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!

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 was sick all this week with a cold, ugh. I swear, I can't just get all the cold symptoms at once and be done with it. Nope, I have to have a sore throat for a few days, then a runny nose, fever and sneezing, then a cough. The cough is still lingering, but aside from being more tired than usual I'm feeling almost back to normal. I really, really hate being sick.

Other than that, it was a pleasant week with not too much work. It turns out there's a pretty nice little park about 10 minutes from home, with tons of hills and walking trails. Despite the cold, I've been going almost every evening with at least one of the dogs, and the fresh air has really helped.

I did read some great books this week! I haven't been able to comprehend anything but easy contemporary romances, but I found a couple absolute gems!

Steps This Week

Sunday - 10,796

Monday - 11,220

Tuesday - 10,652

Wednesday - 8,053

Thursday - 13,179

Friday - 8,336

Saturday - 12,09

Total - 74,265

This Week's Recap

2017 Reading Challenges

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 2016 Releases I Didn't Get To (But Will!)

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

 Cover Lust, No. 51

Coming Up

Mini Reviews Monday

Top Ten Tuesday: Underrated Books

Waiting on Wednesday

TBR Thursday

Cover Lust, No. 52

Read This Week

3 stars!
Gorgeous, gorgeous setting and decent writing. The heroine was a complete and utter spoiled, idiotic, childish bitch. It's been a while since I've read a heroine that made me so irritated.

4 stars!
This was funny and sexy, with great chemistry and a really believable storyline.

5 stars!
Reread. Archer Forever.
Audiobook. Can't say I'd suggest going that route if you want to read it, though!

5 stars!
This was such a pleasant surprise! Very sexy but also adorably sweet, funny, and almost no angst. Another really well done and believable contemporary, and a great addition to the New Adult genre. I'll be keeping an eye on this author's future works!

Currently Reading

Audiobook. Not too far in, but I'm cautiously optimistic so far.

Eh, may wind up DNF-ing this one, or at least putting it down for awhile.  There's nothing really wrong with it, but I'm not feeling it. 

What Will I Read Next?

???

Cover Lust, No. 51

If Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing separating Skylar from art school is three months of summer…until Skylar’s mother loses her job, and Skylar realizes her dreams may be slipping out of reach.

Josh had a different escape route: the Marines. But after losing his leg in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be.

What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and, soon, something deeper.

Compelling and ultimately hopeful, this is a powerful examination of love, loss, and resilience.

I dunno why, but I'm strongly drawn to the signs on this cover. Also, I still need to read this!

TBR Thursday

Kimberly @ Kimberlyfaye Reads started a new weekly feature that I'm excited to join in! This feature is to showcase what's on your to be read shelf (or eReader, or Audible library) and see what others think of it. Have you read it? Should I read it or put it back on the shelf? It's a way to dust off the books on your self and decide if they're worth reading!

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

I love the Kate Daniels series and Burn for Me was so good, but I've yet to pick this one up. Should I move it up the TBR?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!   

January 24th

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.

I am glaring daggers at every lucky little shit that's gotten an early copy of this. 

Just kidding!

Sort of. 

Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Releases I Didn't Get To (But Will!)

Hey, all!

It's Top Ten Tuesday by The Broke and The Bookish! This week's topic is 10 2016 releases you meant to get to, but just didn't (but you will!). Let's jump right in!

10.

Josephine Clark is trapped. A harrowing past haunts her every time she looks in the mirror, and she can’t escape the violence of her everyday life. More and more, her thoughts turn to Evan Salinger, the boy she knew in high school. The boy they called a mental case. A loner. A freak. The boy who seemed to know things no one could know. For a few short weeks, Jo had found perfect solace in Evan’s company, sneaking every night to meet him at the local pool. In the cool of the water and the warmth of Evan’s arms around her, Jo had tasted something close to happiness. 

Cruel circumstances tore them apart, and four years later, the sweet memory of their time together is dissolving under the punishing reality of Jo’s life now. Evan seems like a fading dream…until he reappears at the moment she needs him most. Guided by Evan’s strange intuition, they flee her small Louisiana town, and Jo begins to suspect there is something more to his sudden return than he admits.

Over twelve days across America’s heartland, deep secrets come to light, buried pasts are unearthed, and the line between dreams and reality is blurred as Evan and Jo fight to hold on to their soul-deep love, and discover that there is more than one way to save a life.

***

How to Save a Life is a complete second-chance STANDALONE novel with shades of the paranormal. It carries the characters from high school through to their early twenties. It is not YA; mature subject matter, and sexual situations. TRIGGER WARNING: domestic violence (on the page) and mention of sexual abuse (off the page) For readers 18 years and up.

9.

The real hero of this story is dead. You should have met him. He was a beautiful man. The love of my life. I didn’t deserve him.

Now what’s left are the jagged edges of the person I am without him, and what I have to do to get by. This isn’t even a story about love. Not really. It’s a twisted tale of revenge and hate—a happily never after.

The only man in my life now is the one I have to kill.

I’m Savvy Raine.

I used to be a wife.

I used to be a mother.

Now I am the Revenger.

8.

From the Desk of Donna Edith…

My services are unconventional. My clients come to me with needs and I match them to other clients with needs of their own…

Promising young architect Killian Fitzroy: Driven, clever, eager to prove himself. Starved for sex, though he’s come to me for professional assistance, not personal. Needs: Someone unique, creative and fast. An artist with a feminine perspective to breathe life into a house he’s built.

Aspiring scenic designer Vessa Ratham: Sensuous, spontaneous, but secretive. Recently returned to Vermont armed with an art degree that qualifies her for little more than waiting tables. Needs: An opportunity to shine.

Yes, Killian and Vessa will satisfy each other nicely—in more ways than one.

7.

When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J.Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

6.

Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

5.

From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone. 

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees. 

4.

For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

3. 

Italy, 1943—Germany occupies much of the country, placing the Jewish population in grave danger during World War II.

As children, Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco were raised like family but divided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the two find themselves falling in love. But the church calls to Angelo and, despite his deep feelings for Eva, he chooses the priesthood.

Now, more than a decade later, Angelo is a Catholic priest and Eva is a woman with nowhere to turn. With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the Catholic Church.

But Eva can’t quietly hide, waiting for deliverance, while Angelo risks everything to keep her safe. With the world at war and so many in need, Angelo and Eva face trial after trial, choice after agonizing choice, until fate and fortune finally collide, leaving them with the most difficult decision of all.

2.

From the NYT Bestselling author of MISTER O, comes a hot and hilarious new standalone...

Here’s what you need to know about me—I’m well-off, well-hung and quick with a joke. Women like a guy who makes them laugh—and I don’t mean at the size of his d*ck. No, they want their funny with a side of huge… not to mention loyal. I’ve got all that plus a big bank account, thanks to my booming construction business. Yup. I know how to use all my tools.

Enter Natalie. Hot, sexy, smart, and my new assistant. Which makes her totally off limits... 

Hey, I’m a good guy. Really. I do my best to stay far away from the kind of temptation she brings to work. 

Until one night in Vegas… 

Yeah, you’ve heard this one before. Bad news on the business front, drowning our sorrows in a few too many Harvey Wallbangers, and then I’m banging her. In my hotel room. In her hotel room. Behind the Titanic slot machine at the Flamingo (don’t ask). And before I can make her say “Oh God right there YES!” one more time, we’re both saying yes—the big yes—at a roadside chapel in front of a guy in press-on sideburns and a shiny gold leisure suit. 



But it turns out what happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas. And now, my dick doesn’t stay in my pants when she’s around. I try to resist. Honest. But the more we try to keep our hands to ourselves, the more we end up naked again, and the more time I want to spend with her fully clothed, too. 

The question now is…do I take this woman to be my ex-wife?

1.

He found me in blood and tears. 
I stayed with him through darkness and fire. 

We loved each other in the moment between innocence and bitter truth. 
We were the kids easily ignored, who grew into adults we hardly knew. 

We weren’t meant to last forever. And we didn’t. 

He ran away. 
I tried to move on. 

Yet I never stopped thinking about the boy who had fought to keep me alive in a world that would have swallowed me whole. He was the past that I buried, but never forgot. 

Until the day I found him again, years after believing I had lost him forever. 

And in cold, resentful eyes, I saw the heart of the man who had been everything when I had nothing at all. So I vowed to hold onto the second chance that was stolen from the children we had been. 

Sometimes fate is ugly. Life can be twisted. 
And who we are can be ruined by who we once were. 

For two people who had survived so much, we would have to learn how to hold on before we were forced to let go.

2017 Reading Challenges

Hi, everyone!

Today I wanted to do a quick list of the reading challenges I'm participating it for 2017. I need a post to use as a checklist for my monthly wrap up post, so here you go. ;) I tend to set my goals fairly low to avoid any stress with them.
Have you joined any this year?

As always, I'm going the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I've set my goal to 100 books, and this time around I don't want to have any ratings lower than 3 stars. There were a lot of 1 and 2 star books the past two years I joined!

I did this in 2016 and really enjoyed it. Going to shoot for 3 books off my TBR per month!

I'm going to try to read one book from my actual, physical TBR pile per month.

Another repeat from last year! I'm aiming for the Socially Awkward level of 15-20 audiobooks.