We had our tasting, then googled how many bottles you can legally bring back through customs and bought the maximum allowance. :) This is another location where the wine was delicious, but the staff made it even more memorable. We were given a tour by a young man who was going to school to be a winemaker and his passion for wine was infectious. We stayed after the tour and had another set of tastings from him to make sure we tasted every single thing they offered. They had a great souvenir shop, several choices of aged wines, picnic tables, wifi, and so much more. The best part about this winery is it is one of very few that you can actually find in the states. We happened across a bottle in Specs a few months after we got back and it was a flashback of great memories. 

Genre: Romantic Suspense / Christian
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: August 1, 2017
Number of Pages: 336

Intensity. Skill. Tenacity.
The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have it all.
 
When a photo leads investigators in West Ireland to open a twenty-five-year-old cold case, Elite Guardians bodyguard Haley Callaghan’s life is suddenly in danger. Haley knows how to take care of herself; after all, she’s made a career out of taking care of others. But after she has an uncomfortably close call, Detective Steven Rothwell takes it upon himself to stay with her—and the young client she has taken under her wing. A protector at heart, he’s not about to let Haley fight this battle alone.
 
In a sweeping plot that takes them into long-buried memories—and the depths of the heart—Haley and Steven will have to solve the mystery of Haley’s past while dodging bullets, bombs, and bad guys who just won’t quit.

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Chasing Secrets had me captivated from the prologue. This story showcases so much action but holds the perfect amount in suspense to hook you. It was not in my plans to read this book in one sitting, but I couldn’t put it down. There were so many mysterious potentials that I had to find out where the story would lead.
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Chasing Secrets was intriguing and full of heart and growth. The story held the perfect amount of backstory that created a depth that drew you in like quicksand. I loved how the budding romance and the glimpse into a character’s foundation in God intertwined to accentuate the suspense in this story perfectly. I cannot resist a good suspense and this did not disappoint. I’m keeping this on my to-read list because the best books are worth a second read. The author put so much thought into this plot that I loved the little hints that start to resonate as you continued reading and I’m interested to see what hints I might have missed as I tried to devour this book as fast as I could.

08/01 - Excerpt 1 - StoreyBook Reviews
08/02 - Review - My Book Fix Blog
08/03 - Author Interview 1 - The Librarian Talks
08/04 - Review - Missus Gonzo
08/05 - Guest Post - Chapter Break Book Blog
08/06 - Character Interview - Hall Ways Blog
08/07 - Review - Reading by Moonlight
08/08 - Author Interview 2 - Books and Broomsticks
08/09 - Review - The Page Unbound
08/10 - Excerpt 2 - CGB Blog Tours

First love. Second chance? As the daughter of a hoarder, Phoenix Fuller had a tough childhood. So when the handsome, popular Riley Stinson became her boyfriend in high school, she finally felt as though she had something to be proud of. Phoenix was desperate not to lose him-especially once she found out she was pregnant. Yes, she might have acted a bit obsessive when he broke up with her. But she did not run down the girl he started dating next. Unfortunately, there was no way to prove her innocence. Now, after serving her time in prison, Phoenix has been released. All she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son. But Jacob's father isn't exactly welcoming. Riley doesn't trust Phoenix, doesn't want her in Jacob's life. He is, however, ready to find someone to love. And he wants a good mother for his son. He has no idea that he's about to find both!

400 pages
Published March 31st 2015 by Mira Book

This Heart of Mine ​can be a stand alone book and it stands alone. I've seen books incorporate a past love child as well as reconnecting relationships that didn't work out in the past, but nothing quite like this. This is a whole new spin on making it work. There is a rivalry among friends that leaves you guessing who she will end up with and I would have been truly fine with either candidate.

This story didn't focus on love, which was unexpected and made it so unique. It was centered on a woman's drive to rebuild her broken life and as she went along love just so happened to bloom. She has a handful of hard battles to face with the brother of the girl she supposedly murdered wanting to run her out of town, hopefully convincing her son and those around her of her innocence, and beginning to try to build a relationship with her son. She had not been able to work and barely even drove before going into jail, so she has a lot to make up for when she got out.

She is filled with a lot of self-doubt and hesitancy, which gets a bit frustrating at times how unsure she is with every situation she is presented with. This love story picks up right where it left off in its high school daze, but this time instead of listening to his family, he has the chance to stand up and defend his love which he does quite chivalrously. 

This story has some love, action, suspense and mystery (even a murder), but mostly the drive Pheonix has towards her uphill battle is the most mesmerizing and memorable part of this story. She's not head strong and stubborn facing this town that despises her, but she has her way of still getting things done which made her more realistic and relatable. I gave This Heart of Mine ​four out of five stars.

This post is way overdo, but life has not been nice to me lately, so this is my first chance to sit down and not have the day over packed with commitments. I have four hours before our next commitment to tell you as much as possible and finally review some of our top stops on our weekend away. I'm going to break this post up into parts, and I'll post another part of our journey each Monday till this adventure run outs (Otherwise this will be one long ass post). So, let's begin with Shannon's Surprise Shindig: Part 1 - Our Crash Pad

​I had booked this trip six months before his birthday and if I do say so myself, I did a pretty damn good job of keeping it a secret from him. I had enough time in advance to not be obvious when I said he needed to get his passport renewed and went as far as packing for him before he got home from work and driving us to the airport before he started to get suspicious. When we finally parked at the airport, he still had no idea what he was in for until we took the tram and didn't get off at my normal terminal but stayed on to the international terminal. We got there with enough time to eat before we boarded and I handed over the below little pamphlet I made for him with our itinerary and the top attractions to do in the area because I couldn't hold it in any longer with the bombardment of questions coming my way. I will say it was just as fun planning this escape and seeing his surprise as it was exploring this new part of the world together.

First time to Canada and the beauty of the city made both my husband and I consider never leaving. This weekend was a surprise birthday trip for my husband and a week before our stay, Katherine Leonard, with Guest Services sent us a personalized email noticing that this was our first stay with the hotel and asked if she could arrange anything for us. Her email made me feel welcomed before we even left the states. I responded back that this was our first time in Canada and my husband's birthday and she gave us a complimentary upgrade and had chocolate strawberries and champagne with a note waiting for us in our room on our first night. That started our weekend off perfectly. The hotel is in the perfect location and is beautiful. We went there for the Hockey Hall of Fame and my husband loved the hockey decor around the hotel as they were supporting the induction events happening that weekend.

We had access to the club lounge and the food and views were both magnificent. There was not a bad seat in the lounge with the wrap around floor to ceiling windows. We toured the hotel and the swimming pool, sauna, outside deck, and bar was just a beautiful as the pictures portrayed. This was a very clean, spacious, modern, timeless hotel and I would love to come back here soon. It ended up being a ten minute walk to the HHOF, then the Aquarium, CN Tower, and Steam Whistle brewery were just across the street. Convenient commutes to many top attractions.

Share and let me know what you think? Will the book be better than the movie or vice versa? Is this who you pictured playing these roles and do you think the sexual tension will be there?