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Review – Chasing Desire – Joya Ryan

18 Feb

chasing desireChasing Desire
Author: Joya Ryan
Series: #3 in the Chasing Love series
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Description:
It’s her best friend’s wedding, and Autumn Lane is trussed up in a pink bridesmaid dress with a big “everything is great” smile plastered across her face. She’s not going think about her life imploding, or spending the next two weeks housesitting in the ridiculously small town of Diamond. No, she’d rather think about the tattooed hottie in the wedding party…and how to turn the wicked way he’s looking at her into a night of intense pleasure.

Huck Galvin is fiercely attracted to his mystery woman’s no-BS attitude, but their one-night-no-strings plan backfires when Huck discovers that Autumn is the out-of-towner he’s “chaperoning” for the next two weeks. Outside the bedroom, the two can’t stand each other, yet Huck can’t deny how much he wants one more night with her. But Autumn isn’t going to make it easy for Huck. Not by a long shot…

Review:
I had an unplanned day off work today (thank you 6″ of snow and the Federal Gov’t closing), so in typical fashion after shoveling myself out of my driveway, I jumped in the car and headed out for a pedicure, kindle in hand with Joya Ryan’s new book just sitting there waiting to be read. Yes, I am that kind of dork when it comes to reading! So I settled in to get my pedicure, opened my kindle and was sucked into Huck and Autumn (Auto’s) story. I’d read the first book in the series previously (although not the second), so I knew the context in which the opening scenes took place (and while I think this could easily be read as a stand-alone – knowing the previous couples in the series is also advantageous).

Ms Ryan has a very smooth but energetic way of story-telling – you find yourself sucked into the story, clicking away one page/screen at a time, and before I knew it, I was over 3/4 of the way done (thankfully, I still had to wait for my toe nails to finish drying, so I could finish reading before I left). but I’m sure no one wants to read about my adventures in pedicures (although I will admit picking a nail polish can be kind of an adventure) 😉 So on to the book…

Where to begin…I loved Autumn as a character, she was kick-ass and thankfully didn’t have any TSTL moments (to stupid to live) like many heroines in romances nowadays. Her job as a mechanic was something different (I can only think of one other romance featuring a female mechanic right now (Start Me Up – Victoria Dahl) – although plenty of ones with male mechanics (maybe because the visual of a grimy, sweaty man just makes hearts go aflutter). And you could tell that the author had done her research and Autumn was believable in how she presented herself – her job wasn’t just in the story as a place-holder/in the background – it was an active part in moving the plot and relationship between her and Hank forward. Seriously, I mean, not many women (at least that i know) would grab tools on the day of a friends wedding (while she is supposed to be getting ready) to fix something that needed fixing…I’m just sayin’

And then there was Huck…ok, so yeah, the name threw me at the beginning because it just seemed to out of left field – I mean, I was having visions of Huckleberry Finn at times, and not the tattooed/pierced bad boy he was. While he was presented in a very visual way, I do wish some more of him as a person was developed – there were some great one-liners with him and his father about his lack of mechanical skills (even if he could build anything else) – and I felt the lose that he suffered, that made him part of the curmudgeon that he could be seen as being early on in the story.

As with my previous books i’ve read by her, one of Ms Ryan’s strengths is the secondary characters who appear in the town. I particularly liked Huck’s father and you could see from his characterization how much he loved his son/wanted to see him be happy. I also liked seeing Jenna and Colt (from bk 1 again); and now I want to go back and read book 2 for Penny and Sebastian’s story. if you want a fun, smexy, mostly-angst free contemporary romance, I highly recommend Joya Ryan’s Chasing love series. 4 stars

 
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Posted by on February 18, 2015 in Book Review

 

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2015 Audies Finalist Watch

11 Feb
Credit: Erin Cosyn - Tattle

Credit: Erin Cosyn – Tattle

Ok, yes, this is where I show my complete audiobook dorkiness. Over the last few years, I have had a great time listening to and picking *MY* winners for the various Audie categories. The Audies are the annual awards hosted by the Audio Publishers Association (APA) that recognize distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment. And while I haven’t always agreed with the nominees (hello, Nicholas Sparks is NOT romance); for the most part, they make me diversify my listening and get me out of my comfort zone.

However, today is the big day when the nominations for each category are announced, which means, its almost time for the Armchair Audies.

I’ll be checking back in during the day to post the nominations for each category as I see them annouced, so stay tuned 😉

AUDIO DRAMA
Anne Manx and the Blood Chase – Larry Weiner; Narrated by Claudia Christian, Moira Kelly, Patricia Tallman, with full cast
The Hound of the Baskervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Adapted by David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright; Narrated by Geoffrey Arend, Wilson Bethel, Seamus Dever, Sarah Drew, Henri Lubatti, James Marsters, Christopher Neame, Moira Quirk, Darren Richardson
Mistborn: The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson; Narrated by Terence Aselford, Kimberly Gilbert, David Jourdan and a full cast
The Swords of Riverside – Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman; Narrated by Ellen Kushner, Barbara Rosenblat, Katherine Kellgren, Dion Graham, Simon Jones, et al.
Under Drake’s Flag – G.A. Henty; Narrated by Brian Blessed

not my fathers sonAUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
Daring: My Passages – Gail Sheehy; Narrated by Bernadette Dunne
Living on Air – Joe Cipriano and Ann Cipriano; Narrated by Joe Cipriano
My Life in Middlemarch – Rebecca Mead; Narrated by Kate Reading
Not My Father’s Son – Alan Cumming; Narrated by Alan Cumming
Yes Please – Amy Poehler; Narrated by Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Eileen and William Poehler, Patrick Stewart, and Kathleen Turner

BUSINESS/EDUCATIONAL
#GIRLBOSS – Sophia Amoruso; Narrated by Sara Jes Austell
Creativity, Inc – Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace; Narrated by Peter Altschuler
A More Beautiful Question – Warren Berger; Narrated by Michael Quinlan
Playing to Win – A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin; Narrated by L.J. Ganser
Like TED – Carmine Gallo; Narrated by Carmine Gallo

hero's guideCHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES 8– 12
The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman; Narrated by Derek Jacobi, Neil Gaiman, Robert Madge, Clare Corbett, Miriam Margolyes, Andrew Scott, and Julian Rhind– Tutt
The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw – Christopher Healy; Narrated by Bronson Pinchot
How to Catch a Bogle – Catherine Jinks; Narrated by Mandy Williams
A Snicker of Magic – Natalie Lloyd; Narrated by Cassandra Morris
Unstoppable Octobia May – Sharon G. Flake; Narrated by Bahni Turpin

CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES UP TO 8
Deep in the Swamp – Donna M. Bateman; Narrated by Tom Chapin
Follow, Follow – Marilyn Singer; Narrated by Marilyn Singer & Joe Morton
H.O.R.S.E. – Christopher Myers; Narrated by Christopher Myers and Dion Graham
Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker – Patricia Hruby Powell; Narrated by Lizan Mitchell
This Is Not My Hat – Jon Klassen; Narrated by John Keating
Timeless Tales of Beatrix Potter – Beatrix Potter; Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

CLASSIC
Andersonville – MacKinlay Kantor; Narrated by Grover Gardner
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote; Narrated by Michael C. Hall
Darkwater: Voices from within the Veil – W.E.B. Du Bois; Narrated by Bernard K. Addison, Dion Graham, Lisa Renee Pitts, Bahni Turpin, and Mirron Willis
The New York Stories – John O’Hara; Narrated by E.L. Doctorow, Becky Ann Baker, Dylan Baker, Bobby Cannavale, Jon Hamm, Richard Kind, Jan Maxwell, Gretchen Mol, and Dallas Roberts
The Odyssey – Homer/Robert Fitzgerald; Narrated by Dan Stevens

EROTICA
Alpha – Jasinda Wilder; Narrated by Summer Roberts and Tyler Donne
Beauty from Love – Georgia Cates; Narrated by Bunny Warren and Robert Black
Beauty from Pain – Georgia Cates; Narrated by Bunny Warren and Robert Black
Carter Reed – Tijan; Narrated by Lucy Rivers
One Dom to Love – Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob and Isabella LaPearl; Narrated by Christian Fox

FANTASY
Cress – Marissa Meyer; Narrated by Rebecca Soler
The Emperor’s Blades – Brian Staveley; Narrated by Simon Vance
Hawk – Steven Brust; Narrated by Bernard Setaro Clark
The Queen of the Tearling – Erika Johansen; Narrated by Katherine Kellgren
Words of Radiance – Brandon Sanderson; Narrated by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer

five and twenty fivesFICTION
All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr; Narrated by Zach Appelman
Fives and Twenty Fives – Michael Pitre; Narrated by Kevin T. Collins, Nick Sullivan, Jay Snyder, Fajer Al-Kaisi and Michael Pitre
The Invention of Wings – Sue Monk Kidd; Narrated by Sue Monk Kidd, Jenna Lamia and Adepero Oduye
Mr. Mercedes – Stephen King; Narrated by Will Patton
Us – David Nicholls; Narrated by David Haig
Written in My Own Heart’s Blood – Diana Gabaldon; Narrated by Davina Porter

HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY
The Bully Pulpit – Doris Kearns Goodwin; Narrated by Edward Herrmann
Enduring Courage – John F. Ross; Narrated by Edward Herrmann
Enemy Coast Ahead – Uncensored – Guy Gibson; Narrated by Simon Vance
In the Kingdom of Ice – Hampton Sides; Narrated by Arthur Morey
Lincoln’s Gamble – Todd Brewster; Narrated by Todd Brewster
A Spy Among Friends – Ben Macintyre; Afterword by John Le Carré; Narrated by John Lee

HUMOR
Ben Franklin: Unplugged – Josh Kornbluth; Narrated by Josh Kornbluth
The Disaster Artist – Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell; Narrated by Greg Sestero
Food: A Love Story – Jim Gaffigan; Narrated by Jim Gaffigan
God Is Disappointed in You – Mark Russell and Shannon Wheeler; Narrated by James Urbaniak
Yes Please – Amy Poehler; Narrated by Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Eileen and William Poehler, Patrick Stewart, and Kathleen Turner
You Can Date Boys When You’re Forty – Dave Barry; Narrated by Dave Barry

INSPIRATIONAL/FAITH– BASED FICTION
The Auschwitz Escape – Joel C. Rosenberg; Narrated by Christopher Lane
Chasing the Lion – Nancy Kimball; Narrated by Joseph Narducci
The Christmas Light – Donna VanLiere; Narrated by Donna VanLiere
The First Phone Call from Heaven – Mitch Albom; Narrated by Mitch Albom
Grounded – Angela Correll; Narrated by Lyssa Browne
A Sensible Arrangement – Tracie Peterson; Narrated by Barbara McCulloh

INSPIRATIONAL/FAITH– BASED NON– FICTION
Before Amen – Max Lucado; Narrated by Ben Holland
Living a Life That Matters: From Nazi Nightmare to American Dream – Ben Lesser; Narrated by Ben Lesser and Jonathan Silverman
Prepared for a Purpose – Antoinette Tuff; Narrated by Robin Miles
The Singer and the Song – Miriam Therese Winter; Narrated by Janis Ian
Steel Will – Shilo Harris; Narrated by Johnny Heller

JUDGES’ AWARD: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The Copernicus Complex – Caleb Scharf; Narrated by Caleb Scharf
The Marshmallow Test – Walter Mischel; Narrated by Alan Alda
A Primate’s Memoir – Robert M. Sapolsky; Narrated by Mike Chamberlain
The Second Machine Age – Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee; Narrated by Jeff Cummings
When Google Met Wikileaks – Julian Assange; Narrated by Tom Pile

LITERARY FICTION
The Bone Clocks – David Mitchell; Narrated by Jessica Ball, Leon Williams, Colin Mace, Steven Crossley, Laurel Lefkow, and Anna Bentinck
Euphoria – Lily King; Narrated by Simon Vance and Xe Sands
Nora Webster – Colm Tóibín; Narrated by Fiona Shaw
The Patrick Melrose Novels – Edward St. Aubyn; Narrated by Alex Jennings
An Unnecessary Woman – Rabih Alameddine; Narrated by Suzanne Toren
Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? – Dave Eggers; Narrated by MacLeod Andrews with Marc Cashman, Mark Deakins, Michelle Gonzalez, Rebecca Lowman, John H. Mayer, Kate McGregor– Stewart, and Bruce Turk

MULTI–VOICED PERFORMANCE
The Anatomy Lesson – Nina Siegal; Narrated by Adam Alexi– Malle, Peter Altschuler, Emma Jayne Appleyard, Hannah Curtis, Gildart Jackson, Bruce Mann, Steve West
The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman; Narrated by Derek Jacobi, Neil Gaiman, Robert Madge, Clare Corbett, Miriam Margolyes, Andrew Scott, and Julian Rhind– Tutt
Land of Love and Drowning – Tiphanie Yanique; Narrated by Cherise Boothe, Korey Jackson, Rachel Leslie, Myra Lucretia Taylor
A Long Time Gone – Karen White; Narrated by Susan Bennett, Jennifer Ikeda, and Pilar Witherspoon
The Sixteenth of June – Maya Lang; Narrated by Julia Whelan, Will Damron, and MacLeod Andrews
Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian – Janis Ian (editor), Mike Resnick; Narrated by Janis Ian, Emily Rankin, Gabrielle du Cuir, John Rubinstein, Kathe Mazur, Kristoffer Tabori, Paul Boehmer, Sile Bermingham, Stefan Rudnicki and Susan Hanfield

MYSTERY
The Dead Will Tell – Linda Castillo; Narrated by Kathleen McInerney
Hounded – David Rosenfelt; Narrated by Grover Gardner
Malice – Keigo Higashino; Narrated by Jeff Woodman
Missing You – Harlan Coben; Narrated by January LaVoy
Rag – Bruce DeSilva; Narrated by Jeff Woodman
The Silkworm – Robert Galbraith; Narrated by Robert Glenister

herbie hancockNARRATION BY THE AUTHOR or AUTHORS
A Fighting Chance– written and narrated by Elizabeth Warren
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities– written and narrated by Herbie Hancock
Not My Father’s Son– written and narrated by Alan Cumming
What I Know For Sure– written and narrated by Oprah Winfrey
Yes Please– written and narrated by Amy Poehler, with Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Mike Schur, Eileen and William Poehler, Patrick Stewart, and Kathleen Turner

NON-FICTION
Being Mortal – Atul Gawande; Narrated by Robert Petkoff
Deep Down Dark – Héctor Tobar; Narrated by Henry Leyva
Boys – Michael Lewis; Narrated by Dylan Baker
Furious Cool – David Henry and Joe Henry; Narrated by Dion Graham
The Innovators – Walter Isaacson; Narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris
Unruly Places – Alastair Bonnett; Narrated by Derek Perkins

ORIGINAL WORK
The Child – Sebastian Fitzek; Narrated by Rupert Penry– Jones, Jack Boulter, Emilia Fox, Stephen Marcus, Robert Glenister, and Andy Serkis
Gadzooks! A Comically Quirky Audio Book – Adele Park; Narrated by Garry Morris, Andra Harbold, Lesley Mendenhall, Abby Elvidge, Rhett Guter, Melissa Sandberg, Kent Hayes, Jack de Golia, Steve Campbell
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark – A.J. Hartley and David Hewson; Narrated by Richard Armitage
Mandela: An Audio History – Nelson Mandela; Narrated by Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, and Joe Richman
Transparent: Behind the Scenes; Narrated by Jeffrey Tambor

PACKAGE DESIGN
Bad Kitty Christmas Storytime Set – Nick Bruel; Package Design by Margo Goody
The Hall; from The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum; Package Design by Cindy Belinfanti;
Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children® Series – Collector’s Edition – Jean M. Auel; Package Design by Kathlyn Miller
Light at the End – Nicholas Briggs; Package Design by Alex Mallinson
Under Drake’s Flag – G.A. Henty; Package Design by Steve Tyrrell/Tyrrell Creative

girl of all giftsPARANORMAL
Damoren – Seth Skorkowsky; Narrated by R.C. Bray
The Girl with All the Gifts – M.R. Carey; Narrated by Finty Williams
Pleasure of a Dark Prince – Kresley Cole; Narrated by Robert Petkoff
A Second Chance – Jodi Taylor; Narrated by Zara Ramm
Suffer the Children – Craig Dilouie; Narrated by R.C. Bray
Yesterday’s Gone, Season One – Sean Platt, David Wright; Narrated by R.C. Bray, Chris Patton, Brian Holsopple, Ray Chase, Maxwell Glick, Tamara Marston

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success – Steve Harvey; Narrated by Mike Hodge
Autism Breakthrough – Raun K. Kaufman; Narrated by Raun K. Kaufman
Becoming the Kind Father: A Son’s Journey – Calvin Sandborn; Narrated by Michael Puttonen
Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s – Joanne Koenig Coste; Narrated by Pam Ward
Strong Mothers, Strong Sons – Meg Meeker MD; Narrated by Marguerite Gavin
What I Know For Sure – Oprah Winfrey; Narrated by Oprah Winfrey

burn for meROMANCE
The Bridges of Madison County – Robert James Waller; Narrated by Kelli O’Hara and Steven Pasquale;
Burn for Me – Ilona Andrews; Narrated by Renee Raudman
First Love – James Patterson; Narrated by Lauren Fortgang
Just This Once – Rosalind James; Narrated by Claire Bocking
Rumor Has It – Jill Shalvis; Narrated by Karen White

SCIENCE FICTION
The Beam: Season 1 – Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant; Narrated by Johnny Heller, Tara Sands, Ralph Lister, Ray Chase, R.C. Bray, Jeffrey Kafer, Chris Patton, Eric Martin, Brian Holsopple, Rachel Fulginiti, Stephen Bowlby, and Emily Woo Zeller
Dark Eden – Chris Beckett; Narrated by Matthew Frow, Jayne Entwistle, Ione Butler, Hannah Curtis, Robert Hook, Bruce Mann, Nicholas Guy Smith, and Heather Wilds
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August – Claire North; Narrated by Peter Kenny
Lock In – John Scalzi; Narrated by Wil Wheaton, Amber Benson, and a full cast
The Martian – Andy Weir; Narrated by R.C. Bray

margaret thatcherSHORT STORIES/COLLECTIONS
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher – Hilary Mantel; Narrated by Jane Carr
Dangerous Women – George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois; Narrated by Claudia Black, Scott Brick, Karen Dotrice, Jonathan Frakes, Iain Glen, Janis Ian, Stana Katic, Inna Korobkina, Jenna Lamia, Lee Meriwether, Emily Rankin, Maggi– Meg Reed, Fred Sanders, Allan Scott– Douglas, Sophie Turner, Harriet Walter, Jake Weber
Faceoff; Edited by David Baldacci. Written by Linwood Barclay, Steve Berry, Lee Child, Lincoln Child, Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver, Linda Fairstein, Joseph Finder, Lisa Gardner, Heather Graham, Peter James, Raymond Khoury, Dennis Lehane, John Lescroart, Steve Martini, T. Jefferson Parker, Douglas Preston, Ian Rankin, James Rollins, M. J. Rose, John Sandford, R.L. Stine, F. Paul Wilson; Narrated by Dylan Baker, Dennis Boutsikaris, Jeremy Bobb, Daniel Gerroll, January LaVoy, with David Baldacci
Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths – Bernard Evslin; Narrated by Todd Haberkorn
The Legend of Drizzt: The Collected Stories – R. A. Salvatore; Narrated by Dan Harmon, Danny Pudi, Al Yankovic, Felicia Day, Greg Gurnberg, Melissa Rauch, Michael Chiklis, Sean Astin, Tom Felton, David Duchovny, Ice T, and Wil Wheaton
The Wily O’Reilly: Irish Country Stories – Patrick Taylor; Narrated by John Keating

SOLO NARRATION — FEMALE
Boston Jacky – L.A. Meyer; Narrated by Katherine Kellgren
Life Drawing – Robin Black; Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
Murphy’s Law – Rhys Bowen; Narrated by Nicola Barber
Until the End of the World – Sarah Lyons Fleming; Narrated by Julia Whelan
Written in My Own Heart’s Blood – Diana Gabaldon; Narrated by Davina Porter
Yellow Crocus – Laila Ibrahim; Narrated by Bahni Turpin

SOLO NARRATION — MALE
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark – A.J. Hartley and David Hewson; Narrated by Richard Armitage
The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw – Christopher Healy; Narrated by Bronson Pinchot
The Martian – Andy Weir; Narrated by R.C. Bray
Mr. Mercedes – Stephen King; Narrated by Will Patton
The Other Story – Tatiana de Rosnay; Narrated by Simon Vance
Radiance of Tomorrow – Ishmael Beah; Narrated by Dion Graham

impossible knifeTEENS
The Accidental Highwayman – Ben Tripp; Narrated by Steve West
Boston Jacky – L.A. Meyer; Narrated by Katherine Kellgren
Cress – Marissa Meyer; Narrated by Rebecca Soler
Curtsies and Conspiracies – Gail Carriger; Narrated by Moira Quirk
Egg & Spoon – Gregory Maguire; Narrated by Michael Page
The Impossible Knife of Memory – Laurie Halse Anderson; Narrated by Julia Whelan and Luke Daniels

THRILLER/SUSPENSE
The Avengers, Lost Episodes Vol 1: Hot Snow; Adapted by John Dorney; Narrated by Various
Dead Six – Larry Correia and Mike Kupari; Narrated by Bronson Pinchot
In the Morning I’ll Be Gone – Adrian McKinty; Narrated by Gerard Doyle
The Lost Key – Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison; Narrated by Renee Raudman and MacLeod Andrews
Those Who Wish Me Dead – Michael Koryta; Narrated by Robert Petkoff
Wayfaring Stranger James Lee Burke; Narrated by Will Patton

BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF THE NOMINEES!

 
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Posted by on February 11, 2015 in Armchair Audies

 

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Review – Dragon Her Back – Susannah Scott

10 Feb

dragon her backDragon Her Back
Author: Susannah Scott
Series: #3 in the Las Vegas Dragons series
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Description:
How To Claim Your Dragon…

As the head of security of Vegas’s Crown Jewel casino―and its hidden dragonshifter sanctuary―ice dragon Darius Dachien commands respect. Unfortunately, that respect isn’t always reciprocated. In fact, when it comes to the stunning Mei Chen, hostility might be a better word. Which makes things even harder for Darius, since Mei is his dragon mate. Without her, his dragon form is fading fast… and once lost, will be gone forever.

Mei can’t deny the fierce chemistry that simmers between them. If Darius were ever to discover who―or rather, what―she really is, she wouldn’t just lose him, but her place with the dragonshifters. The moment Mei’s past comes crashing into her present, she realizes her time for secrets has ended. Now she must reveal her true self… and risk both her life and her heart with the one man who could destroy her.

Review:
When I requested Dragon Her Back via netgalley, I was an idiot and didn’t realize that it was the third book in a series. Of course, I quickly realized that when I plugged the info into Goodreads (oh when will i actually learn to check first…). Normally, I would try to read previous books in a series in a similar scenario, but honestly, in true fashion, too many books and too little time – so I opted to just dive on it and hope that I wouldn’t be too lost in the world building. And for the most part, Dragon Her Back can be read stand-alone. There were some details in the world building (like the different types of dragons and some of the world politics) that I felt like I was missing early on, but they were explained as the book continued. And there were also some inside jokes between the main characters that I didn’t always get because I missed the back story (but that is the story of my life).

I’ve mentioned before that Enemies to Lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes and while Darius and Mei’s relationship doesn’t quite reach that level of dislike, there is a definite feeling of dislike between the two of them. One of the things I liked the most about Mei was that she was a true take no shit female, maybe it was because she was a dragon (lol) – but she gave as good as she got when it came to interaction with the different people in the story. Even in the face of the conflict between herself, Darius and outside entities – she wasn’t just going to give in and didn’t put herself into idiotic situations.

This was my first book by Ms Scott, but I was intrigued enough by the world premise and enjoyed the writing enough that I’m going to go back and read the previous books in the series and will hopefully get an opportunity to read more book by her in the future. I gave Dragon Her Back 3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4 stars on Goodreads and Amazon.

 
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Posted by on February 10, 2015 in Book Review

 

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Audiobook Review – Virtue Falls – Christina Dodd

03 Feb

virtue fallsVirtue Falls
Author: Christina Dodd
Series: #1 in the Virtue Falls series
Rating: ☆ ☆

Narrator: Rebecca Solar
Run Time: 16hrs 22min

Review Audiobook Provided by Publisher

Description:
Twenty-three years ago, in the isolated coastal town of Virtue Falls, Washington, four year old Elizabeth Banner witnessed her mother’s brutal murder. Elizabeth’s father was convicted of killing Misty and sentenced to prison. Elizabeth was sent to live with relatives, and grew from a solitary child to a beautiful woman with a cool scientific mind and an instinctive distrust of love. Now Elizabeth is back in Virtue Falls, a geologist like her father, living cautiously, her life guided by logic and facts. But nothing can help her through the emotional chaos that follows the return of her ex-husband, Garik Jacobsen, an FBI agent on probation and tortured by the guilt of his past deeds. Nor can it help her deal with her father, now stricken with Alzheimer’s and haunted by Misty’s ghost. When a massive earthquake reveals long-concealed secrets, Elizabeth soon discovers her father is innocent. Is the killer still at large, stalking ever closer to the one witness to Misty’s murder? To Elizabeth herself? Elizabeth and Garik investigate, stirring old dark and deadly resentments that could provoke another bloody murder– Elizabeth’s own.

Review:
For as long as I have been reading romance and romantic suspense, I’m honestly surprised that I have never read a Christina Dodd book. Unfortunately, based on my experience with Virture Falls, I will be hesitant to pick up another one by her in the future. I actually listened to this book several months ago, but its taken me this long to try and get my thoughts in line to write my review, because my issues with the book, far outweigh the positives, which is unfortunately, because based on the book description, i was hoping for a solid romantic suspense read/listen.

This book is a case where the blurb doesn’t really match how the story plays outs. Based on it, I was expecting a romantic suspense mystery with a serial killer theme – unfortunately, that is not what I got. Instead a majority of the book focused on a natural disaster (earthquake) and the subsequent recovery of the town. The murder theme was a distance second to the disaster theme in the story and that was a disappointment to me. The prologue of the story was suitably dark based on the description, and i thought, ohhh good, setting up for a good story. Looking back now, I almost wish that I had put the audiobook aside and not finished it, rather than continuing to trudge through – but I did so, mostly because I didn’t have any other audiobooks lined up for my commute and (as bad as this sounds), it fit into several different reading challenges.

I spent probably about 95% of the book wanting to slap Elizabeth (the main female character upside the head) – she was supposed to be really smart (on the Academic front) – but when it came to common sense – it was like it was Gone with the Wind. She put herself into situations, all in the name of her studies, that a sane person wouldn’t. And yes, I know, in order to make it big in science there have to be risks, but these were just dumb – going places without letting someone know where you are heading after a major natural disaster type things. She just ugh!

And then there was Garik – while I admit that I liked him more that Elizabeth – but that doesn’t say much. I found him to be a fairly underdeveloped character. There was a lot of stuff going on with him in the background of the story (much of which was mentioned in his introduction) and then it was just like all of his issues disappeared the minute Elizabeth (his ex-wife) may have needed him (or at least so he thought) – he just went running to her. I will admit that he and their relationship made the story slightly more paletable (if the book was supposed to be more of a romance than a mystery).

With all my issues with the plot, if the narrator had been solid, it might have made the audio version more paletable – However, I had issues with her narration as well. While her female voice narrations were solid and easily distinguishable – her male narration was a struggle and it made me cringe in places. My other complaint was during the times when Elizabeth was in full-on academic mode (during some of the observation scenes) – instead of a serious academic, she sounded almost like a tabloid reporter with a new hot tip. It was just too much. However, this was my first experience listening to Ms Solar and I would like to try listening to her narrate a different book or genre.

Overall, I gave both the book and the narration 2 stars and while I’ll likely try the narrator again, I’m less sure about the author, unless I get a serious endorsement from a fellow reader who I follow/trust when it comes to recommendations.

 
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Posted by on February 3, 2015 in Audiobook Review

 

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Review – Do Over – Mari Carr

02 Feb

do overDo Over
Author: Mari Carr
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Description:
Sometimes once is not enough…

After twenty-five years of marriage, Faith Wainwright wonders what she’ll do next. Her kids have moved out and sometimes she feels so distant from her husband, Troy.

Right before their anniversary, Troy gives Faith an unexpected gift: a journey through their hometown to reenact all their “firsts.” Their first date. Their first kiss. And especially the first time they made love—only better.

Each stop on their tour becomes an opportunity for Faith and Troy to rediscover how explosive their passion can be. Now Faith knows exactly what she’s going to do—Troy, over and over again…

Review:
I’d call Do Over by Mari Carr a palate cleanser book – in that it was a short quick read, that packed a punch and honestly, was much better written and constructed in the 70-odd pages, than a lot of romance novels that hover in the 300pg range. It takes an especially skillful author (IMHO) to write a great short-story and Mari Carr seems to have capitalized on that – I honestly, don’t know if I’ve read a bad book by her yet.

My favorite thing about this book was that it focused on a couple who had been married for 20+ years and the idea of a trip down memory lane. In a way, it was similar to the idea in Strong, Silent Type (Lorelei James) and Making it Last (Ruthie Knox)- about rediscovering love. And its something I would really like to see more of. I mean, yes, the typical romance is one where a couple meets/falls in love and gets married (or most of the time) – but what happens after the vows are said; after children are raised – how does a couple stay in love when life and going-on’s can make you forget why you fell in love with them in the first place. Do Over in short, but I was totally sucked into the story – and as I was reading, I would go back and re-read a section or a letter because it did tug on my heart-strings. Plus, the fact that the impetus of the story was from the husband’s perspective (him recreating their memories) made me just want to say awww.

Short but powerful read, well-deserving of a 4-star rating. Read this if you just want to feel giddy about falling in love all over again.

 
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Posted by on February 2, 2015 in Book Review

 

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Review – Strength Training for Triathletes – Patrick Hagerman

31 Jan

stftStrength Training for Triathletes
Author: Patrick Hagerman, EdD

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Description:
Most traditional weight lifting programs are too general to benefit triathletes. This illustrated guide offers 60 exercises that build strength for swimming, biking, and running by replicating the muscle usage patterns specific to triathlon events. The exercises are organized by sport and muscle group, allowing triathletes to quickly find the best exercise for their unique training needs. Included are sample seasonal plans for each race distance, along with instructions on adapting training plans to individual needs that make it easy to develop a personal strength training program.

Review:
Most of the time on my blog, as you have no doubt noticed, I review genre fiction type books (mainly in the romance genre) – but occasionally, I’ll review a book that is something completely different. Maybe it was because there was something about it that caught my eye, or because I used the book as part of my athletic training (as is the case with this book). So I like to mix it up a bit. Anyways, while I was browsing Edelweiss one day (and with some nudging from a reading friend – Naomi), I came across a review copy of Strength Training for Triathletes. Now, while not suffering through my evil day job, blogging or being a manic PhD student, I’m a age group triathlete and completed my first Ironman in 2014 (yes, I am slightly insane). One of things, when I look back on my last year of training, was that I neglected not only my strength training, but also flexibility training, in favor of event specific (either swimming, riding or running) and it came back to bite me in the butt. Cardiowise, I may be stronger than I was previously, but I feel more inflexible and weak/muscle imbalance in places due to that focus. So when I picked up Strength Training, I was hoping for a book that could provide me some direction in creating a program that I could use and to an extent it did.

While I was provided a review copy in Kindle format, I quickly realized that it was a book that was better read/reviewed in print due to the amount of tables of data that didn’t render well into an ebook format, and the exercise images in the later chapters. But it is a book that has been added to my permanent library and I see myself taking it with me to the gym, as needed, for a reference guide.

One of the things I took away from the book, aside from all the different strength training exercises there are out there (many of which I’d never heard of) – was the different ways that you could develop a strength program based on your goals. It even goes on to outline several potential programs that triathletes at the Sprint and Olympic distance could use to train. That being said, I do wish that the author had devoted a little bit more time to the longer races. While I know they are much more customized in terms of training plans, I know that personally, I struggled to figure out how to tackle strength training on top of my other 12-15 hours of week (at peak training).

The most valuable part of the book to me was the sections towards the end that outlines all the different exercises. I really liked the way that it was organized – into swimming upper body; swimming lower body; Cycling – upper and lower and then runner – upper and lower. So I could easily look at see how the various exercises worked with each other. There was also a really good table at the back of the book which outlined all of the exercises used and cross-referenced between the three sports.

I’m looking forward to using this book and working exercises into my training program and will be sure to report back on it down the road. But until that time, its a hard book to rate, so I’m going to hold off doing that until I get a chance to implement some of the recommendations in the book.

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2015 in Book Review

 

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2015 Challenge – French Bingo

29 Jan

french-bingo-2015-logo2Ok, so I totally admit it, I’m a sucker for reading challenges – because I find that they are normally a quick and easy way to make me broaden my reading horizons without going too too far out of my comfort zone (although sometimes I really do). And who knows – maybe I’ll find a new authors that I love. Anyways, while browsing/stalking some of the various blogs that I follow, I came across Words and Peace who is hosting a Reader’s version of Bingo with a French theme (she also hosted it last year – I think I signed up and then epically failed – as in didn’t read anything). So I thought what the heck.

The goal is simple – as with normal bingo – you need to make a straight of 5 books – either horizontally, vertically or on the diagonal. Each square on the card has a different twist on France and French books (writers from different time periods; different genres etc).

The card looks like this (if you click on the link, it should take you to the original challenge page):
french bingo

In order to complete a square – read a book that fits the requirements; post a review on your blog and then link back to the challenge – and voila!

I’m looking forward to checking this out – and hopefully getting a BINGO some time during the year.

Wish Me Luck…

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2015 in Reading Challenges

 

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Audiobook Review – Murder in Murray Hill – Victoria Thompson

29 Jan

murder in murray hillMurder in Murray Hill
Author: Victoria Thompson
Series: #16 in the Gaslight Mystery series

Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Run Time: 9hrs 4min

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Review Copy Provided by Audiobook Publisher

Description:
Frank Malloy has never known any life other than that of a cop, but his newfound inheritance threatens his position within his department. While trying to keep both his relationship with Sarah and his fortune under wraps, he’s assigned to a new case—finding a missing young woman for her worried father, Henry Livingston.

It seems the girl had been responding to “lonely hearts” ads in the paper for months before she disappeared. Her father thinks that she’s eloped with a deceptive stranger, but Malloy fears the worst, knowing that the grifters who place such ads often do much more than simply abscond with their victims. But as Sarah and Malloy delve deeper into a twisted plot targeting the city’s single women, it’s their partnership—both professional and private—that winds up in the greatest peril…

Review:
I’m honestly trying to remember what caught my eye about this series and made me want to pick it up. I *think* it was because I needed a book with a certain word in the title, and one of the previous books worked and I kind of got hooked. So when I saw that Recorded Books had one of the entries in the series available as a review audiobook, I was intrigued. I had previously only read the books, so while I was familiar with the series, I’d never listened to them and the narrator was also new to me.

As with previous books in the series, while some stuff occurs in each book that may provide spoilers for earlier books, you can (or at least in my opinion), jump around fairly easily from book to book skipping if need be (depending on availability). Case in point, prior to this book (#16 in the series), the most recent one I had was #10 in the series (Murder on Bank Street). But aside from more personal elements of the story (between Sarah and Frank), I didn’t feel like I was missing all that much. The mystery aspect was solid as with my previous experience with the series – I liked the topic that the author chose to tackle because its one that is still prevalent in society today (but did you really think I was going to tell you what that it?). And while I had a pretty solid idea of the who done it, how everything played out had a few twists and turns that I didn’t expect.

On the audiobook front, the narrator, Suzanne Toren was a new narrator to me and aside from one irksome thing, was a solid narrator. I thought that she had a good range of voices/voice distinction for the different characters. The narration was neither too quiet nor too loud (meaning that I didn’t need to adjust the volume in my car as I was listening to counter issues like that (which I have had to do in the past). My biggest issue with the narration, and it goes back to one of the characterizations, was the portions where a little child (about 4-5 in the book) was speaking. This part of the narration felt forced and not at all childlike (as I would expect) – but it seemed as though the narrator was trying (which IMHO made it worse). I think in this instance, I would have preferred to just have the child portions spoken naturally and let it flow, rather than the jarring/disjointed portions that I felt like I was experiencing. But at the same time, I don’t know if my issue with the minor portion of the child’s narration would preclude me from either listening to this narrator again or listening to the book series later on (if need be).

Overall, I gave the story 4 stars and the narration 3 stars, for 3.5 average. I’d recommend this series to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries with a touch of police procedural or medical info (as the main character is a midwife – although that doesn’t always take center stage in the stories).

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2015 in Audiobook Review

 

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Review – The Great Zoo of China – Matthew Reilly

27 Jan

great zoo of chinaThe Great Zoo of China
Author: Matthew Reilly
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Review Copy Provided by the Publisher

Description:
It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for forty years.

They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world.

Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed.

A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time.

Among them is Dr. Cassandra Jane ‘CJ’ Cameron, a writer for National Geographic and an expert on reptiles.

The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong.

Of course it can’t…

Review:
I’ve been a fan of Matthew Reilly for years, since I bought and read Ice Station in one afternoon – I mean, I devoured the book. And since then I’ve made it a policy to always buy or read his books when they are released (although, since he is an Australian author, there is sometimes a delay between release in Australia and the US – but thankfully, my mother supports my addiction and buys me his books). So when I got the notification that his new book, The Great Zoo of China was available for review, I KNEW that I had to get my hands on it. It was different from his previous ones that fell within the Scarecrow/Jack West Jr World, but going back to his thriller background, after the deviation with The Tournament.

As with any Matt Reilly book, I knew exactly what I was going to get when I picked it up – the plot would be highly implausible, bordering on ridiculous; it would be fast paced and action packed with lots of blood/guts and gore and I wouldn’t be able to put it down. And he succeeded on all levels – I saw down to read this at about noon on a Saturday and literally didn’t move from my bed until early that evening when I finished reading it. I kept saying, just one more chapter, just one more – and before I knew it the book was finished. I always find it interesting that I enjoy these books since I am primarily a romance reader and I love a happy ending and quite often his books leave me with more questions than answers – yet I keep picking them up. I will say though that this book was a stand-alone and from what I could see, I don’t know if it could be turned into a series, which could be good. While I love his other books, my favorite it still Temple, set in the jungles of South America.

One of the things about Matt’s writing, aside from the thrill a minute, is that he typically has strong female characters – who while they may have some moments of questionable actions, for the most part, they are kick ass and CJ was no different. I really enjoyed how he managed to mix her expertise and passion for a subject into an action adventure plot. He really shows that there is nothing a man can do that a woman can’t (CJ is a great example, as is Mother from his Scarecrow series). And while the secondary characters are normally well developed, I always find myself particularly attached to one character and rooting for them (and yes, it was CJ in this instance).

I’ll agree with other reviews that say the plot was highly implausible – I mean, a nest of dragons being found and kept secret for 20+ years (I mean, I know its China, but really). But at the same time, that is what I like about Matt’s writing – it is completely farfetched and would never happen in a million years. I always feel, when it comes to fiction, authors either need to be as plausible as possible, or as completely farfetched as possible when it comes to developing their storylines – when they try to toe the line between the two, it often doesn’t work for me.

Really, this is a hard review to write, because every time I start writing something around the plot, I type a spoiler and this is a review that could easily turn spoiler ridden (but I won’t do that to you). Here is my advice – get it, read it if you like completely whacked out action adventure. I gave The Great Zoo of China 4 stars and now, I have to go back to waiting for his next book.

 
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Posted by on January 27, 2015 in Book Review

 

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Review – The Lady Meets Her Match – Gina Conkle

24 Jan

the lady meets her matchThe Lady Meets Her Match
Author: Gina Conkle
Series: #2 in the Midnight Meetings series
Release Date: 7 April 2015
Rating: ☆ ☆

Copy Provided in Exchange for Review

Description:
LOCATING HER IS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE
Cyrus Ryland didn’t become England’s wealthiest bachelor by being a pushover, but the mysterious beauty he discovers sneaking around at his grand ball enflames his curiosity. When the clock chimes midnight and she’s nowhere to be found, Cyrus vows to scour all of London to uncover who she is. Little does he know that not only does Claire Mayhew not want to be found, but she wants nothing to do with him at all..

Review
Ok ladies so I read this book and its my first ever historical Romance book.

This was the first for me and I was surprised. I normally don’t normally go for these kinds of books. I tend to stick to whats got a bad boy in it. This is an ok book. I was pleased with writing style. Some words for me well like I said (first historical romance) I didn’t get (thank god for google.)   I didn’t like the little poems or saying that are at the top of each chapter. Not my thing.

I did get a little board it sometimes felt like it was missing something more. He is a man who has money and so on but it was missing drama. He searches for her but only for a little while. I expected a little more seeking and finding. Cyrus and Claire are great together the instant they meet the bickering banter that they spew at each other ignites them both. They have a lot of heavy flirtation which I expected to lead to a little more than just heavy petting.

I like Claire for the most part. I think it was crucial to the story for Claire to stand on her own two feet no man needed. She worked that. She put up brick and mortar around her heart not to be won over by the likes of a man with money. She didn’t want him to think that was all she was interested in him for. She also came to annoye me from time to time she couldn’t make a choice on what she wanted. Figure it out girl!

Cyrus I didn’t really like him that much. He came off very proud and stuck up in a way that I didn’t like. He also held things over Claire at first. I am not sure that he did it for me. After a while when you got to know him he sounded good looking and all but I think he was just to sweet for my taste. He did have a bit of a bad boy streak but not enough to do it for me I needed more.

Everything was very proper for the time period I suppose. So much built up to one scene that wasn’t that great. I expected more and got less. Not surprised I guess given the time that this book was set to take place. If you like historical romance with just a hit of smut then this is the book for you.

Over all I wasn’t overly impressed with this book the writing was great and I learned a few things. But number one and only thing don’t read historical romance its not for me.  Leave historical romance to those who already enjoy it.

I give this one the 2 out of 5 stars. Unless you like historical romance then 3 out of 5

Have a great weekend All

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Posted by on January 24, 2015 in Book Review

 

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