Month: September 2017

One Week Girlfriend- Monica Murphy

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“He stands up and approaches me. My knees threaten to buckle and I lock them, hoping like crazy I don’t fall over like an idiot all because he’s coming closer with that dark, intriguing look in his eyes. Like he wants to gobble me up.”

The funny thing is that my friend and I shared this book with each other not knowing that we both had it as to be read. Mine arrived in the mail and I couldn’t wait to dig in.

I wasn’t expecting the beauty and the heartbreak that this book served. After finishing this one, I logged in and ordered the second one. Now I have to be patient and wait for it to arrive. This book was that damn good.

Fable works all the time to support her drunk of a mother and her younger brother. She also carries the reputation as cheap and easy through this college town even though she doesn’t go to school. But we all know how rumors can be.

Drew goes to that college and is a star athlete on the football team. All the girls want him, but he doesn’t give them the time of day. He shows up at the bar Fable works at and sticks mostly to his friends. They all brag about Fable.

Thanksgiving is coming up and Drew is dreading going home for the holidays…. alone like usual. His plan is to take someone with him to show off. He proposes the idea to Fable and she can’t refuse the offer.

The plan is that Fable has to act like the loving adoring girlfriend of Drew for an entire week and he’ll pay her handsomely. She just has to meet his dad and his dreadful Step-Mom.

As soon as they make it back to his hometown of Carmel, Fable knows something is up but doesn’t say anything. They both have secrets of their own and this is just a fake relationship until they get back home.

Feelings start morphing between the two. As Thanksgiving gets closer and closer, the more Drew freezes up and his anger shows a bit and shuts him down.

All the secrets get left on the table, but will Fable runaway? Or will she attempt to pick up the pieces of Drews life?

Whoa! This book was so raw, intense, and extremely beautiful. I couldn’t put it down. The way the story progresses over time just leaves your heart still and your mouth dry. As these horrible secrets come to light, you break down along with the characters and you swear your heart stops beating.

I cannot wait to start the second book. Let’s hope it’s as mesmerizing as this first one.

5/5

Best Day Ever- Kaira Rouda

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“Love is such a complicated thing to us humans. We overanalyze, we fret to understand it. It’s easier to understand if you think of us all as animals, with needs and desires. That’s what we are, all of us.”

If you needed another solid reason to despise men, you must read this. This will make your stomach turn as you spot an overly confident womanizer.

To look at Paul and Mia you would agree that they have the perfect life. They have a beautiful family, two houses in fabulous neighborhoods, and Paul works hard to keep his family happy. But what they don’t see is the crack in their foundation. What seems happy on the outside, isn’t what appears on the inside.

Today is the day that Paul will make this the best day ever for his wife, Mia. She had some health concerns and he wants this day to treat her like a princess. They are traveling to their cottage near the lake to release some stress and unwind. But at once the demon rises its ugly head.

As soon as they hit the road tension starts to appear. Every thing Mia says or does makes Paul’s facade crack. It’s starts to splinter and it’s only a short time before Paul shatters.

But what Mia doesn’t know is that Paul has a huge surprise for her.

As the hours go by, more and more of Paul’s plan falls into place and deep dark secrets seep up through the cracks. Dark secrets that could ruin anyone’s life. But Mia has some plans of her own.

I’m in complete shock at this story. The story as a whole made me leery of my own marriage. If you can’t trust the one person you gave your heart and life to, then who can you trust?

The narration was something that I haven’t read before and it was different. For some odd reason I loved it and it worked so well with this story. I think with the way it was portrayed, it fed off of Paul’s psychosis. His twisted demeanor has you fearing for a character that didn’t actually exist. It would be horrible for her to trust again.

This was an addictive roller coaster ride of domestic horror that you shouldn’t miss!!

4/5

Thank you Harper Collins!!

Happy Book Birthday!!

The Grip Of It- Jac Jemc

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“The bed is hotter when he’s in it, and I hate that, but it’s a hate I’d rather not do without. In other words, I love hating his presence when it means a few degrees under a blanket. Even if I don’t recognize him right now, I can recognize the heat coming off his body. Even though I don’t recognize him, I am growing to recognize myself. I say, Tell me how you’ll hurt me and I’ll tell you how I’ll respond.”

Buying a house should be a joyous occasion. It should mean a start for a new and better life for yourself and your family. And when something tries to come between that, you fight with every once of fiber you have to keep it that way.

Julia and James find the house of their dreams. It’s out of the city and surrounded by a lake and a wooded area. It fits them perfectly and they get it at a bargain. Moving in, they find hidden rooms and compartments which intrigue them even more about their new house.

Things aren’t as they always seem. At first they hear it, like the house is breathing and it is followed by a smell so rancid and then the shadows come out to play.

With every waking moment they feel uneasy. Their next door neighbor seems to be watching them every chance he gets. When they go searching around the house, a hidden room they find and explore the first time seems to disappear. Then Julia has horrendous bruises appear in her body.

As they dig deeper into the mysteries of this house/neighbor, the creepier things become for Julia and James.

I’m not usually one to get freaked out by a book, but this one hit too close for comfort. The way the presence breathed, growled, and snarled, my husband and I know that all to well. Every time something made itself known, I would relive memories of when I first moved to IL. They weren’t happy memories, but ones of a true haunting.

This book had me hooked automatically, it takes a bite out of you very quickly and doesn’t let up.

The one thing that bothered me was that it leaves you in the dark about a lot of things. I want answers and I need them now. I have so many alternative ideas running around in my head.

What dropped my rating down a bit was the stereotypical horror setting. Married couple buys new house, they get it for a bargain, and strange haunting start to proceed. Just give me something different to play with here, but it was still a great read.

What stood out was some of the apparition scenes. James is walking in the hallway and spots Julia wearing a Mardi Gras mask in the guest bedroom, but Julia is actually in the main bedroom……

If you are looking for blood and guts, look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for alternative/domestic horror, then you have found your match.

4/5

Can’t Hardly Breathe- Gena Showalter

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“Fierce and gorgeous and battle ready, he jumped to his feet. He was a thousand dreams come true… a million fantasies in the making. An illusion. He was nothing but a heartbreak waiting to happen. “I’m not ashamed of you, Thea. Of course, you’re worth something. You’re worth everything.”

What a marvelous story of getting your self-esteem back and finally getting what you really deserve. Your heart will break and mend with the love that Thea and Daniel shower towards each other. It was easy to encourage their relationship from the start. She paired two extremely loveable characters together and made them even more vulnerable and easy to relate to.

All Dorothea knew growing up was that she wasn’t good enough for anyone. The kids picked on her relentlessly and she never got her first true love to reciprocate. While being picked on, Daniel came to her rescue letting her know that she was good enough. He just ever out through the effort to make her feel how true his words really were. Dorothea hoped and prayed that he would rescue her like a damsel in distress, but it never happened.

After High School, Dorothea made a life of her own and moved out of Strawberry Valley. She was going to school to be a meteorologist and met the man of her dreams who had their sights locked in together. Until Jazz ruined everything and had Dorothea fleeing back to her hometown helping her mom take care of the Inn.

Working at the Inn made Dorothea look towards the future. She had dreams of making themed rooms to bring in more customers. What stopped her in her tracks was Daniel. Yes, the Daniel who she crushed on ever since he stood up for her and made her feel that her life wasn’t worthless. He comes in and out of the Inn a lot with a different girl on his arm every time he’s around. It doesn’t stop Dorothea from looking at her crush.

After their latest encounter, Dorothea wants to change her life. No more hiding in shame. It’s time for her to embrace who she is and what she looks like and finally go after what she wants. And she has her eyes on Daniel. She shows up to his room and she lays it all on the line. He drinks her in but says no. Feeling disgraced like she isn’t good enough, she builds that wall back up and forgets what even happened.

Daniel wanted to say yes to Dorothea but doesn’t do relationships or hook up with anyone from town. His dad hears rumors and starts to plan his wedding and talks about upcoming Grandkids. After being in the military, Daniel just doesn’t get close to anyone. PTSD runs his life and doesn’t want to ruin anyone else’s due to his setbacks. But he’ll be damned if he doesn’t want Dorothea all to himself. He is now on a mission to make Dorthea believe his words when he tells her that she is perfect just the way she is and that she’s perfect for him.

Can Daniel sweep Dorothea off her feet? Or will both their pasts ruin their relationship before it even starts?

This was the typical girl was bullied, girl turns into a pinup, and the hot guy with washboard abs falls in love with her. But this was a damn good book. It was so much more than romance. They both had a strong back story and didn’t need to lean on each other. But when they are together, it makes the story that much more meaningful.

I haven’t read any of the others in this series, but I want to. She has a special way with words and I’m infatuated with her books now.

Can we also talk about how she mentioned some of her books in this one!!? ❤

4/5

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo – F.C. Yee

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The Epic Crush of Genie Lo

Goodreads Synopsis:

Genie Lo is one among droves of Ivy-hopeful overachievers in her sleepy Bay Area suburb. You know, the type who wins. When she’s not crushing it at volleyball or hitting the books, Genie is typically working on how to crack the elusive Harvard entry code.

But when her hometown comes under siege from hellspawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are dramatically rearranged. Enter Quentin Sun, a mysterious new kid in class who becomes Genie’s self-appointed guide to battling demons. While Genie knows Quentin only as an attractive transfer student with an oddly formal command of the English language, in another reality he is Sun Wukong, the mythological Monkey King incarnate—right down to the furry tale and penchant for peaches.

Suddenly, acing the SATs is the least of Genie’s worries. The fates of her friends, family, and the entire Bay Area all depend on her summoning an inner power that Quentin assures her is strong enough to level the very gates of Heaven. But every second Genie spends tapping into the secret of her true nature is a second in which the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance.

This book was fantastic! I absolutely loved the aspect of the Monkey King and the Chinese history, as well as seeing it brought into the real world. F.C. Yee did a great job integrating both worlds together (the mythical and the real) and I adored the writing and battle scenes.

What I really enjoyed, though, about The Epic Crush of Genie Lo is how real the characters felt, especially when they talked. When the author added in the exclamation points or the capitalized dialogue, I could feel and understand how excited or upset the characters were, and that is something I truly look forward to in every book I read. Not all authors are able to accomplish that (for me, at least) in their first debut, but Yee knocked it out of the park.

I also enjoyed the aspect of Chinese history. I love learning about the different cultures, and with the Chinese culture, the history of the Monkey King is by far one of my favorites. So when I heard about this book, I had to get my hands on a copy. And on a side note, that cover is absolutely stunning!

I loved the molding of the Monkey King, demons, and real-life situations. Bringing ancient beings into Genie’s life is eye-opening to her, especially when she finds out the reason as to why she is being targeted. All Genie wants is to live a normal(ish) life, by doing homework and preparing for college entrance essays. She never expected her life to involve demons and Chinese Gods. It was a fun journey watching Genie’s transformation from normal volleyball girl to something even more.

This book was fantastic and I highly recommend for any action, fantasy and history lovers. I went into reading this book with high expectations and F.C. Yee surpassed those expectations. I am so thankful this book was written, and I cannot wait to see what Yee cooks up next (hopefully it’s more stories about Genie and Quentin!)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 stars

Purchase a copy of The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee at your nearest bookstore!

♥ Nikole

 

Cj redwine wine and sign NYC

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Few days ago was lucky to have met finally cj redwine which has been on my bucket list for about a year now since I had read the arc of the wish granter. One of my top reads of 2016. But day started out at 5 am and yes heard right 5 am since went to pick my friend Jennifer out in pa. I was supposed to stay the night but night before fell asleep at 7pm so oops… but finally make to the city. Was there early to meet our friend Laura so had walked towards book off on 45th but ended up going to msg on 34th met up then walked to bookoff again. Oy so much walking on the way to bookoff we found by chance a comics store my friend Melissa chats about so much. To our surprise jen finds her last of dr who collection but then doesn’t want to buy it. So she knows but torture part for her is I bought it for Christmas and she is asking to see it x) x) oh well. 

Going to be a awhile. Finally went to book off I did well there with Laura I only bought 3 books but when had gone few days earlier I had bought 10 books which this place is insanely cheap used book store.  Finally on our way to train station to pay to learn our line was down so ended up paying 2.75 wasted 😡😡. With out Laura we would of been so lost and my #1 fear is public transportation. Finally make to the place and meet other people In line and makes friends.love that part of signings. Watched as authors came and cj came up to go into the place but before did cane and said hi since saw Laura had one dark throne out and cj said she loves that book. After a few get to go in the place Is very decorate even though it’s sorta outside/ inside garden style hang out and wished taken more photo’s but authors were spaced out and about on different comfy chairs.  Got relaxed. Went to get wine 🍷 since it is a wine and sign event. Chatted with cj again and first line this abdvwas more relaxed and chilled so get more of a 1 on 1 than normal signings slowly then went around meeting the other authors. Bought one romance novel. So overall very fun event if you know the author but was a tad cramped to meet different authors. Finally last hoo rah we were out and headed to the strand which if ever in NYC you should do. And dinner which was soho burger joint by McNally Jackson which I can’t complain about at all. So over all fun day :). 

Level up Cathy yardley

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This book I had seen a review on the amino app and it seemed cute judging from the cover is a girl and guy kissing and she is playing a video game so right away think both romance and gaming. But this book is about a girl named Tessa she has been with this one company for 4 years now and wanting to get as engineer for the gaming company always been her wish instead of audio engineer for the games. For her it’s a obstacle since the gender flaws that girls shouldn’t be engineers making the games and not good enough so she is out to prove it. Besides that aspect the story also with her room mate she has been with Adam he is part of engineering team and has never thought of Tessa than more of anyone since Tessa is so quiet. And don’t even really think of possiabilty of things to a party at there house where have the whole engineering company together for a party and a miss hap happens and figure a chance so makes it insta love sorta?? But Adam is so still from the party being love sick and heart broken after a girl dumped him for another guy in NYC and her dream of journalism. With the 2 together can they help her succeed in getting the job? Dunno but gotta try it. Only bad thing can say and it’s not really the book was sooo small at 100 and change so I was sad since i loved this book sooo much it is by my fav contemporary of this year only tied with operation prom date which is another I suggest to people to try out. 5/5 stars to the max 

~~~~JUSTIN