Don't Go Stealing My Heart by Kelly Siskind: Prepare to Fall in Love With This Charming Story

Don't Go Stealing My Heart by Kelly Siskind
Published: April 22nd, 2020
Publisher: CD Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
# of pages: 333
My rating: 5 stars
Acquired this book: From the author in exchange for honest consideration
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Buy now: Amazon Canada || Amazon US || Indigo

She wants to steal his Van Gogh. He wants to steal her heart.

Some people would call Clementine Abernathy a criminal. She considers herself a modern day Robin Hood, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Not exactly on the up-and-up, but she knows what it’s like to lose everything. Her latest heist involves swiping a priceless Van Gogh from its owner, who’s supposed to be an egotistical trust-fund brat.

Turns out Jack David is a sexy, kind-hearted man…and Clementine is in trouble. Falling for her mark would make her the World’s Dumbest Conwoman, but Jack is charmingly persistent, always singing sweet songs in her ear.

And that earth-shattering kiss? She never stood a chance.

Now she’s imagining a fresh start with this dashing man, but that means telling Jack about her past. And other nefarious sorts are after the same painting. Too soon, Clementine learns what it means to risk it all for love.

Okay, I’m calling it: Kelly Siskind is officially one of my new favourite authors. I read New Orleans Rush earlier this year and fell completely in love with the characters and Kelly’s writing. Between that and the fact I’m a fan of both Van Gogh and Elvis, I was excited about Don’t Go Stealing My Heart.

There’s so much to love about this book, starting with the two main characters: Clementine, the Robin Hood-esque thief who steals from the rich to help the poor, and Jack, the Elvis tribute artist who loves his small town, its people, and most of all his family, and will do whatever he can to help people. These two are so layered; I loved how bits and pieces of their lives and personalities were revealed with perfect timing, making it was impossible not to feel for them, relate to them, and root for them. They had instant chemistry and their interactions had me grinning, squeeing, and swooning. The side characters were great too, and I loved the small town, close-knit feel of the setting. Whichway was ridiculously charming - it’s the type of place I’d love to live in, or at least visit. I'd be so down to attend that Elvis festival every year!

Full of witty banter and well-developed characters, this engaging, fun, and sexy story will make you laugh, pull at your heartstrings, and have you falling in love. The ending is a thrill ride that had me completely enthralled as I zoomed through the pages. I know I’ll be recommending this book as often as I recommend New Orleans Rush (which is A LOT), and I can’t wait to see what Kelly Siskind comes up with next.

Have you read Don't Go Stealing My Heart? What did you think? Have you read anything lately that left you completely charmed?

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*Please note I'm an Amazon affiliate, and some of the links in this review are affiliate links. All income made through affiliate sales goes directly back into maintaining Ramblings of a Daydreamer. Thank you for your support!  

Friday Favourites: 2019 Edition

Happy New Year! I know it’s now 2020, but I have one more 2019 recap of sorts to do, showcasing some of the things I loved last year. I did a separate post for my favourite books of 2019, but I thought I’d share my favourite TV shows, movies, and music too.

The Year of Elton John

If I could sum up 2019, especially the last half of the year, I’d call it The Year of Elton John. Early in the year, I became obsessed with Richard Madden. When I found out he was going to be in the movie Rocketman, I knew I had to see it. I didn’t know much about Elton and really only knew his hit songs, especially those from The Lion King, plus of course “Candle in the Wind” since I loved Princess Diana and her death really shook me. A few days after I went to spend part of the summer with my best friend Krista (you can read more about that here), we went to see Rocketman in the theatre. I went into it basically just wanting to see Richard Madden and Taron Egerton on the big screen, and I left with a newfound love and respect for Elton John. I was completely captivated from beginning to end, and it was easily one of the best movies I’d seen in a very long time.

After that, I had Elton’s music on repeat pretty much non-stop. I did the Spotify Wrapped thing for 2019, and it said I’d listened to 173 hours of Elton’s music, and that was mostly since July when I saw Rocketman. That doesn’t include the hours I listened to his music on Krista’s Alexa when we were hanging out or doing work around the house. What can I say, my obsessions are intense!

So, favourite movie of the year: Rocketman, obviously, hands down. Most listened to song, according to Spotify: “I Guess That’s What They Call it the Blues” by Elton John.

Other favourite music of 2019: Taylor Swift’s new album “Lover”. When I didn’t have Elton on repeat, I had “Lover” on repeat.

Favourite TV shows:

Bodyguard. Did I mention my obsession with Richard Madden? I watched Bodyguard early in the year based on a friend's recommendation, and then I made Krista watch it when I was living with her. Psychological thrillers aren’t usually my thing (I get scared too easily!), so this was 100% another one of those things I watched specifically because of Richard Madden. BUT...I loved it. It was intense and raw and emotional, and the whole cast was phenomenal. I’ve got my fingers crossed for another season.

Anne With an E. I’ll admit, I was hesitant to watch this show. I’m a diehard fan of the 1980s Anne mini-series starring Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie, and I was afraid I’d have trouble separating it from Anne With an E. I kept hearing amazing things about it, though, and finally one day this summer Krista announced we were watching it, put it on, and that was that. I went in with an open mind and decided to enjoy it for what it was, and I ended up loving it. The actors are fantastic, the stories are great (although there’s still a part of me that’s a tiny bit twitchy over some of the creative liberties they’ve taken with the story and characters), and I love how inclusive and diverse it is.

Good Omens. This is another one Krista and I watched together in the summer. We weren’t sure about it at first, but we ended up getting hooked. It was strange and hilarious, and it reminded me why I adore David Tennant.

Fleabag. When season two of Fleabag aired, my whole Twitter feed seemed to be full of mentions of the Hot Priest and Andrew Scott. My curiosity was piqued, especially since I love Andrew in Sherlock. Krista and I talked about watching it together, but things got a bit chaotic toward the end of my stay, so while she was away for a few days, I decided to watch it on my own. It was another show I wasn’t sure about at first but got hooked on; I ended up watching both seasons in the span of two days. It was twisted and irreverent and so, so funny. I especially loved season two, and yes, it was largely because of the Hot Priest!

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This was another show I a) resisted watching for a long time, and b) wasn’t sure about when I finally started. I loved Sabrina the Teenage Witch (still do, actually; my nine-year-old nephew and I watch it together all the time) and I kept hearing about how dark and twisted this version was. I caved in October, figuring it was the perfect show to watch around Halloween. It definitely was dark, twisted, and sometimes downright disturbing, but there’s something compulsively watchable about it, and I'm looking forward to the next season.

So, those are some of my top favourite things of 2019. It was a good year for entertainment, and this year is shaping up to be just as good and we’re only a few days in! Stay tuned for more about what I’m currently watching because I feel like I’ll have a lot to say about it. In the meantime, if you’re curious, be sure to follow me on bookstagram.

What were some of your favourite things in 2019? Do we have any faves in common?

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*Please note I'm an Amazon affiliate, and some of the links in this review are affiliate links. All income made through affiliate sales goes directly back into maintaining Ramblings of a Daydreamer. Thank you for your support!  

Monday Musts #4: The Irish Edition

The Monday Musts is a new weekly meme hosted by Lovin' Los Libros, where you share what you consider a must-read book, a must-listen song/album/artist, and something that's a must see (TV show, movie, blog, pictures, etc).

Welcome to Monday Musts! Why the Irish edition you ask? Well, I'm obsessed with all things Irish and since St. Patrick's Day is this week, I decided to dedicate the week to things having to do with the Emerald Isle. Stay tuned the rest of the week for more Irish goodness!

My musts for this week:

~ Must Read ~

If you like contemporary romance, I highly recommend the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy by Nora Roberts: Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea. Jewels of the Sea was one of the very first contemporary romance novels I read and it started my love of the genre. It didn't hurt that the series is set in Ireland, plus while it's mostly contemporary it also has faeries and ghosts and a wonderful underlying thread of magic. I've already read the series a couple times and I've been thinking lately it's time for another reread.

~ Must Listen ~

U2 and The Corrs are two of my favourite bands, and they both happen to be Irish. There are several versions of When the Stars Go Blue but for me none will ever compare to this version with Bono and the Corrs. *heart eyes forever*

~ Must See ~

Three of my favourite movies set at least partly in Ireland: PS I Love You (the book is also fantastic, and it's written by Irish author Cecelia Ahern), Leap Year (which is doubly fitting this year since it is a leap year), and Laws of Attraction. All three of these are romantic comedies (although PS I Love You is also incredibly heartbreaking and makes me cry like a baby every time I watch it).

What do you think of my musts? What are your musts for the week? Tell me in the comments, or if you participated in The Monday Musts this week, feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments and I'll visit you back!

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Monday Musts #3

The Monday Musts is a new weekly meme hosted by Lovin' Los Libros, where you share what you consider a must-read book, a must-listen song/album/artist, and something that's a must see (TV show, movie, blog, pictures, etc).

My musts for this week:

~ Must Read ~

Upside Down by Lia Riley. Well, the whole Off the Map series for that matter, but this is the first book (there are three novels, plus two novellas). I love Lia's books, and Bran and Talia have a special place in my heart for a lot of reasons. These books are heavy on the feels and swoons, plus they're crazy sexy. They have a great balance of tough real life issues mixed in with humour and a whole lotta sexytimes. Definitely one of my favourite New Adult series.

~ Must Listen ~

Coldplay has been one of my favourite bands for a long time, and I love love love their newest single, Adventure of a Lifetime. The video is weird (as are a lot of their videos), but the song is amazing. I just want to get up and dance every time I hear it.

~ Must See ~

The adorable magnetic bookmarks Happy Hello makes. I kept seeing them on Instagram, and I finally caved and bought two sets a couple weeks ago (plus bought another set this past weekend). If you visit my blog regularly, you'll know I'm obsessed with London, so I couldn't resist the London bookmarks, plus I'm currently obsessed with Outlander, and while I technically bought these for my mum, I keep stealing them because they're just so freaking cute. I can see this becoming an addiction! Be sure to check out Happy Hello's Etsy shop.

**Don't forget, I have a giveaway going on right now for 2 ebooks from my list of favourites!**

What do you think of my musts? What are your musts for the week? Tell me in the comments, or if you participated in The Monday Musts this week, feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments and I'll visit you back!

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The Monday Musts #2

The Monday Musts is a new weekly meme hosted by Lovin' Los Libros, where you share what you consider a must-read book, a must-listen song/album/artist, and something that's a must see (TV show, movie, blog, pictures, etc). 

My musts for this week:
~ Must read ~

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway. I'm a contemporary romance junkie, and this book had everything I love about the genre, especially in YA: friendship, humour, romance, family relationships, and lots of real emotion. It made me giggle like crazy, plus I even cried a couple times. If you're a fellow YA contemporary lover, I highly recommend Emmy & Oliver.

 

 ~ Must Listen ~

Hold On by Walk Off the Earth. I absolutely love this song. It's so catchy, plus I love the lyrics.
 

~ Must See ~

Frasier. The Complete Box Set was a daily deal on Amazon a few months ago (something like 60% or more off), and since I've always loved the show, I splurged and got it for myself as a birthday/Christmas present. I'm so glad I did - January was a pretty hellish for my mum and me, so we've been binge-watching the show, and I swear it's saved us from going crazy. It's familiar, it's hilarious, we love the characters, and it's the perfect way to shut off our minds for awhile. I know it's not for everyone - I imagine some people would have trouble getting past Frasier's personality (I mean, he can be insufferable, there's no denying that), but I guess since I watched Cheers when I was little, and then transitioned into Frasier, I find it more amusing than anything. Plus Niles and Daphne are one of my OTPs. <3

What do you think of my musts? What are your musts for the week? Tell me in the comments, or if you participated in The Monday Musts this week, feel free to leave a link and I'll be sure to check out your post!

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The Monday Musts #1

The Monday Musts is a new weekly meme hosted by Lovin' Los Libros, where you share what you consider a must-read book, a must-listen song/album/artist, and something that's a must see (TV show, movie, blog, pictures, etc).

My musts for this week:

~ Must read ~

Every Breath and Every Word by Ellie Marney. I'm obsessed with all things Sherlock, and I've read a ton of Sherlock-inspired books, but these are my favourites. They're popular in Australia, where the author is from and where the books are set, but have sort of flown under the radar here in North America, which is a shame. They've got great characters, lots of action and mystery, plus feels, swoons, and humour. The third book, Every Move, will be available in North America next month, and I can't wait to read it, even though I'll be sad to say goodbye to Rachel and James.

~ Must Listen ~

Thursday's Child by David Bowie. This song was when I really discovered Bowie as a musician. Before this, I only knew him from Labyrinth (which has been one of my favourite movies since I was 5 or 6), but this song came out when I was 15, and I loved it. When I discovered the guy singing it was the Goblin King from Labyrinth, I loved it even more and started listening to more of Bowie's music. I was surprised when some of the songs I'd been hearing on the radio for years - China Girl, Changes, Let's Dance, etc - were him, too. This remains one of my favourite songs of his (As the World Falls Down from the Labyrinth soundtrack is my favourite).

~ Must See ~

Like I said in my 'must read', I'm obsessed with all things Sherlock, and I love the BBC's version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The Abominable Bride special that aired on New Year's Day was amazing - a complete mindfuck in all the best ways. I loved the Victorian-era setting and the nods to the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock. If you're a Sherlock fan but haven't seen the special yet, get on it! Or if you haven't watched Sherlock but have thought about it, the whole series is amazing.

What do you think of my musts? What are your musts for the week? Tell me in the comments, or if you participated in The Monday Musts this week, feel free to leave a link and I'll be sure to check out your post!

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Blog Tour: Every Word by Ellie Marney

Welcome to my stop on Tundra's Every Word Blog Tour! If you know me at all, you'll know I'm obsessed with all things Sherlockian. I've read my fair share of Sherlock-related books, but Ellie Marney's Every Breath and Every Word are definitely my favourites. I'm going to share a short playlist I created of songs I think fit Every Word, plus talk a bit about visiting Baker Street in London.

{Read my review of Every Breath || Read my review of Every Word}

~Marie's Every Word Playlist~

Song for Someone ~ U2
Amsterdam ~ Coldplay
Wonderwall ~ Oasis
Dare You to Move ~ Switchfoot
Do It For Me Now ~ Angels & Airwaves
Radioactive ~ Imagine Dragons
Home ~ Phillip Phillips
London Calling ~ The Clash

Visiting Baker Street in London

In June I fulfilled a lifelong dream: I got to visit London for the first time! I fell head over heels in love with the city. One of the places I was looking forward to visiting most was Baker Street. My travelling companion and I decided beforehand we wouldn't go into the museum; we wanted to see the outside once it was closed because we figured that'd be a good time to get pictures with less people around (we were right). A good portion of Every Word is set in London (yay!). When Rachel and Alicia set out one day to do some sightseeing, I had a feeling I knew where they were going...and then when they emerged from the tube station and Rachel mentioned seeing a Pizza Express across the street, I knew for sure where they were going: 221 Baker Street! I clearly remember the Pizza Express because we were looking for a place to eat and we were so hungry we were willing to eat almost anything. There was a Pizza Hut down the street, but my friend said if we were going to have pizza, she wanted to eat it at a place we don't have at home, and we don't have Pizza Express. Luckily we decided to venture a little further and found a restaurant called Bill's, where we had a delicious three-course meal, but that Pizza Express was stuck in my brain. I thought it was brilliant how Marney worked a visit to the museum into the book.

Ellie Marney was born in the tropical northeast of Australia, and has lived in Indonesia, Singapore and India. Now she writes, teaches, talks about kids' literature at libraries and schools, and gardens when she can, while living in a country idyll (actually a very messy wooden house on ten acres with a dog and lots of chickens) near Castlemaine, in north-central Victoria. Even though she often forgets things and lets the housework go, her partner and four sons still love her. Ellie's short stories for adults have won awards and been published in various anthologies. Every Word is her second novel for young adults.

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Want your very own copy of Every Word? (Hint: yes, you do.) Tundra and Ellie Marney are generously donating a copy of this fantastic book to one lucky winner in Canada or the US! Enter using the Rafflecopter below - you can do as many or as few entries as you like.


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Have you read Every Word? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Do you like books about Sherlockian characters? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Fantastic Friday #3

Fantastic Friday is a new feature here on Ramblings of a Daydreamer. Each Friday I'll showcase fantastic things from the past week - could be things I've done, places I've gone, a new song I like, a movie I've seen, books I've read, blog posts from around the blogosphere - anything at all!

Happy May!

Here's how the last week of April went for me...

I went shoe shopping this week, which is normally a huge ordeal for me, for several reasons: I'm cheap (lol) and I have really big, wide feet, so it's almost impossible to find shoes that a) fit, b) don't look like shit, and c) don't cost a fortune. The last time I bought shoes was about two years ago and I settled for a fairly ugly but comfortable and cheap pair of men's sneakers. I would have just made do with them plus my sandals and flip flops for the summer, but I need something decent-looking and comfortable for my trip in June. I know footwear can be one huge way that tourists stand out, plus we'll be walking all day every day for two weeks, so I needed something comfy. I tried on a bunch of flats that actually fit and were semi-comfortable, but not comfortable enough for hours and hours of walking. Then I found flats that had memory foam inside and a sole with good grip, AND THEY FIT. They were so cute and so comfortable I ended up buying two pair. They were on sale, plus there was a buy one get one half price promo, so I ended up spending less than I'd hoped! I'd still like a pair of comfortable, pretty sandals, but I'm not too worried about it. I've been wearing these all week to break them in and they're just so damn comfortable, plus not clunky and awkward and a giant eyesore like my shoes usually are. I posted the picture below on Instagram and had a bunch of people say they were going to look for them, so if you're interested, they're Champion Sport, and I'd highly recommend them. ;-)

One of my current obsession songs is I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen. Her songs are ridiculously catchy, and this one is no exception. Every time I hear it, I just want to get up and dance. The other day I made a YouTube playlist on my phone for my workouts. I don't have Pandora or any other music streaming/downloading service, so sometimes I listen to music on YouTube, and I figured that'd be a good way to make a playlist. I hit play and set my phone down and after a few seconds I glanced down and thought I saw Tom Hanks. I was like ummm...okay...then after a minute figured I'd accidentally added a fan-made video where people piece together bits of their favourite actors, you know? But then I realized he was mouthing along to the words of the song and I had to stop and watch the video. It's hilarious! I can't imagine how exciting it must have been for Carly Rae Jepsen (a fellow Canadian!) to have TOM FREAKING HANKS in her music video. 

I had two girls' days with my favourite girls this week - first Tuesday with my mum, sister, and my almost-2-year-old niece (which was mostly errands and lunch out), then yesterday with just my mum and sister. I ADORE my niece, but it's nice to be do stuff kid-free once in awhile, especially since she's a demon handful. We ran a bunch of errands, then went for a long drive around the reserve, then went to a cake shop my sister has been promising to take us to forever (it was so beautiful inside, you guys...a really classy Paris theme, so I was in love, plus all the goodies - NOM!) and I got a mini cherry cheesecake and a chocolate mint bar. After that we went to Pizza Hut for lunch. We talked a lot, laughed a lot, plus the weather was gorgeous, so it was an all around fantastic day.

And, finally, my weekly Europe countdown: SEVEN WEEKS!!!! I know I keep saying this, but time is flying. I have no idea where April went. I feel like I blinked and it was gone. I can't believe there's just a month and a half left before one of my greatest dreams comes true!

So that's my fantastic week. What did you find fantastic this week? Tell  me in the comments below, chat with me on Twitter, or feel free to link me to blog posts, articles, pictures, songs, videos, or whatever you thought was fantastic that you want to share!

   
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