Showing posts with label 5 Stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 Stars. Show all posts

Sunday, March 26, 2017

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey all!



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 

First day of semi-vacation is today! Working a bit, but not as much as usual this time of year and we're staying at a little beach house a tiny way's away from home. We're also dealing with some incoming family (yay....), but I'm really hoping they don't, ah...hang around too much. And that I'll at least get to sleep in before dealing with them. Is that bad to say?


Fitness

Steps this week:

Sunday - 13,684
Monday - 10,996
Tuesday - 11,919
Wednesday - 9,318
Thursday - 11,350
Friday - 11,261
Saturday - 8,262

Total - 76,790


This Week's Recap







Coming Up

Little Book Haul!

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I'd Like to Meet

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

Cover Lust, No. 58


Read This Week

5 stars! This was spectacular, absolutely spectacular!

4 stars! I was really impressed with this and enjoyed it hugely!


Currently Reading

Just an audiobook reread. I want something fun and easy!


What Will I Read Next?

???


Monday, February 13, 2017

Mini Reviews Monday

A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, missing people, errant wives, philandering business owners, and oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. In this eleventh installment, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, maybe Charley can find a way to have her happily ever after after all. 

4.5 stars!

I just adore this series, and Lorelei King adds a whole new layer to the awesomeness with her impeccable narration. It's one of those series that's a genuine joy to read, and I'm always eager to get back to it when I'm forced to put it down.
While this book didn't add too much to the overall storyline or do much to push the points of the previous books into the spotlight, it was still incredibly enjoyable, and I flew through it. I was endlessly entertained and amused by Charley and her merry band of misfits, swooned over Reyes, and even teared up a time or two over Charley's cases. 
It leaves with a bit of a cliffhanger, though! Book 12 releases on Halloween of this year!


Vanessa Mazur knows she's doing the right thing. She shouldn't feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?


5 stars!

This was quite possibly the slowest burn romance I've ever read. Ever. 
That said, I really loved it! The characters were well developed and quite likable, the plot had good pacing, there was a good bit of humor and steam when the heat finally hit. It was a pleasure to watch the friendship and romance between Vanessa and Aiden unfold, and once the intensity between them finally  picked up, they felt very solid and well deserved. 
It's not a short book by any means, at around 670 pages, but I was surprisingly not bothered by that. Most contemporaries just can't handle that many pages, but Mariana Zapata has quietly proved to me that she can pull these lengths off. 




She was my nightmare. Every time I closed my eyes, I watched her fall into that inferno. Over and over, I failed to save her.

I hadn’t been able to reach her, and the guilt only burned hotter over time. Four years later, I was the unreachable one.

Heroes aren’t always saints. Sometimes, we’re nothing more than jaded sinners driven by sleepless nights and hearts full of darkness.

And then I met her. She was a dreamer who managed to soothe my scars and heal my wounds.

But, as the flames closed in around us, I feared I wasn’t the right man to save her. That is until I realized she was the one woman I’d burn the world down to protect.
 

3 stars!

Aly Martinez is one of my auto-buy authors, and she's written three of my all time favorite books (Fighting Silence, The Fall Up and Retrieval). She's an insanely talented writer and her stories are riveting and intensely emotional. 

Unfortunately, this one just didn't jibe with me, and it's entirely a case of "it's not you, it's me" here. 
While the writing was great and the plot pretty solid, I just wasn't invested in either hero or heroine, and couldn't connect to either one. 
I love a good alpha, but more often than not Jude was too alpha, giving me the unfortunate feel of reading a Kristen Ashely novel...if KA's heroes could speak in complete sentences and use proper grammar. And if the books had a viable plot.... And the heroine at least had some personality.... And the side characters were enjoyable... But I digress.

That said, I couldn't put it down and finished in just over a day. I definitely wouldn't take my word on this one, since nearly everyone else is loving it!




#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning returns with the epic conclusion to her pulse-pounding Fever series, where a world thrown into chaos grows more treacherous at every turn. As Mac, Barrons, Ryodan, and Jada struggle to restore control, enemies become allies, right and wrong cease to exist, and the lines between life and death, lust and love, disappear completely.

Black holes loom menacingly over Dublin, threatening to destroy the Earth. Yet the greatest danger is the one MacKayla Lane has unleashed from within: the Sinsar Dubh—a sentient book of unthinkable evil—has possessed her body and will stop at nothing in its insatiable quest for power.

The fate of Man and Fae rests on destroying the book and recovering the long-lost Song of Making, the sole magic that can repair the fragile fabric of the Earth. But to achieve these aims, sidhe-seers, the Nine, Seelie, and Unseelie must form unlikely alliances and make heart-wrenching choices. For Barrons and Jada, this means finding the Seelie Queen who alone can wield the mysterious song, negotiating with a lethal Unseelie prince hell-bent on ruling the Fae courts, and figuring out how to destroy the Sinsar Dubh while keeping Mac alive.

This time, there’s no gain without sacrifice, no pursuit without risk, no victory without irrevocable loss. In the battle for Mac’s soul, every decision exacts a tremendous price.


4 stars...I think?

I don't think I've ever been more conflicted on how to rate a book. Parts of Feversong were amazing, stunning, freaking spellbinding 5 stars. Annnnnd other parts were purple prose, sketchy plot issues (not sure if I can call them plot holes, per say, but it's something along those lines!),unnecessary POVs and outlandish developments 2 stars. As you can imagine, I'm quite conflicted!

Not gonna lie, I skimmed a good portion of the POVs that weren't Mac's. I've never been a Dani fan - but I will give props to Moning for taking me from despising her to finding her okay over the course of this story -, and the other view points I found a bit irrelevant, especially once I hit the end.

But back to Mac, and more importantly, Barrons! 
Ahh...Barrons. That man is fine, and will forever rein as one of the kings in my book boyfriends society. There was quite a bit of relationship development between Barrons and Mac in this story, and I freaking reveled in it. A lot of the issues I had with how they were handling themselves and each other post-Shadowfever, and I'm happy to report that they were all resolved. The development that happens in this story left me teary eyed and swooning something fierce. Seriously, I can't put into words how much I adored where they went in this book.
I do wish there were some more sex scenes, though. ;) Especially considering there were paragraphs of moderately graphic sex in the other books!


Despite the sometimes ridiculous turns this book took, I was completely addicted and wrapped up in what was happening. I barely put the book down, and finished the near-600 page novel in about 6 hours. This series is definitely one that grabs your attention and refuses to let go. 

I feel a bit sad that it's over, even though I'm happy overall with how things wrapped up. This is one of my all time favorite series, and it's a bittersweet feeling to have it finished. Huge thank you to KMM for brining this series to such vivid, glorious life! 



Well, that review definitely wasn't mini, haha. Let me know your thoughts on that one if you've read it! 









Sunday, February 12, 2017

The Sunday Post/It's Monday What Are You Reading?

Hey, ladies!



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 


Not much going on this week that wasn't mentioned in Friday's post; guess doing those takes away anything I've had to say for these posts! I will say that it was a great reading week, and I'm excited to start diving into all the books I've downloaded lately. 



Fitness

Stayed on track with steps, yoga, healthy eating and drinking plenty of water!

Steps this week:

Sunday - 11,573
Monday - 11,347
Tuesday - 14,642
Wednesday - 11,134
Wednesday - 11,227
Friday - 11,456
Saturday - 11,655

Total - 83,035



This Week's Recap








Coming Up

Mini Reviews Monday

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Romance Tropes

Waiting on Wednesday 

TBR Thursday

Five Things Friday OR Cover Lust 


Read This Week

5 stars!
Sloooooow burn romance with a few swoony moments and great characters.
3 stars!
Not sure if I'm heartless or if this just didn't resonate with me. 
3 stars!
Oh, it hurt me to give this rating. I'll talk more about it tomorrow!
5 stars!
A reread for me, going the audio route this time. Freaking love the series, and narrator! 




Currently Reading

Almost finished with this and I'm really enjoying the Mac/Barrons! Kinda skipping through the other POVs though....
About 15% into this audiobook, and while I'm not sold yet, it seems okay so far!



What Will I Read Next?

Can't wait to start this one!

Monday, January 30, 2017

Mini Reviews Monday

I hired her to fix my company, to bring Marks Lingerie back to life. I didn’t expect her to become my friend. I didn’t expect to fall in love with her.

The first rule of business is to never touch your employees. I think there is another rule about not falling for your best friend—a rule against imagining the curves of her body, or the way her breathing would change if I pulled down her panties and unzipped my pants.

Now, I can’t wait any longer. I’m tossing out the rules.

Damn the company.
Damn our friendship.
Damn my fears.

4.5 stars!

I've had this author on my TBR for well over a year, and I finally got around to trying her out with this recent release. I was very pleasantly surprised!
It's a slow burn (emphasis on slow!) romance, and spans a good chunk of time. We get to see the characters' relationship evolve right from the start, and it gave a lovely and deep emotional connection.
I enjoyed both hero and heroine, and liked how everything was pretty much solely focused on the couple. It gave it an introspective feel and put me in the characters' shoes.



The first in the new SAINTS OF DENVER series from NYT bestselling author of the MARKED MEN series, Jay Crownover

Sometimes you have to tear everything down to build something new…

Sayer Cole is frozen inside. At least, that’s what it’s felt like for as long as she can remember. She’s yet to let anyone past her icy exterior – and the one guy she thinks might melt her heart couldn’t possibly be interested in someone so uptight.

Rough, hard and hot-as-hell, Zeb Fuller has rebuilt his life and his construction business since protecting his family sent him to jail all those years ago. His elegant client, Sayer, makes him feel like a Neanderthal in denim, but despite the many hints that he’s been dropping to get to know her better, she seems oblivious to his charms.

Just as things finally start to heat up, Zeb’s past comes back to haunt him and he needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. As these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, fire and ice collide in an unstoppable explosion of steam…

4 stars!

I'm a big Crownover fan, and overall enjoyed this book. The hero was to die for, the relationship with his surprise son tugged at my heart strings, and I really enjoyed the side characters. Since this book is interconnected with with her other books, I enjoyed checking up on old characters, and was intrigued by the ones I hadn't yet read.
Two things took away from this story for me. One was that it was a little too wordy; I wanted more dialogue and interaction.
The second was the heroine. She got on my nerves and made me tired of her when she had too much page time. It wasn't because she didn't jump right into a relationship (good for her!), but she just..I dunno, didn't work for me. She had some issues, but I felt like she was too wrapped up in them and too intent on making those issues known. The other characters had issues too, especially the hero, but it didn't consume them the way they did her.


If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn't been one long enough.

Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn't know what the hell she's doing half the time. How she's made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn’t supposed to be so hard.

With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for.

Except for a boyfriend.

Or a husband.

But who needs either one of those?
 

5 stars!

I absolutely loved everything about this book. The heroine was spectacular, and has become one of my most favorite contemporary heroines to date. Her voice was honest, kind, genuine and really relatable.
I love romances with kids in them, and this one was so well done. Finally, a book where the kids have personalities and also act age appropriately! Both the boys in Wait For It brought so much for the story, made me laugh, and pulled at my feels.
Don't even get me started on the hero. *swoon*
It's very long, at almost 700 pages, but it really didn't feel like it. Everything flowed smoothly and easily, and it just...worked. So well. Loved it!



The new series is set in Vermont. True North is populated by the tough, outdoorsy mountain men that populate the Green Mountain State. They raise cows and they grow apples. They chop a lot of wood, especially when they need to blow off steam. (Beards are optional but encouraged.)

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the orchard.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.
 

4 stars!

This book made me hungry. And gave me a strong desire to move to Vermont and find a cider making farmer. 

Loved the family dynamic, loved the gorgeous setting, loved the farm to table ideas, adored the hero, and the heroine was okay, but not great. Overall a solid start to this series!




From USA Today Bestselling Author, Renée Carlino, comes a totally unique love story that is sure to make you question what’s out there . . . or who. 

“My guardian angel is a drunk.”

Evelyn Casey's life is at a standstill. She's in her mid-twenties, struggling with the dating scene in San Francisco. Nothing seems to be working out, and she’s starting to think that she’ll live out her days in her crummy apartment with her overbearing roommate, Brooklyn. It's absurd, but sometimes Evey longs for a guardian angel to show up and save the day.

And then he does. Seriously. His name is Lucian and he's a guardian angel, been on the job for two thousand years. His sudden presence in her life is both good—he's brilliant, witty, and warm—and bad—he's brilliant, witty, warm, and hot as ----. But as perfect as Lucian seems, he’s got problems of his own. He’s taken up drinking and he’s brazenly inserted himself into Evey’s life, going against the greatest cosmic law ever created.

For Evey, the rules are simple: You are not allowed to hook up with your guardian angel. But sometimes fulfilling your destiny requires a leap of faith, a confrontation with God. 

Yes, God as in God.

1.5 stars!

This...oy. Where do I even start here?

I'm not a big Renee Carlino fan. I've read a few of her books and didn't care for them past 3.5 stars, but I always respected her writing and found her to be a solid author, just one that wasn't for me. 
This book didn't even feel like she wrote it. It truly read like bad fan fiction; it was full of plot holes, had no character development, the pacing was so choppy, and overall it was a massive disappointment. 





Sunday, January 29, 2017

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey, everyone!



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 


A little work and some wet and chilly weather, but overall a pretty good week. Some exciting work and life things are starting to get hammered out, which I'll be sharing as soon as everything is ready!




Fitness/Steps

Something I've struggled with on and off since committing to a solid exercise plan is being gentle and flexible with myself, and not pushing to finish my daily goal when I don't feel well. Cramps knocked me on my ass this week, but I made myself take it easy and actually felt better because of it!


Sunday - 9,725
Monday - 12,664
Tuesday - 7,020
Wednesday - 11,234
Thursday - 6,840
Friday - 9,477
Saturday - 11,528

Total - 68,488



This Week's Recap







Coming Up

Mini Reviews Monday 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Covers

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

Cover Lust, No. 54


Read This Week

5 stars!
This was really long (nearly 700 pages!), but I absolutely loved it, especially the kids that actually acted like kids!
DNF
Since I was more than halfway through it,  I'm still counting it as read. I just didn't care about either protagonist. 

4 stars!
I'm really enjoying this author! Loved the hero and the farm setting, but wasn't huge on the heroine. Overall really enjoyable!


Currently Reading

I just freaking adore this series, and the narration is stellar. It's so great to read a book and get such pleasure out of it!
Almost 50% through this one, and it reads like bad fan fiction. 



What Will I Read Next?



Sunday, January 22, 2017

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey, ladies!


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 


Not too much work this week, which was nice. I did feel very out of whack and irritable this week due to a dietary issue, but feeling back to normal now.

You'd think it was late spring for how hot it's been here! Upper 70s and mid 80s, and enough humidity to make you feel like a drowned rat. It's suppose to cool off into the low 60s and mid 50s this coming week; no wonder we've been under so many tornado warnings...



Lots of park time and yoga time, except for Thursday and Saturday, which were storm days!

Steps This Week

Sunday - 11,580
Monday - 13,939
Tuesday - 14,370
Wednesday - 14,236
Thursday - 5,344
Friday - 10,605
Saturday - 4,894

Total - 74,968





This Week's Recap







Coming Up

Authors I Need to Read in 2017

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Tropes I Adore

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

Cover Lust, No. 53


Read This Week

3.5-4 stars!
Not quite sure what I thought of this one. It was good, but a few things just nagged at me. I will say that both Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward are much stronger as a duo than as standalone authors.
3.5 stars!
Quick, fun, easy audio with a good narrator.
5 stars!
I was very surprised by how much I loved this one!  It was a fantastically written slow burn romance with great chemistry.
4 stars!
Great storyline, AMAZING hero, adorable little boy and great set of side characters. However, the heroine really rubbed me the wrong way. You have issues, as you've mentioned literally every other page. We all have issues, and your lover has issues just as serious - if not more - as yours. You don't see him going on and on about them like you're doing. 


Currently Reading

I'm really trying to stay engaged with this one, but I'm finding myself not focusing on it whenever I try and read it. 


What Will I Read Next?

Not sure! I'm thinking on of these....






Sunday, November 27, 2016

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey, ladies!


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 


I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Mine was surprisingly pleasant, since the usual extended family gathering was called off, and that was something to be thankful for. ;) It was just the immediate family and the dogs, and was 100 times better.



Not the best step week. I've been strangely exhausted lately, and have been falling asleep before my usual nighttime dog walk more often than not. Hoping to quit that!

Sunday - 12,100
Monday - 8,966
Tuesday - 7,444
Wednesday - 10,580
Thursday - 8,301
Friday - 12,558
Saturday - 11,658

Total - 71,607



This Week's Recap




Coming Up

Mini Reviews Monday

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books to Buy for Your Reading Slump Friend

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

{Book Review} Rising Phoenix by Alice Floyd



Read This Week

4 stars!
I was very pleasantly surprised by this one, especially considering I didn't really care for it initially!
2 stars!
This sucked. Sucked spectrally. 
5 stars!
This book...THIS BOOK! <3
Best of 2016 shelf.


Currently Reading

Yeah, I'm rereading. I know a lot of people don't care for this one, but I just...love it so much. #cantstopwontstop
Working my way through this audio! I'm really enjoying it, and the narration is fantastic. 


What Will I Read Next?







Thursday, August 18, 2016

{Book Review} Idol by Kristen Callihan

Libby

I found Killian drunk and sprawled out on my lawn like some lost prince. With the face of a god and the arrogance to match, the pest won’t leave. Sexy, charming, and just a little bit dirty, he’s slowly wearing me down, making me crave more.

He could be mine if I dare to claim him. Problem is, the world thinks he’s theirs. How do you keep an idol when everyone is intent on taking him away?

Killian

As lead singer for the biggest rock band in the world, I lived a life of dreams. It all fell apart with one fateful decision. Now everything is in shambles.

Until Liberty. She’s grouchy, a recluse—and kind of cute. Scratch that. When I get my hands on her, she is scorching hot and more addictive than all the fans who’ve screamed my name.

The world is clamoring for me to get back on stage, but I’m not willing to leave her. I’ve got to find a way to coax the hermit from her shell and keep her with me. Because, with Libby, everything has changed. Everything.


5 Rocker Stars



This book got so much hype when it released in June, and I was hard pressed to find a Goodreads rating lower than 4 stars. I'm a sucker for rockstars, so I was eager to test it out. Usually I'm the one that doesn't like hyped books, so I was skeptical going in. 

Holy crap, I was blown away from the very first page!

This was, by far, the best rockstar romance I've ever read! It was incredibly well written, with a cohesive storyline that flowed effortlessly from start to finish. It was the perfect mix of sweet, sexy (so steamy!), hilarious, and enough emotion to give me all the feels.

I loved Liberty right off the bat. It's not often I find a new adult heroine that's enjoyable, but this girl was great. She was very strong, and not afraid to contradict authority, even in a face of the alien world of rock and roll touring. She took everything in stride and was a good friend to all. It's so refreshing to see a woman that doesn't act like an child.



"You can be anything you want. It's whether you're happy that's the question."



And Killian....well, I know who August's Book Boyfriend of The Month will be. ;) That man is to die for! He wasn't even a big manwhore, either, which I appreciated hugely.


Killian holding a guitar is the stuff of both my dirtiest fantasy and my most girlish daydreams.



Their chemistry was off the charts, with sex scenes so hot they nearly set my Kindle on fire. There was the perfect balance of smut and sass, emotional connection and lighthearted fun. 

The bit of drama that came was well thought out, pertinent, and believable. There wasn't mistrust, jealousy, or lies, nothing ridiculous or trivial. I actually liked it.



"No one who knows you would ever consider you a regret."



The side characters were three dimensional, intriguing and gave the story good depth. I want to read more about the band's manager, and can't wait for his book!

The musical aspect of this book was phenomenal, with an emphasis on classic rock. It focused more on the musical and crowd aspect rather than the fame and fortune, and that's not something I've read before. The way the performances were described with visceral and sensual, and made me feel like I was watching it live. 



"I met my best friend on the lawn of a farmhouse. I'd lost my way, my music. She helped me find it again. Back then, she asked me to sing one of my songs for her. I wouldn't do it. I wanted her to like me more than she liked my music."


I was incredibly satisfied with this book, and recommend it to any rockstar or new adult fan. It more than earned its place on my "Best of 2016" list. Highly recommend!