2020 O.W.L. Magical Read-a-Thon Wrap Up

I didn't think I would finish all 12 prompts, but I ended up finishing the last 2 books today!  As usual I ended up with way to many things on my plate book-wise, and work has been really cutting into my reading time.  So while I didn't end up reading everything I planned I was still able to finish all the prompts.  

I did finish all the books I needed for the Culinary Sorcery Career and the Locomotive Operator Certificate.  I had some other books left over so I decided those could fit for the Legal Defense of Fantastic Beasts because you never know when that will come in handy.  

Did you finish all your OWLs and get your career?  

What I read

These books don't fulfil a career or an extra course but they do fill an OWL.

• Ancient Runes - Heart Run: Heart on the cover or in the title
• The Heart of Shadows by Marco Cosimo d'Amico
• 
• This is a strange little graphic novel with a great message about fear.  The style isn't my favorite, but I can see how it is appealing to kids.
• Astronomy - Night Classes:  Read the majority of this book when it's dark outside
• Food Wars by Yuto Tsukuda
• 
• I picked this up for another reading challenge and I thought I'd really enjoy this because it's about food.  This just really isn't my taste and I didn't enjoy it.
• Divination - Third Eye: Assign Numbers to your TBR and use a random number generator to pick your read
• 
• I kind of cheated with this one and let the library do my picking for me.  You never know when your holds are going to come due so I went with Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire.  This takes us back to the world of Jack and Jill and the kids from Eleanor's school have to help save the day yet again.  
•  Transfiguration - Animagus Lecture:  Book/Series that includes shapeshifting
• Wild Wolf Mate by Dianna Love
• 
• This is book 5 of the League of Gallize series.  I had it for review, and since I had just finished books 1&2 for another prompt I gave it a go.  I really like this series.  If you like steamy shifter romances this is a good one to pick up.

Culinary Sorcerer

I ended up finishing all of the prompts at the last minute.  I didn't think I was going to make it, but I was able to swap out 

• Arithmancy - Magical Qualities of #2: Read something outside your favorite genre
• Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
• 
• I didn't love this, but I learned alot about the books and the political and culture.  The author narrates the book, but I would have preferred that a voice actor narrated it.  Despite her heated opinions on certain subjects, that didn't come through in her narration.
• Charms - Lumos Maxima: White Cover
• I planned on reading Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan.  I'm currently reading it now so I decided to read a short story by Mark Lawrence instead.  I read During the Dance, which is a beautiful short story, which is available for free on Amazon.
• 
• Herbology - Mimbulus Mimbletonia: A title that starts with M
• Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
• 
• I like Gailey's works, but I didn't love this one.  
• Potions - Shrinking Solution: A book under 150 pages
• The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark
• 
• This was an excellent mix of historical fiction, sci-fi, mythology, and fantasy.  I loved it!

Locomotive Operator

• Defense Against the Dark Arts - Grindylows: A Book Set at the Sea/Coast
• I had planned on reading A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow, but I ended up reading The Deep by Rivers Solomon.  The Deep was a cool novella, that I feel like you really need to read multiple times before you really absorb the entire story.  I highly recommend the audiobook!
• 
• Muggle Studies - A Book from the perspective of a Muggle (Contemporary)
• The Treble with Men by Piper Sheldon
• 
• This was my favorite book of April!  It has a Phantom of the Opera vibe and I really loved the characters.  

Legal Defense of Fantastic Beasts  

• Hippogriffs: Creature with a beak on the cover
• The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
• 
• This is the sequel to The Poppy War, which I loved!  This is kind of slow, but it finally picks up towards the end and leaves you needing the next book.  This book is a journey for sure, but it is a journey worth taking.
• Witch Hunts: Book featuring witches/wizards
• League of Gallize Shifters: Box Set One by Dianna Love
• 
• This whole series deals with shapeshifters of different kinds.  The Gallize are a special sect of shifters with extra special powers working and always willing to save the day.  This is a fairly steamy romance series as well, but fear not it isn't overly fluffy.  The female leads are strong and intelligent and just as awesome as their partners.  While not prominent characters in the books, there is a witch/wizard element to the storyline.

Review: Carpentry and Cocktails by Nora Everly

Carpentry and Cocktails by Nora Everly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You might remember Willa from Crime and Periodicals, but if you haven't read that yet, fear not as this is a standalone and it isn't necessary to have read any of the other Green Valley Library books to read this one. I recommend them because I'm a fan, but they are all true standalones and you don't have to read any of them to read the rest of the books in the series. Willa moved aka ran away at 17 to get away from her overbearing mother, married her then boyfriend who turn out to be real jerk, but now she's back, divorced, and trying to get her life back on track. She's staying with Everett, one of the Monroe brothers who we also meet in Crime and Periodicals. Everett works as a carpenter and is fixing up his grandfather's old house. Willa rents the basement apartment. Everyday, Everett makes her coffee and brings her donuts after her late nights as a waitress. They constantly flirt, but Willa isn't sure she's ready for another relationship.

This was a really sweet romance. Everett is kind, kind of nerdy, and willing to give Willa the space she needs to figure out what she wants without solving all of her problems for her. He is willing to step in and be the fierce protector and fixer if she needs it, but he is also willing to step back and let her do it on her own. Willa, just wants someone to love her for who she is, but first she has to love herself and it takes her a while to figure that out. Her character develops so much in this book. I really like the way she had to come to terms with the crappy hand she had been dealt in life, but that she had a support system the whole way even if she didn't realize it. I also love the way the ex-husband was dealt with. I won't spoil that for you, but I really appreciate the way that all of the sensitive subjects in this book were dealt with. Nora Everly does a really good job addressing several sensitive subjects with care. This is another great addition to the Smartypants lineup and another great offering by Everly.

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Blog Tour: Cutie and the Beast by M.E. Carter

Welcome back to Weight Expectations, where the unexpected is likely to happen.

Cutie and the Beast, an all-new roommates-to-lovers romantic comedy from M.E. Carter, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

Living with her mother seemed like a good idea at the time. But Elliott Donovan’s living arrangements are not working for her anymore. Desperate to get back on her financial feet after a divorce and out from under her mother’s thumb, Elliott takes a job in the child care center at Weight Expectations, a local gym.

It has everything she needs – family friendly hours, more pay than she expected, and a super cute trainer who just happens to have part of his house for rent.

Abel DiSoto was living the good life until his wife walked out taking half of the family income with her. The blow to his ego was bad enough, but after a fire at the gym scattered Abel’s clients, and consequently his commissions, he’s stuck figuring out how to make ends meet, too. Renting out the master suite of his house to his new co-worker seems like an easy solution. They’re both mature adults, they both have eight-year-old daughters, and their work schedules coordinate so they can lend each other a helping hand to ease the burden of single parenthood.

The only downside? Living like a blended family when you’re not actually a family can present some challenges.

Welcome back to Weight Expectations, where the unexpected is likely to happen.

‘Cutie and the Beast’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Cipher Office series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Excerpt

In my haste to not be late, I barrel right into a woman coming through the front door.

Grabbing her arms to steady her from falling, I apologize profusely. “I’m sorry! I didn’t see you. Are you all right?”

Smiling tightly, the blonde isn’t thrilled a random stranger practically ran her over. But she’s polite anyway. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? You aren’t hurt?” I don’t think she is, but sometimes I don’t know my own strength.

This time her smile is a little more genuine. “I’m sure. You sure are in a rush.”

Letting go of her arms, I feel like she needs an explanation other than me racing around like an idiot. “I’m the one parent who has a tendency to be late for school pickup. The lady at the front desk gives me a nasty evil glare if she has to call me.”

This woman, whose name I still haven’t bothered to ask, laughs and I’m struck by how cute she is. She’s definitely a few years older than I am, but not by much. There’s nothing about her that necessarily stands out in a crowd, but her smile is genuine. This is a woman who likes to laugh and have fun. I always gravitate toward those people, which gives me a fleeting thought: I should have noticed my ex-wife hardly ever smiled for real. Laughing was even rarer unless it was at someone else’s expense. Those should have been easy indicators she wasn’t the one for me.

“Parker Elementary?” the blonde asks.

“Yeah.” I give her a quizzical look. “How did you know?”

“Do not mess with Ms. Alexander’s routine. She will cut a bitch.”

My laugh comes easily, and I find myself hoping this woman is a new member. She’s funny. I love it when clients have a sense of humor. Offering her my hand, I introduce myself. “I’m Abel. Trainer here at Weight Expectations and father of Mabel in second grade.”

She places her cold hand in mine. “Elliott. Interviewee for the childcare position and mother of Ainsley, also in second grade.”

“Ah! Well it’s nice to meet you. Fingers crossed I’ll see you here later as a fellow employee. And if not here, at Parker Elementary as a fellow parent. Hopefully not in Ms. Alexander’s line of sight.”

Elliott holds up her gloved hands and crosses her fingers around each other. “Wish me luck. Now run fast.”

About M.E. Carter

My name is M.E. Carter and I have no idea how I ended up writing books. I’m more of a story teller (the more exaggerated the better) and I happen to know people who helped me get those stories on paper. I love reading (read almost 200 books last year), hate working out (but I do it anyway because my trainer makes me), love food (but hate what it does to my butt) and love traveling to non-touristy places most people never see. I live in Houston with my four kids, Mary, Elizabeth, Carter and Bug, who was just a twinkle in my eye when I came up with my pen name. Yeah, I’ll probably have to pay for his therapy someday for being left out.

Find M.E. Carter online

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Release Blitz: Fallen Crest Campout by Tijan

SURPRISE!

Fallen Crest Campout, an all-new not-to-be-missed Fallen Crest and The Crew series crossover novella by New York Times bestselling author Tijan, is available now!

Sam and Mason return to Fallen Crest for a camping trip.

They head north, meeting up with a few friends from Roussou and enjoy a night of booze, some leapfrogging, and there’s a small therapy session to air out some tension in the group.

Empty chair, anyone?

Enjoy a novella crossover between the Fallen Crest series and the Crew series!

Download your copy today or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Start the Fallen Crest Series and The Crew Series for FREE, for a limited time only:

Fallen Crest High

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Crew
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MASON is now available on audio! Start listening today!
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Enter Tijan’s MEGA SIGNED PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY: https://bit.ly/2KCABtY

About Tijan

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new YA series along with so many more from north Minnesota where she lives with a man she couldn’t be without and an English Cocker she adores.

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Release Blitz: Carpentry and Cocktails by Nora Everly

Carpentry and Cocktails, an all-new heartwarming small-town romance from Nora Everly, is LIVE!

Everett Monroe can’t keep his eyes off his gorgeous tenant.

He’d like to put his hands on her too, but she’s prickly, closed-off, and gives new meaning to the word disgruntled. In other words, she’s his perfect match and he’ll do anything to make her see it too.

Willa Hill has finally left her teen runaway past behind and wants a fresh start—alone. Men are nothing but trouble and she’s had enough man-trouble to last a lifetime.

Too bad her irresistibly sexy, nerdy-hot landlord doesn’t agree.

When their mutual yearning becomes a white-hot fling and passion crosses carefully drawn, albeit one-sided boundaries, Everett finds himself in love and Willa finds herself in a pickle.

Because, unfortunately, when she returned to Green Valley, her problems came too.

When the past she escaped crashes into the future she finds herself wanting more than anything, will Willa stay in Green Valley?

Or will she run away again?

‘Carpentry and Cocktails’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #5 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Download your copy TODAY!

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Coming to Kindle Unlimited on May 4th!

About Nora Everly

Nora Everly is a lifelong bookworm. She started reading the good stuff once she grew tall enough to sneak the romance novels off the top of her mother’s bookshelf and it has been non-stop ever since.

Once upon a time she was a substitute teacher and an educational assistant. Now she’s a writer and stay at home mom to two small humans and one fat cat.

Nora lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and her overactive imagination.

Find Nora Everly online

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Review: Wild Wolf Mate by Dianna Love

Wild Wolf Mate by Dianna Love
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review.

This follows Adrian who we met in book two as he was struggling to control his wolf.  After sort of coming to a workable agreement to stay under control Adrian and Mad Red begin going on missions again.  This time Adrian is working on a personal mission trying to figure out who murdered the brother of a friend.  When he comes across an old acquaintance from a previous mission, he doesn't understand how she can be the culprit.  Wanting to give Jaz, another wolf shifter, the opportunity to tell her side of the story and clear her name, Adrian and his wolf find that they not only believe her, but they are drawn to her and her wolf.  Jaz on the other hand, is on a mission of her own to prove that she isn't a cold blooded killer, and to find out why women in the area are being kidnapped.  She and her wolf are also drawn to Adrian and Red, but she doesn't want him to get drawn into what she's got going on.  When the Guardian tasks Adrian and the Gallize to find out what is going on in the area, he finds himself tangled in the same tangled plot as Jaz.  Torn between duty to his job and his sense of wanting to protect Jaz, Adrian and Red find themselves in a fight for their sanity to save both. 

There is alot going on in this book, and I really enjoyed the ride.  Not only was there a pretty steamy romance between the two main characters, there was a fairly suspenseful plot.  With most of the Gallize shifters, it is the case of insta-love/insta-lust.  In this case Jaz and Adrian knew each other previously, so it felt like they came crashing together fairly quickly.  I think had I read the previous book I might feel differently.  The character development was good.   Both Adrian and Jaz have a lot of baggage, and they deal with quite a bit of it throughout the story.  I will say parts of the story left me confused at times, but by the end all was made clear.  Like I said there is a lot going on and there are quite a few characters to keep track of throughout, but I felt like the story wrapped up with a pretty clear understanding of who was who and what happened from start to finish.  I found this hard to put down because I had to know how things were going to work out for Adrian and Red and Adrian and Jaz.

This is book 5 in the series, and while it is a standalone, I would recommend reading the previous books in the series so you have some of the background of the two main characters prior to starting this.  I have read books 1 & 2, but skipped 3 & 4.  While it is not necessary and the author does a great job giving you enough of the backstory for you to follow along without having read the prior books, I kept wondering what I missed by skipping out on those two books.  As the book progresses, you do get all of the information you need to put all of the pieces together without having read all of the prior books, but I still recommend reading them.  On a positive note, I'm now hooked on this series and want to go back and read the books I've missed because I really like this series and the characters.  I'm very much looking forward to future books with these characters especially some of the mysterious characters we met in this book. 

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Review: You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The premise of this story is pretty interesting, despite being a but unrealistic. It is told from multiple perspectives, which isn't usually my favorite, but this is done well. The audio narration does a good job with the character distinction which helps you know which character is which. It is also told in multiple timelines, which is also not my favorite, but it is necessary for the reader to get the entire backstory of all of the women involved in the story and how they are all connected.

I found Shay to lack common sense. She is very analytical and data driven, she keeps data books full of statistics, but when it comes to making a decision she doesn't seem to be able to use any of that data to make decisions to aid her in her life. I will say the data tidbits at the beginning of Shay's chapters were pretty interesting. Her character was easily manipulated and I often found myself wondering why she kept digging herself deeper into the hole she knew she was in. She was a bit too naive for my taste, and all of the characters lacked development.

This thriller relies on coincidence after coincidence to make it work, and while it does have some good twists, it left me underwhelmed. This book isn't bad by any means, it just doesn't fit my preferences.  I like my thrillers to be a little more suspenseful and less predictable.

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Blog Tour: The Treble with Men by Piper Sheldon

The Treble With Men, an all-new secret identity romantic standalone from Piper Sheldon, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

As far as Green Valley is concerned, Kim Dae disappeared into the Wraiths a decade ago. They were sort of right. Kim has spent her life since Jethro fighting her curious nature and trying to blend into the background. Unfortunately for her, a mysterious Maestro comes to town and takes quick notice of her for reasons unknown to anybody.

The masked conductor, known simply as Devlin, was already a source of much gossip thanks to his reputation for getting fired. Now, his sudden interest in the quiet fourth chair cellist has added fuel to the rumor fire. The new conductor of the symphony needs to learn to control his temper and finish his latest musical masterpiece and only the reluctant star of his symphony can help him do that. If Devlin can’t convince Kim to help to finish his latest composition he’ll lose everything.

Can Devlin and Kim compose without losing composure?

‘The Treble with Men’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #2 in the Scorned Women’s Society series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Excerpt

“Let’s play through. I want to hear if you’re qualified,” Devlin said.

“Yes, Maestro.”

Around me, the symphony moved into the ready position. Devlin didn’t pick up his baton.

“You’ll need to move,” he said coolly, as his gaze flicked to the empty first chair.

Amazingly, my legs supported me despite how badly my knees tingled. The neck of my cello was tightly gripped in my fist like it was the only thing keeping me from spinning off the earth.

“We will start from the Andante movement,” he called out as I got situated.

Next to me Barry gave me a brief nod of encouragement. I managed a small smile back. Playing alone at night was a heck of a lot different than feeling an entire symphony watch you. I wiped my palms on my dress pants before straightening my spine.

My nerves were shredded. I did this for a living and yet I couldn’t get my bow to stop wobbling where it hovered just above the strings. My heart sputtered and cranked to a manic tempo. Carla should be here. What if something happened to her? The world began to tune out around me. Tears pricked behind my eyes. How ridiculous was that? I played with these people every day, but if I tried to speak or breathe or move, I’d start to cry.

“Hey.” Devlin’s voice was so soft I hardly noticed it at first. His biker boots appeared in front of my blurring vision. “Christine?”

I lifted my chin to find him standing in front of me with a furrowed brow. “Is she okay?” The question just slipped out, but I needed to know.

He dropped into a crouch to better hear me, causing me to pick up soft hints of cologne, fabric softener, and motorcycle exhaust. “What?”

I asked again a little louder but likely only Barry would be able to hear, if that.

His face was impassive like he was processing what I said. “Who? Carla?”

I nodded stiffly.

“Family emergency. She’ll be back on Monday,” he spoke softly.

“Oh.” A weight lifted from my shoulders.

My chest rose as I took a deep breath in. I released it slowly. Surely the entire room was waiting to see what my deal was.

“I appreciate you stepping in for her.” He lifted his chin to get me to look into his eyes. “I’m sure she would appreciate it too.”

I doubted that, but at least I wasn’t taking the performance from her. I was helping the orchestra out. I could absolutely do this. My thoughts had me worrying my bottom lip.

His focus lowered to my lips then quickly to where my hand gripped the shoulder of my cello. He cleared his throat. “Are you ready?”

I swallowed down my irrational fears. Carla was fine. It was just one show. I could do this. I got into position in answer to his question. Those dark eyes flitted around my face as though checking to see if I really was ready.

“All you need to do is watch me.” When he spoke his mask hardly moved; nobody would know he’d spoken at all. My gaze was locked on his as it smoldered with intensity. “It’s you and me.”

As though I could look anywhere else. When he gave me his focus, the rest of the room faded away. The rest of the world.

“Ready?” he asked.

I forced my shoulders down. He got back onto the podium and I lifted my bow to wait for my solo entrance as he counted the rest of the orchestra in. The notes on the page transformed into a foreign language. The music quieted, signifying my entrance. I drew my bow along the string, but my tense arm caused a noticeable wobble. A wave of heat burned up my neck, a flush likely giving me away. Just when I thought I might lose total control, I remembered his directions. I looked to him.

His arm conducted the rest of the orchestra smoothly as they played their soft accompaniment, but his head was turned to me. He was willing me to look at him. His eyes narrowed when mine finally met his. He nodded his chin subtly. I didn’t need to read the music. I knew this solo in my sleep. Instead, I kept my focus on him. I played. Everything else blurred into the background. The music came then. It flowed through me.

It was just us and the beautiful music.

About Piper Sheldon

Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Magical Realism books that hope to be New York Times bestsellers when they grow up. For now, she works as a technical writer during the day and writes about love the rest of the time. Of course she also makes room for her husband, toddler, and two needy dogs at home in the Desert Southwest.

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Release Blitz: Batter of Wits by Karla Sorensen

“Heartfelt, hilarious, with a dash of angst...Karla Sorensen shines with the perfect feel-good read!” --Author Catherine Cowles

Batter of Wits, an all-new funny and heartwarming romance from Karla Sorensen, is LIVE!

Hate at first sight couldn’t possibly exist, right?

That’s what Grace Buchanan thought, before her useless car stranded her on the side of a deserted road just inside the Green Valley city limits.

When Tucker Haywood—tall and handsome and full of southern charm— shows up to help, her reaction to him is the strongest thing she’s ever felt in her life, and it makes no freaking sense.

It doesn’t make much sense to Tucker either. Not why she hates him, or why he finds her so intriguing. He knows well enough that Grace is moving to Green Valley for a fresh start, not to distract him when he’s got no room for something like her in his life.

The complications between them are endless, but that doesn’t stop her definitely not love-at-first-sight feelings from changing into something else entirely.

Grace and Tucker are about to learn the hard way that in Green Valley, hating someone has never tasted so sweet.

‘Batter of Wits’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #5 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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About Karla Sorensen

Karla Sorensen has been an avid reader her entire life, preferring stories with a happily-ever-after over just about any other kind. And considering she has an entire line item in her budget for books, she realized it might just be cheaper to write her own stories. It doesn’t take much to keep her happy…a book, a really big glass of wine, and at least thirty minutes of complete silence every day. She still keeps her toes in the world of health care marketing, where she made her living pre-babies. Now she stays home, writing and mommy-ing full time (this translates to almost every day being a ‘pajama day’ at the Sorensen household…don’t judge). She lives in West Michigan with her husband, two exceptionally adorable sons and big, shaggy rescue dog.

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Stay Home Reading Rush Wrap Up

What is your Reading Rush TBR and did I read it? 

So the big question of every readathon is did your read what was on your TBR?  The answer is kind of.  I finished 2 books and most of the 3rd.  I had every intention of participating in the instagram challenges but I never did.  I'm not very good at this whole social media thing.

Reading Challenges Read a book with a house on the cover.  

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I didn't finish this.  I'm about 60% done with it currently.  I thought it would be a really quick read, but it isn't as fast paced as I thought it would be.  The lead up to why the house is so creepy takes quite a while and it is so far more character driven than anything.  I'm hoping the rest is a bit more paranormal as nothing has really happened yet.

I did do all of my reading on my couch up to this point though.



Read a book set somewhere you wish you could go. 

Read a book that will make you smile.
Read a book in the same room the whole time. 

Batter of Wits by Karla Sorensen - This comes out on the 21st.

You can check out my review here.

This was really cute and it did make me smile.  Everytime Tucker and Grace were out hiking I wanted to be out with them.  It has been overcast, chilly, and windy lately so I appreciated being able to escape to the beauty of the Tennessee wilderness with them.  I still want to go to Donner Bakery.

I read all of this in one spot on my couch

And because I always have an audiobook going, I was also able to finish the League of Gallize Shifters Box Set One by Dianna Love this weekend.  This is the first 2 books in the series.

I believe the ebook box set is free for the remainder of April.

You can check out my review here.

Review: Batter of Wits by Karla Sorensen

Batter of Wits by Karla Sorensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever heard of hate at first sight?  Have you ever known someone to have a love curse, but in reverse?  Well Grace Buchanan has both.  She's moving from her crappy job in California to Green Valley with her twin brother to be closer to their dad, aunt, and uncle.  When her car breaks down outside of town and local lawyer Tucker Haywood comes to her rescue, she has such a visceral reaction to him and she doesn't know why.  The Buchanan men are all supposedly cursed in love to find the "one" in a love at first sight kind of thing, but Grace is the only girl in the family born for generations.  She and her twin brother Grady have never really believed in the family curse, but they can't deny what is happening between Tucker and Grace.  Tucker is nothing but kind to Grace and she has no reason to dislike him.  When they are forced to work together on a project for the town fair, Grace realizes he's not that bad and she needs to try harder to be nicer.

I really enjoyed this as expected.  Grace's interactions with her family were really great.  I loved her conversations with her Aunt Fran, her dad, her mom, and her brother.  Each time she spoke with them we got to know her a little bit more and got to see a different facet of her personality.  Tucker is a little more closed off, only opening up when he is with Grace.  We get to seem him open up more and more as he gets more comfortable with her and himself.  He's reserved and respectful when he's around the townsfolk and his family, but when he's with Grace he's witty, funny, and full of personality.  Grace on the other hand always says what she is thinking and wears her heart on her sleeve.  Their relationship comes crashing together fairly quickly, almost too quickly.  When they have conflict around Tucker trying to do the right thing and pleasing everyone around him and going after what he really wants in life and love, it comes as no surprise that people get their feelings hurt.  I really liked that the grand gesture Tucker made to win her back involved Grace's photography, something that she truly loves and showing the town how she sees the world. 

I enjoyed this hate to love, love/hate at first sight, romance.  It has great characters, great side characters, and a good story. 

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Review: Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It is always hard to write reviews on memoirs because you don't want to rate and review the a person's experience.  Part of your rating is subjective and has to do with your enjoyment of the book, and this just wasn't for me.  It was repetitive at times, discussing the same books and concepts over, and as it is a memoir it only gives the author's point of view on things.  I found it hard to stay engaged with her writing style as she tells her story.  The structure of the work is intellectual on one page, philosophical on the next page, political on the next page, and they are eating ice cream on the next page.  This style of jumping around doesn't work for me, especially when dealing with intense literary and political topics.  

I expected this to me more about the "bookclub" and while Nafisi does interweave discussions about the books into this, this is more her memoir about the political climate and treatment of women in Tehran.  Now I will say I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this, so maybe I should have done more homework.  I did learn a lot, but it wasn't what I was expecting.  Also, I haven't read many of her favorite works and authors, so maybe I would have been able to follow along with her discussions had I actually read Lolita and some of the other works she talks about.  She writes those parts as though she were teaching her university students, and I felt like I hadn't done my homework.

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Review: League of Gallize Shifters: Box Set One by Dianna Love

League of Gallize Shifters: Box Set One by Dianna Love
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is for both Gray Wolf Mate and Mating a Grizzly. I really enjoyed this boxed set. Since this is a review of both books, I'll review some of the things I that were common in both then review each book individually.

Both books are standalones, but are part of a larger shifter universe that has a common cast of characters with some interwoven plotlines. The box set, ebook and audio, includes books 1 and 2 of the series and you could have read book 2 without having read book 1. The author does a great job explaining the mythology behind the Gallize Shifters and the background you need to pick up the second book without having read the first. I hope this continues with the rest of the series. I'm not a new reader of Dianna Love's and she's always done a good job making sure there is continuity within the series.  I'll let you know if that continues, as I have book 5 which comes out on the

Both of these books get pretty steamy at times so if you are looking for a good paranormal romance with some heat, check this series out. This series is a bit different than other shifter series as not all of the characters shift into the same animal and the animals they turn into have their own personalities. I thought that was a nice touch and something different that you don't normally see in PNR. Both the shifter and their animal have to develop as characters through the story and I thought Love did a really good job making sure the personality of the human and the animal side got ample time for the reader to get to know them and develop. I also appreciate that the women in this story are just as powerful as the men. So far they each have abilities and strengths of their own as well as being intelligent and fierce. The couples compliment each other and make each other stronger.

Gray Wolf Mate - This is a second chance romance featuring a wolf shifter, Cole. Cole belongs to a sort of black ops organization of elite shifters who have powers above and beyond the normal shifter. His college sweetheart, Tess, works for a government organization that studies shifters in an attempt to protect humans. Tess is an extremely fair person so she wants to make sure that the law extends to shifters as well as humans. Cole left her when he found out he was a shifter, knowing that would not sit well with her family. Neither of them have gotten over each other, so when a case brings them back together they have to work together to solve the case and work through their feelings for each other.

Mating a Grizzly - This was actually my favorite of the two books. The narrator did a better job distinguishing between the characters in my opinion than in the first book. There was also a lot more humor in this book than the first one. The bear personalities of Justin and Elianna added some whimsy to the book that really came through in the narration. As you can tell Justin and Elianna are both bear shifters. He works with Cole from book 1 as a member of the Gallize, that black ops elite special forces group of shifters. Elianna is a bastard and an outcast because of her mixed blood. She makes a deal with her father to move to America to protect her brother, and Justin is tasked with protecting her. The two of them immediately don't get along because of their preconceived notions about one another, but they quickly have to get over their issues when it becomes clear that someone is after Elianna.

I really enjoyed this boxed set. I had a hard time putting it down once I got started with the audiobook. I think I listened to both books in 2 days. I'm looking forward to catching up on the rest of the series and finding out about the other members of the Gallize and their mates.

I was provided an audible code in exchange for an honest review. 

The boxset ebook is currently free on most platforms for the remainder of April, so go grab it and check out this entertaining shifter series.

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Review: The New Husband by D.J. Palmer

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was just OK.  I won't rehash the synopsis because lots of reviewers have already done that.  I found this very predictable from the first chapter, and I never felt connected with the main character Nina.  When I read a thriller, I want my heart to race and I want to feel compassion and anguish for the main character.  I didn't get that from this.  The pace was too slow, and I felt like Nina was missing the obvious clues and letting all of this happen to her.  I guess that was the point though, Simon was so perfect and so good at manipulation that she didn't even realize it was happening.  Nina was a bit of a contradiction for most of the book, she'd do something independent then feel bad about it and do exactly what she said she wouldn't do.  It made Nina, a woman who is portrayed as intelligent and self sufficient, appear very dumb and weak.    I'm not a fan of characters like this, but again Simon's manipulation of her was a big part of the plot.  Maybe this is realistic, but the way it happens was almost too over the top for me at times.

I liked the addition of Maggie's perspective.  Her interactions with her friend Ben were the best part of the book.  Maggie, as a social outcast befriends a socially awkward boy at school and together they begin to uncover some of Simon's secrets.  Of all of the characters, she showed the most character development and growth.  When Nina finally realizes what is going on and the plot finally starts to unfold, the pace starts to pick up.  There are a few twists, but again I found it very predictable and I didn't feel the suspense.

I loved Saving Meghan, and while this wasn't my favorite thriller I am looking forward to Palmer's future works.

I was provided an ARC via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This came out on April 14th.


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