Book Review | HOT SEAL Lover by Lynn Raye Harris

Hot SEAL Lover by Lynn Raye Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the spin off HOT SEAL Team series and as always, Harris delivers an action packed read. I like where the series is going (I know it's early days), but I feel like the parallels with multiple HOT teams that are in play in the original HOT Series are reflected in the spin off and it makes sense to explore those other teams.

We open with our hero & heroine at a BBQ with some of the HOT operators and their families. Christina Girard Scott (sister of Matt Girard the hero from the first book), is nursing a broken heart after her husband is caught cheating, she's lost confidence in herself and when she sees Remy Marchand she wants one night that will make her forget. Needless to say, there is one hot night in D.C and then she disappears from Remy's life. Fast forward and the action returns us to Qu'rim, where Christina has gone to broker an oil deal. The enemy are closing in a Remy is tasked with getting her to safety. There are sparks flying when they finally come face to face again.

One of the things I like about Remy is that he's an alpha but he's not a douchecanoe. A lot of the time alpha heroes are written the opposite way. So it's refreshing to see. And I seriously can't go past a boy with an accent, I could listen to that for hours. I liked that Christina could take care of herself, but she knew when to ask from help. I enjoyed the H&H opening up to each other, they're both dealing with damage from their past. And there are some sweet moments when they finally trust each other with their secrets and their hearts, (corny I know, but true!).

Probably the only thing I didn't enjoy was the story line with Ben, Christina's ex. I can't quite put my finger on why, I need to reread and think a little more on that.

Over all, this was ticking all the boxes. A likable Hero, a couple with hotter than hot chemistry. We got to revisit with Matt and Evie, which I always love doing with characters in ongoing series. I love the way Harris writes the banter between her male characters. A cracking read as always and another great installment in the HOT universe. I would definitely recommend reading this series. And as always - you don't have to read in series order, but why would you want to skip the hotboys.

Until next time, happy reading :)

C.

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Book Review | How to Get a (Love) Life by Rosie Blake

How to Get a (Love) Life by Rosie Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For some reason I can't locate an audio edition - I listened to this and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure I would've gotten some weird looks at the stop lights, it was a hoot ad I was cackling all the way to work.

Yes it was predictable, I knew early on who she would end up with, but I wanted to listen to something with a HEA and this delivered in spades. This is a series of unfortunate dating events, told through the eyes of Nicola, she works in an acting agency with another lady, Caroline, who dares her to not spend Valentine's Day alone. It's just before Christmas, so dare accepted, Nicola embarks on a number of worst case scenario dates.

Quick, easy and enjoyable to listen to, the narrator was great. This is the first book by Rosie Blake and I'll definitely check out more of her books when I need a good laugh.


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Are there books out there you love to read because you know they're going to give you exactly what you want?  Be it a HEA or murder and mayhem??  Give me your book recs people, I'm always on the hunt for a great read.

Until next time, happy reading :)

C.

Book Review | Ruby by Cynthia Bond

Ruby by Cynthia Bond
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ruby tells the story of Ruby Bell and Ephram Jennings, they first meet when they are children and we come back to them as adults. Despite the heart that somebody mistakenly decided to put on this spine – this isn't a romance! A love story yes, but most definitely NOT a romance. Ephram has never forgotten Ruby and he’s loved her his whole life. He eventually comes to a point in his life when he decides to act on his feelings, to try and help her out of the situation she’s in and the story begins there. I was more than a little taken aback when I’d been reading for a while, the blurb didn't indicate at all just how much violence is in the book, obviously, I saw the heart, thought ‘right a romance’, but an angsty one, the blurb mentions her confronting her ‘devastating violence of her past’. So I figured Ruby would be working some shit out. Oh boy.

This was a difficult book to read – not just because of the continued, if not daily abuse that Ruby experiences, but also the extreme racism, domestic violence, child abuse and animal cruelty. There are some very detailed passages that I had trouble reading and I really struggled with those. I feel like I have a fairly high tolerance for things like that but this was too much to the point that I didn't feel it was necessary, I certainly don’t deny that there are children who are horribly abused, that experience this, but for all this to happen to Ruby was too much. There was one really horrible scene when I was almost stopped reading. I was done. Ultimately I continued because I needed to know what happened. It also helped that I had a couple of buffer books that I read at the same time. There were also parts of this novel that suspend belief – how could a whole town be so oblivious to goings on? I found this frustrating and it was probably one of the things that annoyed me most. I felt this especially while I was reading it, towards the end I did feel that people in the town knew, they just turned a blind eye, possibly out of fear. But given that it involved these small girls – where were they coming from? Ruby was from Liberty, but the rest? I don’t care who you are, if I knew my child was suffering like that – there’d be no way I’d be letting that stand.
That said, Bond’s writing is beautiful, I can’t dispute that. Some of moments between Ruby and Ephram are wonderful.

“Ephram took her hand, “But I’ll tell you what. I’m most interested in the woman you have yet to be.”

“He wanted to tell her that he had seen a part of the night sky resting in her eyes and that he knew it because it lived in him as well. He wanted to tell her about the knot corded about his heart and how he needed her help to loose the binding.”

And don’t get me started on how he cleans her house and washes her hair. He doesn't take advantage of her, even when she expects him to, he just lets her be and gets on with his business.

When the novel opens Ruby has come back from New York to the small town of Liberty, its 1963, but it’s hard to pin point exactly how much time passed while she was in New York and how long she’s been back as it seems to me Ruby doesn't have any concept of time once she gets pulled back into Liberty. The blurb says she’s 30. But I know other readers have questioned the time frame. The novels timeline is erratic in general and this does get confusing. Among Ruby & Ephram’s stories we also get intersecting stories from family members’ lives, how they come to be and how events shape them and their families. But often it’s a half a page or a few at most. I wanted to know more about some of these characters. It’s seems like they’re only explored insofar as how they further Ruby or Ephram’s story. I enjoyed reading about then, but the broken timeline was distracting. From best I can guess early on in the book when Ruby and Ephram meet it’s after she’s been to the pit, but before she goes to stay at Miss Barbara’s, but because the way Bond unfolds the story it is hard to be sure of that. There’s no real mention of how long she stays at Miss Barbara’s, obviously they may have only wanted her for a certain number of years and I think I remember her going there for the school holidays, but I could be mistaken.

This is told alternatively through Ruby and Ephram, and as mentioned, with a few other characters when their view is relevant, (mainly looking into Celia, Otha and Mr. Jennings and a little into Ruby’s past), I liked that we got to hear from both characters and in Ruby’s case this was important, she was often written off as the town crazy lady, when I felt like she wasn't. To me she was almost a wild creature, made that way by circumstance. There is this whole town that is just intent on taking her soul and Ruby is stuck there. An example is early on, when we meet Ma Tante, Ruby is told by her to leave her body/go elsewhere so that they can’t steal her soul. If you stay, that’s how they get you. Essentially, don’t be present for the horror, so you can survive it. There were elements of magical realism that I felt helped bring this to life for me. There are times when she ‘becomes’ a tree and can feel the earth. Depending on which way you take events, Ruby and Otha could possibly suffer from (in my totally non expert opinion), schizophrenia. And I found it interesting that these symptoms are explained/derived from the demons that they’re burdened with, not the actual illness. I guess that’s also depending on how much you believe in the Dybou. At least that was my take on it.

Religion is a theme running throughout the novel, both the conventional and voodoo. It’s interesting the effect that this has on various people. Celia, Ephram’s sister, uses Christianity and its structure to cope with events in her life, to control things. To the point that she is so dogmatic in her views. I kind of get the feeling that she not actually a very nice person. Crows are used a lot throughout the book, both as harbingers and as protection for Ruby. And obviously, there are people in the town that use voodoo. I don’t know enough about voodoo

This is apparently the first in a trilogy. I’d like to see these characters happy. I hope that there isn't too much graphic violence in the next two installments. Moving the novel forward – this may be a possibility, but if it delves back into the Bell’s past I don’t think that’s a possibility. I hope that there is more cohesion within the story and less jumping around in the timelines, even clearer movement would be good. I have reservations recommending this to everyone, it certainly would be too much for some people. I still think it is worthwhile reading it, I can’t say I enjoyed it as such, but it was a powerful read, that I’m still thinking about and as I stated previously, the writing and Ruby and Ephram’s love story is a thing of beauty.


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Until next time, happy reading :)

C.

Book Review | Maestra by L.H. Hilton

Maestra by L.S. Hilton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick engaging read, but totally not what I expected. This came up after I'd searched for Perfect Days by Raphael Montes which Conrad over at The Deckled Edge had hauled/read and recommended. So when I saw it at Big W later that week I decided to give it a go.

When I started reading I had no idea that this was erotica, I'd assumed from the blurb it was a straight up thriller. But it jumps right into the bang bang and thankfully it's written well, although it might be gratuitous for those not expecting it...there is a lot of it. I appreciated the authors knowledge in the field of art history, (she writes non-fiction/fiction under Lisa Hilton), and I'll be checking out Queens Consort: England's Medieval Queens and Mistress Peachum's Pleasure: The Life of Lavinia, Duchess of Bolton later.

I felt it was fast paced, it kept my attention while I was reading it, I wanted to know what was happening. There were a few times that I called bullshit - thinking that would NEVER go down like that. But I didn't mind suspending my belief.

I'm not sure how I feel about the 'To Be Continued' that is on the last page, as I was nearing the end of the book I had an inkling that we wouldn't get a definite ending. I've since watched an interview with the author that mentioned Maestra is the first in a trilogy. I don't mind a trilogy, when I love a book, it's the perfect way to continue visiting a world that I enjoy, and while I did enjoy this while I was reading it, I'm not sure if the other books will add anything more or different to the story. I feel like there is only so much that Judith can offer - unless the author ups the erotic ante or liberates Ophelia from the Tate.


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Until next time, happy reading :)

C.

Book Reviews | Reading Roundup

I am thoroughly behind on my reviewing  - pretty much on all the platforms I post reviews.  As always life gets in the way, so I thought I would share some quick reviews of some of the books I've read over the last couple months.

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one of the books that we we're looking into for book club, and I have to say I enjoyed it much more than Ape House by Sara Gruen, (another we had purchased last year). For me there was plenty to discuss, not just about the book and it's characters but also the ethics surrounding animal testing etc. I struggled at times with descriptions and this is another book that has made me think more about how we treat animals, each other and our world in general.

I enjoyed the unconventional narration of the story, one thing I would've like to have see was more than one narrator - possibly from Lowell's perspective. Because it is all from Rosemary's perspective I feel like there were times when it would've benefited from someone else viewpoint. I think Rosemary starting in the middle was essential. I agree, knowing certain elements before that would've changed my feelings about the story. Overall, on the surface this was an easy, fast paced read. But ultimately one which made me think about a subject matter that is not entirely comfortable to discuss.


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Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There were parts of this I thoroughly enjoyed, it's interesting to read about the creative process. There were many times when I had 'Yes!' moments, but I didn't agree with everything Gilbert said - for the most part about education, or higher learning to be specific and her creative experiences was/is quite spiritual, (it's her experience so she can interpret it that way), but I don't really agree with it, or at least to that degree.

I thought this was narrated well, (by the author) and it's something I would happily listen to again, it was a quick, captivating read. I'd recommend this, not just to 'creative' people, it's a self help book, without being preachy which is a plus.

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Room by Emma Donoghue

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 This is an uncomfortable read, but compelling read, made all the scarier because it is real. The idea of being locked in a a tiny room for seven years is abhorrent and to know that there are people in the world like this is generally not something I like to think about.

Donoghue's decision to have 5 year old Jack be our narrator is an interesting one, (at least to me). I haven't read any interviews with the author so I don't know why she chose to do so. Possibly to make reading and writing it a little easier, (Is that even possible?) But to have Ma experiencing things in the background while Jack is counting his teeth, or how many 'squeaks' in one way makes it easier to read - I say this lightly, as an adult - I know that Ma is going through something truly horrific, but by not focusing on it makes it less real. Does that make sense? Hopefully.

Despite the hard subject matter I found it easy to listen to. Our protagonist is 5, so of course the audio narration reflects this. I though the audio was well done. 

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Three books I recently read, have you read any of these?  What did you think?  

Until next time, happy reading :)

C

Book Review | The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am slow on the uptake of some classics and this one is no different.  And I'm glad to say it's another off the 1001 list!  I am still making my way through and according to the app, I should finish them all before I die!

On to the book.  I liked Chandler's writing style, it flows nicely and it was a quick enjoyable read.  I love Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series and it is easy to see the influence that Chandler (as I'm sure Hammett has too), has had on modern crime writers.  Originally published in 1939, The Big Sleep holds up well as a novel, I didn't feel like I was reading something completely alien, although it's possible not quite as bloody and violent as we are used to today.

I will say, the racism, sexism and homophobia pulled me out of the story (but I think that goes to show that Chandler's work is still accessible to modern crime readers).  I had a couple of pauses, 'Did he just say fag?' Ah yep, ok.  And yes, let's slap the vulnerable girl, that'll fix things *eye roll*  Reading something from this era, I need to remind myself that although it's not right, this was common place thinking.

It may be frustrating for some to read, but I don't agree with removing or editing works that have offensive material, (Huck Finn and Magic Faraway Tree are two examples).  I don't think it does anyone any good to pretend that racism, homophobia, sexism didn't exist, it's important to read stories how the author intended and move on from there & hopefully learn from it, especially when we ask children to study these texts in school.

Overall, I enjoyed The Big Sleep.  Like I said, it was an easy Sunday afternoon read, I laughed, I groaned and I read it in one sitting.  One of things I've been asking myself each time I finish a book from the list - Was this book worthy of a spot on the list and would I read another of his books?  And it's yes to both.


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Until next time, happy reading :)

C.

Book Review | Call of the Wild: My Escape to Alaska

Call of the Wild: My Escape to Alaska by Guy Grieve

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


At some point in our lives we all dream of packing it in and having a grand adventure.  I often think how I'd enjoy taking time off and traveling the world.  Gut Grieve made that dream a reality.  As the blurb says he was stuck in a job he hated, in dept and was unhappy with aspects of his life.  So rather than suffering it out how most of us do, he quit his job and took to the wilds of Alaska for a year.

I enjoyed reading this, Guy mentions that he wrote for The Scotsman while he was in Alaska and these articles were part of the basis for the book so it makes sense that this is easy to read.  I was happy to read a chapter at a time, although there were some points where I had to keep reading.  I wouldn't mind doing some digging and finding the original articles.

There were a number of photos of the camp and surrounds included in the book and this helped me picture his daily life, in the book there were also lists of what he took with him, which I found interesting.  I suppose you could use this book as a jumping off point if you were looking at doing something similar - but it goes without saying research would be key before attempting something like this.  I liked that it acknowledges the realities of living in the wild.  Guy had a huge amount of help setting up for his year in Alaska.  Both with extensive research before he left Scotland and once he arrived in Alaska. Guy mentions both Christopher McCandless and his death in Alaska (John Krakauer wrote Into the Wild based on McCandless' story) and Guy also mentions another man who was attempting to do the same thing as him but was found starving in his camp because he didn't prepare for the winter properly.

I would loved to have read more about the Native American family that helped him when he reached Alaska.  I can imagine they would have some amazing stories to tell and reading about the dog sled team was fascinating.  Those dogs are fantastic, that they can withstand the cold, the pressures of sledding and reading how they train them - amazing!

The only thing I didn't love about this was that Guy left his family behind and it's not even that, I guess it's more about how I felt about that.  For one, it frustrated me to no end.  How do you quit your job,  leave your wife and two small children to live alone in Alaska for a year.  It's all well and good to have a mid life crisis, but it works a little differently when you have family responsibilities.  But each to their own I guess.  I know if that was my husband, I would've gone with him!  But by the end of the book, I think I had a better understanding of why he did it.

I'm interested in reading his other book, Sea Legs, where he and his family sail from Venezuela to Scotland.  I like the 'off-road' sense that you get from Call of the Wild.  I like a swanky hotel as much as the next person, but I also love that idea of visiting a place as locals would.  I want to see a place as it should be seen, not through the windows of a kontiki bus and that is was this book inspires.



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Until next time, happy reading :)

C.

Graphic Novel Review | Ms. Marvel 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this, I haven't read any other Ms. Marvel and I think I had something more 'superhero-y' in my head, (which is weird, as I don't read a lot of superhero gn), so at the start my brain didn't gel with the story, once I worked it all out I flew through it. I had a lot of fun imagining being transformed into Ms. Marvel and I think that's a big part of its appeal.  It shows that anyone can be a superhero and that's important.

I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with for the next instalment, this one was more focused on Kamala, showing us her family and the initial struggle of being Ms. Marvel and I thought it was well done.  There is a villain in this, but I kinda felt like he was the diet coke of villains. But I'm sure that will change as the series goes on.



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Until next time, happy reading :)

C.

Book Review - After Tex by Sherryl Woods

This was on 9 discs, running for 10hrs and 25 min.  Narrated by Christina Traister.  3 Stars.

Blurb from Goodreads:  Megan O’Rourke’s beloved grandfather had always been determined to lure her out of New York and back to their ranch in Whispering Wind, Wyoming.  Now his will makes it impossible for her to refuse.  She’s named guardian of Tex’s daughter — a daughter Megan never knew about!

Jake Landers has also come home to Whispering Wind. After leaving years before under a cloud of suspicion, he’s returned to put down roots.  When he comes face-to-face with the woman who shares his troubled past, he hardly recognizes the driven powerhouse Megan has become.  Now she has big decisions to make — about life, love and where home really is.  Jake’s only too happy to help Megan rediscover their old dreams — and maybe this time, fulfil them forever.

This was fun to listen to, especially after the schmozzle of the last audio I listened to.  Megan is fun and sassy, I love when the H/H have that snarky, 'you drive me crazy, but I want to kiss you anyway' relationship.  I also think it's great that Megan didn't need Jake to fix her problems.  There's nothing worse when the hero comes along and fixes everything so the heroine can just sit down and not worry her pretty little head.  I get so frustrated when this happens, especially when the heroine has been so strong up to that point.

I liked Megan and Jake, both together and as characters on their own.  Megan is smart, intelligent and knows what's what.  If it wasn't for his bad boy reputation, you'd think Jake was Whispering Winds, boy next door, he's always willing to give people a hand, which stems from his back story, he had it pretty tough as a child.  Woods really bought Whispering Winds to life, the characters were interesting and varied.  Many of the towns people were mentioned.

There were multiple story lines going on in the book, and while I did enjoy all of them to a certain extent, I think there were some that were only there as devices to move the story along.  For example, Barbara Sue and her abusive husband Lyle - I felt like it was there so the book would have a 'big bad', when there was enough going on with other main characters to not have be so prominent a story in the book.

Tess, through no fault of her own, was a character that I didn't love.  I understand she was a scared girl, alone again and very unsure of those around her, especially Megan.  But I got annoyed with some of the stunts she pulled, that said, she was a well written, believable character.  I'm getting so crotchety in my old age - pipe down kids - granny needs to sleep!!

There are two other things that I got frustrated while listening.  First the ranch, who was running it?  I know it's supposed to be fully functioning ranch and Megan had hands to run things, but beyond a couple of quick mention there was nothing.  I think it would've been good to have some sort of interaction between her and the foreman, even just to illustrate how much she had on her plate and because it was Tex's wish that she be more involved.  And for me, Megan setting her married friend, Peggy,  up for a little flirtation was distasteful.

I enjoyed the narration, Christina Traister has a great voice, it wasn't monotonous, which can ruin even a fantastic story.  There weren't accents as such, but each voice was easily recognisable and fit the character.  Overall, this was an enjoyable listen, and I'm looking forward to delving back into the town of  Whispering Winds with Angel Mine.

Have you read this series?  What did you think?  Or maybe you've read something else by Sherryl Woods, I'd love to know how her other books are.

Until next time, happy reading.

C.

October Roundup

I can't believe we are already five days into November!  This year has gone so fast. Here is my list of books I read in October, some I loved and others...not so much.

Sweeter Than Sin by Shiloh Walker

This is the second full title in the Secrets & Shadows series, I enjoyed this more than the first one, while if did clear up a lot of the mystery from the novella and the first novel, there is still a lot to be found out in Madison.  I've loved the character Adam since he was introduced, I knew he was a damaged character, as man of Shiloh Walkers are.  An enjoyable read I gave it 4 stars.

Deacon by Kristen Ashley

The fourth book in this series, I haven't read any of the others so far, and not reading them in order doesn't affect the story.  Deacon what can I say...a very silent, strong type alpha male.  I loved that this wasn't instalove, the tension built up over years.  I have a secret wish to run off to Colorado or Montana and this book played right into that.  I really liked that Cassidy didn't need a man to fix her problems, she is more than capable of doing it herself. This was lots of fun to read, although there were a few points that made me raise my eyebrows, for such an alpha man there were a few things that happen during smexy times that I didn't feel was believable to the character, but overall I could let that slide.  A solid 3.5 stars that I bumped up to 4 on Goodreads.

Empower by Jessica Shirvington

I'm glad I finished this series, but I had a few issues with it in general, I'm still not over Violets selfishness, her immaturity, although she has grown up a lot in the last book.  I enjoyed visiting characters that weren't in the last book and I'm glad with how it ended, I plan on doing a full review of this series, because I read them one after the other, I find it hard to separate the stories out.  3 stars.

It's been ages since I have read a Shelley Laurenston book and I can't for the life of me work out why.  I loved the Magnus Pack series, so I delved into three of the Pride series and wasn't disappointed.  Her characters are so sassy, there's a lot of humour, many laughs and hello smexy, smexy times.  These never fail to make me laugh, often to the point of asthma or scaring the crap out of my dog.

Bite Me is about Livy (honey badger) and Vic (bear/white tiger), she keeps sneaking into Vic's house and eating his honey, it wouldn't be such an issue if she's stop tearing holes in the walls to get inside.  The honey badger clan is know as one of the craziest, they like to steal things and party hard, where as Vic is much more laid back, which is the bear side of him, but wake up the kitty and damn are you in for some action!  This was my favourite of the three.  5 stars.

The Mane Event is a two novella bind up.  Christmas Pride is Dez (human) and Mace (lion) story, they were best friends as kids and finally meet up again.  She's a NYPD Detective now and Mace is a retired Navy SEAL.  This was a fun read, it's interesting to see the human aspect come into it, as most of the time the H/H are shifters.  I love Dez, she's a fun character, she knows how to get things done and Mace, lovely, lovely Mace.  So naughty.  

Brendon (lion) and Ronnie (wolf) are the H/H of  Shaw's Tail.  He's a hotel owner and their story runs on from the first novella.  Brendan is seriously injured and Ronnie is the one who nurses him back to health.  4 stars.

Bear Meets Girl is Lou (bear) and Marcella (tiger) story, she works for the FPU (feline protection unit) and is also a professional hockey player.  Lou works with Dez, after recently being outed as an under cover police officer.  He's taking time to adjust, (apparently bears don't like change).  They're thrown together because of there's someone in the human world who likes to big game hunt...using shifters.  I love that we get to revisit characters from previous books, Dez of course frature sin this one and there are some hilarious scenes between her a Lou where it comes out that she now watches Animal Planet to get tips on how to deal with her husband and new family.

The Cuckoos Calling by Robert Galbraith

This is my first foray into J.K. Rowling, I love Cormoran, and I'm looking forward to reading the next in this series.  I enjoy British police procedurals, although often the ones I read are a little more graphic, (think Mark Billingham).  Overall, I liked the writing style, I thought Strike and Robin worked well together they make a good team, although there were a couple of points I wanted to shake her and remind her 'he's your boss, not your BFF or boyfriend' - he doesn't own you an explanation.  I thought the characters were well developed and the story while a little slow and repetitive at times kept my interest.  There is a little twist at the end.  A solid whodunnit. 3 stars.

Pawn by Aimee Carter

The first in a trilogy, because that's what you do in YA these days it seems.  This is a dystopian tale that centres on Kitty, (Katniss Everdeen she isn't!)  While she is capable, she is quite passive a character, she mostly goes along with what happens, I didn't dislike her, I just wish she had a little more spine.  I enjoyed this enough that I'll read the next book when it comes out, I think she will become a stronger character in future.  I thought this had a interesting premise.  You are ranked on your ability to perform duties, the higher your number the better off you'll be once you become an adult.  I'm also happy to report this didn't have a love triangle at its center and I'm hoping it stays that way.  What it did have was some fairly predictable back characters, the friend who's a little slutty, and I really wish they would just stop with that.  Be original, why not have a cast of strong, likeable characters.  The loveable boyfriend 3 stars.

The Collector by John Fowles

So creepy, so well written.  This is the story of Fred and Miranda.  He kidnaps her and keeps her in a purpose built cellar in his house.  He just wants her to love him, she would rather escape. This was claustrophobic to read,  I enjoyed the first half more than the second -  the book is in two parts, the first being from Feds POV and the second from Miranda's.  I think I was a little frustrated by Miranda's character, I didn't connect with her completely.  And as weird as it sounds it wasn't as enjoyable to read her side of the story, which is told in a diary.  She's very whiny and I know I wouldn't be this fantastic wonder woman if I was in the same situation, but she was so unlikeable.  I went into this no knowing anything and I think that made for a more enjoyable read.  4 stars.

Let it Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green & Lauren Myracle

I really wish I'd read this all at once, I think I would've enjoyed it more.  I enjoyed the first to novellas enough, but I just couldn't get into the third, I started it I don't know how many times before I finally finished it.  What I did love about this books was that all the stories are interconnected.  Which makes sense, they all happen over one night.   A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. (Blurb taken from goodreads).   3 stars.

The Lightkeeper by Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs is not for me.  This is the second book of hers I've read and I've come to the conclusion it's safer for everyone if I never read one of her books again.  This gave me so much rage.  I didn't relate to either of the characters, the conflict felt like it was there for conflicts sake.  I know it needed to be there at the start, but throughout the whole book?  Not so much.  The one thing I did like was when Mary covered the whole house in flowers, lace and chintz to piss Jesse off, that was funny, but then she ruined it my having Mary go snoop into personal things and BOUNDARIES people boundaries!  1 star.

Covet by J.R. Ward

I haven't read any of the BDB, I've been meaning to, the series has been reccomened to me by numerous people and I enjoy this enough that I'd like to continue the Fallen Angel series and start the BDB.  I'm assuming there will be seven books in this series - there are 7 deadly sins after all.  The start of this was a little confusing, it was a huge info dump of characters, plot set up and I was a little confused as to whether this was Jim's story or Vin & Marie-Terese's.  I liked the H/H enough, I was rooting for them to get their HEA, and thanks in part to Jim they do.  Jim is an interesting character, you learn little snippets of his life before you meet him working on the construction of Vin's huge mansion.  There were a few cameos from the BDB, which I didn't get obviously, but for me I didn't feel like I missed out by not reading the other series first.  Once I got through the initial part of the book I was hooked, looking forward to continuing the series and finding more out about Jim. 3 stars.

I managed to read a bit of everything in October, I've got quite a bit to get through in November, I need to try finish off some on my challenge books.  And I'll being doing an update post in the next few days about how they're all going.

Let me know what you read in October, or let me know what you thought about the books I read, I'm always up for a chat about books :)

Until next time, happy reading.

C.

He's a Bad Boy by Lisa Jackson

He's a Bad Boy by Lisa Jackson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this book at the moment, I had a bit of a rocky start with the beginning. 

I didn't buy Rachelle (our heroine), being ok with wet hugs just after being assaulted.  I was also laughing at her amazing first time, where she soared all sorts of magical heights - several times - with our resident bad boy Jackson Moore, (our hero).  I it was kinda a dick move on his part to keep going, even though he felt bad about 'taking advantage' of Rachelle.

I quite like both of the main characters, both likable enough, I was a little annoyed that Jackson felt the need to over exaggerate all the other negative aspects of the other characters, namely Roy Fitzpatrick - local asshat and our number one bad guy at start of the story.  All his friends are similarly painted, none of Roy's friends have any redeeming qualities, even when we meet them 12 years later.  This aspect of the story didn't feel real to me.  I felt like Jackson wanted me to know these were the bad guys and so she made a list of things asshats do and made sure they had all those traits.  I don't like being told how to feel about a character, I like to make up my own mind and I'm sure I would've come to the conclusion that they were not nice.

Overall, this was pretty predictable,  I had an idea of who the killer was and I was on the money. That being said I did enjoy listening to it once I got past my issues, plus I always have such fun listening to these older Harlequin Loveswept titles.  Would I read it again.  No.  But would I read the other three titles in the series.  Yes.



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Until next time, happy reading :)

C.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow.  Just wow.  This kinda blew me away.  My first book for the Writers of Colour group on Goodreads and we are off to a cracking start.  I thought it was well written, I loved the humor and pop culture references, (although I didn't get all of them).  I bonded with Oscar, Junior and Lola, I cared about the characters and I wanted them to be okay.  I really enjoyed the magical realism aspects of the story, the theory of Fuku and the rich history that the family had.

My only negative - and it's entirely a fault of mine - is that I don't speak fluent Spanish, so some of the story was lost on me, and sometimes that pulled me out of the story.  I have a basic knowledge of Spanish and was able to understand parts, but most of it went over my head.  Further proof that I need to start learning it again!

What this book has pushed me to do is look into history outside my normal sphere, I know next to nothing about the Dominican Republic, and I often think being so isolated from the rest of the world (I'm in Australia), we don't learn about much about the world outside of our little bubble, it wasn't on the school curriculum and English was the language that most people spoke, at least when I was at school; that of course is changing as more immigrants arrive here.  But generally I was taught a little Australian history, but the majority was English History.  The first time I went to Europe it became glaringly obvious just how sheltered we are, a tour guide that we had in Italy spoke five languages.  Five.  Not all of them fluently, but enough to get by and I'm not saying everyone in Australia only speaks English, but we don't feel the need to learn other languages, unless we have that particular background.

My audio request of this arrive before the print copy, and it was great to listen to.  Lin-Mauel Miranda was the narrator, he was brilliant, it was like being there with Junior and I got more out of the Spanish language when it was being read to me, rather than me reading it off the page.  The story was truly bought to life.

Definitely not my last Junot Diaz book. Have you read this, lets chat!

Until next time, happy reading :)

C.



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Possession by A. S. Byatt

Possession by A.S. Byatt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this, it is my second Byatt for the year, (I read The Children's Book in Feb).  But this, this I LOVE.  I like how Byatt tells a story, she has stories within stories, fables, poems, letters and I'm sure I'm not the first person to use the word 'faction', but I enjoy reading about the history of things, be it people, places, etc., in a fiction setting.  It tends to peak my interest more than a straight text book.

For me the parts which focus on the Victoria era, (with Randolph and Christabel), are my favorite, it should be noted - both of these poets are fictional, but have been said to have been based on Robert Browning and Christina Rossetti.  It was also written in response to John Fowles's 'The French Lieutenants Woman', which I haven't read yet.  Along with our secret lovebirds we have Roland and Maud, who are two academics in present day London, researching the connection between the poets.

I'd seen the movie adaption of this a long time ago, so I had preset ideas from that, and while I do like the movie,(I thought Jeremy Northam and Jennifer Ehle as Ash & LaMotte were perfect), the book was so much better.  There was more to it, or maybe my experience was more engrossing than watching the movie.  And after reading the book I'm not sure why they decided to change Roland to an American rather than English.

The letters between Ash and LaMotte were wonderfully written, from the first very formal and proper contact to the later letters where you can just feel everything come off the page.  The letters where he declares his love for her and her reply - gah! THE FEELS!!  My favorite line from the whole thing is from Christabel's reply - although her whole reply is freaking awesome.  She still calls him Sir, which I love.  And the way she writes of him consuming her, that their love for each other will burn them up, totally swoon worthy.

"No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed."

And that is the beauty of Byatt's writing, it is so perfect that you believe that it is all real.  It's gorgeous and captivating and you get a real sense of the the characters.  This is probably the only time I have ever felt for a couple that had a relationship outside of marriage.  Ash is married and has a devoted wife, but the marriage was never consummated, although they did love each other.  With Christabel he found a passionate relationship, although that isn't to say that their relationship didn't hurt anybody.  You don't meet her often, but Blanche, who was Christabel's companion, is devastated by their relationship.  Ash's wife knew about them, but accepted the relationship.

In the present day, there is also infidelity to deal with, Roland is in a long term relationship which is affected by the discovery of the letters.  I'm trying to not give too much away, but I don't think either Roland or his partner, (who's name escapes me), minded much about their relationship continuing. I find this aspect interesting, because usually I'm very anti cheating.

I would love to see this remade into a miniseries and the story be given the full attention that a 1 1/2 hour movie couldn't do justice to.  Until then, I'll be keeping Possession on my reread pile.

I could wax lyrical about this all day, but rather than faffing on, I'll just tell you to read it!  Possession is well worth it.



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Have you read Possession yet?  Let me know in the comments, I'd love to keep chatting about it.  Or anything else you may have read over Easter break.

Until next time, happy reading :)


C.

Unleashed by Sara Humphreys. The Amoveo Legend Book 1

Unleashed by Sara  Humphreys

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3.5 Stars

I enjoyed Unleashed, it was nice to slip back into a paranormal after not reading one for awhile.  I don't love the 'fated mates' storyline, it can make for lazy development of the romance and how the H&H interact with each other.  But Humphrey's has made it work, Malcolm and Sam's relationship didn't feel forced.  And it wasn't instalove - instalust yes, but the love came later. 

Malcolm is alpha, but he's not totally overbearing, I liked that Sam stood up to Malcolm when she worked out he could read her thoughts and that he respected her wishes about getting out of her head.

I did think the ending wrapped up all very quickly, I would've liked some more time spent on the Caedo (bad guys) - but as this is a series, I'm guessing there may be more development in the future.

I'll def be checking out the other books in the series, as there are 10 Amoveo clans, I'm hoping for quite a few books.

And FYI - if perchance my smexy Amoveo mate is reading this - I'd prefer a six pack of Turkey & Dry instead of a bunch of roses. (The Amoveo can conjure up things they want and move at the speed of thought!)



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Hot Mess by Lynn Raye Harris

Hot Mess by Lynn Raye Harris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a fun, quick read.  I liked the background set up for Georgeanne and Sam.  I'm a fan of the friends to lovers storyline.  I think if this was a full length book there would've been more suspense, but all that action took place outside of the book - but never fear, there was plenty going on between the sheets!

I liked both of the characters, they were well written and I thought the romance felt real and when the couple has history off book I can believe the "hello, hello, nice to meet you - wham bam, sexy times!"

Hot Mess has certainly wet my appetite for the Hostile Operations Team series, I'll be checking them out.



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Accidents & Incidents by Riley Graham

Accidents & Incidents by Riley Graham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Accidents & Incidents, I'd been reading some heavy going books at the same time and this was perfect to pick up and just enjoy. Each of the characters was dealing with something in their life, but it wasn't too angsty or drama filled, which I liked. Just because a book is YA doesn't mean it has to be drama 24-7 for no particular reason...(I'm looking at you HoN)...

Leslie had an authentic teen voice and I felt like the school/party scenes were realistic, although Cain's father always being at his parties was weird; besides the drunken skeeze factor and rapey vibes he was giving out, I don't know of any parties I went to where Dad was playing bar master. That being said, it did give a little insight into Cain's future, especially if he keeps on the path he was when the book finished.

I was glad that Leslie didn't take things further with Cain, he was an asshat and I would've lost respect for her if she had. I feel for Leslie, it seems like the people who are supposed to care the most keep letting her down, so I'm glad that Dennis comes along. Despite his past (and the fact that he no longer drives), he seems like he's coping well with his issues - say compared to Cain. You do get a little information into his past, but not a lot, personally I would've liked more, but it didn't detract from my understanding or likeing of Dennis.

That being said, I would've like to have seen the storyline with Meredith's sister explored more, it may have ramped up the angst a little, but it would've been great to see that fully explored, to me it was mentioned in passing and it felt a little like it was wrapped up easily, tied up at the finish of the book with a bow and there's your HEA. I wanted more.

I am hoping that there will be more books with these characters to follow, I would love to find out more about Dennis and see how Leslie and him fare. I'd also like to see how her relationship with her mum develops (view spoiler)[especially as she is going back to school, I could see her mum being a much happier person if she followed her dreams, went back to school and rang her highschool sweetheart (hide spoiler)]

I'd recommend this to those who want a contempory YA that isn't too angsty, but that still has issues and an interesting story.


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The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was quite a read and I'm glad I took my time. It gave me time to think about things and take more in, reread a little if I wanted. Beginning this, I didn't love it, thought maybe I would put it aside for something else. But I'm glad I kept going. I loved Byatt's world, it is easy to see she had done a lot of research of the time period, (no small feat when one looks at the 20 year - give or take - span it's set in). But you could really get a sense of the time, along with the day to day workings, the food, activities, dress, etc. that the characters lived in. And there was a large cast of characters. And I think I can say, for the majority, the main adult characters, left a lot to be desired. I dislike a good few of them, the men in particular. I wasn't sure if this was what Byatt was aiming for but I would've happily boxed Humprey Welwood around the ears, Prosper Cain would've got a smack too, Benedict Flood was a sandwich short of a picnic and don't get me started on Herbert Methley. Him I would like to physically hurt!! I also was frequently frustrated by Olive, Mrs. Flood, Marion and to a lesser extend Pheobe Methley.  I felt that the adult characters were terribly selfish and this impacts quiet negatively on their children. I did enjoy the children's adventures and many friendships. I liked that many of the girls were quite independent and free thinking, which for the time was relatively modern. This ends at the close of WW1 and for these characters, as it was in real life, it's devastating. Much of their world has changed. I really enjoyed the stories that were interwoven into the story, these were mostly the individual stories that she wrote for each of her children. Tom, who is her eldest son and who is her favourite child is the one with the most developed story and it's through this tale that a number of major events happen. I don't want to go into them too much as they are spoilers, but in a prime example of the selfishness of the adults, in this case Olive, the story is uses as a means of betrayal that has devastating effects, that are long reaching on the Welwood family.  I  enjoyed the children's book, it made me want to discover more about the time period and more about the children.



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Breaking Nova by Jessica Sorensen

Breaking Nova by Jessica Sorensen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was equal parts awesome and frustrating!  And angsty. Hot damn it was angsty!

Lets start with Nova, I felt for her, she's had some shitty things happen in her life and for her the only way to cope is to count.  She counts her steps, the amount of time before she gets out of bed, things she sees.  This routine is what keeps her sane and able to exist - because lets be honest, she isn't 'living' and neither is Quinton.

Who is Quinton? - he's damaged goods, just as much as Nova.

Quinton, hmmm I wanna do bad things to him - I also want to smack him upside the head Gibbs style.  He also has gone through some bad stuff and only just come out alive.  For him life isn't worth living.  He uses drugs to cope with his life.  He's pretty much baked 24/7 and it's not till Nova that he seems to wake up and realise he's missing out.  And although he feels guilty about it, he's drawn to her.

So over the Summer Quinton and Nova get to know each other, opening up little by little.  And this is where I got annoyed, Nova starts using drugs and it just really pissed me off.  I got really frustrated that she felt that was the best option to deal with her situation.  I kept yelling in my head "drugs are bad mmmkay!"

As much as it did frustrate me, I thought it was well written and Sorensen has got me wanting more, there are I'm guessing at least two more in this series, so this ends with more of a HFN rather than a HEA.  I'm okay with this as I only have to wait until February 4th to find out what happens!

The only other thing I can say is...THE FEELS!!!  It made me feel them all.  You know when your heart hurts because of something that's happened??? I had that reading this.  I'm avoiding spoilers so this is vague, but there are quite a few of these moments, like I said - full of angst!




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*** I received ab ePUB of this book in exchange for an honest review.

C.

Starry Night by Debbie Macomber

Starry Night: A Christmas Novel by Debbie Macomber

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I adore me some Christmas stories, they’re quite often cheesy, soppy, everyone ends up happily ever after and they are make your teeth hurt sweet, but that’s why I like reading them.  And it’s no different with Starry Night Debbie Macomber.  Overall it was a win for me - I would’ve liked for the story to be a little longer; but if we’re lucky there may be more to come from Cassie and Finn.

Macomber has a number of series, which you can read as standalone, but for obvious reasons are more enjoyable as a series.  So it made a nice change to be able to read this book without having read another story.  I like both the characters, (I was imagining Henry Cavill at the start of Superman as Finn – how could you not! – with Finn being all manly and furry…there was swoonage ladies).  Cassie, while she enjoys her job, wishes for something more from it, she’s family orientated, which shows in the story and is another thing that shows through in Macomber’s novels – family is important, both to her and her readers.




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***Please Note: I was given an ebook version of this title in exchange for an honest review.

C.

Book Review: A Shade of Vampire (A Shade of Vampire, #1) by Bella Forrest

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed A Shade of Vampire a lot.  Yes there are the inevitable comparisons, but Twilight wasn’t the first teen vampa romance and I’m sure it won’t be the last.  I liked the idea of Forrest’ hideaway island, which on one hand is all very romantic, but on the other totally helps with the creep factor of Sophia not being able to escape after being kidnapped.

I thought the use of alternating POV chapters was a great idea; I love being let into the thoughts of characters.  Sometimes it’s exactly what you need to get that little extra on them.  I hope we get some more insight to other characters in the next book.

A few other reviews have boo’d the ‘instalove’, but I don’t mind it, sometimes you meet someone and you just click, game over - you get each other.  I don’t think Sophia and Derek loved each other straight away, but there was a connection, which turned to love.  I’m sure that’ll get explored more in the next book – which I’m going to have to get so I can find out what happens.  I hate me some cliffhanger – so it’s a good thing book 2 & 3 are ready to go!!  This was quite fast paced, which I enjoyed, I liked Sophia, Derek and Vivienne as characters, although I’ve got a feeling that when I finally meet Papa Novak, I’m not going to like him much.  I have soft spot for Lucas, I’m hoping he’ll redeem himself as the story unfolds, because even though I did love Derek and his tortured vampire, I do like me some bad boy (although a little less stabby would be nice).




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