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Monthly Archives: January 2017

TBR Tuesday – 31 January 2017

31 Jan

TBR Tuesday
TBR Tuesday is an opportunity to you to find and read those lost gems that might be hidden on your TBR shelves! In order to be eligible for TBR Tuesday a book should have been on your TBR pile for more than a year (so any book purchased prior to January 2016 is fair game right now. Let me know what book you read, how long it has been lost on your TBR pile and what you thought of it? Is it a hidden gem or a dusty throwaway or somewhere in between…

Made for Each Other – Morgan Ashbury
Bought:14 July 2010
Time of TBR: 2391 days

Review:
Sometimes as a reader, I want brain candy – that is, a book that really doesn’t make me think about anything while i’m reading, that is lite on drama and shenanigans and that is just there and Make for Each Other pretty much hit those wicked. It didn’t quite venture into the porn without plot realm, but the smexy parts did tend to outweigh the actual story (not that there was anything wrong with that because that was what I was in the mood for). I wouldn’t say that Made for Each Other ventured into the hidden gem realm, but it was definitely an improvement on some of the more recent books that I’ve dug out of Mt TBR. While I strugged with a guy being called Lesley (even though I know traditionally its a male name), his quirks were kind of funny and made him more relatable as a character. Overall a solid read and hit the spot for what I was looking for this past weekend.

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2017 in TBR Tuesday

 

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Review – Dirty Like Us – Jaine Diamond

29 Jan

dirty-like-usDirty Like Us
Author: Jaine Diamond
Series: #.5 in the Dirty series
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Review Copy Provided by Author

Description:
Maggie Omura has never been a gambling woman. As assistant manager of Dirty, the hottest rock band on the planet, she brings order to the lives of four crazy-ass rock stars.
But when the band lands in Vegas, a streak of bad luck lands Maggie in a bind–and in the penthouse suite, with the last man she’d ever want for a roommate.
Zane Traynor, lead singer of Dirty. Rock god. Sex god. Total nightmare for women.
And the only man who’d make Maggie a proposal so insane it just might work.

Review
A couple of months ago, I was given to opportunity to review the first book in Jaine Diamond’s Dirty series and enjoyed it so much, that when she offered me the chance to review the prequel for the series I agreed. While a short read (it only took me an hour or so to read), I was sucked in (while is probably why it was such as quick read). This is technically the prequel of the series, however, the author recommends that you actually read books 1 first to get more of the vibe of the band and the characters in it.

I’ll readily admit that I honestly don’t entirely remember Zane from Dirty Like Me, aside from the fact that he was the lead singer. Probably because I was so obsessed with Jesse and Katie…anyways – Dirty Like Us is Zane and Maggie’s story and like true rock star fashion…what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. One of the things I’ve discovered that I like about Ms Diamond’s writing is her ability to make the reader feel like they are in the setting of the book – I felt like I was in the hotel room with Zane partying and with him and Maggie hooking up in Vegas.

While a short read, it was a complete story with a happy ending. Overall, I gave Dirty Like Us 3.5 stars and can’t wait to see where Ms Diamond goes with the series next. Dirty Like Us is currently available as a free read through the authors website (click on the title link)

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2017 in Book Review, Review

 

Good Reads for a Good Cause

25 Jan

Good Reads for a Good Cause
Hot on Ice Blog Tour

cover4b-1A word about the anthology from contributor Kimberly Kincaid!

Hello, romance readers! I cannot even tell you how excited I am to tell you all about HOT ON ICE: A Hockey Romance Anthology (18 hot hockey romances! How can you go wrong?) and my story in the collection, which is titled DEEP CHECK. 20% of our royalties will be going to Homes For Our Troops, and I couldn’t be happier or more humbled to donate to such an incredible organization. Homes For Our Troops mission is to support severely injured veterans (post 9/11) by building mortgage-free and specially adapted homes for them and their families so they can focus on rebuilding their lives.

DEEP CHECK is a steamy second chance love story between hotshot hockey center, Finn Donnelly, and feisty firehouse administrator, January Sinclair. Finn wants nothing more than to bring the Cup to his best friend’s grave after the team’s victory—but going back to his hometown also means seeing January, a.k.a. the woman he left behind. Finn and January’s sizzling reunion is not only part of the HOT ON ICE anthology, but it’s a story set in my edgy, sexy Station Seventeen series, where hot firefighters and cops come together to keep their city safe. Many of the characters in this series bring their military backgrounds to the firehouse, where my DEEP CHECK heroine, January, has deep ties.

Like firefighters and first responders, the veterans helped by Homes For Our Troops made the choice to serve and protect those around them at all costs, even when those costs were grave. Being part of a project that supports these veterans as they focus on recovery, family, and rebuilding their lives was a driving force in my choice to participate in HOT ON ICE. I hope you enjoy the stories!

Learn more about Home for Our Troops here: https://www.hfotusa.org/

About Hot on Ice: A Hockey Romance Anthology…
The New Orleans Cajun Rage professional hockey team just won the Cup. No one thought they’d do it. They were a team of shoulda beens, never coulda beens and a star or two. They’d only been in the Crescent City for three years before this year’s Cinderella run that had them skating off the ice with the championship. Over the following summer, each player gets to keep the Cup for a day. Nobody knows why, but whoever has the Cup falls in love. USA Today bestsellers Robin Covington, Desiree Holt, Kimberly Kincaid, Nana Malone, and Virginia Nelson, Publisher’s Weekly bestseller Angi Morgan, along with Xio Axelrod, Christi Barth, Andie J. Christopher, Avery Flynn, Kim Golden, Lena Hart, Robin Kaye, Katie Kenyhercz, Heather Long, Kate Meader, Susan Scott Shelley, and Misty D. Waters bring you 18 romances with smoking hot heroes—both on and off the ice.

Pre-order now on…
Kindle: http://amzn.to/2idJVbl
Nook: http://bit.ly/2gC6ceJ
iBooks: http://apple.co/2fOCS8g
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2ggBnyg

Read more about the stories in Hot on Ice: http://bit.ly/2h6k2cH
Add us to your Goodreads shelf: http://bit.ly/2ggRF8e
Like us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HotOnIce/

 
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Posted by on January 25, 2017 in Uncategorized

 

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Review – Sweet Serendipity – Jamie Farrell

22 Jan

sweet-serendipitySweet Serendipity
Author: Jamie Farrell
Series: Part of Kindle Worlds tied to Hope Falls series (Melanie Shawn)
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Review Copy Provided by the Author

Description:
Wyatt Owens has had a crush on his best friend’s little sister for as long as he can remember. So when he unexpectedly finds her at his buddy’s vacation home – naked, no less! – when he arrives for a week of hanging in Hope Falls, he can’t decide if this is his lucky day, or if he’s in for the longest week of his life.

Skye Ryder has never much liked Wyatt. He’s bossy and disapproving and he never does anything wrong. But she’s also never been alone with him before. Nor has she ever noticed how sexy he can be, especially when he’s showing off his military-issue muscles and flashing those rare smiles. She’s not looking for love, but the man she hated is suddenly the man she can’t resist.

Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve read and/or reviewed one of Jamie’s books – mostly because she is a good friend of mine and I struggle to sometimes remain impartial on my reviews (because I could go total fan girl). But when she mentioned that she had been asked to participate in Melanie Shawn’s Kindle Worlds novellas for the Hope Falls series – I was intrigued (and even though I haven’t read any of the Hope Falls series, I’m now planning on it). If you aren’t familiar with Kindle Worlds, authors license the use of their fictional world to other authors to write novellas in – stories need to stay to the same vibe of the original series (so no vampires in a historical romance world) – I haven’t read many of these Kindle Worlds books, although I’ve been intrigued – so Sweet Serendipity seemed the right way to dip my toe in.

Not only did Sweet Serendipity feature a romance trope that I love (friend falling for best friends sibling), but it also featured a smexy military and an adorable, yet slightly klutzy young boy. Having known Jamie for several years (and her kids through her various social media postings) – I have no doubt that some of Nicolas’s adventures may have been inspired by her own kids. I love that when she features kids in her stories, they aren’t just there for added kid drama, but rather that they contribute to the story in often significant ways (in this instance, some of Wyatt and Skye’s relationship was due in part to Nicholas wanting them both with him during certain events in the story). Skye’s backstory was intriguing and her ex was (for lack of a better term) a dick – so seeing her struggle a bit with that as she and Wyatt developed a relationship make the book feel more real to me.

If you are looking for a small town romance, with a hot military hero and a (fairly) stable headed heroine – then Sweet Serendipity might be a book for you to try. You can purchase Sweet Serendipity from Amazon.

 
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Posted by on January 22, 2017 in Book Review, Review

 

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TBR Tuesday – 17 January 2017

17 Jan

TBR Tuesday
TBR Tuesday is an opportunity to you to find and read those lost gems that might be hidden on your TBR shelves! In order to be eligible for TBR Tuesday a book should have been on your TBR pile for more than a year (so any book purchased prior to January 2016 is fair game right now. Let me know what book you read, how long it has been lost on your TBR pile and what you thought of it? Is it a hidden gem or a dusty throwaway or somewhere in between…

Simply Sexual – Kate Pearce
Bought: February 9. 2009
Time of TBR: 2899 days

Review:
Another week, another book on Mt TBR and another book that was only so-so…I’ve heard good things about this author in the past and unfortunately, Simply Sexual just didn’t live up to my hopes for it. It was an ok book, don’t get me wrong – I gave it 3 stars, but it was good, but it wasn’t great. I think my biggest issue was that while Valetin’s backstory was interesting – it didn’t draw me in like it could have – while I felt detached like I think I was supposed to, I wanted more – it was just ehh…the scenes between Valentin and Sara were steamy in places but the rest of the book just mediocre at best…hidden gem Simply Sexual was not…but I’ll keep digging through the pile for that diamond in the rough

 
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Posted by on January 17, 2017 in TBR Tuesday, Uncategorized

 

Audiobook Review – What Stands in a Storm?

12 Jan

what-stands-in-a-stormWhat Stands in a Storm? Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South’s Tornado Alley
Author: Kim Cross
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Narrator: Tracy Brunjes
Run Time: 9hrs, 46min
Narration Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Description:
April 27, 2011, marked the climax of a superstorm that saw a record 358 tornadoes rip through twenty-one states in three days, seven hours, and eighteen minutes. It was the deadliest day of the biggest tornado outbreak in recorded history, which saw 348 people killed, entire neighborhoods erased, and $11 billion in damage. The biggest of the tornadoes left scars across the lan so wide they could be seen from space. But from the terrible destruction emerged everyday heroes, neighbors and strangers who rescued each other from hell on earth.

Review:
Ashley Harrison, Danielle Downs, and William Stevens are just three of the victims of the tornados that hit Alabama in 2011 – all three were college students at the University of Alabama, who died when a tree fell on the house where they were taking shelter during the storm. They are three names that are imprinted on my memory after listening to What Stands in a Storm? But over 300 people died during the storm and the author, Kim Cross gave homage to all of them through her telling of these three days – it was poignant and moving – I even ended up tearing up a few times. What Stands in a Storm was told through the eyes of the people who both survived the storm and those who perished in it – through text messages, voicemails, facebook posts; from interviews with family and friends. These memories formed the basis for a narrative that struck fear into me – I felt like I was watching the storm bear down on me – not knowing what was coming next – just waiting for it to hit.

I often find that non-fiction leaves me feeling rather detached because of how its written, but What Stands in the Storm? wasn’t like that. I was tearing up while listening to it – in fact, I had to pull over the car a few times to wipe tears away. I can remember the last book that did that to me – it was one about the Canadian Army and deaths in Afghanistan. I attribute these emotions not only to the writing style of the author, but also the narration of Tracy Brunjes. She is a new to me narrator – and from taking a quick peak at her name on audible, only had 4 books to her name. Unfortunately, while I would like to listen to more by her, those other books aren’t really my thing – but i’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for other stuff in the future.

What Stands in a Storm? is a book that will stick with me and is well deserving of the 4.5 star rating that I gave it.

 
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Posted by on January 12, 2017 in Audiobook Review

 

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TBR Tuesday – 10 January 2017

11 Jan

TBR TuesdaySo after a rather long hiatus, TBR Tuesday is back!

TBR Tuesday is an opportunity to you to find and read those lost gems that might be hidden on your TBR shelves! In order to be eligible for TBR Tuesday a book should have been on your TBR pile for more than a year (so any book purchased prior to January 2016 is fair game right now. Let me know what book you read, how long it has been lost on your TBR pile and what you thought of it? Is it a hidden gem or a dusty throwaway or somewhere in between…

And without further ado, here is my TBR Tuesday book and review!

Fire and Ice – Liz Andrews
Bought: Nov 26, 2009
Time on TBR: 2594 days

Review:
Some of the hardest reviews I find to write are those for books that I liked but didn’t love – those that probably fall into the mid-star range and Fire and Ice is a book like that. Fundamentally, there was nothing really wrong with it – I’d say that the whole sequence of events may have moved a bit too fast for me, even though I understand it was part of the whole fantasy aspect. It just for me felt a bit empty and mechanical at times – I didn’t really get the passion between Victor and Tanya at times. Fire and Ice was an ok read, I’d probably give it 2.5-3 stars but I don’t know if I would widely recommend it to people to read – it just didn’t have that kind of zing for me.

How about you – what book is your TBR Tuesday read?

 
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Posted by on January 11, 2017 in TBR Tuesday

 

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It’s Monday – What Are You Reading? (9 Jan)

09 Jan

its-monday-what-are-you-reading

It’s Monday – What are you reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

fire-and-iceHappy Second Monday of 2017! I spent the last week participating in Bout of Books 18 (hosted by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal) and while I didn’t hit my reading reading goals (just a tad over 400pgs and I was hoping to hit at least 750pgs), I had a huge number of hours listened to during the course of the week (over 25 to be exact). I also listened to my first re-read in a long while (typically i’m not a re-reader, but a reading challenge required a book that I had read previously). And while I only finished reading 1 books – it was a book that I bought off Amazon in 2009 (and which I dug out of my archives) – so i’m slowly working on my reducing Mt TBR goal.

blood-shotThis week marks the start of a new job (which I’m excited about), but also the fact that I’m going to be back having a longer commute each day – which means, drum roll please…more audiobook listening time (yeah, I’m not excited at all…haha!) My goal for this week is to tackle a few of the books that I have in progress, since that number is starting to creep up (I normally have multiple books in progress, but its starting to get a bit wacky with my number right now). Another goal is to also make progress on at least one of the many challenges that I have in progress (likely the Scattergories challenge in the Goodreads group – Pick A Shelf – because I only have 3 books and 1 audiobook to listen to in order to finish the January iteration of it). Focusing on this challenge will also let me knock at least 1 book of Mt TBR.

Currently Reading:
Sarah’s Key
The Coffee Girl
The Gift
Then He Showed Up
Fly with Me – read 111pgs

Currently Listening:
What Stands In A Storm
In The Company of S1herlock Holmes

What about you – what are you reading today?

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2017 in It's Monday! What are you reading?

 

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Bout of Books 18 – Day 6 through the end

09 Jan

bout-of-books-18

So this post is going to kind of serve as my summary post for not only the last couple days of Bout of Books, but also my overall summary post because in all honesty – I’ve barely done any reading in the last few days. Friday was my last day on my current contract – I start a new job tomorrow (Monday), as well as having Navy Reserve drill this weekend (which involves me leaving my house around 6am and not getting home until 6/7pm). Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and serving my country – but it makes for some long weekends. That being said, I made good progress on several of my audiobooks that I was listening to; as well as starting and deciding to not continue another book that I started (it just wasn’t holding my attention, even though its an author that I do enjoy).

Overall Status:
Total Pages Read: 451pgs
Total Hours Listened: 25hrs 58min
Sarah’s Key – read 65pgs
The Coffee Girl – read 41pgs
The Gift – read 84pgs
What Stands In A Storm – listened to 6hr 29min
Then He Showed Up – read 36pgs
In The Company of S1herlock Holmes – listened to 1hr 25min (16%)
Fly with Me – read 111pgs

Finished
Seduction in Death – audiobook/re-read – Finished

On Hold
Angel’s Flight – listened to just over an hour, before deciding that I wasn’t feeling it.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t as successful in the reading reading portion of this Bout of Books, but holy shit, when I added up my audiobook listening that was a doozy! I mean, I listened to over a hour day in hours during the course of the week. I guess the ability to sit on my ipod at work and listen to a book while I was neck deep in assessment development helped me. I had a great time participating in Bout of Books (like always) and can’t wait until the next event!

If you participated in Bout of Books, how successful were you?

 
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Posted by on January 9, 2017 in Bout of Books

 

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Random Reads Rebooted – 07January

07 Jan

Random Reads Rebooted

Random Reads was a blog feature that used to be hosted by the blog, I’m Loving Books, however, it is no longer active (at least that I can fid). Random Reads Rebooted is a reimaged version of this and I hope you will join me.

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a bad habit of buying books and then forgetting about them…I’m like a squirrel storing away its nuts for winter, except I do it with books. Random Reads Rebooted is dedicated to finding (and reading) those books that have long been forgotten about it.

On the first Saturday of the month (or within that first week), randomly select a book that is on your bookshelves (it could be a virtual shelf like a Goodreads one, or a real shelf that you have someone randomly numbered). I recommend using random.org to help you pick that special or forgotten book. At the end of the month, come back and let us know what you thought about the book that you picked.

January Pick
Over the last month or so, I’ve been trying to catalogue all my books that I’ve bought on Amazon over the years. There is nothing more annoying than seeing a book that is free/on sale and then when you follow the link, finding out that its been lost on Mt TBR for several years…plus, I’m making it a goal to try at read at least 4 books a month from these archives (although that won’t even begin to make a dent in the pile!). For Random Reads Rebooted, my picking methodology is going to be simple – i’m going to rotate through the years of books that I have catalogued (2008/09 through 2016) – so the first year that I will be reading from is 2008/09.

so Drum Roll please…my pick for January is…The Sari Shop Widow – Shobhan Bantwal

the-sari-shop-widow Purchase Date: August 25, 2009

Description:
Since becoming a widow at age twenty-seven, Anjali Kapadia has devoted herself to transforming her parents’ sari shop into a chic boutique, brimming with exquisite jewelry and clothing. Now, ten years later, it stands out like a proud maharani amid Edison’s bustling Little India. But when Anjali learns the shop is on the brink of bankruptcy, she feels her world unraveling…

To the rescue comes Anjali’s wealthy, dictatorial Uncle Jeevan and his business partner, Rishi Shah — a mysterious Londoner, complete with British accent, cool gray eyes, and skin so fair it makes it hard to believe he’s Indian. Rishi’s cool, foreign demeanor triggers distrust in Anjali and her mother. But for Anjali, he also stirs something else, a powerful attraction she hasn’t felt in a decade. And the feeling is mutual…

Love disappointed Anjali once before and she’s vowed to live without it — though Rishi is slowly melting her resolve and, as the shop regains its footing, gaining her trust. But when a secret from Rishi’s past is revealed, Anjali must turn to her family and her strong cultural upbringing to guide her in finding the truth…

 
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Posted by on January 7, 2017 in Random Reads Rebooted

 

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