2 Book Lovers Reviews
Beautiful Mistake
By Vi Keeland
August 15th, 2017
This week's list of new releases
is posted below. Enjoy!
*Top Recommendation!*
Wish You Were Here was
everything. It stole my heart
right from the beginning and
didn’t let it go, in fact, I am still
reeling from this poignant,
beautiful story. It’s one of
those special books that I felt
in every fiber of my being. I
was confident that this was
going to be a fantastic read, but
it was even more than I could
have ever hoped for. I’m not
sure if anything that I write will
do this book the justice that it so deserves. In my opinion, it was perfection.
New Releases!
- Crave, Part 1 (The Crave Duet) – By E.K. Blair
Kason and Adaline.
From the moment they met, they started to fall. Neither of
them predicted just how far the drop would be, though.
Loving Adaline was all Kason had ever wanted to do. But
layer by layer, he started to unravel, forcing Adaline to
face an addiction she never could’ve imagined.
This is what happens when one person loves beyond the
craving and the other craves beyond the loving.
- The Soul Mate – By Kendall Ryan - Standalone romantic comedy!
The smoking-hot one-night stand I was never supposed to see again?
Yeah, well, I might be pregnant, and he’s my OB-GYN.
- Royally Endowed (The Royally Series #3) – By Emma Chase
Logan St. James is a smoldering, sexy beast. Sure, he can be a little broody at times—but Ellie Hammond’s willing to overlook that. Because, have you seen him??
Sexy. As. Hell.
And Ellie’s perky enough for both of them.
For years, she’s had a crush on the intense, protective royal security guard—but she doesn’t think he ever saw her, not really.
To Logan, Ellie was just part of the job—a relative of the royal family he’d sworn to protect...
- Love in the Friend Zone – By Molly E. Lee
The only thing worse than not being able to tell your best friend you’re head over heels in love with him? Having to smile and nod when he enlists your help to ensnare the girl of his dreams.
- Her Sexy Challenge – By Sarah Ballance
Caitlin Tyler doesn’t do bridges—she just doesn’t know it until she lands her dream job and freezes halfway across her new town’s towering death span. Cue the cocky, infuriating fireman who goads her off the bridge. He’s hot, but he’s also exactly the kind of guy she wants to avoid…which she manages to do for a whole four hours.
Lt. Shane Hendricks is only two weeks away from leaving Dry Rock. He sure as hell doesn’t need to get involved with a woman he has to rescue twice in one day. The fact that she’s clearly annoyed by him doesn’t deter him from throwing down a challenge—one that proves hard to resist for all the wrong reasons.
- Savior (The Kingwood Duet #2) – By S.L. Scott - Savage must be read first.
- The Boy I Hate – By Taylor Sullivan
Samantha Smiles and Renee Montgomery have been best friends for over a decade. They’ve shared laughs, secrets, and a mutual hatred for one person: Tristan Montgomery, Renee's older brother. He was the guy every girl wanted, and every guy wanted to be, and it wasn't uncommon they'd befriend his little sister just to get closer to him. Which was exactly how Samantha became Renee’s saving grace. She was the only girl Renee could trust not to fall in love with her older brother.
Until the one night Samantha spent with him alone, leaving her questioning everything she’d ever known about the blond headed heart-throb.
Years later, Renee asks Samantha to be her maid of honor. With no other option, Samantha is forced to drive cross-country with the focus of their teenage ire.
He was her first kiss.
Her only secret.
Can Samantha survive the trip cross-country with the reckless Tristan Montgomery? The guy who did what he wanted, whenever he wanted, without worry for tomorrow?
- I'm In It (The Reed Brothers) - By Tammy Falkner
- I Don't Regret You - By Jodie Larson
Regrets.
We all have them.
Like the Aqua Net hairstyles back in the 80's, the 90's grunge fad, or the person you lost your virginity to as a teen because you were "totally in love".
I have a few of my own. Specifically, marrying my rebound guy but staying married because I was too weak to fight for my own happiness.
He took me down and kept me there for far too long.
I'm done. Done living with regrets and done not pursuing what makes me happy.
Then you came along and showed me that I was worth more than who I had become.
You are not my regret.
- Wish You Were Here – By Renée Carlino – Top Recommendation! I loved this book so much.
Read my review! It's on sale for only $2.99!
You know when you’re looking at someone and you can’t help but smile at how oblivious they are to their own charm? That’s what was happening to me, and it was making me feel…happy. Euphoric. Something indescribable. It was like we already knew each other, like we had met in a previous life. Memories that didn’t exist began exploding in my mind like fireworks.
Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, searching for a spark to jump-start her life and give her a sense of purpose. She’s had as many jobs as she’s had bad relationships, and now she’s feeling especially lost in her less-than-glamorous gig at a pie-and-fry joint in Los Angeles, where the uniforms are bad and the tips are even worse.
Then she collides—literally—with Adam, an intriguing, handsome, and mysterious painter. Their serendipitous meeting on the street turns into a whirlwind one-night stand that has Charlotte feeling enchanted by Adam’s spontaneity and joy for life. There’s promise in both his words and actions, but in the harsh light of morning, Adam’s tune changes, leaving Charlotte to wonder if her notorious bad luck with men is really just her own bad judgment.
Months later, a new relationship with Seth, a charming baseball player, is turning into something more meaningful, but Charlotte’s still having trouble moving past her one enthralling night with Adam. Why? When she searches for answers, she finds the situation with Adam is far more complicated than she ever imagined. Faced with the decision to write a new story with Seth or finish the one started with Adam, Charlotte embarks on a life-altering journey, one that takes her across the world and back again, bringing a lifetime’s worth of pain, joy, and wisdom.
- A Stranger in the House – By Shari Lapena – Thriller!
Karen and Tom Krupp are happy—they’ve got a lovely home in upstate New York, they’re practically newlyweds, and they have no kids to interrupt their comfortable life together. But one day, Tom returns home to find Karen has vanished—her car’s gone and it seems she left in a rush. She even left her purse—complete with phone and ID—behind.
There's a knock on the door—the police are there to take Tom to the hospital where his wife has been admitted. She had a car accident, and lost control as she sped through the worst part of town.
The accident has left Karen with a concussion and a few scrapes. Still, she’s mostly okay—except that she can’t remember what she was doing or where she was when she crashed. The cops think her memory loss is highly convenient, and they suspect she was up to no good.
Karen returns home with Tom, determined to heal and move on with her life. Then she realizes something’s been moved. Something’s not quite right. Someone’s been in her house. And the police won't stop asking questions.
Because in this house, everyone’s a stranger. Everyone has something they’d rather keep hidden. Something they might even kill to keep quiet.
- The Truth about Porn Star Boyfriends – By Sunniva Dee - Romantic comedy!
I guess I just forgot.
To ask him what he did for a living, I mean.
By the time I did, I was in—balls deep, as he’d say.
He was the perfect boyfriend.
Attentive, gorgeous, guessing my every wish and fulfilling them.
The sex was earth-shattering.
He even dealt with my crazy mom the way no one else could.
He popped the question, God, such a perfect guy.
There was just one issue:
He other girls on camera for a living.
How the hell do you deal with that?
-13 Dates – By Matt Dunn - Romantic comedy!
When Noah Wilson first encounters the quirky, opinionated and very beautiful Angel Fallon, his world is turned upside down. It’s clear she’s not his normal type, but Noah can’t stop thinking about her—which doesn’t bode well for the blind date he’s already late for.
Convinced by his friend (and self-professed dating expert) Marlon that thirteen dates is all you need to fall in love, Noah decides to give it a try with Angel. They should be incompatible: she’s impulsive and he’s a planner; he wants to settle down and she doesn’t ‘do’ relationships—or anything, for that matter—the way Noah is used to. But there’s something about Angel, and Noah can’t shake the idea that all they need is twelve more dates.
Despite some near-disasters involving rock climbing, saddle sores and jellied eels, it seems his plan may actually work. But even if they do reach the magic number, can that really mean they’ll just fall into their happily-ever-after?
- The Secret – By Christie Ridgway – A romance between a widower/single dad and his butler.
- The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley #3) – By Devney Perry
Felicity’s life story reads like the script to a bad soap opera. Girl’s high-school boyfriend becomes a drug addict. Girl falls for boyfriend’s best friend. Girl leaves them both behind only to return home years later for murdered ex-boyfriend’s funeral. Now she’s back home in Montana, ready to start fresh. She’s got a long list of amends to make and relationships to rebuild, including one with the man who has owned her heart for sixteen years.
Silas doesn’t need much. He’s got a great horse, close friends and the Lucky Heart ranch, but something has always been missing. He’s not an idiot. He knows the missing piece is Felicity. And now that she’s returned to Prescott, he’s got a second chance to win her heart. This time, the only thing standing in his way is history. Drudging up the past is going to be about as painful as playing tug of war with barbed wire. But if they can heal old wounds, he’ll get the girl he should have had all along.
- Never With You – By Anie Michaels - Standalone.
Talia Lennick expected an uneventful week at the beach with her family. Reading, sunbathing, recharging her proverbial batteries—all typical beach vacation activities. Oh, and dealing with her family, who was too concerned with her almost-thirty-and-single status. What she didn’t expect was Briggs Townsend. Briggs was the handsome man living in the house next door, who looked too damned sexy all the time—whether he was surfing or wielding a tool belt while remodeling his beach house. It was hard to keep her eyes off him. But looking at him and admiring his incredible body was as far as she could take it, because a relationship was the last thing she needed.
Briggs Townsend was completely consumed with tearing down the house he’d shared with his cheating ex-wife and building new walls—for both the house and his heart. Women were the last thing on his mind when he spotted her on the beach. Then the firecracker in the sexy red bikini became the only thing he could think about. He didn’t need a relationship—but he needed her.
- Seeing Red – By Sandra Brown
Kerra Bailey is a TV journalist hot on the trail of a story guaranteed to skyrocket her career to new heights. Twenty-five years ago, Major Franklin Trapper became a national icon when he was photographed leading a handful of survivors to safety after the bombing of a Dallas hotel. For years, he gave frequent speeches and interviews but then suddenly dropped out of the public eye, shunning all media. Now Kerra is willing to use any means necessary to get an exclusive with the Major--even if she has to secure an introduction from his estranged son, former ATF agent John Trapper...
- Random on Tour: Las Vegas – By Julia Kent – Rock star romance! Romantic comedy.
- Wild Card (North Ridge #1) - By Karina Halle
She swore she’d never go back home.
She swore she’d never see the man who broke her all those years ago.
But you don’t always get to choose your path.
And sometimes that path is as wild and rugged as the heart.
Rachel Waters thought she saw the last of the small mountain town of North Ridge, British Columbia, when she left six years ago. But while her advertising career blossomed beneath the skyscrapers of Toronto, her mother’s sudden illness has the 26-year old returning to North Ridge to care for her, putting her career on hold while dealing with family secrets, regrets and unresolved goodbyes.
Shane Nelson has always been a bit of a wild card. The youngest of his brothers, Shane’s spent most of his life being underestimated and misunderstood. With his quiet intensity, classic good looks and thoughtful demeanor, he’s an enigma on horseback, managing his father’s sprawling ranch on the slopes of North Ridge.
But while Shane remains the quintessential brooding cowboy, complete with an arsenal of inner demons, all of that changes when Rachel steps back into his life.
She was the girl he pushed away.
Now she’s the girl who wishes she could leave.
Despite the odds, Shane will do everything to convince Rachel he needs a second chance that he doesn’t deserve but when the two of them head off into the wilderness together in search of lost cattle, more than just their hearts are at stake.
Whether it's love or lives on the line, one thing is for sure: always bet on the wild card.
- Thousands (Dollar #4) - By Pepper Winters
Releasing Later This Week!
- August 16 – A Change of View (Northern Lights #2) – By Freya Barker
What if one morning you look in the mirror and no longer recognize the person looking back?
When Leelo can no longer identify herself by the roles that once defined her, it's both terrifying and liberating. Oh, she feels the loss, the grief, and then the anger, but when she inherits property up north, she jumps at the promise of freedom and independence.
Yet not everyone in her new community is what they seem, starting with the surly mountain man down the road.
As owner of the local fishing lodge, Roar is content with his everyday life. And the older he gets, the less he appreciates change. So when a blue-haired, tattooed ‘city girl’ moves into the old motel, shaking up his daily routine, he’s none too pleased.
Still, something about the woman’s easy smile and almost reckless grit has him step up as her keeper.
- August 18 – Havoc (Moonshine Task Force #3) – By Laramie Briscoe - When a marriage of convenience turns into the passion of a lifetime…
My job as the leader of the Moonshine Task Force is my life. I eat, breathe, and sleep it. The men under my command mean the world to me. Knowing they count on my guidance has kept my demons at bay for longer than I care to admit.
The control I have over myself is an iron fist that sometimes threatens to squeeze the life out of me. What I want more than anything is to live again – let go of the hurt smothering every bit of light I have in this darkness.
I don’t expect it to come in the form of a Moonshiner’s daughter needing my protection.
Leighton Strather
My whole life has been defined by who my family is. In the state of Alabama, we’re number one with a target on our backs. The danger and prestige isn’t for me. I don’t care about the money, and I care too much about the families we’ve ruined.
My brother and my dad are proud of it. They wear their arrest records like a badge of honor. Me? I want as far away from the lifestyle as I can get.
It’s the only reason I ask Holden to marry me. At least that's what I tell myself.
I never expect his whispered yes to cause such upheaval in my life. Even though I resist, I learn some havoc is good – and this one? It’s a whirlwind of lust, hope, and love and all I can do is let it sweep me away.
Happy Reading!
One Year After
By William R. Forstchen
August 15th, 2017
You know that old sweater you have, the one that fits just right? You’ve had it for years, it has gone on vacation with you, out to the theater and family functions. Now it’s only fit for wearing around the house, but every time you pull it over your head it just makes you feel comfortable. Delving into The Strain was like pulling on that old sweater. This is what reading is supposed to be all about.
New Release!
What he's reading!
What she's reading!
Greg's Dailyish Blog
Shelley's Daily Blog
August 11th, 2017
Book Review:
The Beachhead By Christopher Mari
I’ve always been a sucker for a good old-fashioned apocalypse. There are very few that are more old- fashioned than the Book of Revelation. Christopher Mari has gone with his own interpretation of the aftermath, as told by John. All right, I’m on board, let’s go!
Read my full review...
August 8th, 2017
New Release & Review:
The Walls By Hollie Overton
I do this all the time; I find a new book, read the synopsis, grab the book, and finally read it months later, having completely forgotten the synopsis. The Walls was one such book, however, this created a great reading experience for me. I went into it not knowing what to expect and I immersed myself in the story.
Read my full review...
July 25th, 2017
Book Review:
Bone White By Ronald Malfi
This is my second experience into the wonderful imagination of Ronald Malfi, and I have come to the conclusion that he is not human. Ronald Malfi is some kind of demonic artist of words. He can reach deep inside of you, grab hold of your soul and twist it to shreds. He writes a pretty good book too!
Read my full review...
July 18th, 2017
Book Review:
Hell Divers II: Ghosts By Nicholas Sansbury Smith
I love a summer sequel; getting reacquainted with some old friends, making some new ones and just enjoying the time spent together. The familiarity of the sequel is comforting. I am already invested in the world, I know the backstory, and I have an idea of where I would like the adventure to go. Ghosts fits the summer sequel spot superbly.
Read my full review...
July 14th, 2017
Book Review:
The Breakdown By B.A. Paris
Available now!
The synopsis is key when it comes to my book reading decisions. Too much information and I feel like there’s no point in reading the book, everything is already there. Too little, and I don’t know if it is for me or not. I guess I’m a bit of a Goldilocks when it comes to the synopsis, and The Breakdown had it just right.
July 7th, 2017
Book Review:
Dark Hollow By Brian Keene
There is nothing quite like mixing a little bit of mythical creature to up the ante on a horror story. Brian Keene has done a fantastic job of mixing old with new: satyrs frolicking with young ladies in the woods (alright, there was a lot more than just frolicking going on), a novelist in Pennsylvania starting his new story.
Read my full review...
June 30th, 2017
Book Review:
The Silence By Tim Lebbon
I’ve got my own kind of bucket list: authors that I haven’t read yet, who have a fantastic looking collection of works and whom I’ve heard a plethora of great things about. I try to read one of these authors once in a while. Tim Lebbon fits the bill perfectly; when I read the synopsis for The Silence, I knew that was the one for me.
Read my full review...
June 23rd, 2017
Book Review:
The Substitute By Nicole Lundrigan
I love a great crime/ mystery. Nicole Lundrigan intrigued me with her synopsis, just enough to grab my attention, but not too much as to give the story away. The Substitute certainly did not disappoint. I was pulled into the story and could not escape the web that Lundrigan weaved.
June 16th, 2017
Book Review:
Heart-Shaped Box By Joe Hill
Heart-Shaped Box sat on my Kindle, unread for far too long. I’ve taken a bit of a shining to Joe Hill’s writing; he writes old school in a newfangled way. His books, the ones that I have read, are all a good length (no one hundred page novellas), complete standalones (there is no book 15 in the series) and definitely unique.
Read my full review...
June 9th, 2017
Book Review:
The Bone Collection By Kathy Reichs
The Bone Collection was a great way for me to be introduced to a new-to-me author. As a rule, I’m not a huge fan of anthologies. I find that the stories are over before they’ve really had a chance to begin. The Bone Collection contains four stories within its 388 pages. It had a bit more meat and potatoes to the stories.
Read my full review...
June 6th, 2017
Summer is that time of year when things tend to slow down a bit, we sit outside, relax, have a few beverages. The kids are out of school, and the extracurricular activities are on a temporary hiatus. It is a fantastic time to read those books that you’ve always wanted to read, but you just haven’t found/made the time. I’ve actually been doing a little bit of that all year long. So, to help inspire your summer reading list, I thought I would share a few of my own, “Why the hell did I wait so long to read this?” books.
Read my list...
June 1st, 2017
Killer of Kings By Matthew Harffy
Book four, I have been following Beobrand’s trail of vengeance now for two years. It is a trail filled with death, destruction and devastation. I have witnessed Beobrand grow from a young “green” warrior into a leader of men.
What I really like about Harffy’s writing is the fact that he keeps it real.
See my full review...
May 30th, 2017
Book Review:
Twisted By Andrew E. Kaufman
Twisted is one of those books that I wanted to read
from the first time I saw it. The title, the cover, the synopsis, Twisted was on my radar! Now, I just had to read it.
Twisted delivered on its promise. It is a twisted tale that grabbed me right from the start. Around every corner, Kaufman drops one WTF moment after another.
See my full review...
May 23rd, 2017
Black Mad Wheel By Josh Malerman
Anyone who has read Bird Box knows that Josh Malerman is capable of reaching inside, grabbing your soul and freaking the hell out of it. Once I saw that he had a new book releasing, I knew that I needed to read it.
Black Mad Wheel played back and forth between two timelines in the protagonist’s life.
See my full review...
May 16th, 2017
Book Review:
The Hanging Girl By Jussi Adler-Olsen
The Hanging Girl is book six in the Department Q series. Department Q is the Danish cold-case division that is headed up by Carl Morck. Perhaps it could be read as a stand-alone, personally, I would recommend reading the series in order so that you can fully appreciate the evolution of the characters.
It has been three years since Carl, Assad and Rose investigated The Marco Effect.
See my full review...
May 4th, 2017
Book Review:
Skitter (The Hatching #2) By Ezekiel Boone
The arachnopocalypse is on! Skitter picks up right where The Hatching left off, read The Hatching first, this is important. You don’t like spiders? Good! Read these books in an old barn, it will add ambience.
It has been a little under a year since I read The Hatching, that’s quite a few books and many lives since I left this world of Ezekiel Boone’s creation.
See my full review...
April 25th, 2017
New Release & Review:
The Last Neanderthal By Claire Cameron
I’ve always enjoyed a good historical book, usually the older the better. With The Last Neanderthal, I’ve gone pre-historic. Claire Cameron’s story bounces back and forth between Girl, our Neanderthal protagonist, and Rosamund Gale, and archaeologist excavating a groundbreaking site.
See my full review...
April 18th, 2017
Book Review:
Security By Gina Wohlsdorf
Ever since I first came across Security, there was something intriguing about the book; it has a “big brother” aspect about it that piqued by interest. I downloaded the sample, something I would recommend, and was captivated and strangely intrigued by the point-of-view from which the story was told.
See my full review...
April 7th, 2017
Book Review:
I'm Thinking of Ending Things By Iain Reid
This is one of those books that you love or hate; and you might not even know why. Iain Reid had me questioning everything throughout the book. What was going on? Is that real? Why. Are. You. Doing. That? Don’t go down the stairs! Okay, that wasn’t a question, but I said it.
See my full review...
See Shelley's review...
April 4th, 2017
Book Review:
Wolves By D.J. Molles
What is the price of vengeance? After reading Wolves, I would have to say that it is your soul.
Every once in a while, I find a book that I connect with on multiple levels - a book that speaks to me, pulls me into the lives of the characters and leaves me craving more. Wolves
is one such book. Many times as I was reading, my wife would ask me, “How is your book?” All I could say in response was, “Dark.”
See my full review...
March 31st, 2017
40,000 years in the past, the last family of Neanderthals roams the earth. After a crushingly hard winter, their numbers are low, but Girl, the oldest daughter, is just coming of age and her family is determined to travel to the annual meeting place and find her a mate.
But the unforgiving landscape takes its toll, and Girl is left alone to care for Runt...
Read more...
March 28th, 2017
Almost Missed You By Jessica Strawser
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. This old expression applies to books, as well as many other things. A great start is key to pulling the reader into the story. If the first chapter doesn’t captivate me, I am easily distracted and it’s damn near impossible to make up for that shortcoming. Almost Missed You had no such issue.
