Five on Friday & Book Club Friday {Tudor Rose Series}

Hey y'all,

It has been a while since I have written a five on Friday post so what better way to come off a mini-series and get back to lifestyle posts than a nice link up about five things as we gear up for the weekend. Thanks again Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha for organizing this link up weekly (and for the awesome giveaway!) Here we go:

one. Phantom of the Opera. I think Phantom of the Opera is considered one of the quientessential broadway productions and I am so excited to be seeing it tomorrow. I have loved the music for years and have watched the movie adaptation and many documentaries about the show. I can't fully explain the experience of seeing a musical live. Now for

two. the SkinnyTaste Cookbook & Fresh20. I don't know about you but I love being in the kitchen. It might have been how I was raised but the kitchen has always felt like home. I have been following the SkinnyTaste blog for a while and I just recently picked up the cookbook. My nutritionist also told me about the website, Fresh20. It is a subscription service similar to e-Meals that focuses on 20 fresh ingredients to make 5 dinners a week. Also, they have specific "for one" plans! I am trying it out and will keep you updated.

three. Flywheel. They recently opened up a flywheel studio in Raleigh and I am excited that I have planned to go a few times towards the end of this month. I think some classes will be the perfect thing after my half in 9 DAYS! I wish I was able to go to the ride on Oct 15th since Ruth, the creator of Flywheel, will be leading the ride. However, I have work stuff at 5pm that evening in Pittsboro so I hope some readers are able to go and enjoy the ride. I will be over here being jealous. If you ride in Raleigh let me know! You can sign up for classes here.

four. Boo Bags. I don't know about your neighborhood or office but October means boo-ing to me. Every year our office participates in the tradition of anonymously giving bags of Halloween and Fall decor and candy to one another. The boo ghost started on the first and a few offices have already been given goodies but hopefully in the next week or so I will be receiving and giving a bag away.

five. Book Club Friday. Tudor Rose Series by Susan Wiggs. I recently found the Tudor Rose series through the North Carolina Digital Library and I have read the first two books of the trilogy. This historical romance series connects with the Tudor family in England with the first book including Henry VIII and the second book has Elizabeth's coronation at the end.

via

 Description:

Frustrated by his own failures at matrimony, King Henry VIII punishes an insolent nobleman by commanding him to marry the vagabond woman caught stealing his horse. Stephen de Lacey is a cold and bitter widower, long accustomed to the sovereign's capricious and malicious whims. He regards his new bride as utterly inconvenient...though undeniably fetching.
But Juliana Romanov is no ordinary thief—she is a Russian princess forced into hiding by the traitorous cabal who slaughtered her family. One day she hopes to return to Muscovy to seek vengeance.
What begins as a mockery of a marriage ultimately blossoms into deepest love.

 Opinion:

 I actually read this book after reading the second in the series so some of the mystery in the first book was kind of ruined. This book begins with Juliana losing her family in a horrible murder. I thought it was interesting that she was a Romanov and no one thought to go looking for her for years. It was a cute story and I love the temperamental nature of both of the characters. They are stubborn and want various things but together they heal one another of their past burdens and tragedies.

via

DESCRIPTION:

Roguishly handsome Oliver de Lacey has always lived lustily: wine, weapons and women are his bywords. Even salvation from the noose by a shadowy society provides no epiphany to mend his debauched ways.
Mistress Lark's sole passion is her secret work with a group of Protestant dissidents thwarting the queen's executions. She needs no other excitement --— until Oliver de Lacey drops through the hangman's door and into her life.
As their fates become inextricably bound together in a struggle against royal persecution, both Oliver and Lark discover a love worth saving ... even dying for.

Opinion:

This is the first book in the series and I got sucked in and wanted to read the rest right away. I loved that Susan Wiggs writes women characters with some feisty personalities and ones that are intelligent and contribute to society. Lark has had an interesting past and is very resistant to Oliver but together they work to help various individuals in the rebellion to keep England as a protestant nation under the inevitable death of Mary and ascension of Elizabeth.

I am about to start the third book in the series after I finish my two book clubs' books.

How is your Friday going? Any big weekend plans? 

Have you ever tried Flywheel?

Favorite musical?