The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays by Irena Smith

Each chapter of The Golden Ticket :A Life in College Admissions Essays starts with a prompt from a college essay. In the spirit of the book, I am sharing a prompt from MIT’s application.

We know you lead a life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Please tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.

Luckily as the author shares we are adults and do not have to worry about word count!  For me, things I do simply for pleasure are reading, scrapbooking , and connecting with friends. How would you answer?

My Review: I have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays by Irena Smith. The author uses college application prompts to share her story, the stories of her students and families, and weaving in valuable lessons about living life. The author has the gift of sharing stories about her family while being real, funny and thoughtful. Her honesty is refreshing, and her story will resonate with anyone who has had a struggle with a child.

As the mom of students who have filled out many college applications I deeply appreciated her humorous, insightful and honest views on the college admittance process. She has a gracious way of putting the process in perspective, making you laugh out loud, and reminding you what is really important in life. I highly recommend The Golden Ticket by Irena Smith.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Irena founded her college consulting practice 15 years ago, drawing on her experience as an admission officer at Stanford University, where she read and reviewed thousands of applications. Now, she helps school students find and celebrate their best stories as they navigate the application process.

Irena has a BA in English from UCLA and a PhD in Comparative Literature, also from UCLA, where she received a Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award and a Dissertation Year Fellowship.

Irena has taught literature and composition at UCLA and Stanford and has nearly 20 years of experience as a writer, editor, and teacher. Her memoir, The Golden Ticket, explores the college application process from the perspectives of a parent, college counselor, and admissions officer. She is a voracious reader, a fervent proponent of the serial comma, and a shameless consumer of Trader Joe’s chocolate-covered espresso beans.

 

The Baby Inheritance by Tina Radcliffe

 

The Baby Inheritance by Tina Radcliffe is first in her new series, The Lazy M Ranch. Drew Morgan is a rancher and lives with his family at the Lazy M Ranch. Sadie is a college professor trying very hard to control her life and make up for her past. They are opposites who become guardians of their best friends’ baby. Just looking at the cover you know this is going to be good.

I was very invested in this character driven story. Drew and Sadied are so different, but together they are a delight. Drew’s brothers, Grandpa, and Bess brought humor, depth and a sense of family to the story. The story walks through faith topics without being preachy, and I appreciated the themes of friendship, family, and trusting God for the future.

I am so excited about this series, and I can not wait to see what happens with the rest of the Morgan brothers and spend more time at the Lazy M Ranch. This story delighted me and was the perfect read. I highly recommend The Baby Inheritance by Tina Radcliffe.  Publishing April 26, 2023.  Pre-order now. 

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Publishers Weekly bestselling author Tina Radcliffe hails from Western New York. She left home for a tour of duty with the Army Security Agency stationed in Augsburg, Germany, and ended up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While living in Tulsa, she spent ten years as a Certified Oncology R.N. before heading to Colorado as a library cataloger.

A freelance writer for over twenty years, Tina is a Romance Writer of America and American Christian Fiction Writers Honor Roll member.

Tina is also a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist. She is a four-time ACFW Carol Award finalist and a three-time ACFW Mentor of the year finalist. ​Her Harlequin books have won the ACFW Carol Award and the Holt Medallion. She has placed or won over thirty RWA chapter-affiliated contests in her career. As a short story writer, she has sold over forty short romances to Woman’s World Magazine.

​Tina is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Women's Fiction Writers Association. A popular workshop speaker, she currently lives in Arizona, where she writes fun, heartwarming romance.

Dawn's Untrodden Green by Carolyn Miller

There is nothing like a wonderful Regency romance and Dawn’s Untrodden Green by Carolyn Miller is a wonderful Regency romance! Theodosia Stapleton lives in the tiny Northumberland and has accepted herself as a spinster who is taking care of family and lives in her sister’s shadow. Captain Daniel Balfour is a decorated war hero who is not comfortable with his fame. He comes to Northumberland to be with his niece after the passing of her mother and meets Theodosia.

“No man had ever expressed admiration for her before. Well, no man that she regarded highly has done so. And while her head still warned that she was most likely to have her heart broken if she dwelt too long on his words, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to venture into the realm of romance.”

This delightful character driven story has such depth and beauty. Captain Balfour is all things charitable and gracious who works to serve and care for others. Theodosia is a hospitable loving and considerate woman who shares her heart in such a contemplative way. I enjoyed walking with her as she shared her thoughts and struggles. It was a joy to connect with such a relatable heroine. The story’s themes of friendship, loving people for who they are and family resonated deeply with me. I adored this book.

Dawn’s Untrodden Green, drew me into Theodosia and Daniel’s world and I did not want to leave. The setting, themes, and beautiful characters made this a fantastic story that I will not soon forget. I very highly recommend Dawn’s Untrodden Green.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Carolyn Miller is an inspirational romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with her husband and four children.

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of LM Montgomery, and Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She enjoys music, films, gardens, art, travel, ice hockey and food.

Return to Satterwaite Court by Mimi Mathews

 Return to Satterwaite Court by Mimi Mathews publishes April 11. You can pre-order now.

📚Review: Return to Satterthwaite Court by Mimi Mathews is number three in the Somerset Stories. Captain Charles Heywood is back from his many adventures in the British Navy and ready to settle down. He loves his family and his country. Lady Katherine Beresford is twenty and has not been impressed with who she has met during her London seasons. She is great with a pistol, riding horseback, and also used to getting her way. This incredible story is a stand alone, but readers will experience more joy if they have read Gentleman Jim and The Work of Art

This beautifully written story is a pure delight! Captain Charles Heywood is an amazing hero that I enjoyed cheering for. Kate is full of spunk and so likable I wanted to be her best friend too. The themes of the value of family, loyalty, and pursuing righteousness resonated with me. The setting in Somerset and London during the Gilded Age was beautiful and the historical details included by the author made it an amazing story.

This story was filled with lovely romance, marvelous characters, and wonderful historical details. I enjoyed each minute of the story. I highly recommend Return to Satterwaite Court by Mimi Mathews.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats. Learn more online at mimimatthews.com