About Me

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hi, I am a 40+ year old who loves jewellery and all things sparkly. I also enjoy trying out and reviewing new makeup products, finding stylish walking sticks, reading and writing book reviews. I will review anything from bird tables/ hedgehog houses to the latest fashion! My Instagram account is @sparkling_magpie

Saturday 31 August 2024

Review: SKGemsandbeads, Amethyst Wand/ Ring Holder



 I have been looking for an amethyst ring holder for several years, since I started being interested in crystals and semi precious stones. I was browsing Etsy and SKGemsandbeads and I saw a mini amethyst point / wand that measures between 6.1 and 6.7 cm in length. It cost £15.58 including tax and postage.  
When it arrived from India it was packed very securely in bubble wrap and a little plastic container. It measured 6.1 cm (H) and 2.4 cm at its widest point. As the wand is narrow at the top and wider at the bottom it makes the perfect ring holder. I’m a size K-L and lots of larger sizes should also fit on it. The holder itself looks very magical with colours ranging from white at the top  to deep purple at the bottom. It is a six sided wand and the cut makes it seem almost alive as it gleams in the sunlight.The item was bought from a seller in India and took about 9 days to arrive.

 I would recommend this seller as my amethyst wand/crystal tower/ring holder is beautifully made, carefully packed and the customer service great.

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.






Wednesday 21 August 2024

Review: GemeShou Gold Earring Display Stand

I have reviewed Gemeshou jewellery display products in previous blog posts and I also have several that are waiting to be reviewed. I like their products as they are well made and ready priced. Today I am going to review the earring holder for long earrings (I realised when I received the stand that I had misjudged the height as I don’t wear or own very long earrings!).

The earring stand is very minimalist and elegant, available in black, silver or gold (I got the gold version). They are available in two heights 20 and 28 cm. The horizontal earring bar measures 6cm and can hold stud and hook earrings. The stand comes in 3 pieces and screws together very easily. It is also very compact to store. 

I love the brushed gold colour and the style of the base. I just wish there was a smaller version available! 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 



Book Review:Billion-Dollar Dating Game (Billion-Dollar Bet, Book 1 by Natalie Anderson

 

Billion-Dollar Dating Game by Natalie Anderson is the first in the three part mini series Billion-Dollar Bets. The three main men, Zane, Adam and Cade are best friends and billionaires. All three have a reputation as one date wonders but excellent businessmen. All three, each for their own reason, want to purchase Helberg Holdings as Reed, the owner, died several months ago. Zane puts down a bet that if they can date one women between independence and Labour Day he will take all the shares that they have accumulated and have a free run at taking over Helberg Holdings. All three men agree. 

Zane de Marco and Skylar Bennet grew up on the same estate. Neither had a happy childhood. She lived with her strict father, him with his mother. Zane slowly built his empire and Skylar is now an employee. After a night together he persuades her to have a fake relationship so he can win the bet and take over the business that destroyed his childhood. He/ they didn’t take into account that their fake relationship would develop into a true romance, but will their flaws and stubborn characters prevent their romance from being their HEA? 

Full of passion and pent up emotions that can be traced back to childhood, both characters are clearly flawed but likeable. The reader can root for them and hope they get it together so their relationship survives because they are relatable characters that most readers can empathise with. 

This is an enjoyable read, a bit of a slow start but the rest of the novel is well paced and full of chemistry. I would recommend and I am looking forward to reading the other 2 books in the series. 

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Tuesday 20 August 2024

Book Review: Faking It Fast-Track Fiancé (The Fast Track Billionaires' Club) / Billion-Dollar Dating Game (Billion-Dollar Bet) by Amanda Cinelli; Natalie Anderson

 

Faking It is a duo of Mills & Boon Modern novels. Fast Track Fiancé by Amanda Cinelli and Billion - Dating Game by Natalie Anderson combine to make this a sizzling late summer read!!

 I’m not particularly interested in Formula 1 racing but as this provides the back drop and shapes the storyline to Fast Track Fiancé I decided to overlook this. Nina Roux is a heiress and reserve driver for the Falco Roux  Team. She had assumed she was about to be promoted after a disastrous race in Monte Carlo but instead legendary driver Apollo  Accardi arrives back after a six year absence.  So she is still benched from Falco Roux’s F1 driving team. Tristan Falco, the owner/ playboy of the team is caught on camera arguing with her. To try and calm the media storm he agrees that if they maintain a paddock romance for the season and she pretends to be his fiancé she can have a seat in the team. All is fine until the fake feelings become very real!!

An enjoyable read full of chemistry and sparks between the two main characters. I liked that Nina was so determined to get her place on the team and not just stay as the reserve driver. 

 Billion-Dollar Dating Game by Natalie Anderson is the first in the three part mini series Billion-Dollar Bets. The three main men, Zane, Adam and Cade are best friends and billionaires. All three have a reputation as one date wonders but excellent businessmen. All three, each for their own reason, want to purchase Helberg Holdings as Reed, the owner, died several months ago. Zane puts down a bet that if they can date one women between independence and Labour Day he will take all the shares that they have accumulated and have a free run at taking over Helberg Holdings. All three men agree. 

Zane de Marco and Skylar Bennet grew up on the same estate. Neither had a happy childhood. She lived with her strict father, him with his mother. Zane slowly built his empire and Skylar is now an employee. After a night together he persuades her to have a fake relationship so he can win the bet and take over the business that destroyed his childhood. He/ they didn’t take into account that their fake relationship would develop into a true romance, but will their flaws and stubborn characters prevent their romance from being their HEA? 

Full of passion and pent up emotions that can be traced back to childhood, both characters are clearly flawed but likeable. The reader can root for them and hope they get it together so their relationship survives because they are relatable characters that most readers can empathise with. 

An excellent duo and I would recommend this novel as both books are rereadable and full of spice. 


love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted




Thursday 8 August 2024

Book Review; Reclaimed With A Ring by Louise Fuller

  

Reclaimed by a Ring is written by Louisr Fuller and is part of the Mills & Boon Modern Diamond Club mini series. 

Trip Winslow has returned to New York and his multi billion dollar empire in New York after experiencing 5 weeks of captivity in Ecuador. He was kidnapped after going there to try to find his father’s mistress. His business advisers tell him that his stock holders have lost faith in him and he needs to bring stability into his life otherwise he won’t regain control of his company. He announced that he is engaged to Lily Dempsey, a senator’s daughter who he was seeing for 2 months before his disastrous trip. Unfortunately they split rather acrimoniously. He gets Lily to agree to a fake engagement/ marriage by kidnapping her. He uses Lucas, her fragile brother, as leverage to blackmail her into cooperating. Slowly the fake engagement feels real but can their relationship survive their insecurities? 

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, I really like the author’s books but this one dragged. There was too much dialogue. It would maybe have been better to publish it as a True Love novel as they seem to focus more on dialogue between the characters.   Trip and Lilys’ background stories seemed too busy and she didn’t build on them. Trip, for example, had ADHD, was very much the younger spare until his much older brother Charlie died. His mother ignored him and he discovered his “perfect” father had been having an affair. Lily had even brought up under the glare of social media as her father was a Senator. Her looks were crucified and she retreated from public life. Her first love had also taken advantage of her insecurities. None of these themes developed through the book but were just touched upon and never mentioned again. It was a book with a potential and if I hadn’t read several of Fuller’s  book I would have though it was great but comparing it to them it was just good but I wouldn’t rush to reread it. 




love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted 


Tuesday 6 August 2024

Book Review: Tempted By Her Greek Island Bodyguard by Michelle Douglas

Tempted by Her Greek Island Bodyguard is written by Michelle Douglas is part of Mills & Boon True Love collection. 

This is my first Michelle Douglas novel and I selected it as I was intrigued by the description. Set in the Greek islands a reality tv show is rebuilding a Greek island resort. Janie has a very overprotective famous musician as a father and actress mother. She, however, prefers working away from the limelight after being dubbed plain Janie by the press. She works with charities and so signed up to the reality show. Her father hired Zach as her bodyguard to protect her. He is grumpy and not thrilled to be on a reality tv show. Slowly the pair fall in love but will their love survive in the real world?

I enjoyed this book. It is well written, a very different storyline, more contemporary and fun. The characters are interesting and catch the readers’ attention and most importantly are relatable. 

I love Mills & Boon UK and I think you will too! Click my personal referral link to get a discount on your first purchase http://rwrd.io/f4yjeqp?c 

I received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review. I am a #MillsAndBoonInsider #netgalley #gifted 






Saturday 3 August 2024

Review: House of Alyssa Smith Delightful Sea Turtle Pearly Drop Studs with Shells

Released as part of Alyssa Smith’s 2024 beach’s pop up shop summer collection, the delightful sea turtle Pearly drop studs are £24.95 plus postage. The earrings are sterling silver with imitation pearls - to keep the cost down and to stop the wearer having to worry about getting sunscreen on them etc. 

I found that the earrings are very delicate and light weight so comfortable to wear all day. The studs are elegant and minimalist to be worn as both day and evening jewellery. They are handmade to order so they aren’t a last minute purchase! I upgraded to a deluxe branded box (£2.50) which is a tiny drawer design.  I love the hidden message on the bottom of the drawer. My earrings will live in there as they will be easy to find rather than just scrabbling through my jewellery box hoping to find them. I shall enjoy wearing them. There is a whole collection of sea turtle jewellery which is all reasonably priced and looks to be beautifully designed and made. 

I purchased the item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.