Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is another post I had drafted shortly after I finished the audiobook, but I never posted.  It has been sitting in my drafts folder for quite some time now, so I figured I'd dust it off and post it.  I did finish the entire series and I enjoyed it.

This is a really interesting story. It took me a while to adjust to an Oz where Dorothy is the bad guy. None the less I enjoyed this story. It follows Amy Gumm, a poor girl from Kansas, who's had a not so great life. On a particularly crappy day, Amy is swept away in a magic tornado, much the same way Dorothy was, and finds herself in Oz. Amy sets out down the yellow brick road toward the Emerald City, where she sees some strange things along her journey. When she finally gets to the palace and meets the famous Dorothy, she's surprised to see that Dorothy is not at all like the girl from the movie and the storybook. Upon hearing how Amy arrived to Oz, Dorothy throw's Amy in the dungeon to rot. Amy is rescued by Mambi, a wicked witch, sometime later and joins the Order of the Wicked in exchange for her freedom, but lines between Good and Wicked aren't exactly clear in Oz. Amy begins training to fight and learns magic from the resident Wicked Witches. Eventually Amy infiltrates the palace in an undercover mission to kill Dorothy, but things go wrong, covers are blown, and Amy questions her role in the Order of the Wicked. All she knows is Dorothy and her entourage has got to go, but she missed her chance to end things once and for all, but the fight isn't over and Amy is willing to do what needs to be done, but at what cost?

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Review: Every Little Thing by Samantha Young

Every Little Thing by Samantha Young
Narrated by: Angelica Lee and Tad Branson 
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the second installment of the Hart's Boardwalk series and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't as explosive as I expected. I think part of that was because I listened to it on audio, while the narration was fine, I think some of the tension and heat between Bailey and Vaughn just didn't come through in the audio. I expected more passion and heat from them, and it just didn't live up to my expectations. I still love Samatha's books and I'm going to give this one another chance in print because I've not had good luck with reading her books on audio, I prefer them in print.

This follows Bailey Harwell, owner of the local Hardwell Inn. She is the local sweetheart, beloved by all and very active in the community and very protective of her town and its boardwalk. Vaughn Tremaine is a successful hotel chain owner from teh big city, he owns a big fancy hotel on the boardwalk and he is Bailey's arch enemy. Secretly they are both attracted to one another, but Bailey is in a long term relationship with Tom and Vaughn is a bachelor and playboy. Vaughn while not very active in the community doesn't want to see anything change in teh quaint town of Hartwell and has done what he can to protect the boardwalk with his capital to back him. He and Bailey can't be in the same vicinity without throwning insults at each other, until Bailey's long time boyfriend cheats on her and Vaughn begins to change his tune. Vaughn sort of becomes her knight in shining armor, when one of the Devlin's tries to break into Bailey's office at the Inn and attacks her. The Devlin family has been trying to take over the Boardwalk for years but they have been unsuccessful, but they will do anything to purchase property and change the tourist location to their liking. Vaughn and Bailey's frigid relationship finally begins to melt, but it isn't without alot of banter and trust issues that they finally learn to love each other and get over the baggage that they each have in their past.

Both Bailey and Vaughn each have some deep seated relationship issues. Neither one of them really wants to work through those issues in the beginning, but over time we see each of them grown and learn to trust the other with their secrets and heartache. We see Bailey let down her guard and let her friends in, and we see Vaughn become a member of the community and get to know the people of Hartwell.

This is a good hate to love romance. The characters were frustrating at times, as were some of the situations that they were put in, but it all worked out in the end. I hope we get more from this series as there are some side characters that I'd like to know more about.

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Review: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Narrarated by Jennifer Lim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This isn’t typically the type of book I go for, but I really enjoyed it. I picked this up to fill a book challenge prompt for A book from a celebrity book club. Reese Witherspoon's book club picked this and Reese herself has raved about it and her production company is making it into a movie. This would fit several categories for the Popsugar reading challenge.

The book is very character focused, and at the center of everything is Mia. Mia is an artist, she and her daughter Pearl are renting a house from the Richardsons. At the very beginning of the book the Richardson’s house burns down, the fire is set by their youngest daughter Izzy. Izzy has decided to take matters into her own hand and make her family start over, while burning their house down seems to be a bit over the top, as the book unfolds and you see things from her perspective and the way her family acts, it makes sense. I don’t condone burning houses down to get people to see your point or make a change, but the Richardsons were snobby, privileged, and never took Izzy seriously. She wasn’t supported and they didn’t listen to her. They did a lot of things that were wrong because they were the right kind of people, and they didn’t think anything of it. The book then goes back in time to when Mia and Pearl move in and how the entire story is inter-connected.

The story mainly focuses on Mrs. Richardson, Mia, and Pearl and their interactions with the Richardsons. I would have liked more of Izzy, but overall I really liked how each of the characters was developed. You got to know each of their personalities quite well. The world building was pretty good to, Shaker Heights, Ohio is a suburb of Cleveland. It is the right kind of place where the right kind of people live, the Richardsons are the right kind of people. They have money, they went to the right schools, they know the right people, they have nice things. Mia and Pearl are not the right kind of people, they are drifters, never staying in one place for too long. Mia is an artist, only staying in one place until her inspiration has been exhausted. She takes abstract photographs that make her decent money, but she also works odd jobs to make sure she and Pearl have the necessities. They don’t have much, and they thrift shop. They are completely opposite of the Richardsons. Mia rents a house from Mrs.Richardson, and Pearl goes to school with the Richardson children quickly becoming friends with them. She is often at their home spending time with them. On the other hand, the youngest Richardson finds a connection with Mia. Mrs. Richardson and Izzy have a very strained relationship, so for the first time Izzy finds compassion and caring in someone like Mia and they click. She finds inspiration in Mia’s words.

Surrounding the family dynamics of Mia, Pearl, and the Richardsons is and adoption case for a Chinese baby girl. Mia knows the mother from work and the Richardsons are good friends with the couple who has been fostering the girl for months. Bebe, the baby’s birth mother was suffering post partum depression and being por and from China was unaware of support she was able to receive. She doesn’t speak English very well and found it hard to care for her child, so she left the baby at a firestation. The McCulloughs desperately want a baby, after many unsuccessful attempts on their own to start a family, they are this close to adopting the little girl when Bebe shows up wanting her baby back. Mrs. Richardson is not pleased that Mia is involved and supporting Bebe, and starts digging into Mia’s past. Mia has kept plenty of secrets of her own, and she is reluctant for Pearl or anyone to find out about her past.

This book talks about so many issues that face today’s society: parenting, childbirth, adoption, privilege (specifically white privilege), miscarriage, surrogacy, immigration, post partum depression, abortion, and probably other things that I’m forgetting to mention. I really enjoyed the way these topics were discussed especially because some of them hit close to home.


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Review: Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Timekeeper by Tara Sim
Narrated by Gary Furlong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up because I thought I might be able to use it for my Popsugar reading challenge prompt for a book involving time travel.  It does not in fact involve time travel, but I enjoyed it anyway.  You could use it for the LGBT prompt, as the main character is gay and it does involve a cute male male romance.

Timekeeper is set in alternate Victorian London and follows timekeeper Danny Hart. Danny is a clock mechanic who doesn’t just fix broken clocks he can also see and fix broken threads of time. Time in this version of London is controlled by the clocks in and around London. If a clock is broken time doesn’t flow correctly, and in some cases entire towns have been frozen because the town clock has stopped.

Danny finds himself in Enfield repairing the clock when he meets his new apprentice Brandon. Brandon turns out to be Enfield’s clock spirit Colton. Colton finds Danny interesting and he continues to “injure” himself so Danny will come back and fix him. Colton is lonely and as a clock spirit doesn’t get to interact with humans or know much about them. I really enjoyed the mythology aspect of the book. You don’t see the Titans very much, and it was a nice touch to have several chapters dedicated to the actual mythology. I would have liked more on it, however there was enough to understand what was going on and how everything worked. Some of the magic you just have to accept though.

Danny, being very comfortable as a gay young man finds himself attracted to Colton, and as their friendship develops so do their feeling for each other. Their romance is sweet and cute. They can’t do much more than kiss though.

Meanwhile, the timekeepers are trying to build a new clock to unfreeze a local town where Danny’s own father is trapped, they are dealing with local bombing of several clock towers, and the local townsfolk feeling that the timekeepers have too much power. Most people respect the clocks and the work the timekeepers do, but they are often misunderstood and while they can see and repair time, some feel that they can actually control time, which isn’t really the case. Danny is desperate to help save his father, but as a victim of a recent bombing himself he is just getting back to work himself. He has a lot to deal with. Fortunately he has his best friend Cassie, his real apprentice Brandon, and Colton to help him figure things out. Danny is certain that he can figure out who is behind the bombings, but he also wants to spend time working on the Enfield clock so he can spend time with Colton. He also wants to work on the new clock that will hopefully save his father, when that job doesn’t come through he gets pretty upset. What he does find is that the person behind the bombings is the last person he would expect. Danny is pretty emotional, he makes decisions based on his feelings and doesn’t think things through many times. This often gets him in trouble, but given his situation at home and work it is understandable that he has a short fuse sometimes. He is flawed, but he always owned his actions, and we see him grow and find his inner strength to stand up to the unlikely villain and become the hero in the end.

I felt that the plot was pretty good and the characters and relationships were developed well. There was a lot going on in this book, but I never felt overwhelmed or lost. There was a bit of a resistance against the clock mechanics, a mystery, a romance, friendships, foul play, mythology, but I always knew what was going on. The world building could have been better, but considering most of the story is set in a clock or a small apartment there isn’t much world to see. I am very much looking forward to Chainbreaker the next book in the series.


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Review: The Glittering Court

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I read this in 2016, shortly after I started blogging. I had the post all ready to go, but I never posted it to goodreads or the the blog. I'm not sure why I never posted it, it was nearly ready to go, I just needed to spell check the post. I already put in the work to write up a post so I figured I might as well post it.


This is categorized as a fantasy, but there aren't any fantasy elements. None of the characters posses magic, there aren't any fantastical creatures, its more of a romance and a historical fiction. So some of the problematic elements like the way characters of color are treated and the treatment and actions of women are due to the time period, doesn't make it right, but it fits the historical nature and time period of the book.

I liked this book, but not enough to continue on with the series. I did like the side characters, and I was interested in their books, but I was never captivated enough to go back and read the other books.

This is an interesting take on elite society. Men with out noble titles or a penny to their name, move to the "New World" called Adoria and have found their fortunes and want and made names for themselves. Alone in their newfound greatness, the "new nobles" want wives from their homeland, Osfrid, who are able to match them in their greatness. Enter the Glittering Court, finishing school for young girls without a noble upbringing that transforms girls common birth who have no where to go for whatever reason to become the wives of the new nobles in Adoria. The Glittering Court aims to turn them from rags to riches and arrange marriages for men who intend to make their way into elite society of Adoria. The highest bidder gets a beautiful, genteel young wife to head into the wild frontier. The girls get room, board, and lessons until they are essentially sold and married. They do alteast have a say in who they get to marry.

Our main character Adelaide Bailey or Elizabeth Whitmore, Countess of Rothford, is in a hopeless situation. She must make a suitable match to keep her family namesake alive, but her wealth is quickly running out. She must marry for money but also for pride. She feels trapped and is not interested in an arranged marriage. Her grandmother is in charge of her future and the Whitmore family name. Grandmama is making arrangements for their estate and Elizabeth's marriage when Cedric Thorn comes along to take away Ada, Elizabeth's maid, to the Glittering Court. Ada wants to go to her family farm not to the Court. Elizabeth sees a way out of her predicament by posing as Ada, here they both may find an agreeable future.

Adelaide/Elizabeth already knows everything that the Glittering Court aims to teach its girls as far as how to be a fine lady, but what she doesn't know is how to be a normal girl who is learning to act like a noble. She can't dress her self, cook, clean, sew, do her own hair, but the other girls can do those things. So she learns to do things for herself and not stick out as the know-it-all. She makes some friends, but can never tell them who she really is. Cedric Thorn, the only person who knows her true identity, tells Adelaide to fall somewhere in the middle of the pack so she doesn't stick out and she isn't found out as the missing Countess. After finding out some scandalous information about Cedric she decides to help him and become the top of her class to ensure he can get the best price for her marriage and stake a claim in the new colony.

Through an interesting course of events Cedric and Adelaide find themselves forming a friendship that turns into something much more, yet they cannot act on it as she has to go through with her contract to marry through the Glittering Court. She meets her prospective husbands, one being the Governor's son Warren who is to be a Governor himself. Warren's mother reveals that she know's of Adelaide's true identity and that she is anxious for Adelaide to marry Warren before he leaves for his new land. Adelaide feels trapped much like the situation she left behind with her grandmother. I won't spoil the drama that ensues surrounding her relationship troubles and the conflicts she faces. While there are struggles, everything conveniently resolves itself.



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Blog Tour: BIrthday GIrl by Penelope Douglas

Buy a Copy Here Amazon / Amazon CA / Amazon UK / Amazon AUS

Title: Birthday Girl Genre: Contemporary Romance Author: Penelope Douglas Release Date: April 17, 2018

Synopsis:
JORDAN He took me in when I had nowhere else to go.
He doesn’t use me, hurt me, or forget about me. He doesn’t treat me like I’m nothing, take me for granted, or make me feel unsafe.
He remembers me, laughs with me, and looks at me. He listens to me, protects me, and sees me. I can feel his eyes on me over the breakfast table, and my heart pumps so hard when I hear him pull in the driveway after work.
I have to stop this. It can’t happen.
My sister once told me there are no good men, and if you find one, he’s probably unavailable.
Only Pike Lawson isn’t the unavailable one.
I am.


PIKE I took her in, because I thought I was helping.
She’d cook a few meals and clean up a little. It was an easy arrangement.
As the days go by, though, it’s becoming anything but easy. I have to stop my mind from drifting to her and stop holding my breath every time I bump into her in the house. I can’t touch her, and I shouldn’t want to.
The more I find my path crossing hers, though, the more she’s becoming a part of me.
But we’re not free to give into this. She’s nineteen, and I’m thirty-eight.
And her boyfriend’s father.
Unfortunately, they both just moved into my house.


*BIRTHDAY GIRL is a stand-alone, contemporary romance suitable for ages 18+.

My Review:
I'm about 70% done with this as of the time of the post.  I should have my completed review up later tonight.  

Thoughts so far...I'm really enjoying this.  It's entertaining, the writing is good, the characters feel like real people, they have issues, and backstories, and while it is an adult contemporary it isn't all sex all the time.  There is an actual story being told.  With taboo books they can sometimes go to an uncomfortable place that crosses a line, this one doesn't, the relationship is a bit unconventional, but it doesn't cross any of those lines.  

Jordan has alot of baggage.  She's been dealt a rough deck in life, but at only 19 she's doing her best.  She has a job, she's going to college, and she has a plan.  What she doesn't have is a great support system in family and friends.  She's got her older sister, who's not too bad, but she's always trying to get her to come work with her at the local strip club.  Jordan isn't interested in that line of work, even if it would help with her money problems.  Jordan's boyfriend, Cole, is a complete douche.  He parties, call off sick from work because he's hungover, takes advantage of Jordan's kind heart, and I can't say one nice thing about him.  I'm not sure why he's like this, but he doesn't appear to have any good boyfriend qualities.  Jordan stays with him because they were friends before they were in a relationship and they were there for each other in a time of need.  She's kind of co-dependent on him because he was there for her when no one else was.  Jordan is smart and stubborn, but when it comes to certain situations she is weak and fragile.  Her character is pretty dynamic given all the stuff she's been through.

Pike is Cole's dad.  Cole doesn't really like his dad, but he'll ask him for money and live under his roof rent free.  When Cole and Jordan find themselves evicted from their apartment, Cole turns to his dad to bail him out of yet another bad situation.  Pike, who would do anything for Cole, offers to let the couple live in the house to save up some money if they agree to help out around the house.  Pike and Jordan pick up an easy routine with a lot of witty banter, while Cole sleeps off his hangovers and parties.  Pike and Jordan eventually develop a friendship of sorts, but there is no denying that they are attracted to one another.  This is where the taboo part of the story comes in, I wasn't sure where the story was heading with the "I'm attracted to my boyfriend's dad" plot.  It's actually pretty good.  For an adult novel, and there are plenty of adult themes there isn't a ton of sex.  I was expecting them to have sex early on and frequently but that isn't the case.  There is a good story here, and as always Penelope Douglas knows how to bring the steam.  

I expect to finish the book tonight after work so I'll post the rest of my review then, but so far I'm loving it.  I don't typically read taboo romances, but I am pleasantly surprised by this one.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but I should have known that Penelope Douglas wouldn't lead me astray.  

UPDATE:  I finished the book today between reading a little on my lunch break and after getting home and feeding the family.  

I've already described Pike and Jordan, now onto the plot.  Jordan finds herself living with Pike because as mentioned her boyfriend Cole is a douche.  She and Cole split up, and Pike offers to let her continue to live with him while she saves up for school and to get place of her own.  They settle into a comfortable relationship, which eventually turns into more.  Pike is caught between not wanting to hurt Cole by telling him about his feelings for Jordan and not wanting to hurt Jordan because she's been treated like garbage her entire life.  He know's she's worth it, but he's spent his life sacrificing his wants and needs for that of his son.  Jordan, having been treated like she isn't worth the time of day by pretty much everyone in her life, knows that she wants Pike, and while she doesn't want to hurt Cole either, she finally comes to the realization that she can't continue to let people walk all over her.  She she is worth something and even though their relationship might not be the most conventional with the age difference between them, Pike will have to fight for her if he wants to keep her around.  

Again as I said earlier, I enjoyed this.  The steamy scenes were steamy and some of them were pretty naughty.   There was a bit of role playing with Pike being so much older than Jordan, but none of their interactions were forceful.  It always in fun and with a joking tone, they were always both willing parties and no one was being taken advantage of, nothing two consenting adults should be ashamed of.  While the age difference and how they met was a bit unconventional, Pike and Jordan ended up having a pretty good relationship.  They identified and worked through their issues.  They both grew up in a way, finding that they each had more to give than what they thought they were capable of.

I recommend this if you are a fan of adult contemporary.  For fans of Penelope Douglas, this is a must.

Excerpt:
Jordan is working at a bar, and Pike comes in to meet friends. PIKE
“What the hell is she wearing?” I grumble, sliding into the booth.
Dutch turns his head toward me, his drink inches from his lips. “It’s the lingerie show,” he tells me. “They have it every Thursday night. The bartenders and servers don nighties or corsets and serve drinks and food. It’s fun.”
No, not really.
But I look around and see a few other ladies carrying out appetizers and bringing drinks, some of them in very thin attire. At least Jordan’s corset looks as thin as armor.
“But Jordan’s never done it before,” he goes on. “That’s what shocked me. Thought you should know.”
“Why the fuck would I want to know?” I pull a beer out of the ice bucket on the table.
“Yeah, sorry.” He turns away, mumbling into his glass, “You seem like you couldn’t care less.”
I shoot him a sideways look, hearing the laughter in his words.
Sticking the beer back in the bucket, untouched, I rise and head to the bar. I hear a snort behind me, but I don’t care. She’s kind of my responsibility, and I don’t want her doing things like this, because she thinks she needs money.
There’s only one bartender besides Jordan. The owner, Shel. I’m sure she hasn’t forgotten me, so I veer to the opposite end and catch Jordan’s attention as she pops the tops from a line of six bottles of beer.
“What the hell are you wearing?” I lean in, speaking as quietly as I can.
She jerks her head toward me, meets my eyes, and quickly turns away again like I’m the last person she wants to deal with right now.
She hands over the beers, collects the cash and spins around, punching the screen in front of her. “It’s fine,” she assures me. “It’s just a corset, Pike.”
“They are all looking at you.”
She nods, smiling sarcastically. “That’s the point.”
“Jordan,” I sigh, trying to whisper as I squeeze around some old dude at the bar. “This is a small town. What if your father were to walk in?”
“He doesn’t come in here,” she says, closing the register drawer and finally looking at me. “And neither do you, normally.” A blush crosses her cheeks. “Besides, I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t take part in something I thought would humiliate me.”
She turns and hands the change back to the customer, but he waves her off, letting her keep it. She smiles and turns back around, dropping the bills into an already overflowing canister.
“What are you even doing here?” she says, starting to mix another drink. “I thought you were sitting the bachelor party out, because…” She sets the bottle down and does air quotes as she imitates my growling voice, “‘there needed to be at least one sober person at work tomorrow’.”
I arch a brow at her. I don’t sound like that.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the flyer and push it over the bar at her.
She stills, and her face goes ashen. “Where did you find that?”
She grabs it and dumps it somewhere under her. To a trash can probably.
Taking a napkin, she sets it in front of a customer and gives him the fresh drink she just made.
“If you need money,” I tell her, “I’ll lend you whatever you need, okay?”
And she stops, slowly turning her eyes on me. Her gaze sharpens, angry, and she looks like she wants to yell at me, but she doesn’t. Instead she whips around and barrels down the bar and through the partition, turning only enough to crook a finger at me before she twirls back around and heads down the hallway.
My stomach sinks. I really don’t mean to piss her off as much as I do. What did I say now?
Veering through the crowd, I make my way down the empty hallway, finally coming to the same room she was crying in when I pissed her off the last time.
Entering through the open door, I see her standing with her hands on her hips and her head cocked at me.
“I would rather eat from a dumpster than take money from you,” she bites out.
I should shut up. But God help me, I can’t. “Hate to break it to you, but you already do,” I tell her. “You live in a house where you pay no rent or utilities, young lady.”
“I cook and clean for you!” she shouts, but I doubt anyone can hear us back here and through the music. “I pay my way, you arrogant prick!”
“Alright, alright,” I growl, blinking long and hard. “You’re right, okay? But, Jordan, men will get ideas. They’ll think they have a free pass and they can touch what belongs to my son. You’re embarrassing him.”
“Your son?” she mocks, laughing. “Well, you just missed him, actually. He already saw me, and he doesn’t care, Pike. He thought I looked good, and then he left with his friends. He doesn’t care!”
“Well, I care!”
The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, and I freeze, almost too afraid to breathe.
Oh, shit. What did I just say?

About The Author: Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the standalones, Misconduct, Punk 57, and now Birthday Girl. Please look for Kill Switch (Devil’s Night #3), coming later this year, and the standalone, Motel, coming in 2019.
She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their daughter.
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Review: Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This post is long overdue.  I read this book a while ago, but the post never went up.  Not sure why I never posted it.  I really enjoyed this series, and it is one that I would definitely read again.

This was an excellent conclusion to the series.

I'm not a fan of multiple personalities telling a story, that's more of a personal preference than a dig on any author that does it to tell a story. In Raash's case it was necessary to wrap up the many storylines she had outstanding, and I think she did a pretty good job wrapping up any loose ends by using the 3 characters to tell the story and keep things moving along. The pacing was well done and the story closed nicely.  This is one example of multiple perspectives done right.  I didn't find it confusing or overwhelming.  I always knew who was speaking and which plot line we were following.

I loved that I couldn't figure out how it was going to end until it ended. I usually figure out how a book or series is going to end early on. I had no idea what was going to happen until the end, and I loved that. Miera discovers she needs to destroy magic but you have no idea if she's going to go through with it or how she's going to do it.  I loved watching it unravel.

I loved the addition of Rares and Oana from Paisley. They are from the Order of the Lustrate and if you've read the previous book, Miera was looking for the Order.  Rares finds Miera and takes her away to help her learn to control her magic. Miera accepts her fate and deals with it.  She's always been strong, but we see her and the other characters really grow into the roles they must play.  While the Winter Queen is off learning about magic, Mather and Ceridwen are fighting new and old enemies. Angra's dark magic has infected much of the land, and those willing to fight are rallying against him in the hopes the Miera can figure out a way to stop him in time.  To say more would spoil the book.  Overall, I'm really happy with the series and I really enjoyed it.


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Review: Kissing Tolstoy by Penny Reid

Kissing Tolstoy by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was really cute. This is a longer version of Nobody Looks Good in Leather Pants, which was originally released in installments via Penny's newsletter in 2017. It is a standalone and my understanding is that the next book is going to continue as installments beginning in the June 2018 newstletter and will eventually be published as standalone as well. I really liked reading this as a complete book, I didn't always read the parts of the newsletter, even though I could have gone back and read them. I prefer to read serials in their entirety when they are complete. It's a preference thing.

This follows Anna, an intelectual student who hasn't had the best luck with boys and relationships. Her best friend Emily gives her the name of a guy to email to set up a date thinking they will hit it off. Anna mistakenly types in the wrong email and upon meeting her mystery guy, she finds out he isn't who she was supposed to meet. Anna panics and runs from the hansome leather pants wearing stranger and proceeds to make up all kinds of crazy things that he does in his spare time just because he rides a motorcycle and wears leather pants. She being being a lover of Russian literature, triva night, and puzzles surmises that he would never be into a quite, nerdy girl like herself. Fast forward a few weeks when Anna finds herself in a Russian literature class that she's been dying to take, the professor happens to been none other than leather pants wearing Luca Kroft, her mystery date. She eventually goes on a date with Lucas Kraft the boy she meant to email, but he turns out to be a terrible match for her. Professor Luca Kroft, however, ends up being more than she can handle. She can't ignore the initial attraction she felt towards him that night they met, and neither can he. He also can't help that she inspires passion in their debates about the Russian works they are discussing in class. In his attempts to be non-biased about his feelings towards Anna, he ignores her, which makes her angry. When she calls him out on it, sparks fly and things get tricky between the student and the teacher. Luca doesn't want to lose his teaching position and Anna doesn't want to risk her heart or her education for some guy. I feel like the taboo nature of their relationship was handled and covered appropriately.

I loved that Luca loved Anna for who she is. He didn't want to change her in any way. He just wanted to be with her and get to know her Anna is immature at times, but she is young and he takes her reactions in stride and goes with it. While they don't seem like a typical couple, they work. I also loved that he took things slowly with her. Sure there were some steamy times, but he didn't push her. They built a relationship, which is something I love about Penny's writing. Her characters while they usually have chemistry at first site, they don't typically jump right into bed and that's the rest of the story. There is a relationship that is built between the characters which makes the intimate scenes so much better.

You can tell that Penny puts so much time into researching every book she writes. I've read some of the works mentioned in Luca's class, and while Russian literature is not my favorite I do recall having similar discussion about those works in my classes. You can tell she takes pride in making sure her work is accurate in addition to being well crafted. I also loved the discussion Anna and Luca had about him not being able to math. As a person who studied engineering myself, and as a patron like Anna, I very much appreciated that humor. My favorite quote "I love to read, but I’m not a writer. I love philosophy, but I’m not a philosopher. I love art, but I can’t paint, I can’t draw or sculpt. I love movies and the theater, but I’m a terrible actor. Therefore, I’m a patron," as this describes me in a way.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading the next one.


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Review: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was fantastic! This is one of the most fantastic books I’ve ever read. I think Trevor Noah is hilarious. His brand of comedy is funny to me, and I wish I had been able to get a hold of the audio version of this because the delivery of his one liners in this are so funny and perfectly placed. I can only imagine how funny it is to hear him narrate the story of his life. He covers some very heavy issues, but he diffuses each situation with comedy so you can pause, catch your breath, and move on. This was a hard read, but it is also important.  He has some great insights to race and how children see the world.  If only some of those things were actually true the world might be a better place.

This is one of those books, where you think “hey that guy is on TV, he has it all”, and then you read about the hardships and terrors he’s faced in his life. Trevor Noah did not have it all, in fact he had very little, and it’s a testament to his survival skills that he made it through his childhood in South Africa during apartheid. You read about some of the things he and this mother survived and it is amazing they both lived through it all. His very birth was a crime and the deck was stacked against him and his family for much of his life. Reading this was hard, but he laces his life story with his brand of comedy such that he takes something awful and he puts a joke in lighten tough situations. I got quite the education on the settling of South Africa, apartheid, and how gender and race are seen in another country.

This is a story about a defiant little boy who tested his mother’s patience as often as possible, a mother who loved him and did her best, a country that had very interesting laws about people of color, and survival. I highly recommend this book.


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Review: Unbreakable by Sara Ella

Unbreakable by Sara Ella
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This book will be published on May 1, 2018.  If you enjoyed Unblemished and Unraveling, I do recommend reading this to find out how it ends.

I hate to do this, but I really struggled with this book. My review is going to be critical. I’m OK with the ending but I did not enjoy how we got there in this installment. It took far too long to resolve things from the 2nd book and actually get to the plot of the 3rd book. I enjoyed Unblemished and Unraveling, but it took me almost a month to finish this book and that is rare. I typically finish a book in a few days, especially if it is YA. I found the writing to be very immature in this book. I didn’t find that to be the case in the first two books. The things the characters say are phrases I expect from a child, not from teenagers. They act like petulant children, not like warriors who have faced and overcome struggles in their lives that the first two books have outlined. While they all have baggage, the actions and dialogue of the adults and teens in this installment were just too immature for my taste and they didn’t fit with the other books.

There wasn’t much character development in this book. We started to see some of the characters develop in book 2. The concept of loving yourself and not needing a boy to make you strong were apparent, but again immaturity struck and I felt that the characters just didn’t really develop much. There are moments when I really respected how far our main character Eliyana Ember, also known as El and Em, has developed throughout the series. Then in the next section she is a sniveling child. In the end she finds her strength and comes to love herself, but I found the conclusion to that plot line very weak and poorly written. Much of her development was centered around the love triangle, not self love as I think the author intended. Atleast that’s how I was left feeling after it was all over. Joshua and Ky are both fighting the Void, but it doesn’t really change their character. They are both the same as they always were. The characters don’t really develop beyond who they were in the beginning. They make some critical decisions that guide the plot, but it doesn’t really impact their development. Ebony on the other hand changes quite a bit from the first book to the last. Much like book 2 there is quite a bit of inner monologue going on and we get a lot of Ebony’s inner perspective about why she is the way she is and what she is feeling. She wants her mother’s acceptance and love, and nothing she ever did was good enough. We come to find that while she puts on a tough exterior, she may just be as broken as everyone else on the inside. Her inner monologue got to be a bit much after a while, especially with the immaturity of the writing. I do like the plot twist at the end that involved Ebony, thought. I didn’t quite see that coming.

I found it very hard to keep track of which perspective we were following. Now I was reading an ARC, and I’m hopeful that in the final edits of the book the chapter headings will include a note about which character we are following. If the final copy doesn’t, it should. The plot, like the perspectives jumped around so much, I never knew what was going on in the book. I often had to go back and reread pages because I felt like I missed something. In the end I realized, the content just wasn’t there. The ending gives enough closure to make the series feel complete but it felt rushed and just very convenient. I didn’t like spending so much time in the character’s heads again. There was a lot of inner thought going on and the characters having conversations with themselves instead of the other characters or words on the page moving the plot forward.

There was so much potential with this series. It was original with the magic system and the fantasy elements. I really liked where it was going with the concept of the Void and the Verity and the different Reflections. While I still feel that the while Void and Verity thing could have been flushed out and explained better, I think the concept was good. The idea of the Reflections and the thresholds was a really unique take on different dimensions existing at once, I just think the execution in book 3 could have been a little stronger. I liked the kind of fairy tale elements that were brought into the story. I just don’t like the way this last book was written. The writing was jumbled and confusing. The plot was all over the place and it didn’t make for an enjoyable reading experience for me.

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Trailer Reveal: Moolight Seduction by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Moonlight Seduction: A de Vincent Novel from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout is coming June 26th and we have the trailer reveal!

The de Vincent brothers are back—and so is the intrigue that surrounds them—in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s sizzling new novel . . .

Nicolette Bresson never thought she’d return to the de Vincents’ bayou compound. It’s where her parents work, where Nikki grew up . . . and where she got her heart broken by Gabriel de Vincent himself. Yet here she is, filling in for her sick mother. Avoiding Gabe should be easy, especially when so much of Nikki’s time is spent trying not to be stabbed in the back by the malicious hangers-on who frequent the mansion. But escaping memories of Gabe, much less his smoking-hot presence, is harder than expected—especially since he seems determined to be in Nikki’s space as much as possible.

Gabriel spent years beating himself up over his last encounter with Nikki. He’d wanted her then, but for reasons that were bad for both of them. Things have now changed. Gabe sees more than a girl he’s known forever; he sees a smart, talented, and heartbreakingly beautiful woman . . . one who’s being stalked from the shadows. Now, Gabe will do anything to keep Nikki safe—and to stop the de Vincent curse from striking again.

Watch the Trailer:

Trailer by: Jillian Stein

Preorder Today!

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Start the Series Today!

Moonlight Sins (de Vincent series, book 1)

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About Jennifer L. Armentrout

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications.  Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more. She is also the creator and sole financier of the annual Write Your Way To RT Book Convention, a contest that gives aspiring authors a chance to win a fully paid trip to RT Book Reviews.

Connect with Jennifer L. Armentrout:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

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https://jenniferlarmentrout.com

Review: Defy Series Review by Sara B. Sarson

I'm trying something a little different here, I'm going to post reviews for all 3 books in the series.  I recently read them and I'm very behind on posting my reviews.  I wasn't overly impressed with this series.  The writing isn't great, but I found the series OK on audio.  They were fairly short.  Be warned though, this is not a fantasy series as it is often labeled.  It is a romance series with some fantasy and magic elements thrown in.  The third book is a little more centered around the plot and fantasy, but the plot is centered around the romance and A LOT of teenage emotional decision are make throughout.

Defy by Sara B. Larson
Narrated by Rebecca Mozzo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Let me start out by saying that I was expecting a fantasy. This was recommended to me as a book I read because of several of the fantasy books I'd previously read. This is a romance with fantasy elements. Even the description promises a powerful female lead in a fantasy environment. I was pretty disappointed from that perspective because it was not what I was expecting.

Alexa Hollen is in hiding as a boy in the prince's guard. She and her twin Marcel joined the army and then the prince's guard after their village was destroyed and they were orphaned. In an attempt to keep Alexa out of the breeding houses, she pretended to be a boy and join the military. The breeding houses are horrid places where women are raped and mistreated by the men of the land in order to have children to feed the kings fighting forces and create more women for the breeding houses. It's as awful a concept as it sounds. Alexa becomes Alex and she is a formidable soldier. She has earned her place in the guard by beating pretty much every man in the guard. No one can beat her including her brother. Alex has a level head on his shoulders, but as soon as people begin to admit that they know that Alexa is a girl she starts to act flighty and second guessing herself. This was irritating. She played her part as a boy for years, then as soon as a boy bats his eyes at her everything is all heart all aflutter, and blushing, and swooning for the rest of the book. Alexa is supposed to be this strong, warrior but she is suddenly worried about her appearance and letting her emotions lead her every move when she didn't do so as Alex. Its like she got a lobotomy when the dreamy prince and her best friend told her she was pretty. I'm all for my heroines keeping their femininity, but they can keep their wits about them too.

Onto the boys, Marcel is pretty much a non-player in the story. Her best friend Rylan tells her that he always knew she was a girl and that he's madly in love with her. The prince, Damian, who has also been putting on an act as a spoiled brat prince, reveals that he's known her identiy all along as well and wants her to know his secrets. Rylan doesn't stand a chance and she and Damian have a love at first sight kind of connection. This is where hearts start beating out of control and Alexa loses her mind. The love triangle is awkward because Rylan keeps pushing even though Alexa isn't interested. Alexa and Damian have all kinds of issues, but you know they will end up together. There isn't even a moment when you think Rylan will get the girl. So much of the plot focuses around the romance that you forget that there's a war going on and that there is literally bad magic going on that's causing trouble in the kingdom. Once that is resolved everyone thinks things will be good for a while and perhaps peace will reign for a bit.

There wasn't much world building in this, they live in a jungle where there are snakes and panthers. There's a war going on but we don't really know why. The characters aren't very well developed. We don't know much about the magic system other than there are sorcerers and black sorcerers. The plot is weak and overshadowed by the romance. I wanted a fantasy, I was expecting a fantasy, I got a romance novel. On a bright note, the audiobook isn't very long and is well narrated.

Ignite by Sara B. Larson
Narrated by Rebecca Mozzo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm happy to say book 2 is much better than book 1. It is still heavily focused on the romance, but there is more plot to this one and the characters are a little more developed.

I found Alexa's denial of her feelings for Damian to be quite irritating. She bases everything on her looks which a strong female lead shouldn't do. Damian wants her for his queen and makes it very clear that he doesn't care that she has battle scars, he loves her unconditionally. She pushes him away, yet her inner monologue is childish and immature. Just as things in the kingdom seem to settle after Defy, an emissary from a neighboring kingdom named Vera shows up. Curiously, Damian's ally's begin to attack his borders as she arrives. Alexa is jealous of the way Damian acts with Vera, he is quickly captivated by her beauty. When the visitors taster is poisoned and Damion's brother Jax suspiciously disappears, Alexa rises to the occasion to uncover the mystery and save the boy. Rylan goes with her to save the boy, but they both get captured. The weak love triangle tries to resurface, but not with much success They find an unexpected villain in the camp where the boy is being held, and Alexa and Jax eventually escape while Rylan is left behind injured. Damian and Alexa have a new enemy, and new challenges to face one of which is how to get Rylan back.

Again, not much world building or development of the magic system. The plot is better as is the character development but its still weak. I had my expectations set from the first book, so this was entertaining for what it was. It is a fluffy romance with some fantasy elements. I did appreciate the bonus scenes on the audio book.

Endure by Sara B. Larson
Narrated by Rebecca Mozzo with an appearance by Steve West
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The finale was the best of the 3 books in this series. It was much more plot based and was much more fantasy focused. While this is still a romance series, this particular installment focuses more on the magic, thought we never fully understand it, and the actual plot and I enjoyed it much more than the other 2. The writing and character development is still lacking, but it made for a decent audio book. This is one of those guilty pleasure reads, you roll your eyes the entire time but find yourself enjoying it.

I will say I was disappointed that we got Steve West to narrate Damian’s perspective, but it was just a tease. I did appreciate the extras that were added to the end, they did add to the story and were a nice bonus. I would have liked more of Damian's perspective and more of Steve West's narration.

The pacing of this book was slow, and some of the scenes could have been edited down as they didn’t really add to the plot. This book is one that a very slow build, then everything happens in the last 25% of the book and the end feels rushed. The book is filled with Alexa running into situations head first without much thought. I often found myself rolling my eyes at her dumb decision making throughout. She’s supposed to be this amazing warrior, but she doesn’t have a bit of sense or battle strategy that came with her gift of fighting. She gets captured trying to rescue Rylan, who if you remember from book 2 was taken hostage by the enemy. This part of the plot line felt unnecessary, especially because it had no meaningful outcome to the story, it was just long and unimpactful.

In the mean time, Damian is preparing to go to war and trying to protect the source of magic in the lands. We never fully understand the magic system and why it’s worth going to war over, but we do get more about it in this book. I would have liked more about it, but I felt like we got enough. If this were a series more heavily based in fantasy I would have expected much more and wanted to understand it much better, but given how little this series was actually centered around the fantasy elements I’ll let it go.

As far as the romance goes, Alexa is still head over heals in love with Damian and not quite sure why he loves her. Eventually she accepts his proposal to be his queen. Damian is always asking her not to do things because he may lose her. He’s selfish that way throughout the series, but you just know they are going to live happily ever after in the end. Rylan never stood a chance, but I think the love between Alexa and Rylan was addressed well. She never led him on, but he held on to something that was never there to begin with. I think there was decent closure there.
Something unexpected that you don’t see much in books that Larson managed to pull off is that she killed off several of the main side characters. Some of them are fairly prominent throughout the series while others aren’t as significant. You don’t see authors kill their darlings off in books very often, but in Endure we see most of the players die by the end of the series.

Again, this series wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst either. It was entertaining as an audiobook. I will say again, if you go into this thinking it is a fantasy series, it is not and you will be disappointed. The series gets better as it goes on, but its not a favorite.


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Free Book: The Hooker and the Hermit by Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway

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The Hooker and the Hermit by Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway is FREE for a limited time only!

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New York’s Finest
Blogging as *The Socialmedialite*

April 22
LADIES AND GENTS! I have an announcement!

You know that guy I featured on my blog a few months ago? The really, really hot Irish rugby player who plays the position of ‘hooker’ in the RLI (Rugby League International)? The one with the anger management issues, the body of a gladiator and the face of a movie star? The one with the questionable fashion choices leading me to ask whether he was the lovechild of a leprechaun and a hobbit? Ronan Fitzpatrick? Yeah, that guy. Well, I have a confession to make…

THE HERMIT

Annie Catrel, social media expert extraordinaire at Davidson & Croft Media and clandestine celebrity blogger, can make anyone shine in the court of public opinion. She is the Socialmedialite, anonymous creator of New York’s Finest and the internet’s darling. Virtual reality is Annie’s forte, but actual reality? Not so much.

THE HOOKER

Ronan Fitzpatrick, aka the best hooker the world of rugby has seen in decades, despises the media—social or otherwise. The press has spun a web of lies depicting him as rugby’s wild and reckless bad boy. Suspended from his team, Ronan has come to Manhattan to escape the drama, lay low, fly under the radar. Only, Ronan isn’t easy to overlook, and he can’t escape the notice of the Socialmedialite…

THE PLAN

When Ronan is sent to Davidson & Croft Media to reshape his public image, he never expects to cross paths with shy but beautiful Annie, nor does he expect his fierce attraction to her. He couldn’t be happier when her boss suggests pairing them together.
What lengths will Annie take to keep her virtual identity concealed? And what happens when the hooker discovers who the hermit really is?

The Hooker and the Hermit is a collaboration between authors L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid, is a full length 110k word novel, and is a standalone.

Release Blitz: Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas

Title: Birthday Girl Genre: Contemporary Romance Author: Penelope Douglas Release Date: April 17, 2018

Synopsis:

JORDAN

He took me in when I had nowhere else to go.

He doesn’t use me, hurt me, or forget about me. He doesn’t treat me like I’m nothing, take me for granted, or make me feel unsafe.

He remembers me, laughs with me, and looks at me. He listens to me, protects me, and sees me. I can feel his eyes on me over the breakfast table, and my heart pumps so hard when I hear him pull in the driveway after work.

I have to stop this. It can’t happen.

My sister once told me there are no good men, and if you find one, he’s probably unavailable.

Only Pike Lawson isn’t the unavailable one.

I am.

PIKE

I took her in, because I thought I was helping.

She’d cook a few meals and clean up a little. It was an easy arrangement.

As the days go by, though, it’s becoming anything but easy. I have to stop my mind from drifting to her and stop holding my breath every time I bump into her in the house. I can’t touch her, and I shouldn’t want to.

The more I find my path crossing hers, though, the more she’s becoming a part of me.

But we’re not free to give into this. She’s nineteen, and I’m thirty-eight.

And her boyfriend’s father.

Unfortunately, they both just moved into my house.

*BIRTHDAY GIRL is a stand-alone, contemporary romance suitable for ages 18+.

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About The Author:

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the standalones, Misconduct, Punk 57, and now Birthday Girl. Please look for Kill Switch (Devil’s Night #3), coming later this year, and the standalone, Motel, coming in 2019.

She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their daughter.

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