Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Update on Making a Dent in the Stacks


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I'm working through my books. Here is an update of how I did this week:

Books Finished:


I obtained The Editor (in hardback) from the library.  Naked in Death was a Kindle book I had previously purchased (yay me for getting through a Kindle book!). First in Line was from Hoopla on audio. 

If you like reading about the Kennedy family, you will enjoy The Editor. I have always been fascinated by Jackie Kennedy, so this was a fun read for me. Basically, the premise is a writer finally sells his novel and is surprised to find out that his editor is none other than Jackie Kennedy Onassis. I loved all of the parts of this book that dealt with Jackie. Like could not get enough of those scenes. Unfortunately, the "other" story...which is really the main story of the book...regarding the main character's relationship with his mother was just okay for me. I honestly found myself skimming these parts to get back to the scenes with Jackie.  This was a fast, easy read, and I will still recommend it. I've heard other people have the opposite reaction. They love the mother/son dynamic but don't care much about the scenes with Jackie. I also really enjoyed that the book was set in the 90s...it was fun to relive that time in history-no social media, iPhones, etc.
Rating for The Editor: 💖💖💖💖




I LOVE Nora Roberts, but this was my first J.D. Robb book (I know, where have I been?) I've known about this series forever but have always been a little unsure if it was for me. Plus, it has approximately a million books in the series...ok, I think it's up to fifty books but still. That's a LOT of books in one series. Nora Roberts is probably hands down my favorite author, so it is surprising that I'm just now giving the series a try. This is the first book I read in my Making a Dent in the Stacks plan.   This is a futuristic novel set in 2058. I thought this futuristic setting would not be my thing, but it was fine. It was kind of neat to imagine different gadgets and technology. The funny thing is though that this book was written in the 90s, so 2058 seemed very far away. Now, it doesn't seem that "futuristic." 

This series follows cop, Eve Dallas, and Roarke, a mysterious, handsome, rich as sin businessman. I enjoyed parts of this book and flew through it. However, I'm not sure if I will continue in this series. It's a little too dark and gritty for me. Of course, that is completely personal preference. It is a well written, exciting page turner. I recommend it if dark thriller/romantic suspense is your thing. Just be warned that there is some dark content. Rating for Naked in Death: 💖💖💖


I have been on a kick of reading/watching content about the Presidents and First Ladies. I will share more reviews of those books later. I finished First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and the Pursuit of Power by Kate Andersen Brower. I really enjoyed this book, which focuses on the modern day Vice Presidents' relationships with the Presidents that they serve along side. It was a fascinating look at the VP's job description and how different men have interpreted the role of VP. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading about U.S. history. Rating for First in Line: 💖💖💖💖


DNF Books:


Hustle, Believe, Receive by Sarah Centrella is a book I purchased several years.  I can't really remember how I found out about Sarah...maybe on a blog or Pinterest? I do remember I was going through a hard time personally when I bought this book. When I opened it up on Kindle, I had read about 10% of the book, but I started over. I just couldn't get into it. While I agree with working hard and thinking positive thoughts, I found that the writing style turned me off. For one thing, the book has hashtags all throughout, which were really distracting to me. I know I enjoyed Sarah's writings that I read online in the past, or I wouldn't have paid for this book. However, I wonder if this might be a case of "right book, wrong timing." Maybe this book was for me years ago when I bought it, but now that I'm in a much happier, peaceful place, it is not for me? At any rate, I DNF'd this book.

Hope you all have a good week and a happy Fourth of July!

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

I'll Never Let You Go by Mary Burton


Cover Image from Penguin UK

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Title: I'll Never Let You Go by Mary Burton
Received: Purchased (secondhand bookstore)
Rating: 💖💖💖💖

Summary from Penguin UK: 

He promised to kill her. One night four years ago, Leah Carson's husband almost succeeded. Phillip stabbed her twenty-three times before fleeing. The police are sure he's dead. But fear won't let Leah believe it.

It starts with little things. Missing keys. A flat tire. Mysterious flowers. All easily explained away if the pattern wasn't so terrifyingly familiar. Leah has a new veterinary practice and a new life with no ties to her nightmare. But Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex Morgan suspects something. And when another woman's body is found, stabbed twenty-three times, Leah knows her past has found her.

As Leah and Alex untangle the horrifying truth, he watches her, ready for the perfect moment. Until death--that was the vow they made. And a killer always keeps his word . . .

This is the first book that I've read by Mary Burton. I really enjoyed it and thought the pacing was fantastic. I was compelled to keep turning the pages and thought it worked well as a thriller. What kept it from being a five star rating for me was the romance in the story. Or maybe what I think of as the lack of romance. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the story just as much without the romantic component. I just didn't buy the romance between Leah and Alex. Not that it was a "bad" romance, but I just felt like there wasn't much romantic development between the two.  They went on one short, unsuccessful date, then the rest of their "relationship" really revolved around the case. It just didn't work for me, but it didn't subtract from the storyline. It was just unnecessary. The story was strong enough as a thriller, and I didn't see the ending coming, which is the best kind! I look forward to reading more by Mary Burton. 

Click the Image below to check out this book on Amazon: 





Happy Reading!! 

Sunday, August 26, 2018

To All the Boys I've Loved Before~ The Movie


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Y'all. I seriously loved this movie. LOVED IT. I haven't read Jenny Han's book, but I was vaguely familiar with the premise of the book. So, on this lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided to check out the movie on Netflix. It was soooo good!! It reminded me of a late 1990s-early 2000s rom-com (which, of course, are the best rom-coms!). Here's the basic premise:
1. Girl writes love letters to all her crushes assuming they will never be seen.
2. The letters are mailed without her knowledge.
3. Drama ensues.

My thoughts:

1. The acting was top notch.
2. John Corbett plays the father of the main character, Lara Jean. So what this means to my not quite a teen anymore heart: Aidan from Sex in the City is a daddy. Yay!
3. Lana Condor does a terrific job being Lara Jean. I love this character and related really well to her.
4. Noah Centineo is an adorable love interest.
5. This movie held my attention, made me laugh out loud, and warmed my heart with the romance. I honestly can't remember the last movie that has done all three of these things. Thanks to work, school, and technology, my attention span is about a third of what it once was. To keep my attention alone is a pretty lofty endeavor. Well done, Netflix. Well done.

Here's the book, if you want to read it before watching:


Happy watching/reading!! 
 

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Cozy Moments: Links




Good morning!! Hope you are having a wonderful day. Here are some links from around the internet that I find interesting:

Living a Romantic Lifestyle
I love The Silver Petticoat blog because it promotes romance in entertainment. I love browsing the site for book and movie recommendations. This is their manifesto on how to live a more romantic, joyful, optimistic life.

Under the Tuscan Sun Fixer Upper
Will someone please restore this Italian villa to its former glory? So sad to see it vandalized!

14 Most Anticipated Fall Romances 
Yay for new fall romances!

All 339 Books Referenced in "Gilmore Girls"
I loved the original Gilmore Girls series and loved that Rory was such a reader! This list details all the books she read during the entire series. Wouldn't it be fun to work your way through this list?



Thursday, August 16, 2018

Books N Tunes Challenge: Man Hands by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby


I am an Amazon Associate member. By clicking on links on this blog and then purchasing something from Amazon, I will receive a small commission. Thank you!

Today, I'm going to do my first book blog challenge, Books N Tunes Challenge, created by A Delighted Reader. I accepted the challenge of Level One (which means ten songs) that form a playlists to go along with a book I read. Today, I'm going to discuss one of my new favorite books, Man Hands.


Title: Man Hands by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby
Received: Bought on Amazon for Kindle
Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖

This book definitely goes on the keeper shelf! I cannot say enough good things about it. For a book to get my keeper shelf stamp of approval, it has to be a book that I would want to re-read again. This book definitely fits the bill. It is laugh out loud funny, steamy, sexy, and just an overall "make you smile" kind of book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a lot of sex humor and some language, so just know that. 

Some things that stood out to me about this book: 

1. Brynn, our heroine, is thirty-four years old. I like that. The older I get, I often have a harder time relating to heroines in their early twenties (of course, there are always exceptions). Generally, I find myself enjoying romances with the heroines being in their late twenties or older. 

2. Competency all the way around. Brynn is a food blogger and amazing cook. Tom, our hero, is the star for a home improvement channel (a la HGTV). Lots of job/hobby competency going on. 

3. Humor and Sex: Some books try to juggle being funny and steamy all at the same time and fail. This book was able to be funny and steamy without being over the top or cheesy. 

4. Fast paced. I inhaled this book, which is something I really need in my reading life right now. I'm just not at the point of life where I want a long, descriptive door stop of a book.

So....now to the tunes! Here is my playlist to go along with Man Hands

1. "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)"~ Rupert Holmes
2. "Summer Love/Set the Mood (Prelude)" ~ Justin Timberlake
3. "Desperate Man"~ Eric Church
4. "Somethin' Bad (Duet with Carrie Underwood)"~ Miranda Lambert
5. "Super Freak"~ Rick James
6. "Hungry Like The Wolf"~ Duran Duran
7. "It's Raining Men"~ The Weather Girls
8. "What I Like About You"~ The Romantics
9. "Love So Soft"~ Kelly Clarkson
10. "My Guy"~ Mary Wells 

Check out Man Hands HERE

Hope you enjoy this review and Books N Tunes Challenge. What have you read lately? Any songs you think I should add to this playlist? 
 

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