Book Review of 'Christmas in Port Chance' by D.E. Malone

Happy Monday Bookworms!

I hope everyone is having lovely and wonderful holiday season so far. I am so proud of myself as this year I've almost got all of my Christmas shopping done early AND almost have everything wrapped and under the tree.  Who is this person?! Normally I'm the girlie that is out Christmas Eve feverishly grabbing items before the stores close so to be this ahead of the game...I honestly don't know how Christmas Eve is going to look this year! LOL

I am happy to report that I am also staying on top of my holiday reading goals and drinking in some fine holiday reads. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on this Clean Holiday Romance that is the latest release from one of my favorite authors!

About the Book

Title: Christmas in Port Chance

Series: Port Chance #4 

Author: D.E. Malone

Publisher: Independently Published

Release Date: December 1, 2025 

Genre: Clean Holiday Romance

With the holidays approaching, Sadie Wendell fights the melancholy of experiencing another Christmas alone. She loves caring for injured animals at her wildlife rehab center, but it doesn’t fill the void she still feels years after a bitter divorce. Even taking on a new business partner to stave off money troubles isn’t the distraction she needs. Then her partner’s brother walks into the rescue in the midst of a squirrel catastrophe, turning Sadie’s dismal holiday season upside down.

Hayes Kelley vows to make the best of being laid off from his job, and working alongside Sadie at Furever Friends Rescue while helping his sister recuperate might be an unexpected gift this holiday season. Trouble is, he’s convinced Sadie feels his presence around the property is like finding coal in her stocking.

When a patron proposes a fundraiser for the rehab center, Sadie reluctantly accepts Hayes’ help. Can he convince her that their temporary partnership might be a second chance at love to heal her heartbreak before his time runs out in Port Chance?

This heartwarming Christmas novel revisits the small-town charm of Port Chance, Iowa during the holidays. Dive into its pages to meet the characters who’ll feel like friends and the close-knit community like home.

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MomLife VoxBox from Influenster

I received my first VoxBox from Influenster in March and to say I was excited is an understatement.  I love not knowing what to expect!  My box was a MomLife box so I knew it was going to contain some fun products for me to sample.

#MomLifeVoxBox

Six new products and brands that I have never tried before!!  Eek!!  Here are my reviews of ALL my goodies. ❤️

Eva NYC 10-in-1 Primer & Hair Mask

I have been battling a very serious illness since November 2017 and my hair care has fallen by the wayside. It has become a tangled, frizzy mess that I can't seem to tame no matter what I do or what products I try. When I saw the Eva NYC 10-in-1 Primer and Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask I was beyond excited and used both products the day after my VoxBox arrived.  

I used the Hair Mask in the shower in the place of my regular conditioner, left it on for a few minutes, and rinsed it out. It felt silky in my hands and the smell is incredible! I sprayed the Primer on my hair as soon as I got out of the shower and it made the perfect detaingler, making it so much easier to comb out my hair than it normally is. I also noticed that I wasn't losing as much hair as I normally do (I've had a lot of hair loss due to the medications that I'm on). While blowdrying my hair I could instantly tell that my hair wasn't as unruly as it has been and I could already see the shine. Exciting!!

Once I styled my hair like I normally do my hair didn't have that usual frizzy look to it. It had a beautiful shine, felt healthier, and I instantly felt more confident. One of my sons and my sister commented that my hair looked great so I call that I win. I LOVE this product and will be adding this to my daily hair care routine.

Jacuzzi Lavender Epsom Salt

Epsom salts are a staple in my house. There are so many wonderful uses but what I mainly use mine for is to soak in the tub after a tough workout or to soak my feet when I am in pampering mode. I normally purchase the unscented bag but I have always been curious about the scented salts so I was excited to try the Jacuzzi Lavender salts.  

The lavender scent is pretty strong but it didn't bother me. I actually found it quite relaxing and the salts were like other Epsom salts that I've tried. It dissolved quickly, left my skin feeling soft, and after soaking I felt so relaxed! Having sensitive skin I was nervous about having a reaction but I had no reaction whatsoever and loved that the lavender scent lingers for awhile after your soak. I can definitely see me purchasing this in the future.

Success Boil-in-Bag Tri-Color Quinoa

I love quinoa and was so excited to see the Success Boil-in-Bag Tai-Color Quinoa in my box and was curious to see if boiling in a bag was easier than how I normally cook quinoa. After testing it out I can honestly say it is! I made mine as my lunch with some sautéed spinach and a dash of Eden Organic Tamari Soy Sauce and it was perfection!! 

I could see this being perfect for meal prep or a quick meal or side since it's super easy to make and clean up after you cook it. My only issue was getting the quinoa out of the bag after I cooked it but it was my fault for not letting the bag cool for a few minutes before handling it.

The flavor is a tad nutty and almost flavorless; a light dish that has a lot of versatility. This is my first time trying the Success brand but I am very pleased and plan on having this as a staple in my pantry.

Twining's Lemon & Ginger Herbal Tea

I'm not a big fan of ginger and lemon can, at times, be off-putting to me so I was apprehensive to try Twining's Lemon & Ginger Herbal Tea. The packaging itself is calming and beautiful and when you first open the tea packet the aroma is captivating.  

When I finally brewed myself a cup and took a sip I was stunned. The flavor combination is not overpowering at all but has a wonderful lightness. Neither the lemon or the ginger are too overpowering like what I had feared and is the perfect balance. This is a very calming tea and perfect for those days that you're wanting a drink that will help you unwind or if you're having tummy troubles since ginger is wonderful for those types of days. Just add a little bit of honey if you want some extra sweetness and you are good to go!

Vera Wang Embrace: Marigold & Gardenia

I have always been a Vera Wang and love her fragrance line.  For awhile Princess was my favorite scent but I think it's been replaced with Embrace.

Embrace Marigold and Gardenia is a light, floral scent that is perfect for warmer seasons. The aroma is not sickly sweet or overpowering but this also means that it does not seem to have the same staying power as some other perfumes do but I'm ok with that. I would rather have to reapply than to have an odor that is too strong or off-putting to others. I've been complimented on this perfume the several times I've worn it and I fell so in love with it that I'm asking for a bottle for my upcoming birthday.



If you've stuck it out with me this long I thank you. Each of these products were a joy to review and I hope that Influenster will choose me in the future to do more VoxBox reviews.

*I received these products in exchange for honest, unbiased reviews. All opinions are my own.

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Random Review: Paprika Recipe Manager

I know I've mentioned this on my other reviews but it bears repeating: I hate cooking.  Growing up, I never liked helping my mom in the kitchen.  I felt like it was a waste of time.  Why spend time cooking when you can go run and get fast food?

As I mature, my thoughts on cooking are evolving.  Since I am going through the health issues I am going through, (see THIS post for more details) I need more things in my life that I can control.  One of those things is cooking, and giving my family healthier options than what's out there today.  It's time to take control of my families health.

In saying all of that, I am venturing into uncharted territories and trying things I've never tried before.  I've never had a collection of my own recipes.  I've never meal planned.  I am that girl that pins all the amazing recipes on Pinterest and never tries a single one.  There are a gazillion recipes out there, how can you keep track of everything you have tried or want to try?  It's so overwhelming.

It was in my state of confusion and utter defeat that I went on the hunt for an app that could help this poor, confused girl out and I stumbled onto Paprika.

The Paprika Recipe Manager 3 by Hindsight Labs is exactly what I was looking for!

You can store recipes which is so easy to do when you download their 'save recipe' button onto your device.  It keeps the link of where the recipe originated which is very handy, especially for someone who can't even remember what she ate last night.  You have space to put everything you'd want to know about that recipe, including your own notes, and nutritional information which is huge for our household since I have a diabetic son and have to know the carbs of everything my baby eats.  It's also easy to manually add your own recipes which is a blessing.  You can add your own tags and can search by recipe titles, ingredients, directions, sources, and notes so you can find what you're looking for in a flash.

You can create grocery lists right in the app, and if you are using the same ingredient in multiple recipes it combines them on your grocery list!  It also organizes your grocery list by aisle to make your shopping experience easier.  Usually I'm that frustrated shopper that keeps going back and forth all over the store because I forgot to grab something on my list.  Well, not anymore! :)

The Paprika Recipe Manager also includes a place to meal plan and you can create menus for any type of special occasions.  While you're cooking, there is a timer you can use right in the app and you can cross out each ingredient as you use it.  There is even a scale button that you can use to change the serving size without having to figure out the adjusted ingredients measurements.  Amazing!

You can also use this app offline, since all of the data is stored locally, which is perfect for people whose device has to be connected to wifi, and once you're logged in everything is synced wirelessly to all of your devices.

If you have any questions, the Paprika website includes user guides for all devices and has a wonderful support page that can help you answer your questions quickly.

The only downside to Paprika is that you do have to pay for this app.  For iOS, Android, and Kindle the app is $4.99.  The Mac version is $29.99 and Windows is $19.99, but on Windows it will let you download a trial version so you can try before you buy.  In my opinion, it's worth every penny.  I have tried other free recipe apps and websites recently and nothing compares to Paprika.  I purchased the iOS and Mac versions and they work flawlessly!  I am still trying to get the hang of meal planning but I have a feeling I'll be a pro soon.  I highly recommend Paprika!

Now it's time to get cooking! ;)

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