2 Book Lovers Reviews
Consumed
By J.R. Ward
September 21st, 2018
A weekend filled with reading
sounds like the perfect plan!
Looking for a book to lose
yourself in this weekend? My
latest review is posted, and
more books have been added
to the top of this week's list of
new releases. Enjoy!
“Don’t think. Just dive in! You
can’t prepare for greatness- it
just has to happen.”
That’s exactly what I should’ve
done with this book. This book
was sitting on my Kindle for
far too long. What was I
waiting for? Well, I have a
selection of books that I reserve for times when I need that little something extra, something special. So many of my fellow readers adored this book. I knew that it had to be a winner, so I saved it for just the right time.
Book News!
Colleen Hoover News -> I just saw this on the author's Facebook page & I had to share...Colleen Hoover just revealed the cover & synopsis for her upcoming romantic thriller! Verity is releasing on December 18th & is available for pre-order! I am so excited for this!
New Releases!
- Evidence of the Affair - By Taylor Jenkins Reid - This short story sounds so good!
Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.
- Lies We Tell Ourselves – By Amy Matayo – This one
looks so good!
Presley Waterman is a rescuer: of animals, of businesses, of people. Like the stray cat she's allergic to, but continues to care for. Like her small-town newspaper, a business that’s been dying a slow death for the better part of a decade. And like Micah.
Her best friend and the man she has loved since they were
kids, back when no one else cared.
As for him…
Micah Leven loves Presley. She’s the girl who’s always been there to help, the one who knows all the ugly things about him and makes him believe he can be a better man, the one who will never leave because she’s promised over and over.
But he also loves Mara.
Mara is his ideal. She’s the dream he conjured up as a boy and never wavered from. She’s beautiful, ambitious, driven, a fellow newscaster at his Atlanta station, and the perfect asset for the life he’s always wanted. Together, they could conquer the world and their respective careers. Even better, with Mara he could prove that he did—in fact—finally amount to something. Maybe then his father would be proud.
There are just a few things Presley and Micah have both forgotten. One, just because you rescue someone doesn’t mean they’ll love you for it. Two, some dreams disappear when reality wakes you up. Three, the only way to silence lies is to face the truth head-on.
This is the story of the man torn between two existences, the woman who finally took the choice away from him, and what happens when you stop listening to lies once and for all.
Even if the biggest liar is you.
- Austin – By Jeannine Colette & Lauren Runow – Romantic comedy!
Jalynn
I’m the girl who’s always picking up the pieces of other people’s mistakes.
Until tonight.
I accidentally cause one false start, and now I’m being pulled into a guy’s car—who everyone only knows as Falcon—before an illegal street race.
He may not want anyone to truly know who he is, but he’s met his match.
Game on, Falcon.
Austin
People know I run these races.
They know not to mess with me, or my car.
When the identity of the girl who causes a false start is revealed, I have to make an example of her.
Letting her see who I am was never the plan.
Neither was running into her the next day as my brother’s new assistant.
She said she wanted nothing to do with me, but when I yank her into a janitor’s closet, making sure she keeps my secret is the last thing on my mind.
She may want more than my secrets, but my racing may be the last thing I try to hide.
- Center of Gravity - By K.K. Allen
"If I could rewrite the rules, I'd do it for you."
LEX
I came to L.A. with dreams bigger than me.
To learn from the best choreographers in the business and secure a professional dance gig working for Hollywood's elite.
Everything was going according to plan--until I was literally shoved into the arms of the one man who could make or break my career.
Come to find out, it wasn't my career I had to worry about.
It was my heart.
THEO
Everything about Alexandra "Lex" Quinn screamed amateur, save for the way she moved across the dance floor.
She was athleticism and grace, precision and passion, and she had a stage presence I couldn't tear my eyes from.
I wanted her...on my team, in my bed.
There was only one problem...
I couldn't have both.
- Kick – By Ali Dean – Rock star romance!
- Wicked Wedding – By Sawyer Bennett
- The Brightest Stars – By Anna Todd
Karina knows the harsh realities of military life. And like anyone who has grown up around an army base, she
knows the background noise that follows a soldier home
from war. That's why she's forging her own quiet life in
her own little house. But she hasn't turned her back on her
family. She's the glue that holds them together--when her
father is deployed, when her brother, Austin, has another
brush with the law.
Karina knows that she has to look after herself, that she can't always fix what's broken. But when Austin's behavior worsens and her father's reactions grow more extreme, Karina feels her own edges beginning to fray. That's when she meets him--a closed book she's desperate to open.
At just twenty, Kael is a handsome, brooding soldier struggling with the aftermath of two tours in Afghanistan. He's emotionally damaged and closed off. Quiet doesn't begin to describe him. But as Karina gets used to his stable presence, she finds it hard to ignore the way he makes her feel. In their time together, she finds the stillness she has always wanted and never found. She lets down her guard. And she lets herself fill in the blanks about this mysterious man.
But illusions quickly made are quickly shattered. That's when Karina has to find her own courage--to untangle the truth from the lies, and decide what she's going to do about it.
- The Good Samaritan – By RC Boldt
The biggest story of her life is the one he wants to hide.
I’m homeless by choice.
I have no intention of returning to my former life after what I’ve done.
This—living among the filth and discarded remnants of others—is what I deserve.
As atonement for my sins, I give back; I help those who cannot help themselves. But it’s always under the guise of anonymity.
Newspaper headlines throughout the city are clamoring to discover my identity. Including the beautiful woman who manages to see through my “armor.”
She has the capability to put my entire life at risk.
- Dane’s Storm – By Mia Sheridan – A standalone Sign
of Love novel, inspired by Cancer. Second chance
romance!
Dane was her first kiss and the only man she ever loved . . .
until their marriage crashed and burned. Now Audra has
built a quiet life for herself running a flower shop she's
put her whole heart into. But Audra is left reeling when an
unexpected circumstance brings Dane back into her
world. He's still as breathtaking as he ever was, and he still affects her more than any man she's ever known. Yet learning to trust him again could be a matter of life and death . . .
When Dane offers to fly his ex-wife from California to Colorado to help correct a wrong, he never imagined the harrowing twist of fate awaiting them. When their plane goes down in the snowy mountain wilderness, Dane and Audra are stranded with no one to turn to but each other. Will their second crash end their lives—or save their souls?
- It Started with a Lie (Truth and Lies Duet #1) – By Lisa Suzanne
Brian Fox is desperate for cash. When his business falls into debt, he turns yet again to his rock star brother. Only this time, his brother refuses to throw money at the problem...he intends to solve it. Enter Vivian Davenport, business fixer extraordinaire, supreme professional, and Brian's new boss.
Brian has always called the shots, but now he's the one taking orders. When the tiny lie that Vivian is his new girlfriend slips out, he's forced to play the role of doting boyfriend to a woman he can't stand.
It started as a lie, but what happens if it turns into the truth?
- Reid: Vested Interest #4 – By Melanie Moreland
- Professor Feelgood (Masters of Love #2) – By Leisa Rayven
- The Ocean Between Us - By Michelle Heard - Romantic suspense!
- Booted (Trails of Sin #3) – By Pam Godwin - This series must be read in order.
- Guilty as Sin (Sin Trilogy #2) – By Meghan March
- More Than Crave You – By Shayla Black
- I Know You Know – By Gilly Macmillan - Thriller!
Twenty years ago, eleven-year-olds Charlie Paige and Scott Ashby were murdered in the city of Bristol, their bodies dumped near a dog racing track. A man was convicted of the brutal crime, but decades later, questions still linger.
For his whole life, filmmaker Cody Swift has been haunted by the deaths of his childhood best friends. The loose ends of the police investigation consume him so much that he decides to return to Bristol in search of answers. Hoping to uncover new evidence, and to encourage those who may be keeping long-buried secrets to speak up, Cody starts a podcast to record his findings. But there are many people who don’t want the case—along with old wounds—reopened so many years after the tragedy, especially Charlie’s mother, Jess, who decides to take matters into her own hands...
- The Watcher – By Caroline Eriksson – A thriller of paranoia, obsession, and love gone wrong!
Escaping her broken marriage, successful author Elena settles into a hastily arranged sublet. Shattered, on the verge of coming unhinged, she’s unable to sleep, write, or even unpack. Then she discovers an innocent pastime to occupy her restless days and nights—watching her neighbors through the kitchen window. The Storms seem like the perfect family, but the more Elena sees and hears, the more she believes that there’s something terribly wrong in the house next door.
She’s certain she’s an eyewitness to a violent marriage that could be building to a murderous climax. It’s all a little frightening. It’s also inspiring. Elena hasn’t felt this creative in years. Now she’s imagining the worst. To confirm her suspicions, she decides to watch a little closer—by following Mr. and Mrs. Storm into their secret lives, if only to save them from themselves.
- Misadventures with a Speed Demon – By Chelle Bliss
- Rebel Hard (Hard Play #2) – By Nalini Singh
A sweet, sexy romance featuring big, fat, OTT weddings, a meddling grandma, and a too-serious hero who needs to be unbuttoned…
- Restless Ink (Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs #2) – By Carrie Ann Ryan
- Redemption: A Sin Series Standalone – By Georgia Cates
Happy Reading!
September 21st, 2018
This is one of those books that piqued my interest long before it was released. The whole idea of lost memories tied to an apocalyptic loss of shadows was new and unique. I love it when an author says: let’s make a different apocalypse.
What he's reading!
What she's reading!
Greg's Dailyish Blog
Shelley's Daily Blog
September 4th, 2018
Book Review:
The Passage
By Justin Cronin
I’ve heard many great things about The Passage over the past few years, the timing was right, so, I decided to embark on this epic journey concocted by Justin Cronin. I’ve got to tell you, I loved it. This was one of those books that I opened up to read whenever I had a few minutes…or hours.
Read my full review...
August 28th, 2018
Book Review:
Mega 2: Baja Blood
By Jake Bible
It was two years ago that I read Mega by Jake Bible. I was in the mood for another fun, fast and furious ocean adventure. What could be better than a return voyage with Team Grendel on a new and improved Beowulf?
After finishing Baja Blood, I had to go back and take a look at my review for book one. There are a lot of things that can change in two years: my expectations among those things.
Read my full review...
August 21st, 2018
Book Review:
Circe
By Madeline Miller
Greek mythology is filled with women. Many of these women were portrayed in a villainous or destructive role: Pandora, Clytemnestra, Helen, Medea…and Circe, to name a few. Why the Greeks did this is a completely separate topic, but they did. I love what Madeline Miller has done with Circe, she has taken one of the most famous villainous Greek women and she has shown her readers the other side of the story.
Read my full review...
August 14th, 2018
Book Review:
Xinners
By Wayne Simmons
Right from the start, Wayne Simmons brought me back to a comfortable, familiar place: Helo brought me back to the Creature Cantina. With the intricately detailed and varied aliens, I was brought back to my youth, invested in the story even before I got to know the characters. But this wasn’t the Creature Cantina of my youth, it was a bit more “adult,” I kept waiting for Rev to tell a couple of Stokians that “This is not the whore you’re looking for.” I was hooked.
Read my full review...
August 7th, 2018
You have to understand, you don’t just sit down, relax and read a book by Iain Reid; it’s a contest, a competition - can you figure out what the hell is going on before he has to spell it out for you? Well, that’s how I look at it, anyway.
Read my full review...
Read Shelley's review
July 23rd - August 5th, 2018
Gone Fishin':
Summer/Vacation Reading & Recommendations
Vacation time has arrived, I’ve got some reading to do. I’ve been on a bit of a book buying bonanza lately and I have a lot of books I want to read. My reading list for this summer’s vacation is excessively ambitious, but between balconyville and poolsideton, I’m hoping to succeed.
Read my full post...
July 17th, 2018
New Release & Review:
Baby Teeth
By Zoje Stage
A connection. When an author can create a connection between you and their characters, you’ve got a winner.
As a father, with one child, a son, I could feel an affinity for Suzette. My son and I often butt heads and disagree; his relationship with his mother is the complete opposite. I saw parallels with Suzette and Hanna and Hanna and her father.
Read my full review...
July 13th, 2018
Book Review:
Whore
By Matt Shaw
After reading Whore, I think I must be a little bit dead inside. I like big books, write a fabulous story and I’ll read two thousand pages of it. But once in a while I like to grab a shorty…one hundred pages or so; a little something to reset my barometer, some literary sorbet, if you will.
Read my full review...
July 10th, 2018
Book Review:
Midnight Crossroad
By Charlaine Harris
I’ve been having a tough time of it the past few weeks…months; finding that book that gives me that Calgon moment, yes, I’m aging myself, but I want a book to take me away. I thought it would be good to go back to an old favorite, Charlaine Harris.
I was immediately ready to pack my bags and move to Texas. Harris filled that little town with such an intriguing cast of characters.
Read my full review...
June 26th, 2018
New Release & Review:
The Cabin at the End of the World
By Paul Tremblay
I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. When I pick a book to read, I want to love it. I want the book to captivate my mind, take me away and immerse me into the lives of its characters. The Cabin at the End of the World did none of this.
Sometimes I think that I get caught up in the hype surrounding certain authors. This award-winning, that prize winner, on the board of this, that and the other thing.
Read my full review...
June 22nd, 2018
Book Review:
Ride On
By Gwen Cole
I’ve been on a bit of a post-apocalyptic/dystopian ride for the past few months. When I originally saw Ride On, a post-apocalyptic western, I thought, giddy-up!
Cole doesn’t really touch on the how or the why of what happened to create this post-apocalyptic world, all we know for certain is that the sun is forever hidden behind a gray sky.
Read my full review...
June 19th, 2018
New Release & Review:
Providence
By Caroline Kepnes
Caroline Kepnes has crafted a masterful mystery/thriller with a touch-o-romance, a smidgen of science fiction, combined with an homage to H.P. Lovecraft. She has paired engaging characters with a unique plot.
I love it when an author can pull me in with their characters. Kepnes’ story shifted between three characters’ points of view. Jon, Chloe and Eggs were exceptional, and I was captivated by each of their stories.
Read my full review...
June 5th, 2018
Book Review:
Hell Divers III: Deliverance
By Nicholas Sansbury Smith
I’ve been a little bit off of “the series” for a while now. I like getting into a story, and when it’s done, moving on to the next. But there is something about the characters that Smith has created that pulled me back in for another dive to Hell.
Read my full review...
May 29th, 2018
Book Review:
The Crossing
By Jason Mott
Jason Mott is a new-to-me author. The Crossing grabbed my attention, I was pulled in by the premise and I loved the tone and atmosphere created by the author.
The Crossing has to be one of the most eloquently written books I’ve ever read. There is an elevated quality to the writing that sets it apart from other books, I would almost call it poetic in nature.
Read my full review...
May 25th, 2018
Book Review:
Obscura
By Joe Hart
I don’t think you could find a more appropriate title for this book: Obscura. Is it a word? It has a meaning-ish to it. But it’s not clear. In Obscura, everything is blurred, nothing is clean and easy…Who is doing what is kept a
mystery until the bitter end.
Read my full review...
May 15, 2018
Book Review:
Mr. Flood's Last Resort
By Jess Kidd
Every once in a while the right book comes along at exactly the right time. I wasn’t very far along into Maud and Cathal’s story before I knew that this was exactly what I needed. It was one part Driving Miss Daisy, with another part Hoarders and a couple parts…I just don’t know.
The relationship between Maud and Mr. Flood was magical – I laughed, I cried, and I loved them both and wanted to smack them around from time to time.
Read my full review...
No Tomorrow
By Carian Cole
