Showing posts with label 2017 Reads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2017 Reads. Show all posts

Monday, May 15, 2017

Mini Reviews Monday

Lily O’Connell, a succubus, owns Lily Bound, an elite sex salon in the Blood Night District of Seattle. When a client is murdered in her house, a patch of skin missing from his chest, she knows there’s something evil afoot. Then comes the news that the Souljacker—a tattoo-artist-turned-vampire—has escaped from an institution for criminally deranged Supernaturals. And he’s hunting and killing everyone he has ever inked.

With one of the Souljacker’s tattoos on her thigh and nowhere else to turn, Lily hires Archer Desmond, a chaos demon and PI, to help her track down the vampire before he finds her and her friends. But Lily didn’t plan to fall for Archer. And as the old tales say—a succubus who falls in love will destroy the heart of the one she seeks to claim.
 


3 stars!

This had a lot of potential as far as plot and characters go, but something about it just fell a little flat. Whether or not that was due to the slightly dry narration in the audiobook or if it was a fault of the book, I can't say. Regardless, I didn't connect with the heroine.
While the premise was really interesting in the beginning, it took a safe and boring turn and didn't live up to all it could be.
I am curious about what will happen in the second book though, and will likely continue and give it a second chance.



We fell in love on a beach, got married in paradise, and I carried her off into the sunset. It should have been perfect, but saying “I do” doesn’t guarantee a happily-ever-after.

Two years later, I barely recognize either of us behind the walls we’ve built.

It’s time to bring it full circle. Back to a tropical paradise. Back to find out if we can still make this work.

I’m not willing to give her up, but to save us, I have to risk everything. 

Two damaged people. 

Countless secrets. 

The fight of our lives.

We might be broken, but we’re not done.


4.5 stars!

Sexy, fun, gripping at times and highly emotional at others. This left me with some serious desire for seafood, islands and boats. ;)
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this story, and blew through the audiobook in a day. Fantastic narration, too!



A new standalone from New York Times bestselling authors Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. 

I met Bianca in an elevator.
She was on her way to interview me when we got stuck.
The beautiful, raven-haired reporter assumed I was a delivery guy because of the way I was dressed.
She had no clue I was really Dex Truitt, the wealthy, successful businessman she’d dubbed “Mister Moneybags”—her afternoon appointment.
Bianca told me how much she hated Dex’s type—snobby, over educated, silver- spooned men who didn't appreciate the simple things in life.
So, after the elevator finally started moving again, I cancelled the interview and let her believe I was someone I wasn’t—a bike messenger named Jay. I loved the way she looked at the fake me and didn't want it to end.
I began dating her as “Jay”—all the while letting her interview the real me over email.
I didn’t expect that our chemistry online would be just as hot. 
I didn’t expect the mess I’d gotten myself into.
I didn’t expect that Jay and Dex would fall in love with her.
And she was falling for two men. 
Only, both men were me. 
And when she found out, we were both going to lose her.
Nothing could have prepared me for that day. And I certainly wasn't prepared for what came after.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.


4 stars!

Ah, there's nothing quite like the sexy times and drama that comes from a Keeland/Ward mashup. This writing duo is such a guilty pleasure of mine, and this didn't disappoint. 
Despite the hero's antics during the first part of the book, I really felt for him and enjoyed his character throughout the story. Couldn't really connect with the heroine, but I didn't have any major problems with her either way. 
And oh, that drama....it was so good in an insane kind of way. ;)





When his younger brother loses interest in online dating, hot, bearded, bartender extraordinaire, Joe Collins, only intends to log into his account and shut it down. Until he reads about her.

Alex Parks is funny, friendly, and pretty much everything he's been looking for in a woman. And in no time at all they're emailing up a storm, telling each other their deepest darkest secrets... apart from the one that really matters.

And when it comes to love, serving it straight up works better than with a twist.


4 stars!

First, I absolutely loved this heroine! She was strong, smart, funny and her voice was easy and enjoyable to follow. The hero got on my nerves a lot towards the end and I could never really reconcile his behavior, but for the first half I was absolutely swooning.
Fantastic side characters, especially Val!
I blew through this very well done audiobook and really enjoyed it overall. 



First we were friends. Then we were roommates. Now I want more…
What can I say about Chess Copper? The woman is capable of bringing me to my knees. I know this about five minutes after getting naked for her.
No one is more surprised than me. The prickly photographer my team hired to shoot our annual charity calendar isn’t my usual type. She’s defense to my offense, a challenge at every turn. But when I’m with her, all the regrets and darkness goes away. She makes life fun.

I want to know Chess, be close to her. Which is a bad idea.

Chess is looking for a relationship. I’ve never given a woman more than one night. But when fate leaves Chess without a home, I step up and offer her mine. We’re roommates now. Friends without benefits. But it’s getting harder to keep our hands off each other. And the longer we live together the more I realize she’s becoming my everything.

Trick is… Now that I’ve made her believe I’m a bad bet, how do I convince her to give this player a true shot at forever?



5 stars!

I loved every single thing about this book. It was the perfect contemporary romance for me. Friends to lovers, sweetest man ever, strong heroine, roommates (!!!), believable angst that wasn't over the top, and the whole relationship progression felt very natural and genuine. I loved it. 




Monday, March 6, 2017

February Recap

Hey guys!


Time to do the February recap! Last month was a decent reading month, though it was marred towards the end by a wicked reading slump (which is thankfully over). Rereading old favorites always gets me through a slump.

I've still yet to read a book to add to my "Best of 2017" list, so please feel free to share any blow-you-away type of reads!

Books Read















Total - 11



31 of 100 books read/31% complete/14 books ahead of schedule 



The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
Feversong
Cake


0. I fail at this. 



Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet
Wintersong
Cake
Third Grave Beneath My Feet




The One That Was My Favorite



The One That Was Outside My Comfort Zone and I Wound Up Loving


The One That Left Me So Conflicted



The One With Too Much Angst


The One With The Best Narration


Book Boyfriend of The Month
Barrons. Duh. 

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! 









Monday, February 6, 2017

January Recap

Hey, ladies!

It's time to recap what I read in January! The month flew by and was a pretty good one overall, especially with reading. Let's jump right in!


Books Read














RoseBlood by A.G. Howard  - 1 star/DNF at 70%







Total - 17


19 of 100 books and 10 books ahead of schedule. I'm including what I've read so far in February!



Steadfast
Bittersweet
The Hookup
Shame on Me
Shame on Him
Built





0 from my physical TBR. Oops. #fail
Shooting for two in February!



Goal: Socially Awkward (15-20 audiobooks)

Shame on Me
Archer's Voice
Shame on Him
RoseBlood
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight 


January Reread



The One That Was My Favorite


The One That Made Me Cry


The One That Was a Pleasant Surprise


The One With All The Feels (Seriously. All of them!)


The One With the Best Narration

The One That Made Me Want To Stab Someone With a Rusty Fork


Book Boyfriend of The Month

Drew!
And Reyes!



Monday, January 16, 2017

Mini Reviews Monday

Time for another of these!


She’s the only one who ever loved him—and the only one he can never have.

Jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. A man is dead, and there's no way he can ever right that wrong. He’d steer clear of Colebury, Vermont forever if he could. But an ex-con in recovery for his drug addiction can’t find a job just anywhere.

For Sophie Haines, coming face to face with the man who broke her heart is gut-wrenching. Suddenly, he’s everywhere she turns. It’s hard not to stare at how much he’s changed. The bad boy who used to love her didn’t have big biceps and sun-kissed hair. And he’d never turn up volunteer in the church kitchen.

She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the heartsick letters she wrote him in prison. But the looks he sends her now speak volumes.

No one wants to see Sophie and Jude back together, least of all Sophie's police chief father. But it's a small town. And forbidden love is a law unto itself.

5 stars!

That...that is how you do well thought out, legitimate angst. It was intense and heartbreaking, beautiful and hopeful and I just felt SO much for both hero and heroine. Both their stories were so emotional and tugged at my heart. The flow was perfect, the side characters well developed, the romance intense and so genuine. It was well written, tackled a difficult subject and was completely addictive.



Ex-model Paige McCarty is fed up with being just a pretty face. After her ex-husband’s gambling problem left her royally screwed and tragically shoeless, she started Fool Me Once Investigations with her best friends, Lorelei and Kennedy, to prevent other women from being similarly played and dismayed.

The job: act as bait for a cheating husband. The target: Matt Russo. The case should be as easy as getting a man’s attention—and Paige has never had trouble with that. The problem is Matt—in all his nerdy-hot glory—turns out to be not such a scumbag after all.

And when the case hits closer to home than Paige could ever have imagined—landing her in a face-off with the mob—she wonders if taking the job just to prove that she has a brain maybe wasn’t her best idea.

This second outing for the Fool Me Once team follows in the same fun, feisty footsteps as bestselling author Tara Sivec’s Shame on You.
 

3 stars!

This was very quick, funny and overall enjoyable. The romance moved a little too fast for me, even though it was only a 3-4 hour audio and it wasn't like there was that much time for it to progress, haha. The heroine was a little flakey for my taste, but overall it was a fun read. Pretty good narration, too!


When her mother’s incessant matchmaking hits an all-time high, Georgie Archibald does what any sensible woman would do: she flees the country.

Seeking refuge in the picturesque seaside village of Vernazza, Italy, Georgie’s only plan is to lie low, gorge herself on gelato, and let the wine and waves wash her troubles away... that is until she wakes up in a bed that belongs to the most romantic-looking man she’s ever seen.

Gianluca.

After going out of his way to rescue her, the former London financier turned mysterious recluse makes it clear that despite acting as her white knight, he has no plans to co-star in her fairytale.

But Georgie isn’t asking for his heart—she’s merely intrigued.
 
After all, Gianluca isn’t just gorgeous—tall and tan from days spent in the sun—his touch sets her world on fire. With him, Georgie experiences the most intoxicating passion she’s ever known, and it only takes a few steamy nights for her to realize that sometimes running away from trouble is the best way to find it.

3 stars!

Positive firsts: the setting was stunning. Absolutely gorgeous, rich and vivid. I could perfectly picture everything and all I want now is to jet off to Italy. The idea of renovating an old bed and breakfast was interesting, too! I liked Luca for the majority of the book.
I absolutely despised the heroine. She was a 27 year old and acted like a jealous, moronic, insensitive idiot.
There was also a bit at the end where it went exceedingly out of character, and that "twist" felt cheap and lazy to me.




The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all... No falling in love

Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right?

Too bad he's committed to making her break every rule...

Football has been good to Drew. It's given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there's one problem: she's shut him down. Completely.
That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it's up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she's truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

4.5 stars!

This was a very pleasant New Adult novel, with a realistic and believable plot, developed side characters, and great chemistry. There was just enough emotion to give it some depth, with plenty of humor and sexy times to balance it out. A very solid read!



CRUDE. ARROGANT. A**HOLE. 
No doubt about it, Sebastian ‘Oz’ Osborne is the university’s most celebrated student athlete—and possibly the biggest douchebag. A walking, talking cliché, he has a filthy mouth, a fantastic body, and doesn’t give a sh*t about what you or anyone else thinks. 

SMART. CLASSY. CONSERVATIVE. 
Make no mistake, Jameson Clarke may be the university’s most diligent student—but she is no prude. Spending most of her time in the hallowed halls of the library, James is wary of pervs, jocks, and douchebags—and Oz Osborne is all three. 

She’s smart, sarcastic—and not what he expected. 

…EVERY DOUCHBAG HAS HIS WEAKNESS. 

He wants to be friends. 
He wants to spend time with her. 
He wants to drive her crazy. 

He wants… 

Her.

5 stars!

I honestly wasn't expecting much from this one based on the cover and description, but after seeing some of my trusted reviewers giving 4 and 5 star ratings, I decided to check it out. I'm so glad I did!

It's a friends to lovers, and you all know I can't resist that. The hero was kind of a douche at time (hello, title), but not in a malicious way (if that makes sense). The heroine was relatable and well grounded, and their chemistry was off the charts. It was sweet, realistic, and had no angst. Highly recommend!






Sunday, January 8, 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. 

It finally feels like winter here, at least for the time being! Yesterday and today hovered around 40 degrees (30 with windchill), with the nights hovering around 28 (upper teens with windchill!). It's brutally cold for Florida, but it's not bad with the right clothes on, and a warm fire and good book to come inside to. ;) 
It'll be back into the mid-70s in a few days; Florida winters are so hard to adjust to, since you'll be sweating in shorts and a tank one day and shivering in fleece leggings and a coat the next. 

Aside from that, a busier week with work, but nothing too bad. I've had a bit of a sore throat/achy thing going on the past few days, so hopefully that clears up soon. That's pretty much it!



Steps this week

Sunday - 12,894
Monday - 10,330
Tuesday - 13,873
Wednesday - 10,786
Thursday - 13,319
Friday - 8,239
Saturday - 10,150

Total -  79,591



This Week's Recap







Coming Up

2017 Reading Challenges 

Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Releases I Meant to Get To (But Plan To!)

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

Cover Lust, No. 50


Read This Week

5 stars!
Amazing, absolutely amazing. And what a great way to kick off 2017!
3.5 stars!
Quick, funny, sexy, with a  decent narrator.
Partial audiobook
4.5 stars!
This was such a well done new adult! 
3.75-4 stars??
I dunno, I'm really conflicted here. It kept me absolutely riveted and I read it in a day. On the other hand, it didn't quite live up to Marriage Games and the ending was a bit rushed...or perhaps the middle was drawn out. Very torn.



Currently Reading

Rereading this, and going the audio version. 
Just started this one, but so far so good!


What Will I Read Next?


????