August 14th, 2018
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...
May 8th, 2018
Book Review:
Waking the Ancients
By Catherine Cavendish
Whenever I crack open a book, I want to love it. I’m not someone who loves to write a scathing review. I don’t understand what people get out of that. Whenever I see a review for Dawn of the Dead that starts off with, “I really don’t like zombie books,” I think to myself, why did you waste your valuable time reading a book if you knew that you wouldn’t like it? I wanted to love Waking the Ancients, unfortunately I did not.
Read my full review...
April 17th, 2018
Book Review:
Macbeth
By Jo Nesbo
It has been quite some time since I read Shakespeare’s Macbeth; I think it must be at least a dozen years, as my wife laughs, telling me to double that…and then some. I don’t consider myself to be a Shakespeare expert, but I’ve read a handful of his plays and enjoyed most of them. Macbeth is by far my favorite.
April 13th, 2018
Book Review:
Ready Player One
By Ernest Cline
Do you remember That ‘70s Show? It was a show built off of nostalgia and stereotypes that people look back fondly upon. Do you remember That ‘80s Show? No? You’re lucky, it was bad and too soon.
Ernest Cline has waited the right amount of time for people to have a fun nostalgic look back at a formative time for many of today’s adults.
Read my full review...
When Life Happened
By Jewel E. Ann
Greg's Dailyish Blog
Shelley's Daily Blog
2 Book Lovers Reviews
The Passage
By Justin Cronin
This week's list of new releases
is posted below. Enjoy!
Angst lovers rejoice! There’s
nothing I enjoy more than a
book that makes my heart beat
faster, ties my stomach up in
knots, and packs an emotional
punch that leaves me reeling
for days. Blind Kiss gave me
exactly what I was looking for.
Penny and Gavin met as
participants in a psychological
study that Penny’s friend was
conducting. Penny and Gavin
connected right from their first kiss, which also happened to be their first introduction. It didn’t matter how uncomfortable and unnerving the study was, Penny and Gavin clicked in that moment. Right from the beginning, their spark was strong and shining bright. I was in their corner, rooting for them, cheering them on, hoping that they would just be in the moment and let themselves fall, but that would’ve been too easy, wouldn’t it?
New Releases!
- Unbreak My Heart – By Lauren Blakely - Second chance romance!
I didn't break her heart, and she didn't break mine -- we
broke each other's.
I never stopped loving her, but time and distance played its
cruel role in ripping us apart three years ago when she
moved halfway around the world. Now after all those
endless miles away, she's returned . . . but I'm not the
guy I was before.
Beautiful, kind, and loving, she's the same -- my hope. The only one who can make a day better, who can make me feel again with one kiss, one touch, one night.
There's so much I have to put back in place now that I’m alone and on my own. Things I never wanted at the age of twenty-five. When I receive an unexpected letter that might hold the clues to everything I desperately need to understand about my family, I'm sure I have to follow it. But that means leaving her once more.
She says she'll come with me, and having her by my side will unbreak my heart . . . or destroy it.
That's the chance I have to take.
- Fauxmance – By L.H. Cosway - Fauxmance is a standalone contemporary romance featuring characters first seen in Showmance.
Shy Bookworm + Male Escort = Fauxmance
In this era of social media, we all pretend.
We pretend to be prettier, happier, more confident versions of ourselves, but not Ellen Grant. She takes it to a whole other level and pretends to be someone else entirely. Adopting the persona of a woman far more interesting is the only way she can break free of the socially awkward, romantically inept girl she really is.
And it’s all going swimmingly until she catches the eye of a man at her local coffee shop. Julian Fairchild has been noticing her for a while and he’s fascinated. Little does he know, the woman he thinks he’s obsessed with is a fake.
It’s not long before the jig is up, and Julian discovers Ellen’s true identity. However, he has a proposition. If she really wants to pretend, he can introduce her to a world where she can be anyone she wants. Ellen is intrigued by the prospect, and, blind to the nature of Julian’s profession as a male escort, closes her eyes and lets him lead the way.
- Man Candy – By Lila Monroe - Romantic comedy!
- Blind Kiss – By Renée Carlino - Top Recommendation! If you enjoy angst, this book is for you! Read my review.
Penny spends her afternoons sitting outside a sandwich shop, surrounded by ghosts. Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio—and she was a dancer on the rise. Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision.
The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering. And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off.
For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection.
- Bishop: An Arizona Vengeance Novel – By Sawyer Bennett – Hockey romance!
Bishop Scott, co-captain. Not too shabby, huh? It’s all part of my fresh start with the NHL’s latest expansion team, and that means new teammates, a new coach, a new city, and a big new contract. Basically, I cannot f***ing wait to show my old squad what they’re missing.
But first, I decide to check out the town before the grind begins. Turns out Arizona chicks are totally smokin’, and I’m fortunate enough to meet one who’s looking for the same thing I am: a night of anonymous, unforgettable, no-strings-attached sex.
Fast forward to the Vengeance arena. It’s the last place I expect to see her again—let alone in her own office. Then bells go off and I finally realize who this girl is: Brooke Perron. My new coach’s daughter. All of a sudden, we’re picking up right where we left off, which means our hands are all over each other. That’s when her dad—my boss—walks in. And before I can get a word out, Brooke’s introducing me as her fiancé.
Sure, she just saved my ass. So why do I get the feeling Brooke’s going to turn my world upside down? Maybe it’s because this fake relationship feels way too real. . . .
- Trick Play – By Max Monroe – Sports romantic comedy!
As Cam Mitchell, a New York Maverick and one of the best tight ends in the professional football league, my to-do list should be pretty simple.
Play ball.
Get laid.
Have fun.
But after one hour with a stripper named Trixie, that list of mine has shifted dramatically.
Tell Quinn to call my lawyer.
And, for the love of God, don’t get fired from the Mavericks.
I swear, I tried to make it stop there.
But one tiny thing keeps finding its way to the very top…
Find out more about the dark-haired beauty with the big blue eyes and make her mine.
Too bad it’s a hell of a lot more complicated than that.
How do you fall in love with a woman whose real name you don’t know?
Well, ladies and gentlemen…I’m about to find out.
- Richer Than Sin – By Meghan March – Forbidden romance & second chances!
A Riscoff and a Gable can never live happily ever after. Our family feud is the stuff of legends.
Ten years ago, Whitney Gable caught me off guard with her long legs and grab-you-by-the-balls blue eyes.
I didn’t know or care what her name was.
Like any Riscoff worth the family name, I went after what I wanted. We burned like a flash fire until she married another man.
She hates me, and she should.
I objected on her wedding day.
Now she’s home, with those same long legs and man-eater stare, but there’s no ring on her finger.
They say a Riscoff and a Gable can never live happily ever after . . . but I’m not done with Whitney Gable.
I’ll never be done with her.
- Boy Toy – By Sarina Bowen & Tanya Eby – Romantic comedy!
Liam
The moment Sadie Matthews walks through the daycare center door, I feel my world tilt in her direction. Again. I fell for her when I was fourteen, and I’m still not over her. Problem: she still thinks of me as a teen she used to babysit. But I’ve learned a few things about pleasing a woman in the last fifteen years. I can’t wait to show her how good it could be. I need to move quickly before I lose her again. This is more than a game to me, but I still plan to win.
Sadie
I’ve just survived the worst year of my life. As a single mom of twin toddlers, I don’t have time for a man. I barely have time to finish a thought. Who knew that Liam McAllister would grow up to be so devastating? He’s everything my husband was not: tall, built, and willing to have a tea party with my girls.
I can’t possibly get involved with him. He’s too young for me. Too handsome. But he’s so persuasive...
- Dirty Reckless Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbor #3) – By Lexi Ryan - Standalone.
I’m in love with a man who tried to kill me. At least that’s what they tell me . . .
Six weeks ago, paramedics found me unconscious in my own home. Beaten. Bruised. Hardly breathing. When I woke up, I couldn’t remember the last three years or anything about my life in Jackson Harbor. They tell me my fiancé, Colton McKinley, is on the run for what he did to me. They tell me I’m safer if I stay away.
I don’t care if my memories ever come back. I want nothing to do with those missing years . . . until a sexy stranger with angry eyes shows up on my doorstep and demands I stop ignoring him.
Levi Jackson is my fiancé’s best friend, but seeing him sparks something inside me. As the truth unravels in my mind, I know they’re wrong about Colton. My own secrets are far more dangerous than the man I was engaged to.
I return to Jackson Harbor to search for answers and find myself running from a faceless boogeyman and seeking refuge in Levi’s arms. And in his bed.
I can’t deny my feelings for Levi. But as the pile of lies between us grows, I realize that sometimes the truth can’t set us free. Sometimes, it’s the very thing that can destroy us.
- Peony Red (The Granite Harbor Series #1) – By J. Lynn Bailey - Romantic suspense!
Three years ago, Alex Fisher lost her husband and since then, she hasn’t been able to find her stride. She’s out of a job, out of time, and running on fumes. When she receives a personal invitation to visit the picturesque town of Granite Harbor, Maine, she jumps at the chance to start fresh.
For game warden Eli Young, life is simpler when he’s exploring the back roads of Maine. In the north woods, he doesn’t have to deal with town politics or his soon-to-be ex-wife. But a chance meeting with a brokenhearted newcomer leaves him tangled. He should walk away—except, now that he’s met her, he can’t turn back.
When a young woman goes missing in town, tensions rise, and everyone becomes a suspect. Eli doesn’t think things can get any more complicated…until a picture of Alex is discovered at a gruesome crime scene...
- The Raging Ones - By Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie -YA Sci-Fi Romance!
In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all odds.
Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday.
Until the day she does.
Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people that haunt him and the world that imprisoned him.
Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny.
With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space—against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.
- His Favorites – By Kate Walbert - A novel about a teenaged girl, a charismatic teacher, and a dark, open secret!
They were on a lark, three teenage girls speeding across the greens at night on a “borrowed” golf cart, drunk. The cart crashes and one of the girls lands violently in the rough, killed instantly. The driver, Jo, flees the hometown that has turned against her and enrolls at a prestigious boarding school. Her past weighs on her. She is responsible for the death of her best friend. She has tipped her parents’ rocky marriage into demise. She is ready to begin again, far away from the accident.
- The Trailing Spouse – By Jo Furniss – Mystery/Suspense!
Amanda Bonham moved halfway around the world to be with the man she loves. Although expat life in Singapore can be difficult, Edward Bonham is a dream husband and a doting father to his teenage daughter, Josie.
But when their maid dies in an apparent suicide—and Amanda discovers the woman was pregnant and hiding a stash of drugs prescribed to Edward—she can’t help but wonder if her perfect husband has a fatal flaw. And if he can’t resist temptation under their own roof, what does he get up to when he travels?
- A Kiss to Tell - By Willow Winters - Romantic suspense!
Happy Reading!
August 14th, 2018
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.
What he's reading!
What she's reading!