I was provided an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I love how this series is progressing. Despite the fact that Dianna is killing us with the cliffhangers, each installment is providing more and more information and we are getting closer to the end. With only two more books to go in the series, things are starting to move quickly as time is running out for Casidhe and Daegan to find the grimoire volumes. The more we learn the more everything seems to be connected, but all has not been revealed so I haven't quite figured out how everything in this puzzle fits together quite yet. As usual Queen Maeve and Cathbad are up to no good, the Beladors are busy keeping demons at bay while trying not to expose themselves to the equally unfriendly to paranormal human population, the Imortik threat is getting worse, and the Tribunal is less than helpful. With everyone fighting on every front success does not seem likely for our dragon king and his bookish companion and our favorite Belador warriors and their allies. At every turn their is a new player for team evil and another battle to be fought.
I love the characters in this series. There are so many plot lines to keep track of but things are finally starting to come together and I suspect that in the next two books were are finally going to get the answers to all of our questions. I'm really invested in all of the storylines and characters and at the end of every installment I need to know what happens next. Dianna is doing such an amazing job putting these together and keeping everything moving forward. I'm so anxious to see how it all ends.
Keep in mind this is a novella series, with each book coming in around 200 pages and almost all of them end on a cliffhanger. The good news is each of the books is being released 1 month apart so you don't have to wait very long to find out what happens next. I'd opt for the 3 book bind ups or wait until all 9 books are out if you don't like cliffhangers or you prefer completed stories. I am really enjoying the serial format of this series, it is really fun and I love the shorter novella format.
I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you have been keeping up with Emma Hart's latest series you will know that Tori and Colton fight with each other constantly. Through the wisdom and sick humor of their friends they ended up on a not so blind date, which you will remember from The Bookworm's Guide to Flirting. If you haven't read that one yet or the series, don't fret, this is a standalone and the first book in a new series. It does take place in the same town and involves the same group of friends as well as some new characters. You can read them all independently, but if you want to read them in order I'd recommend starting with The One Night Stand Next Door, then The Bookworm's Guide to Dating and go from there. It will familiarize you with all of the characters and events up to the point that this book takes place.
OK...back to the book...Tori and Colton went on a not so blind date, drank too much, and now they have a relationship of convenience (aka frenemies with benefits). Their friends and siblings are all starting to settle into relationships and they want to see Colton and Saylor happy, so they suggest online dating. Neither of them is really interested in dating in general, let alone online dating. They like their arrangement, which may or may not be turning into something more than just the occasional hookup.
Much like with every other Emma Hart book I've read this is filled with humor and great banter between all of the characters. The friend group is awesome always snarking at other, but at the end of the day they are there for each other no matter what. I also love the antics of the grandparents. The scenes with the grandparents are always so funny.
If you are looking for a romantic comedy featuring enemies to lovers with two very stubborn main characters, this is the book for you. I really enjoyed watching Colton and Tori figure out their feeling for each other and have to process what that would mean for them in terms of their relationship and their friend group. They were forced to communicate with each other, something they aren't very good at doing. I'm looking forward to reading London and Piper's stories later this year! View all my reviews
"Locke is back and at her best with another heartwarming Mason brother to fall in love with." -- K. Bromberg New York Times bestselling author
Reckless, an all-new swoon-worthy standalone romance in the Mason Family series from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke is available now!
I absolutely adored this book! 5 ⭐s. You can check out my review here
“How did you get in here?”
That’s not what you want to hear when you’re staring into the sea-green eyes of the hottest man you’ve ever seen. Yet I suppose it’s a fair question, considering I’m an uninvited stranger standing in Boone Mason’s kitchen.
If you think that’s bad—just wait. It gets worse.
This charming and wealthy playboy, who can’t pay his bills on time or find his way to the grocery store (but we all have flaws, right?), is sweet. Confident. Playful. He’s almost perfect. And, to make matters worse …
He’s smitten with me.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re rolling your eyes. You’re assuming this is some opposites attract situation—or that maybe we can be friends who turn into something more.
How can this be a bad thing?
Well, it’s simple. I’m not the kind of girl you fall in love with. Just to be sure, the universe reminds me of that in an unforgettable, in-your-face kind of way.
I might have broken into Boone’s house, but I won’t let him break my heart. I won’t break his either. There’s too much on the line to be that reckless.
Start reading today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3d2C2jg Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/RecklessAddy
Add Reckless to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3rgkYeB
About Adriana Locke
USA Today, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, four sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.
Connect with Adriana
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Nf4JjE Instagram: https://bit.ly/36Xb76f Facebook: http://bit.ly/3d4UXeP Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3jCwPBo BookBub: http://bit.ly/3d4Vai7 Website: https://adrianalocke.com Stay up to date by subscribing to Adriana’s mailing list: http://bit.ly/NewsletterAddy
Reckless, an all-new sexy and playful standalone romance in the Mason Family series from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke is available now!
“How did you get in here?”
That’s not what you want to hear when you’re staring into the sea-green eyes of the hottest man you’ve ever seen. Yet I suppose it’s a fair question, considering I’m an uninvited stranger standing in Boone Mason’s kitchen.
If you think that’s bad—just wait. It gets worse.
This charming and wealthy playboy, who can’t pay his bills on time or find his way to the grocery store (but we all have flaws, right?), is sweet. Confident. Playful. He’s almost perfect. And, to make matters worse …
He’s smitten with me.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re rolling your eyes. You’re assuming this is some opposites attract situation—or that maybe we can be friends who turn into something more.
How can this be a bad thing?
Well, it’s simple. I’m not the kind of girl you fall in love with. Just to be sure, the universe reminds me of that in an unforgettable, in-your-face kind of way.
I might have broken into Boone’s house, but I won’t let him break my heart. I won’t break his either. There’s too much on the line to be that reckless.
Start reading today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3d2C2jg Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/RecklessAddy
Add Reckless to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3rgkYeB
About Adriana Locke
USA Today, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts Bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own.
She resides in the Midwest with her husband, four sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.
Connect with Adriana
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Nf4JjE Instagram: https://bit.ly/36Xb76f Facebook: http://bit.ly/3d4UXeP Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3jCwPBo BookBub: http://bit.ly/3d4Vai7 Website: https://adrianalocke.com Stay up to date by subscribing to Adriana’s mailing list: http://bit.ly/NewsletterAddy
Get ready for the Boone Swoon! This was amazing! A series of unfortunate events brings this couple together, but they were meant to be.
If you loved Boone as a supporting character in the other Mason books, you will love him as the leading character in Reckless. He is everything you would expect from him, funny, charming, caring, a little immature at times, but overall a good guy. He knows when to be responsible and how to get things done, he just doesn't always want to. Jaxi on the other hand has not been dealt a great hand in life, but she hasn't let that get her down. I really loved watching their relationship develop. This reads as a standalone, but it is the 3rd book in the Mason family series. Each book focuses on one of the 5 Mason brother's (you should read them all IMO). I love the Mason's and love spending time with this family and getting to know each of the brothers. Their mom Siggy is a gem and fully of wisdom and good advice. She also doesn't take any of their crap. I love her!
This is told from alternating points of view from the two main characters. They are opposites, but that is what draws them together. Jaxi has had a hard go at life, people have not been kind to her unless they want something in exchange for it. When things finally seem to be looking up for her with a nannying job in Hawaii on the horizon, tragedy strikes and her entire world is turned upside down. Fortunately, Boone Mason is there to swoop in and save the day. He doesn't want anything from Jaxi, he just wants to help her in her time of need. They kind of jump into their situation with reckless abandon without really knowing each other, but life throws Jaxi a pretty big curveball and Boone has the means and ability to help her. They don't rush into a romantic relationship right away, which I appreciated, despite their attraction to one another. Jaxi has some baggage to work through and Boone, who is known to be a playboy, is willing to give her the time and space to build trust in him and their relationship.
This took me through all of the emotions. I had tears in my eyes at times, was laughing out loud from the banter between Boone and his brothers, then my heart was breaking again, I was angry for Jaxi and the crap she had to endure, and then I was smiling again. But Adriana did not let me down, she knows how to write a story and this wraps up in the best way. I truly loved this story and I hope you do as well.
I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided an ARC of this book via the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is a standalone, but I highly recommend reading Beefcakes first. This story stands on it's own, but the timeline of this story overlaps at times with that of Beefcakes. Having read Beefcakes first will help you to understand what is going on with Elaina and Neil and how they resolved their relationship issues. We don't see any of that on the page here, they kind of breakup, fall apart, and are back together with no explanation in this book. If you have read Beefcakes you don't need any explanation as to what happened, if you haven't you may be feel like you are a little bit in the dark with that situation.
This follows Liam and Chloe, siblings of the main characters of Beefcakes. Chloe has just found out that her fiance has been cheating on for the duration of their relationship, despite the fact that she quite her job and tried to be the perfect woman for him. In an effort to ease her breakup pain, local baker, Liam brings her some donuts on the night of her breakup. Liam and Chloe then somehow end up running a food truck together selling all manner of comfort food that one might want after a messy breakup. Liam has always wanted to run a food truck, but he's been busy helping keep his family's bakery afloat, but once Chloe gets and idea she is determined to make it happen. Their truck starts to gain some media attention, and everyone assumes they are also a couple. Faking a relationship with each other isn't that difficult, but when they both start to have feelings for each other things start to spiral out of control.
One of the character development arcs I loved about Beefcakes that is also present in this book is characters not changing who they are to be in a relationship. Chloe is known around town as being "Tasmanian Chloe", because she enters into a situation bringing chaos with her. With her ex-fiancé, she tried to put her chaotic alter ego in a box, changing up her appearance to suit his more sedate tastes and expectations of his future wife. Everyone around her thinks she is impulsive and leaves nothing but destruction in her wake, everyone but Liam. Liam doesn't want her to change her ways or her appearance, he is drawn to her unpredictability and passion. Liam on the other hand is pretty reliable, helping to run his families bakery and never asking for help. He has help and co-dependency confused and it takes him some time to come to terms that it is OK to need people and let them share your burdens. Watching the two of them come to terms with some of their flaws and fall in love was really sweet, and also fun. Their banter was really great. I also loved that Chloe finally came to terms with who she really was. She shed the baggage of the cheating fiancé, the terrible best friend, and found a job that really suited her.
Overall this was a really fun story with a really fun setting. I really liked the food truck setting. I myself love to bake and secretly would love to open my own bakery. For now I just do it for fun and my family. I really loved these two characters and hope to see more about the Evans family. I really want to know what Finn is getting up to at all those appointments and I'd love to see a book about Addy.
"Armentrout surprises me at every page turn with higher stakes, hotter heat,
shocking revelations, and a knows-no-bounds love that hits me deep, and I am
here for it." --Laurelin Paige, New York Times bestselling author
The Crown of Gilded Bones, the all new gripping and intense third installment
in the epic fantasy Blood and Ash series from New York Times bestselling
author Jennifer L. Armentrout is out now, and we have an inside look!
She's been the victim and the survivor…
Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel.
She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and
find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences
neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler
of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right
the crown and the kingdom are hers.
The enemy and the warrior…
Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others,
but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded
crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins
and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to
pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown
never sits upon Poppy’s head.
A lover and heartmate…
But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far
west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited
hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the
impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as
shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge
to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover
just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other.
And now she will become Queen…
Bow before your Queen today! Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3pGJq9l Amazon Worldwide:
http://mybook.to/CrownofGildedBone Apple Books:
https://apple.co/35KztA5 Kobo: https://bit.ly/3pFzRHW Nook:
https://bit.ly/35JKgu9 Google Play: https://bit.ly/2ISWebS Hardback:
https://bit.ly/3nG8L1z Paperback: https://amzn.to/35J310H
Excerpt
A sudden growl of warning came from the largest wolven I’d ever seen. Kieran
and Vonetta’s father stood to my right. Jasper had officiated the marriage
between Casteel and me in Spessa’s End. He’d been there when Nyktos showed his
approval by briefly turning day to night. But now, the steel-hued wolven’s
lips peeled back, baring teeth that could tear through flesh and break bone.
He was loyal to Casteel, and yet instinct told me that it wasn’t just the
guards he warned.
Another snarl came from my left. In the shadows of the blood tree
that had sprouted from where my blood had fallen and then grew to a massive
height within seconds, a fawn-colored wolven crept into my line of sight, head
dipped low, and wintery blue eyes iridescent. Kieran. He stared down
Casteel. I didn’t understand why either of them would behave this way toward
the Prince, but especially Kieran. He had been bonded to Casteel from birth,
meant to obey and protect him at all costs. But he was more than a bonded
wolven to Casteel. They were brothers, if not by blood then by friendship, and
I knew they loved each other.
Right now, nothing about the way Kieran’s ears were pinned back
was loving.
Unease skipped its way through me as Kieran sank down, the sleek
muscles of his legs tensing as he prepared to attack…Casteel.
My stomach plummeted. This wasn’t right. None of this was right.
“No,” I rasped, my voice hoarse and barely recognizable, even to my
ears.
Kieran didn’t appear to hear me or care. If he had been acting
normally, I would’ve just assumed he was attempting to ignore me, but this was
different. He was different. His eyes were brighter than I ever
remembered seeing, and they weren’t right because they…they weren’t just blue
now. His pupils glowed silvery-white, an aura that seeped out in wispy
tendrils across the blue. My head jerked to Jasper. His eyes had changed, too.
I’d seen that strange light before. It had been what my skin had done when I
healed Beckett’s broken legs—the same silvery glow that had radiated from me
minutes earlier.
Icy bursts of surprise raced through Casteel as he eyed the
wolven, and then I felt…relief radiate from him.
“You all knew.” Casteel’s voice filled with awe, something no one
standing behind him felt. Even the easy grin was absent from the auburn-haired
Atlantian. Emil looked at us with wide eyes, broadcasting a healthy dose of
fear, as did Naill, who had always appeared utterly unfazed by everything—even
when he’d been outnumbered in battle.
Add The Crown of Gilded Bones to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/34D4N31
About Jennifer L. Armentrout #1 New York Times and #1
International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Shepherdstown, 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
Border Jack Apollo. 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
an 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 a hundred bestselling authors in
Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.
Connect with Jennifer Facebook: http://bit.ly/2xSL7u5 Instagram:
@jennifer_l_armentrout http://bit.ly/33GWn8R Twitter: @JLArmentroutnews
http://bit.ly/2QvDYpT Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dnOSIi Goodreads:
http://bit.ly/2U5Jemy BookBub: http://bit.ly/2U2Fe63 Stay up to date
with Jennifer by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/2qBce5m Website:
https://jenniferlarmentrout.com
Connect with Blue Box Press Facebook:
https://bit.ly/37fl0uT Instagram: https://bit.ly/36zQAni Website:
https://theblueboxpress.com/ Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark Nights and
Blue Box Press releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu
"Jennifer L. Armentrout has absolutely blown me away with this entire
series! I've turned into a swooning fangirl!"
-- Larissa Ione, New York Times bestselling author
The day you’ve been waiting for is FINALLY here!
The Crown of Gilded Bones, the highly anticipated third book in bestselling
Blood and Ash series from New York Times bestselling author
Jennifer L. Armentrout is out now!
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book
three in her Blood and Ash series.
She's been the victim and the survivor…
Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel.
She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and
find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences
neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler
of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right
the crown and the kingdom are hers.
The enemy and the warrior…
Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others,
but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded
crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins
and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to
pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown
never sits upon Poppy’s head.
A lover and heartmate…
But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far
west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited
hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the
impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as
shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge
to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover
just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other.
About Jennifer L. Armentrout #1 New York Times and #1
International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Shepherdstown, 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
Border Jack Apollo. 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
an 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 a hundred bestselling authors in
Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.
I did receive an ARC from Netgalley, but I ended up listening to the final production version of the audiobook. All opinions are my own. I highly recommend the audiobook! The narrator is excellent. She does a wonderful job bringing Daunis and the rest of the characters to life. I've read several reviews that indicated that this book was paced too slowly or too long. I didn't feel that way at all with the audiobook. I found it hard to put down, it is just over 14 hours and I got through it in about 3 days. If you do pick this up and find that the pacing is a bit slow for you or you have trouble with the language on the page, there is quite a bit of Anishinaabemowin spoken in the book, I'd give the audio a try before giving up on it.
This is marketed as a YA thriller, but I never got that heart racing suspense vibe. There is a criminal investigation happening, but it lacked the suspenseful feeling I want from thrillers and mysteries. It does have a crime procedural feel as the investigation goes through its paces and uncovers who is at the heart of the murders and drug ring in the community. That being said, the story was still wonderful and I'm so glad I read it. This book discusses several different issues that Native Americans struggle with and it isn't the first book I've read this year that talks about these issues. The author discusses racism, acceptance, drug use, corruption especially in the justice system, and the importance of cultural heritage.
There is a lot going on in this book, which will not work for some readers. There are several different plot lines going on all at once, and some of them do not end with a happy ending and are not wrapped up neatly with a shiny bow. I think this is done purposefully to shed light on real problems in the indigenous community that most readers know nothing about. I think the author did a great job bringing awareness of Ojibwe customs and beliefs to the reader through Daunis. Despite being biracial and not always accepted by her community, she is very deeply connected to the Firekeeper side of her family and their customs. She loves her family and wants to protect her community and preserve the things that are important.
Overall, I loved this! It is one of the best books I've read this year so far.
I was provided these novellas from the author in exchange for an honest review. These came out in November 2020, but I just got around to reading the 3rd one. Not sure what happened there, I read the first two right away. Each of the stories is under 100 pages and they are all standalones. They follow one of 4 brothers from the Murphy family and are set in the world of Silhouette Studios. There is a 4th story that is part of 1001 Dark Nights Short Story Anthology 2020. I have that anthology as well and plan to get to that later this year, it has some shorts by some of my favorite authors.
Each of these is pretty steamy and they are all really fun. Each story takes on a different romance trope, so there is something for everyone.
This is the first of 3 steamy novellas coming in November 2020. I believe they
are all set in the world of the Silhouette Studios series, don't hold me to that
as I am still slowly making my way through the author's backlist. This is
roughly 70 pages and follows Josh Murphy, a well known actor and Chelsea
Griffin, his new dog walker. Josh has a husky names Cola, and he works long
hours on set. His trusted dog walker has left for grad school and recommended
Chelsea for the job. Cola immediately takes to Chelsea, and Josh likes her too.
As they get to know each other, they find it hard to deny that the attraction
between them.
I was really impressed that we actually got alot of
relationship development in such a short story. The author uses the timeline to
her advantage to allow the characters to get to know each other off page, which
gives the reader the satisfaction that there is substance to the relationship
and it isn't all insta-love and lust driven. That is hard to is a novella, but I
felt it was done really well here. Don't get me wrong the are plenty of lust
filled moments in this short little story.
If you are looking for a
light, fun read I highly recommend this. I really enjoyed it!
Love at
first...soup...I mean sight is the name of the game between funny man Sam
"Smurf" Murphy and executive producer and lawyer Nina Miller. Nina was brought
in to Silhouette Studios to help management stay out of lawsuits and cut shows
that aren't doing well. The Murphy's prank show does well in ratings, but could
be cause for a lawsuit if they don't clean up their jokes which Nina has
experience with firsthand. When Sam comes to apologize for involving her in
their show the tables are turned as neither of them can deny the attraction
between them. Both of them fall hard and fast for each other and the rest is
history.
If you like alpha dog romance stories, this is a fun one! I'm
really enjoying these novellas and can't wait to see what is in store for the
other brothers.
This is the third of 3 novellas in the Rescue Me series, with a 4th story in
the 1001 Dark Nights Short Story Anthology 2020. The
stories are all steamy standalone romances about one of the 4 Murphy brothers
who are on a very popular comedy prank show. This one follows Cal
Murphy, as he runs into a beautiful woman at a bar once night as the crew from
the show wraps up filming for the season. They dance, they kiss, she
walks away, and he finds out she is his twin brother's little sister who is
now all grown up. Laurel. used to be the annoying little sister who has
been hopelessly in love with Cal for as long as she can remember. She is
9 years younger than Cal so he never gave her a romantic thought growing up,
but now that they are adults all bets are off and she can finally tell Cal how
she really feels and he can see her as a woman not a little girl.
This a little insta-lovey for my tastes, even if the couple already kind of
knows each other. It is still fun and steamy in the 50 or so
pages. If you are looking for something light and quick this is a good
option!
I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not really sure how to rate this book. There were parts I really liked and parts I didn't. This probably falls somewhere between a 2.5 and 3 stars for me. It is well written, has a unique storyline, and interesting characters.
I love mythology and folklore. I wasn't very familiar with Korean folklore before, but after reading this I feel like I need to investigate the subject more. I also love learning about cultures different than my own. I feel reading own voices books such as this one is a good way to do so. I was fully immersed in the parts of the story surrounding the folklore and mythology aspect of the story. Elsa's journey into learning about her mom, her Korean heritage, the magical realism, and the folklore of her ancestors was great. Unfortunately the writing style didn't work for me. I spent most of the book being completely confused about what was happening and felt like I was reading several different books at once. I'm not a fan of stream of consciousness writing, it doesn't work for me personally, though I know some readers love it. I find it confusing to follow the plot because even though everything is connected, they aren't organized and I find it very hard to follow and connect to the story and the characters. I constantly feel like I missed something because the subject would dart from one thing to the next.
This hits on many social justice issues that are timely with social media bringing to light the crimes against those of Asian decent. The main character gives the impression that she is very anti-white and anti anyone not Korean, as she has experienced racism, prejudice, and bigotry her entire life. She is going through a discovery and acceptance phase after the death of her mother and part of her journey is to come to terms with her past, her family's past, and who she is not only as a Korean American but as Elsa Park the person. This also speaks to mental health issues. I'm not sure I care for the way mental health was portrayed in this book, however it does show what can be the very real and ugly side to living with mental health and perhaps these were written from first hand experience or accounts in the author's life. If that is the case, then my opinion on the matter doesn't really count. The author states on her goodreads page that this book is her spiritual debut, and I feel like she accomplished that. I'm not sure which of her own experiences are on the page, but you can feel the emotion coming through and the care she took with the telling of the story. She is very blunt about various traumas in this book. That is either going to really appeal to you or it is not. There are many heavy and uncomfortable moments in the book.
If you enjoy genre bending stories written in the stream of consciousness style give this one a go. This is well written and the own voices aspect and folklore is well done. Being that I don't care for the stream of consciousness style of writing, it made it really hard for me to get through this and connect with the book, but that is a me issue not necessarily an issue with the book itself. While I may not have loved it, I do think many people will enjoy this. I think we need more books like this out there.
I was provided an ARC of the audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this not knowing what it was about. I had previously read and enjoyed [book:Never Have I Ever|36679186] and figured I'd also enjoy this. It was a bonus that the audiobook was narrated by the author. I jumped at the chance to read and review this audiobook. I like to go in blind into thrillers and mysteries, but should have read the synopses because on of the things I care for in thrillers in books and crime drama shows on TV is a plot that involves kids. Had I actually read the synopsis, I probably wouldn't have picked this up, that being said, I held out to see what would happen with the kidnaping situation. I'm glad I did because the it was worth it in the end.
As I mentioned earlier, the narration is done by the author and I thought she did a great job. She was able to give a distinct voice to each of the characters. I was able to tell when she was voicing Bree, Marshall, the old woman, as well as the other characters who have less time on the page. Jackson's love and support of the performing arts comes through in the book. Not only do the daughters participate in theater, but Bree has to use her own skills as an actor to get her through this horrific event. She has to play multiple parts if she wants to save her son and uncover the truth of why he was taken in the first place.
I also thought the author did a good job of tackling some social issues. She touches on privilege as well as consent and victim shaming. As far as the plot goes I did find it to be a bit predictable. I didn't find the big reveal all that revealing not were the twists and turns that unexpected. I kept waiting for the big plot twist, but it never came. The big twist was a bit underwhelming for me.
If you like revenge plots, give this one a go. While I found it a bit underwhelming, you may not. I have pretty high standards for thrillers, mainly because I read alot of them. I usually see it coming, which is why my husband hates watching TV with me.
I was provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was published on March 23, 2021.
This is a fairly slow paced thriller. I think the comparison to The Blair Witch Project is fair. It is very much like that given that this follows a film crew making a movie and some strange stuff starts happening. Blair Witch was a bit more ominous and creepy in my opinion. I thought the premise was really interesting. An entire town of people up and disappears without a trace with the exception of a newborn baby and a woman who was stoned to death in the town square. The police conduct an investigation and no one is able to find anyone from the town. Now years later, the granddaughter of one the former inhabitants wants to find out what really happened and tell the story of the town.
This is told in two different timelines and different perspectives. The Now is told from Alice's perspective, and the Then is told from her great-grandmother Elsa's perspective. We also get letters between Alice's grandmother Margareta and her great-aunt Aina which help paint the story of what happened in the past. I much preferred the Then sections to the now sections. I felt like they moved the storyline along a bit more than the Now sections. I also didn't connect with the present tense characters, and was much more invested in what was happening with the characters from the past. Alice and her film crew weren't very likable and they were all very unprepared 5 days of filming in an abandoned, rotting, mining town. There are some pretty unrealistic situations in the book that took me out of the story. I also didn't appreciate the way mental illness was portrayed in the book.
I thought the storyline was interesting, however I found the pacing to be far to slow for my liking. I also found the plot to be very predictable. I did find the final reveal of what happened to be clever and very fitting, but I kind of suspected something similar to be the case from the start. This never gave me the creepy and tense thriller vibe I look for in thriller/mysteries. This book isn't bad, there was just missing for me. I think alot of people will enjoy this, I think I have high expectations when it comes to thrillers.
No man has ever been able to rattle Isabel Ward. Until Aiden Hennessy walks
in the door of her gym—ownership papers in hand.
The former fighter is a lot of things- a devoted single dad, a widower
trying to start over, and a watchful presence that knocks her off her very
capable feet.
To make matters worse, Isabel had a crush on him for the entirety of her
teenage years. Doodles in her diary, and letters declaring her
admiration—while never sent—haunt the absolute crap out of her now that
she has to face him every single day.
She’s not the only one affected.
No woman has tempted Aiden to move on from the memory of his wife—until
Isabel. But she’s too young, too feisty, too much of everything he should
avoid.
Working together makes avoidance impossible, and so is pretending like the
blistering chemistry between them doesn’t exist.
Now that the unshakeable woman is shaken and the un-temptable man is
tempted, Isabel and Aiden have to decide what they’re willing to risk for a
taste of the forbidden.
Well, let’s see ... I’m a wife and a mother. If the things that I write
bring a smile to someone's face, then I've done my job.
I am obsessed with Outlander (both the books and the show). I’m almost
exclusively a romance reader, which means some people will never consider me
a literary snob.
If I could meet one historical figure, it would be Jane Austen. I received
my Bachelors in Public Relations and worked in health care marketing before
I had my babies.
I hate Twitter. I do it, but I hate it. Also, if you want to get on my good
side, bring me wine and I'll love you forever.
Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 7 by Dianna Love
