Tag: Romance

Book Review · Books

So Close by Sylvia Day

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Kane is a devilishly handsome man who has become a shell of who he once was after his wife, Lily comes up lost at sea when she decides to go out and sail her boat. He has numbed his grief by the occasional one nighters, but they just aren’t her. To comfort himself, Kane has paintings of her in his snazzy penthouse. In his bedroom there is one specially placed so that he can gaze on her when he goes to sleep and when he wakes up. His home is a mausoleum of sorts dedicated to her.

One day as he’s stuck in NY traffic he spies a woman who looks like the spitting image of Lily. He can’t help himself. Kane yells out her name and the woman in question turns to him in recognition and runs to get away from him. In the process of trying to get away from Kane, she gets hit by a car. In order to protect this possible Lily Kane has guards stand to keep an eye on who comes and goes to see who he hopes is his long lost wife.

When Lily recoups from her coma she insists that she is his Lily. Will Kane and Lily be able to rebuild their marriage and relationship? Where has she been since she was presumed dead? Not everyone in Kane’s life is thrilled his wife has come back from the dead.

This thriller is intense. If you enjoy psychological thrillers you just might enjoy this story. This is my first book I’ve read by Sylvia Day and I’m pleasantly surprised with her skill of storytelling. If you are a fan of Sarah Pinborough, then I think you will become a new fan. This novel had me hooked from the start.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of So Close by Sylvia Day from Ronin House, care of Smith Publicity for my honest feedback. The views expressed are my own and my choice.

Book Review · Books

The Love You Save by Goldie Taylor

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Life in East Saint Louis in the 70’s and early 80’s was rough for Goldie. One day at just 11 years old she is violated by an older neighborhood boy. Instead of her mom wanting to help Goldie get through such a traumatic event, she pawns her off on her Aunt Gerald after getting Goldie cleaned up herself. Life at her aunt’s isn’t much of an improvement from living with her mom. Along with a host of cousins, Goldie tries as best she can to adjust to living with her relatives. She always hopes in the back of her mind that her mother will one day swoop back into her life and bring her back home.

In school it is discovered that Goldie is gifted. When she gets placed in the gifted class she excels in memorizing poetry and works on writing her own pieces. Her talent is all thanks to her teaching herself to read at age 3. Books were and are her solace.

This book had me throughout reminding myself that I was reading a memoir and not historical fiction. Goldie’s life story is one of tough love, forgiveness, resilience, hope and love. If you are looking for a book on what inner city life is like then I recommend this upcoming memoir.

I didn’t expect to care about all the real life characters in this book. They weren’t all likable, but by the end I felt like I had been to one of Goldie’s family BBQ’s. Even though there was chaos at times there was in fact unspoken love given in the moments you weren’t always expecting it.

I received a complimentary advanced copy of The Love You Save by Goldie Taylor from Hanover Square Press, care of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest feedback. Views expressed are strictly my own.

Book Review · Books

A Socially Acceptable Breakdown

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Poetry is deeply personal. It’s laying your soul out to be examined line by line. No poem is the same. A poem tells a story. Your story. They can be simple, complex, quirky, funny, sad, disturbing and so much more. A Socially Acceptable Breakdown is an epic book. Patrick’s poetry is a wild ride. He’s dealt with anorexia, depression, death of a family member, figuring out his sexuality and more. He gives you a peek into his life. The good, the bad, the what just happened?

If you are a fan of poetry then this book will be a must to add to your collection. These poems are gems to read, mull over and think on. I already want to reread it. I received my complimentary digital copy of A Socially Acceptable Breakdown by Patrick Roche from Button Poetry, care of NetGalley. The views are strictly mine and of my own will. This book inspires me to keep on writing my own poetry. It’s therapeutic and a great way to safely get out your thoughts and gives you a record of what you’ve been through.

Book Review · Books

The Essence Of Nathan Biddle

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Kit is a deep soul who adores his girlfriend, Anna, until the day he gets his own personal Dear John letter. Why can’t she love him like he adores her? She’s gorgeous, smart and did I mention gorgeous again? Kit feels stuck in a rut. How can his life go on like normal?

Kit is so distraught over the breakup he doesn’t want to acknowledge that he goes on a little joyride with his ex job’s vehicle, crashing it. Kit swears he experiences an NDE and died at the scene, but was revived by Anna’s stepfather, the Ghoul. Now with a busted leg he’s stuck healing at the hospital.

Waiting in the wings to be noticed is his friend’s sister, Sarah. She’s even smart, or smarter than Anna and she’s equally as gorgeous. Will Kit give her the time of day that she deserves? It’s like Kit is for Sarah, what Anna means to Kit.

While mending in the hospital Kit has to see a shrink. Oh, the horror. What can he say? He wasn’t trying to die. Going over his life with the shrink he has to come to terms with his uncle’s dark past, to piece together a mystery so bizarre he can’t believe he’d even consider something so wild as a possibility. What’s the true connection between himself, his uncle and his cousin, Nathan who sadly passed? Is his uncle truly cuckoo?

I received my complimentary copy of The Essence Of Nathan Biddle by J. William Lewis from Greenleaf Book Group Press, care of TLC Book Tours. The views are mine and provided of my own will. This novel is a chunk, but keep reading because you’ll want to find out what happens. This book does a great job of showing just how deep a first love can be and how catastrophic a breakup is. It gives a great example of how one can wrestle with what you are taught about life and how that affects your reaction to what life throws at you.

Book Review · Books

Don’t Lose Your Head

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I’m not educated when it comes to England’s history. I know the very bare bones about King Henry the VIII. This little hot pink gem is a modernized telling from each of his six wives and what happened to them. Dive in to hear from Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn (the famous one), Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr. Each have their own take on what transpired in being married to Henry. Each story is unique. I don’t know if I could stomach being stuck with the king. Which wife do you see yourself as most like?

I received my complimentary copy of Don’t Lose Your Head by Harriet Marsden from Ulysses Press, care of Pacific and Court. The views are mine and of my own choice. This little book packs a lot of history in a fun, sassy tone. The little text bubble conversations between Henry’s wives gives it a modern flair. If you love history and want to learn more then you’ll be pleased this book is not boring. How could it be with all the beheadings and royal drama? Side note, this novel is not for children as it does have mature topics discussed.

Book Review · Books

Willing

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Liz has had bad experiences with men. Her ex husband was a cheater and the man she thought would repair her heart, Roland, wasn’t quite over his wife who had passed. Since she didn’t want to put her sensitive heart on the line Liz decides to just keep it purely to having sex. No heart involved, just simple gratification. Loveless encounters can only appear satisfying to your heart only for so long. When Liz decides to have a romp with her friend’s twenty-something year old son, she realizes some reevaluation is needed in her life.

Liz tries to distract herself with her photography business. Capturing beautiful brides and handsome grooms. The life she had hoped to have. When she meets up with an old friend, Darius, he suggests for her to get away for the winter to GA. He hints about a friend of his, Christopher who she might jive with, who needs a house sitter for his brother’s house. Liz is intrigued and decides to be adventurous.

Georgia is very different from her place in Vermont. The warm weather is a balm to her soul. Her dog, Obie loves exploring the property where this house is. Her landlord Christopher is definitely a hunk. She doesn’t want to get distracted by this handsome man as she’s needing to be inspired again with her photography. When the attraction is shown to be mutual Liz has to decide if she’ll let him in. Is there ever too perfect a man? Can Liz trust again?

I received my complimentary ARC copy of Willing from Blender Publishing, care of Smith Publicity. The views are mine and my own choice to share. This novel first off is intimidating by its size. I don’t normally read this thick of a book. It felt like a Stephen King length book. The thickness of this book is a big detractor I think for someone to choose this book. Aside from it being really long, it’s not merely erotic scene after erotic scene; though this novel is definitely for 18 and over. There is an in-depth storyline. The way that Georgia is described makes me want to go visit. It sounds gorgeous, not to mention Vermont is supposed to be lovely. The characterization isn’t phony. Relationships can be messy. They aren’t like a movie. We can try to portray it as such, but underneath it isn’t always what it seems. I feel this novel explores relationships and how to learn to trust again when you’ve burned in the past.

Books

Amelia Unabridged Q & A

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Question: Who inspired you to create Amelia’s character?

Answer: Amelia’s story was largely born out of my own “what next” question when I graduated from college, but her character makeup was influenced by her circumstances. While she and I share a love of reading, the rest of Amelia’s personality belongs almost entirely to her. She came to me fully formed, which is rarity for my writing style.

Question: Are you going to write a sequel?

Answer: I never say never, but I feel like I left Amelia and Nolan in a good place. There are other worlds I want to explore, for now!

Question: How much did HP have as inspiration?

Answer: I tried very hard not to draw from a specific fantasy series as my inspiration for Orman, instead gathering all of my favorite aspects of many different stories and funneling them down into the bits that you see Amelia and Nolan read, but it’s hard not to nod to the juggernaut that is the Harry Potter fandom when you’re writing a book about readers and writers.

Book Review · Books

I Love You To Pieces

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Olivia appears to have a charmed life. Her father is rich, so she is not in need of want when it comes to accommodations, but the one thing missing is her mother’s love. No, matter what Olivia does it seems to grate on her mother’s nerves. Her times of respite come when gets to visit her grandmother. At her grandmother’s house Olivia’s stress can melt away while looking for seashells on the beach.

When incidents with Olivia’s mother turn sour, Olivia is whisked off to live with her grandmother. Peace reigns, but then Olivia has to return to life with her mother. Olivia can’t wait for her father to return from one of his business trips, but then the unthinkable happens. Olivia is crushed as her father was her protector. After a dire incident involving her mother, Olivia’s grandmother takes matters into her own hands. Olivia has got to be protected at all costs. She is sent off to a private boarding school.

With Olivia’s best friends by her side her as an adult, life seems to be normalizing after her rocky childhood. After a few incidents of Olivia waking up with different nail polish on and mystery items she’s wondering what’s going on. Why can’t she recall some evenings? Why does she wake up feeling hung over when she hadn’t drunk the night before?

I received my complimentary digital complimentary copy of I Love You To Pieces by Lori Flynn from Austin Macaulay Publishers, care of Booktasters and the author. The views are mine and of my own choice. This novel is nail biting. I can’t fathom growing up in a home with a mother as monstrous as Olivia’s. This story is one of great challenges, but also, shows how the gift of true friendship and a love interest can spur you on to survive.

Book Review · Books

Sisters Of War

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Natasha has a fairly cush life with her sister, Lisa and their younger brother, Nikolai and their parents in Russia. When World War II hits things turn nerve racking. One day while Natasha is walking with her grandmother, a drunk German starts to intimidate them and gets aggressive. Natasha is petrified. Her grandmother isn’t afraid of the Nazi and winds up injured, but before the soldier can zero in on Natasha, a handsome stranger appears and the drunk officer is dead on the ground. This mystery man helps Natasha carry her badly injured Grandmother back to their house. Who is this knight in shining armor?

Natasha searches for this handsome stranger, to offer her thanks for his heroic deed. When she finds him she’s shocked to realize he’s a Hungarian soldier working for the enemy. He says that he has no choice. Natasha returns home still smitten. Her sister, Lisa is a tad suspicious, but she’s distracted by her fiancé.

When the Nazi’s want to know who killed their comrade Natasha says she doesn’t know who killed the drunk soldier. It was too dark that night. She wants to keep her Hungarian safe. The only problem is someone has to take the fall.

I received my complimentary copy of Sisters Of War by Lana Kortchik from HQ, care of TLC Book Tours. The views expressed are mine and my choice. This wartime novel is a wild ride filled with sisterly drama, romance, adventure and the love of a devoted family. If you enjoy historical fiction then you’ll gobble up this must read.

Book Review · Books

How To Build A Heart

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Izzy’s dad passed 6 years ago in the war and it still feels like yesterday. Thankfully she has her best friend Roz to cheer her up and her little brother Jack. Izzy enjoys attending her private high school though she struggles with feeling like she fits in. When the new girl in chorus, Aubrey, befriends Izzy, she’s excited to discover this girl is the sister of her best friend’s crush, Sam.

As Izzy gets to know the new chorus girl, she inadvertently gets to know Sam better. Izzy can see why Roz has such a big crush. He’s genuinely nice. The problem is he has a girlfriend that’s quite the b.

When Izzy’s mom discloses they are trying to get approved for a Habitat house, Izzy is thrilled, but then nervous when she realizes Sam and Aubrey will be her neighbors. She shys away from sharing her big secret. She’s not sure how Roz will react if she moves.

I received my complimentary digital copy of How To Build A Heart by Maria Padian, from Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley. The views expressed are mine and of my own will. This novel is sweet, fast paced and full of true heart. If you enjoy contemporary YA then you will enjoy this book.