2 Book Lovers Reviews
New Favorite!
Finders Keepers
By Stephen King
July 21st, 2017
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.
March 24th, 2017
Book Review:
The Emperor's Knives By Anthony Riches
By the time you reach book seven in a series, you should know what to expect. If you didn’t like the previous books, what the hell are you even doing here? With Wounds of Honour, Anthony Riches opened up a whole new world of books for me; one with Roman Legions marching through hordes of blue-nosed barbarians. I have become a huge fan of Riches, as well as a few others in the genre.
See my full review...
New Release!
The struggle is real!
July 21st, 2017
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!
What he's reading!
What she's reading!
Greg's Dailyish Blog
Shelley's Daily Blog
I just finished reading The
Forbidden by Jodi Ellen
Malpas. This was an all-
consuming book that just hit
all the marks for me. I didn't
want to put it down for one
second. My review will be
posted closer to the release
date --> August 8th! Sorry, I
just had to share my love for
this book! Sigh.
This week's list of new releases
has been updated below.
Enjoy!
*Each book in this series can be read as a standalone.
Synopsis:
Damien Fox lived up to his name.
Cunning, sly, and dangerous, fifty percent of Vegas’ strip clubs were his.
Whatever he wanted, money, attention, women, he got.
And now he wanted to buy my bar, no matter the cost.
I wanted him to go to hell on a first-class ticket.
He played a dirty game, and I followed his rules. I let him think he would win.
Despite our differences, it was clear to see that we were no more than two broken hearts colliding in the darkness.
Closed off, sexy, and holding a pain that would crush a lesser man, he was the ultimate sin.
One I couldn’t deny myself, even though I knew better than to trust a fox...
I was only a couple of chapters into Wrecked when I knew that I was reading a book with five star potential. JB Salsbury immediately pulled me into Aden and Sawyer’s story and had me completely hooked. If a book entices me early on and makes me want to avoid my other responsibilities just so that I can keep reading it, I know that it is going to be special. I’m not ashamed to admit that I did shirk on some of my daily tasks because I didn’t want to leave the story or these characters. As an avid reader, I chase this feeling all the time, and when I find a book that takes me there, I never want it to end.
*See the Release Blitz, read my full review & enter the giveaway...
New Releases!
- Beautiful Mistake – By Vi Keeland - This looks so good!
The first time I met Caine West was in a bar.
He noticed me looking his way and mistakenly read my
scowling as checking him out.
When he attempted to talk to me, I set him straight―telling
him what I thought of his lying, cheating, egomaniacal ass.
You see, the gorgeous jerk had wined and dined my best friend-smooth talking her into his bed, all along failing to mention that he was married.
He deserved every bit of my tongue-lashing and more for what he'd done.
Especially when that lazy smile graced his perfect face in response to my rant.
Only it turned out, the man I'd just told off wasn't the right guy.
Oops. My mistake.
Embarrassed, I slunk out without an apology.
I was never going to see the handsome stranger again anyway, right?
That's what I thought...until I walked into class the next morning.
Well, hello Professor West, I'm your new teaching assistant.
I'll be working under you...figuratively speaking.
Although the literal interpretation might not be such a bad thing―working under Professor West.
This was going to be interesting...
- Stay Close (For Her) – By Alexa Riley - The first novella in a brand-new series spinning off from the bestselling For Her books.
- Pretty New Doll (Pretty Little Dolls Series #3) – By K. Webster & Ker Dukey - This series needs to be read in order: Pretty Stolen Dolls (Read my review), Pretty Lost Dolls
- The Sound of Light – By Claire Wallis
My littlest girl has always been a bit peculiar. It was nothing I could ever put a finger on, but I always knew there was something inside her that made her a different kind of special. A deeper kind.
K'acy's got a light around her, one that'll just about knock you over, especially if you don't see her coming. She's got music in her soul, too. Deep, resonating music that echoes and hums, just like the notes that come from the bass guitar she's had attached to her hip since the day she turned thirteen years old.
She's got a hell of a secret, yes, but she does what she's got to do to make it one worth having. She takes care of people. She changes their stories. I spent my life telling both of my girls that you always gotta do what's right, even when it hurts, and it makes me proud to know she was listening.
I saw the way she looked at that boy on the day they met, and I knew right then that things were going to change. Two different people from two different worlds is nothing but a recipe for heartbreak, and when the lies pile higher and higher, it can change a person into something they're not...
- Her Unexpected Hero (Checkerberry Inn) – By Kyra Jacobs - Standalone.
Maddie Frye, the Checkerberry Inn's snarky, introverted chef, just wants to be left alone. But with the inn's upcoming gala, Maddie's boss has matchmaking on the brain. So when the gorgeous new guy in town helps her out for a night, she comes up with the perfect solution to her problem…
Cole Granville is looking for a fresh start. When a part-time job opens in the Checkerberry's kitchen, he takes it without a second thought. The only catch? He's got to help his sexy new coworker snag a date for an upcoming dance. But as he coaches Maddie on attracting her crush, Cole realizes he's the one falling for the curvy brunette.
- The Scars Between Us – By MK Schiller - Military romance!
Emma Cooper is determined to fulfill her mother's dying wish to scatter her ashes with Aiden Sheffield in Linx, Texas. Just one problem. Why Texas and who the hell is Aiden Sheffield? The only clue is a faded piece of her mother's stationary. Emma imagines Aiden is a former love of her mother's, but when she meets the beautiful, damaged stranger, she realizes her assumptions couldn't be more wrong. He's hot and young. And Emma is as confused as ever.
Aiden Sheffield would rather go to hell than Linx. Who does Emma think she is disrupting his carefully built life? The last thing the Marine needs is to slice open the sealed wounds of his painful past. Yet, as he gets to know the lovely Emma, a woman who manages to smile even though she's lost everything, he changes his mind. He will not let her go to hell alone.
But neither is prepared for the devastating evil waiting for them at the end of the road. It might just destroy them.
- Firefly (The Redemption Series) – By Molly McAdams – Romantic suspense!
- Wrecked – By JB Salsbury - This book was AMAZING! This will be making my list of favorite books of 2017! Read my review & an excerpt.
When you can't trust yourself, how can you ask anyone else to?
It's been months since Aden Colt left the Army, and still the memories haunt him. When he moved into a tiny boat off the California coast, he thought he'd found the perfect place to escape life. Then Sawyer shows up and turns his simple life upside down. Beautiful and sophisticated, she seems out of place in this laid-back beach town. Something is pushing her to experience everything she can-including Aden. But as much as he wants her, starting a relationship with Sawyer puts them both at risk. For Aden, the past doesn't stay there; it shows up unexpectedly, uncontrollably, and doesn't care whose life it wrecks.
- Trust – By Kylie Scott – YA romance!
Being young is all about the experiences: the first time you skip school, the first time you fall in love…the first time someone holds a gun to your head.
After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.
While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.
An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.
Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.
- Sin (Vegas Nights #1) – By Emma Hart – Rivals-to-lovers romance! Each book in this series will be a standalone.
- The Iron Tiara: A Nine Minutes Spin-Off Novel – By Beth Flynn – MC romance! It can be read as a standalone.
Quinn Davis prefers to live her life quietly. She’s the stereotypical tomboy with two overprotective big brothers who have always been there to protect her, especially from devilishly handsome cowboys with silver tongues. That is, until Tate Montgomery comes riding into town. Their first meeting, however, is far from something out of a fairy tale and only further convinces Quinn that men aren’t worth her time.
The only place Tate Montgomery ever truly felt at home growing up was during the long, sweltering summer months he spent at his Gram and Paw’s farm in Pine Oak, Texas. Now, Tate has returned to his childhood sanctuary seeking a fresh start—but if he’s being entirely honest, he’s not just back for the wranglers and Stetsons. During those summers, Quinn was a friend-turned-young-love who Tate lost when life threw him a curveball and he cut all ties to his past; but all it takes is one glance at the raven-haired beauty he did his best to forget for him to realize just how much he’s been missing….
- Glamour: Contemporary Fairytale Retellings – By AL Jackson, Sophie Jordan, Aleatha Romig, Skye Warren, Lili St. Germain, Nora Flite, Sierra Simone, Nicola Rendell - Remember the fairy tales your parents read to you when you were little? These are NOT those fairy tales.
- Broken Puppet (The Elite Kings Club #2)– By Amo Jones
- Seducing Lola – By Jessica Prince - Romantic comedy!
I’ve had my fair share of bad relationships. I’ve dated liars, cheaters, shoe fetishists, and everything in between. Sure, these experiences would make any woman cynical when it comes to dipping her toe back into the dating pool, but I used my past for good and made a career out of helping other women avoid going down the same paths I had.
And I was damn good at it.
Until a random act of fate set my life on a course I’d been avoiding for years, and put me in the crosshairs of a man that made me feel things I swore to never feel again.
Now I’m in his sights and it seems like he’ll stop at nothing to seduce the hell out of me. He might hold my career in the palm of his hands, but if Grayson Lockhart thinks he can blackmail me into submission with his sexy voice and sexy hands and sexy everything, then he’s…probably right.
- The Breakdown - By B.A. Paris - Thriller!
If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?
Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside—the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.
But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.
The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.
Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…
- Complicating (Preston’s Mill #3) – By Noelle Adams & Samantha Chase – Standalone.
- Bad Boss – By Clarissa Wild
- Stubborn as a Mule (The Sex an Sweet Tea Series #2) – By Juliette Poe (Sawyer Bennett)
- Loving Kyle – By Kasey Millstead – Military romance! Standalone.
- Dr. Stanton – By T.L. Swan
- Unbreakable: An Unacceptables MC Standalone Romance – By Kristen Hope Mazzola
- July 21 – Addicted to Love (Serendipity #1) – By
Jennifer Wilck – Older man/Younger woman!
- July 22 - Malentendido (Misunderstood) - By Mara White - Available for pre-order for $0.99 cents! Forbidden romance!
Whatever force made Lucky, either God or the Universe, wrapped him so tightly around my heart that sometimes I’m suffocating. Biologically, we are made of too many similar parts, yet our chemistry is like a meteor shower, raining bright sparks of light into the dark night. But it’s not our biology or chemistry that worries me the most, it’s the physics of our love that goes against the cosmos.
Happy Reading!