Sunday, April 16, 2017

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (04.16)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, showcase books, share upcoming news, etc. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

What I Read Over the Last 2 Weeks:
Avenged by Jay Crownover
Purple Hearts by Tess Wakefield (dnf for now)
Lethal Lies by Rebecca Zanetti
The Story of Franklin D Roosevelt by Lorena Hickok
The Story of Dwight D Eisenhower by Arthur Beckhard

My Reviews Last Week:
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer (my 4 star review)
Twist by Kylie Scott (my 4.5 star review)
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (my 4.5 star review)

What I'm Reading Now:
The Bohemian and the Businessman by Katy Regnery

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Stacking The Shelves (205)

STSmall_thumb[2][2]Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

eARC Awesomeness:

Dating-ish by Penny Reid
Protector by Leia Stone & S.T. Bende
The Bohemian and the Businessman by Katy Regnery

Friday, April 14, 2017

Audiobook Review: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
November 6, 1939
Genre: Mystery, Suspense

First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

Wonderful! It was such a pleasure finally reading this classic. Or rather, listening to. I listened to the audiobook with my sons (age range 10-16), and we all enjoyed it. It really is a fine read for a variety of ages. It was great discussing our theories on who the killer was, what would hapen to everyone, and what the ultimate ending would be. Christie did a wonderful job keeping our interest and suspense. We couldn't help comparing it to more modern mysteries (including the game of Clue) and how inspirational her writing must have been for later mystery writers. There's a reason she's the Queen of Mystery. And the audiobook narrator was terrific. I'm looking forward to checking out more of her books!


Thursday, April 13, 2017

Review & Excerpt: Twist by Kylie Scott

TWIST By Kylie Scott 
(A Dive Bar Novel #2)
April 11, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance 18+
Contains: language, explicit sex

From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes the second sizzling stand-alone novel in the Dive Bar series! When his younger brother loses interest in online dating, hot bearded bartender Joe Collins only intends to log into his account and shut it down. Until he reads about her. Alex Parks is funny, fascinating, and pretty much everything he's been looking for in a woman—except that she lives across the country. Soon they're emailing up a storm and telling each other their deepest, darkest secrets...except the one that really matters. When Alex pays Joe a surprise visit, however, they both discover that when it comes to love, it's always better with a twist.

 iBooks | B&N 

This story was a lot of fun, with a side of serious thrown in. I kinda loved Joe's initial deception, not because I like lying, but because of how it brought Joe and Alex together. Two people, who on the street wouldn't have given the other a second thought. But when these twisted circumstances bring them together, they can't help but have second (and third, and fourth, etc) thoughts about each other.

Joe is a people-pleasing, surrounded-by-friends-and-family yes-man, and Alex is a people-avoiding, limited-friend no-woman. But when these opposites meet, first on-line, then in-person, there's no avoiding how much their differing qualities are exactly what the other needs. I loved their blooming friendship, and how it blossomed into more. And just when I thought the story was plateauing into a simple, sweet romance, a new twist was thrown in to grab my interest once again. I definitely loved Joe and Alex.

I also loved the Dive Bar crew. The first book introduced us to the drama unfolding amongst these long-time friends turned business partners. And in this novel, more drama ensued. But for me, despite the heartache experienced, I liked how all the drama created better opportunity for character growth and futures. There were some surprises that came about, which made me actually like some of these characters a lot more than I did in the first novel. I look forward to continuing the journey with the Dive Bar members, their friendships and their love lives.

“I wanted to talk to you a bit more about what happened between us online,” he said, his mouth a serious straight line. “How I came to use my brother’s profile.” 

Ugh. “I’m pretty sure I found out everything I needed to know last night.”

“I didn’t mean to lie to you, Alex.”

“Once is a mistake.” I crossed my legs, kicking my black leather bootie back and forth. So I was a little aggravated. Sue me. “Months’ worth of e-mails is not. You could have introduced yourself to me, Joe, told me who you really were. You chose not to. Chr**t, no wonder you kept putting off meeting. I should have known something was wrong.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t try to sell you excuses.” A big sigh from my “friend.” “Truth is, I’m not used to being the bad guy. Usually I’m the one cleaning up my brother’s messes.”

“Lucky me."


Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/   FACEBOOK | TWITTER | FACEBOOK FAN GROUP | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS   

Monday, April 3, 2017

Audiobook Review: The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
November 8, 2016
512 pages
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Romance
Contains: violence, mild sexual references

In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life.

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.

Now, she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

In this tautly plotted novel, Stephenie Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialized skill set. And she shows once again why she’s one of the world’s bestselling authors.

I decided to listen to 'The Chemist' on audiobook, and I gotta say, I liked it. It was a great read in the car, easy to jump back in and out of, and definitely something I looked forward to diving back into.

The story definitely had a strong start, and I was very intrigued about Alex, our on-the-run ex-agent main heroine, and the predicament she was in, being constantly in fear of her life, and having to rely on her brilliant mind and chemistry skills to out-manueuver those hunting her. When Alex is joined by new characters, I found myself liking them as well. There were interesting contradictory personality traits that made for a fun dynamic. And I felt bonded to the characters more and more, hoping all would survive to the ultimate end from those hunting them down. The romance was a nice addition, but it felt overpowering to the storyline at times, even though I liked the coupling overall. I just didn't expect the romance element to be as strong as it was. Now obviously I've been vague about the whole story, but since the blurb is quite vague itself, I don't want to reveal too much. Overall, this was a great read, with exciting and dangerous (and bloody) moments, a sweet romance (perhaps a little too sweet for this story), and a medley of character growth and characters I really enjoyed.


Sunday, April 2, 2017

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (04.02)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, showcase books, share upcoming news, etc. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

What I Read Over the Last 2 Weeks:
The Opposite of You by Rachel Higginson
Honor by Jay Crownover
Twist by Kylie Scott
My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

What I Finished Listening To:
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

My Reviews Last Week:
Blush for Me by Kristen Proby (my 3.5 star review)
The Opposite of You by Rachel Higginson (my 4.75 star review)
My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella (my 3 star review)

What I'm Reading Now:
Avenged by Jay Crownover 

Saturday, April 1, 2017

Stacking The Shelves (204)

STSmall_thumb[2][2]Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Kindle Happiness:
Avenged by Jay Crownover

eARC Awesomeness:
Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
Purple Hearts by Tess Wakefield