2 Book Lovers Reviews
An Easy Death
By Charlaine Harris
September 25th, 2018
This week's list of new releases
is posted below. It's another
great week to be a reader.
Enjoy!
New Releases!
Trilogy #1) – By T.M. Frazier
Love is supposed to be a fairy
tale.
Ours is a death wish.
I'm the executioner for the
Bedlam Brotherhood.
She's a con artist working for
my greatest enemy.
I use her.
She manipulates me.
We find ourselves on opposite
sides of a bloody war.
My heart and head tell me I
have to stay away.
My lust for her doesn't give a sh*t.
Nothing's fair in love and gang war.
- One in a Million – By Lindsey Kelk – Romantic comedy!
Annie Higgins has given up on love: she’s too busy trying to get her tiny business off the ground. Infuriated by the advertising agency across the hall making fun of her job, Annie accepts their crazy challenge – to make a random stranger Instagram-famous in just thirty days.
And even when they choose Dr Samuel Page PhD, historian and hater of social media, as her target, Annie’s determined to win the bet – whether Sam likes it or not.
But getting to know Sam means getting to know more about herself. And before the thirty days are out, Annie has to make a decision about what’s really important…
- Dating the Enemy – By Nicole Williams
Ms. Romance, Hannah Arden, writes one of the top read
relationship advice columns in the nation. Mr. Reality, Brooks North, writes the top read relationship advice column.
Ms. Romance believes in true love and soul mates. Mr.
Reality believes love is a term humanity has assigned to the
primal instinct to procreate.
She believes in fate—he in chance. She knows there’s one right person for everyone—he knows there are multiple ones. The two writers couldn’t be more polarized on relationships. They’re professional rivals, and philosophical antagonists.
For eight years, their battles have been fought with words and ink. That changes when they apply for the same position at the World Times and find themselves face-to-face for the first time. Brooks isn’t the sour-faced, antiquity of a man Hannah pictured. And Hannah isn’t exactly the middle-aged shrew with cat hair on her housedress that Brooks imagined either.
In lieu of competing for the promotion traditional ways, the two writers are presented with playing the leading roles in a social experiment unlike any before. Can a person be tricked into falling in love? Can a relationship be crafted under the right string of circumstances? Hannah knows the answer. So does Brooks.
Agreeing to the terms, the two set out on a three-month dating experiment, live-streamed for the world to watch. All Hannah has to do to win is not fall in love with the narcissistic brute. All Brooks has to do is get the starry-eyed dreamer to fall in love with him...
- Once Upon a Sure Thing (The Heartbreakers) – By
Lauren Blakely – Rock star romance. Standalone. Best
friends-to-lovers romance!
It's so easy being best friends with a gorgeous, talented, charming guy.
Said no woman ever. Except me.
My friendship with Miller is a sure thing — he’s my plus one, my emergency contact, and my shoulder to lean on. He’s also been by my side helping me raise one helluva awesome kid who’s the center of my world.
Nothing will change our easy breezy friendship. Until I have the bright idea to convince him to start a new band with me.
Trouble is, our sizzling chemistry in the recording studio is getting harder to ignore, no matter how risky it might be.
***
Sing sexy songs with the woman you’ve been lusting after? Get up close and personal as you croon to the woman you’ve wanted for years?
Piece of cake.
NOT...
- Runaway Girl – By Tessa Bailey
It’s Naomi Clemons’s big day. Her dream wedding. And she’s outta here.
One moment. A chance meeting of gazes through the church window pane with someone familiar who radiates intrigue. Independence. It’s the final push Naomi needs to realize...she’s boring. A blonde, cookie cutter, well mannered trophy wife-to-be. How can she expect to lead a fulfilling married life when she’s never lived?
Special Forces diver Jason Bristow needs a beauty pageant coach. Not for himself—although the tattooed bruiser could definitely use some charm. For his little sister who he has returned to St. Augustine, Florida to raise. When a beautiful southern debutante lands on his doorstep, she awakens a hunger that won’t be ignored. If only she wasn’t planning on winning back the ex-fiancé she left at the altar…
Despite the potential for ruin, heat continues to build between Naomi and Jason beneath the sultry Florida sunshine, consuming them both. But they’re on borrowed time…and it’s about to run out.
- Gym Junkie – By TL Swan
- Our Final Tale (Iron Fury MC #6) – By Bella Jewel
- Craving Dragonflies – By Terri E. Laine
College senior Willow Young has two goals this year: to graduate and lose her v-card. The first seems easy and the second almost impossible. Guys don’t notice her when Celeste, her roommate and step-sister, is considered the hottest girl on campus. When Ashton Westborough, a gorgeous football player, comes to her rescue in more ways than one, she stupidly falls hard for him even though the walls to his heart are impenetrable...
- desolate (Grace Trilogy #1) – By Autumn Grey – Forbidden romance!
There are angels and demons at war inside my head.
I had it all figured out: finish high school, attend seminary and finally answer my calling of becoming a priest. What I hadn’t counted in the equation was her.
Grace Miller.
The girl who was always out of my reach. The girl who still makes me lose my breath with just a look.
Little did I know she would become my temptation and vice, and quite possibly, my ruin.
Now I’m standing at a crossroads, and my head is a battlefield. How do I choose sides when it means losing a part of who I am?
- How to Choose a Guy in Ten Days – By Lila Monroe -
Romantic comedy!
Stylist Gemma Jones is competing for a once-in-a-lifetime promotion. All she has to do is take some fashion-backward guy from geek to GQ-worthy. The only problem? The man in question is her hairy manwhore of a next-door neighbor. AKA Bigfoot.
Zach Morrison has zero interest in being Gemma’s makeover mannequin. Sure, it’s fun getting his smart-mouthed neighbor all riled up, but after cashing out of his tech start-up and going through an ugly break-up, he’s taking a permanent vacation. If he wants to wear sweatpants and sleep on a mattress in the corner of an empty apartment—
OK. Maybe he needs a little push in the right direction. But as Gemma races the clock to win her bet, she finds that Bigfoot’s been hiding a few things under his baggy flannel shirts. Like abs of steel, and a surprisingly big...
Heart. He has a big heart.
Soon, sparks are flying between this unlikely couple, but can Zach embrace a fresh start - however manscaped it might be? And will Gemma beat out her Instabitch rival for the top spot - and keep the truth about their bet from Zach?
- Strong: A Stage Dive Novella (1001 Dark Nights) – By Kylie Scott - Rock star romance!
When the girl of your dreams is kind of a nightmare.
As head of security to Stage Dive, one of the biggest rock bands in the world, Sam Knowles has plenty of experience dealing with trouble. But spoilt brat Martha Nicholson just might be the worst thing he’s ever encountered. The beautiful troublemaker claims to have reformed, but Sam knows better than to think with what’s in his pants. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to make his heart fall into line.
Martha’s had her sights on the seriously built bodyguard for years. Quiet and conservative, he’s not even remotely her type. So why the hell can’t she get him out of her mind? There’s more to her than the Louboutin wearing party-girl of previous years, however. Maybe it’s time to let him in on that fact and deal with this thing between them.
- Nightingale – By Amy Lukavics
At seventeen, June Hardie is everything a young woman in 1951 shouldn’t be—independent, rebellious, a dreamer. June longs to travel, to attend college and to write the dark science fiction stories that consume her waking hours. But her parents only care about making June a better young woman. Her mother grooms her to be a perfect little homemaker while her father pushes her to marry his business partner’s domineering son. When June resists, her whole world is shattered—suburbia isn’t the only prison for different women…
June’s parents commit her to Burrow Place Asylum, aka the Institution. With its sickening conditions, terrifying staff and brutal “medical treatments,” the Institution preys on June’s darkest secrets and deepest fears. And she’s not alone. The Institution terrorizes June’s fragile roommate, Eleanor, and the other women locked away within its crumbling walls. Those who dare speak up disappear…or worse. Trapped between a gruesome reality and increasingly sinister hallucinations, June isn’t sure where her nightmares end and real life begins. But she does know one thing: in order to survive, she must destroy the Institution before it finally claims them all.
- The Evolution of Man – By Skye Warren – The second book in the Trust Fund Duet!
I never wanted to fall for a man.
And definitely not two men.
They tear me apart until I don't know how I'll ever be whole again. Until I'm not sure I want to be. How can I choose between two halves of myself?
- Small-Town Sweetheart (The Spring Grove Series #2) – By Toni Aleo
- Hot Winter Nights: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel – By Jill Shalvis - Holiday romance!
- The Triangle – By J.A. Huss & Johnathan McClain – Dark romantic suspense!
They’re sworn enemies and I’m in the middle.
Both of them claimed me. Had me. Used me. Forgot me.
Except… I don’t remember any of it. I don’t even know who I am or why I live in this cramped basement apartment with tinfoil covering the tiny windows when my bank account says I have over two million dollars.
I don’t know how I got the stitches on the back of my head, or the scar under my chin, or the ache in my shoulder—but I do know I probably deserved it.
I don’t know why there’s a shotgun in the closet, a sniper rifle under the floorboards, and a pistol under my pillow.
I don’t know why I stay.
I don’t know why I care.
I don’t know why I’m trying to put something back together when it was never whole to begin with.
Until I look at them.
Until they look at me.
Until I touch them.
Until they touch me.
And even though the memories don’t come back.
I know.
I know why I stay.
- Faking It – By K. Bromberg – Audio release! The Kindle version will be releasing on January 8th & is available for pre-order.
- Sin - By Deborah Bladon - Standalone.
- Best Served Cold – By Emma Hart - Romantic comedy!
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Which is a real problem when the attraction runs red-hot.
Trust me. I know. The only reason I decided to renovate my family’s ice-cream store was to serve up a sundae full of revenge for my a-hole ex who opened an ice-cream store right next to mine.
It was supposed to be simple.
Renovate. Reopen. Put his peachy butt out of business.
Until he decided to get under my skin—and broke my toe.
Now, I’m stuck with Chase in my store every day, helping me renovate. But he’s also in my head, and I’m spending a little too much time up against his abs.
Not that it’s the worst place to be.
But it doesn’t change anything. I still hate him, and I’m still going to get my revenge.
Right?
- Immaterial Defense (Once and Forever #4) – By Lauren Stewart – Standalone. Rock star romance!
Every wanna-be rocker dreams of the day when crazed fans will pack their shows. But the more people worship me as some kind of musical god, the more I realize why singers are called "performers." I'm just a pretender. A fake.
I need something real. Something to break through the revolting glamour that's bled into every part of my life. And for one perfect night, I found that in Sara.
Then she ran.
Sara
No sane woman would’ve ever walked away from Declan Hollis after only one night. But walking away from him was the safest move for both of us...
- 500 Words or Less – By Juleah del Rosario - YA!
Nic Chen refuses to spend her senior year branded as the girl who cheated on her charismatic and lovable boyfriend. To redefine her reputation among her Ivy League–obsessed classmates, Nic begins writing their college admissions essays.
But the more essays Nic writes for other people, the less sure she becomes of herself, the kind of person she is, and whether her moral compass even points north anymore.
Releasing Later This Week!
- September 26 – Dinner Party – By Tracy Bloom – Romantic comedy!
- September 27 - Medicine Man - By Saffron A. Kent - Forbidden romance! Available for pre-order for .99 cents!
Willow Taylor lives in a castle with large walls and iron fences. But this is no ordinary castle. It's called Heartstone Psychiatric Hospital and it houses forty other patients. It has nurses with mean faces and techs with permanent frowns.
It has a man, as well. A man who is cold and distant. Whose voice drips with authority. And whose piercing gray eyes hide secrets, and maybe linger on her face a second too long.
Willow isn't supposed to look deep into those eyes. She isn't supposed to try to read his tightly-leashed emotions. Neither is she supposed to touch herself at night, imagining his powerful voice and that cold but beautiful face.
No, Willow Taylor shouldn't be attracted to Simon Blackwood at all.
Because she's a patient and he's her doctor. Her psychiatrist.
The medicine man.
Happy Reading!
September 25th, 2018
This is my second venture into the kaleidoscopic mind of Laini Taylor. I fell in love with her Daughter of Smoke & Bone series. There was just too damn much in the synopsis for me to resist this new series.
There are different types of authors: some are storytellers (they captivate you with their tales), others are writers (they expertly piece together stories that follow all of the rules), then there are the world-builders...
What he's reading!
What she's reading!
Greg's Dailyish Blog
September 11th, 2018
Book Review:
The Book of M
By Peng Shepherd
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.
Read my full review...
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
