The hating game – Sally Thorne

July 11, 2018July 31, 2018 Book Chick1 Comment

25883848 | GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Nemesis (n.)
1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;
2) A person’s undoing;
3) Joshua Templeman.

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

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My thoughts: So I finally read this one. I threw myself on the hating game wagon to see what all the fuss is about. I do not often like hyped up books as much as everyone else. I’m always that pessimistic person who do not find them as perfect and wonderful as the hype states. I hate it and often avoid books just for that reason. I think the hype itself destroys it for me. And I have to be honest and say that I was very skeptical to this book and it took me some time to get into it and feel relaxed while reading. I had expected something else. Something quite angst filled and repetitive. Some juvenile actions and over the top romanticism. Well this was nothing like that and now I’m a little mad at myself for the reason that I have had this book on my kindle for like a year and kept swiping past it. Because this is goddamn one of the best books I have read this year. Yes it is that good.

Lucy and Joshua is rivals and yes the book do start out with the rival in focus, but I was pleasantly surprised about how grownup this book was. There is no big drama or angst filled actions or misunderstandings. There are two strong people who talks instead of assume and do not drive over, push or leave without giving each other a chance to explain or make right. It feels very true to my experience of real life and it made me fall in love with the characters, side characters, the plot and the book itself so hard that it hurts.

It is an easy, sweet, funny and adorable story about an office romance between two enemies who fall in love. It filled me with such happiness, joy and glowing feelings that I hardly can keep it contained. I love Lucys history and how positive she is trying to stay throughout it all and I love Joshuas history and how he really tries and how the fit together. They are like two puzzle pieces who have not realized that they fit and make the whole puzzle picture complete.

It is so cleverly written with a plot and characters who snares you in, lock you up and the outside world is forgotten. I would love to read this again. Like right now. That is how good it was.

Classic/Historical · Fiction/Science Fiction

And the mountains echoed – Khaled Hosseini

July 9, 2018July 10, 2018 Book Chick1 Comment

17345748 | GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one…Afghanistan, 1952. Abdullah and his sister Pari live with their father and stepmother in the small village of Shadbagh. Their father, Saboor, is constantly in search of work and they struggle together through poverty and brutal winters. To Abdullah, Pari – as beautiful and sweet-natured as the fairy for which she was named – is everything. More like a parent than a brother, Abdullah will do anything for her, even trading his only pair of shoes for a feather for her treasured collection. Each night they sleep together in their cot, their heads touching, their limbs tangled. One day the siblings journey across the desert to Kabul with their father. Pari and Abdullah have no sense of the fate that awaits them there, for the event which unfolds will tear their lives apart; sometimes a finger must be cut to save the hand. Crossing generations and continents, moving from Kabul, to Paris, to San Francisco, to the Greek island of Tinos, with profound wisdom, depth, insight and compassion, Khaled Hosseini writes about the bonds that define us and shape our lives, the ways in which we help our loved ones in need, how the choices we make resonate through history and how we are often surprised by the people closest to us.

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My thoughts: I loved “A thousand splendid suns” and I don’t know, maybe I had expected something as strong as that. Or maybe I had expected a story that make you feel fulfilled when ending. Neither happen here in my opinion. I found the writing somewhat confusing and it was hard to keep track of all the characters. I had particularly trouble with every chapter change because you did not get to know which character you now following. Most of the characters are so remotely connected that it does not work at all and it was not until the end you started to understand who this person really is and what connection it has to the main character. It kept me sitting like this throughout 90% of the book.

I have read some reviews and found that it is not only me who feel this way or perceived this books as a bunch of different characters telling me about their own life history. The red thread and “main” character, you hardly see and some of the connections is just so farfetched that it is weird. The story in the beginning is good and I do get the point with the book. I do however find it flat when you do not get to follow the “main” character more than like 20% of the book.

I did however like the ending. It was a nice end with its way of tying the last strings together, even though I did not find it great since I did not get that happy, finally, good for you feeling. I give the book a strong three star rating due to that Hosseini is a great writer and he do writes in a way that snares you to the story. Any other author, I would probably have DNF it.

Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

The Boat man – Dustin Stevens

July 8, 2018July 9, 2018 Book Chick1 Comment

26495964 | GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Detective Reed Mattox, just three months removed from the death of his partner, has turned invisibility into an art form. Switching to the K-9, taking over the graveyard shift, moving to a farmhouse miles outside of Columbus, his every move has become predicated on putting as much distance between himself and the outside world as possible.

That distance is shattered though when bodies begin turning up in The Bottoms, the poverty-stricken section of town he is assigned to patrol. Grisly, horrific scenes start to pop up in the middle of the night and the overburdened precinct has no choice but to put Reed on it.

Now operating far outside of his comfort zone with a Belgian Malinois for a partner that attracts attention wherever they go, Reed is forced to unravel the murders, taking him clear across the city and back years in time, to an event that some very influential people will do anything to keep buried…

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My thoughts: Flat revenge story in a mediocre beginning on a new series, more suitable for TV. That is how I would, in few words, describe The Boat man by Dustin Stevens. It is in no way a bad book really. But I cant say that it is overly good either. It is in between good and bad. An okay story with some issues when it comes to the writing but still okay. I did like it. But I have to many issues to love it or to feel the desire to continue.

First of I did feel that the beginning was pretty strong. Reed is more or less a depressed character, working with a dog because he cant stomach to have a human partner again. You do not get to know exactly what happened but you get enough clues to pretty much piece it together yourself. Mistake number one. I don’t like that kind of mystery and secrecy where you have to figure it out on your own kind of way, when it is such a huge part of the history and the future of the characters. And then in the end you do not know more than you did in the beginning. But perhaps Stevens has a ulterior motive with it, what do I know. I’m just a reader. Mistake number two I feel is how flat the book is. I’m not kidding when I say that I actually fell asleep 8 o’clock one evening (usually fall asleep around 11 – 12) because of the writing. It is quite flat and boring. And he keep repeating the names. Reed did that, then Reed went there so Reed could do that while Reed felt that and knew Reed had to get home so Reed could do that later. Then there was the boat man went there, the boat man did that, the boat man felt that, the boat man run away. Goddammit it drove me nuts.

But other than that, it is a good book. The plot is interesting, believable and has a little suspense and depth. It is probably me who is to sensitive and keep finding stuff to complain about. He has a lot of books and most of them has really high ratings, so apparently there are people who like it more than I do. Unfortunately, I just don’t feel Stevens is the author for me. A three star rating yes, but not strong enough to make me want to continue the series.

Contemporary · Romance · Suspense · War/Military

Midnight Revenge – Elle Kennedy

July 6, 2018July 9, 2018 Book Chick3 Comments

25476363 | GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Out of all the stone-cold mercenaries in Jim Morgan’s black ops organization, Derek “D” Pratt is the most intimidating. He is tight-lipped and covered in tattoos, and even the other guys on his team are afraid to ask him about his past. D’s been off the grid for years, but after his teammate Sullivan is mistakenly captured in his place, D is forced to come out of hiding and face his demons.

When D lands in Mexico, he’s ready to risk everything to save his friend. To complicate matters, Sofia Amaro, a feisty doctor whom D had a one-night stand with months ago, has tracked him down. And in an instant she’s unintentionally caught up in his life-threatening rescue mission.

Now D must extract not one but two people from the most violent world he’s ever encountered. And one of them is carrying his child..

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My thoughts: This is a damn good book. Pretty sure my heart stopped at least two times while reading this. Fast paced and action packed and I loved it. Not my favorite in the series however but a pretty close second, I must say. This series and Elle Kennedy is really starting to be one of my all time favorites. Her writing is so good and easy that just reading her words makes me feel god. Then we look a little deeper and reading her story and just like that I’m lost, in love and forgotten the world around me.

This book is about Derek “D” Pratt. An character who have been around for most of the series. He is a hard son of a bitch with a past darker than anyone can imagine. I didn’t like him at all the earlier books, but I do now understand why. It took me a while to really connect with him, but then I had Sofia. She is a wonderful character with just the right amount of umpf, stubbornness, quirkiness and she has a really smart head on her shoulders. There is no way you do not like her. I really liked that there was no love at first sight, no lost love or heartache in the beginning of the book between those two. I liked that they “knew” each other beforehand but the lack of sappy, fluffy love made it more believable and the suspense unbearable.

Then it is always nice to meet the characters from the earlier books. Book number 6 ended on a small cliffhanger and this one gives you all the answers you need about what happened. It’s not completely over and done with but I would not say that there are a cliffhanger so you can rest easily.

Kennedy do like to create tension in her plots and between her characters and I think it is the way she does it that makes it so good. She is always balancing on the edge and if you have not read this series, I do have to say “what, you have not read it? You just have to read it!!” 😉

Chick Lit · Contemporary · Humor/Funny · Mystery/Crime · Romance

Hot six – Janet Evanovich

July 5, 2018July 5, 2018 Book Chick1 Comment

| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Low-rent bounty hunter Stephanie Plum reaches depths of personal experience that other women detectives never quite do. In Hot Six, for example, a sequence of new and hideous cars bite the dust; she finds herself lumbered with a policeman’s multiply incontinent dog; and she has several bad skin days. All this when she is trying to prove her distinctly more competent colleague and occasional boyfriend Ranger innocent of a mob hit; avoid the heavies trailing her in the hope of finding him; and cope with a wife-abusing bail defaulter with nasty habits, such as setting Stephanie on fire.

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My thoughts: This is, by far, the best one in the series (so far). Book number 6 totally knocked me out of the park. It is funny, quirky and the characters and plot is just over the top great. I love how easy it is but still really exciting and hilarious. How bad luck Stephanie keeps having but this time it isn’t on the border to be too much. An we get to meet a new character. Bob! I love Bob and hopes to see more of him in the future books.

Homicidal maniacs, dog poo, Ranger, Morelli, a dead guy in a lawn chair, eccentric grandma Mazur, the nemesis from hell, good friends, bad luck, mobsters and a Star Trek party. That is just some of the many fantastic highlights from this laugh out loud story where we are following Stephanie Plum and many great secondary characters like Lula, Vinnie, Eddie, Connie and many more.

The writing is great. I always forget how good the writing really is. It is easy, fast and makes you not realize how long you have been reading. You are totally eaten by the book so hear my advice and make sure you have someone to remember you about the important stuff. Like eating. Sleep you can do when you are dead.

Stephanie is an character that is easy to connect with. Her bad luck is recognizable and true and you cant do anything other than just love her. She is a bad luck charm walking and everyone around her needs to be careful. In the earlier books, all that bad luck got a little to much sometimes but in this book it is just the right amount. She is strong and funny and o I would love to see this series as an tv-show. (The movie was awful).

Contemporary · Romance · Suspense

Sinful intent – Chelle Bliss

July 3, 2018July 4, 2018 Book Chick1 Comment

| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Someone was after her and it was my duty to stop them.

Never cross the line. That had always been my rule. But that was before Race True.

The moment I saw her, I wanted her. But there was a problem. She wasn’t just another pretty face—no, she was my first client at ALFA PI. My take-what-I-want attitude shouldn’t include her, but how the hell can I be expected to keep my hands off?

The danger that followed her had my protective instincts in overdrive. And as the clock ticked down, the choice was laid out before me: save her career or risk everything and have her in my bed. Could I put aside my wants for her needs? Or would my selfishness destroy everything in the process?

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My thoughts: Meh! Not worth the time or money. It’s right now free on Amazon if you wish to give it a chance, but I would not recommend it and i’m glad that I didn’t spend any money on this peace of *not my kind of book*.

I can’t understand how this book has such high rating on Goodreads. I was after something easy, sexy and funny with characters to connect with. This however was not anything like that. The plot is thin at best, the hero is an asshole, the heroin is a bitch and nothing was easy, sexy and funny. There was nothing to like when it came to the characters and quite frankly they do deserve each other. There is a different between being tough girl with an attitude and a bitch. This just went in the wrong directions and nothing helped me like the characters when they are that stupid. And that the hero kept telling how much he *disliked* his sweet and caring mother just pissed me off. The story is long and filled with one cliché after another. The start was boring, the middle was just about sex and the ending I kept asking myself “is it over yet?” There was some attempts on suspense and romance but it just felled flat.

I could barely finish and if it was not for the reason that I didn’t have the energy to try to choose a new book, I would probably have DNF it. I applaud you who found this one a four-five star book. I do not know what you see in it, but apparently I missed something. My loss I guess.

Monthly summary

June Summary

July 2, 2018July 2, 2018 Book ChickLeave a comment

monthlysummery2

I don’t feel that I had a good reading month this time. Of my eleven books I read, three of them I gave a one star rating and I even DNF one book because I just couldn’t take it. No one earned a full five stars this month. That is how bad my reading month have been. I don’t know why but I been picking it completely wrong.

I did read some good books however. Like the name of the wind, Simon vs the homo sapiens agenda and dark lover. Red rising and shiver was good books to. So not a completely waste of time and money. I do hope that July will be better for me. Maybe need to be more selective with what books I chose to read. And I’m still working on bringing my TBR (kindle + physical) down to a more acceptable level. 😛

Favorite book this month: The name of the wind – Patrick Rothfuss
Least favorite book this month: The Collector – Nora Roberts

Number of physical books: 4
Number of e-books: 5
Number of audiobooks: 2
Total pages: 5232 pages. Not including those from the DNF book.
Female authors: 7
Male authors: 4

Dance upon the air – Nora Roberts
Settings: Massachusetts, USA Pages: 400 Published: 2001
Genres: Romantic, paranormal, contemporary.
My rating: 1/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The three sisters island series.

The name of the wind – Patrick Rothfuss
Settings: Fantasy world Pages: 662 Published: 2007
Genres: Epic, fantasy, fiction.
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The Kingkiller chronicle series.

Shiver – Karen Robards
Settings: East St. Louis, Illinois Pages: 385 Published: 2012
Genres: Romantic, suspense, fiction, thriller,
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review

Brilliance – Marcus Sakey
Settings: Washington DC, USA Pages: 444 Published: 2013
Genres: Science fiction, fantasy, thriller
My rating: 1/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The Brilliance saga.

Red Rising – Pierce Brown
Settings: Planet Mars Pages: 382 Published: 2014
Genres: Science fiction, fantasy, YA, dystopia.
My rating: 3/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The Red Rising saga.

Stalker – Lars Kepler
Settings: Stockholm, Sweden Pages: 603 Published: 2014
Genres: Thriller, mystery, crime, fiction
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review
Book 5 in The Joona Linna series.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens agenda – Becky Albertalli
Settings: Atlanta, Georgia, USA Pages: 303 Published: 2015
Genres: Young adult, contemporary, LGBT, romance
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The Creekwood series.

The collector – Nora Roberts
Settings: New York, USA Pages: 752 Published: 2014
Genres: Romantic, suspense, mystery, contemporary.
My rating: 1/5
Links: Review

Fire & Brimstone – R.L Mathewson
Settings: USA Pages: 336 Published: 2016
Genres: Romantic, funny, humor, contemporary
My rating: 2/5
Links: Review
Book 8 in The neighbor from hell series.

The rabbit hunter- Lars Kepler
Settings: Sweden Pages: 572 Published: 2016
Genres: Mystery, crime, thriller.
My rating: 3/5
Links: Review
Book 6 in The Joona Linna series.

Dark lover – J. R. Ward
Settings: Caldwell, New York, USA Pages: 393 Published: 2005
Genres: Romantic, paranormal, fantasy, vampires
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The Black dagger brotherhood series.

DNF

Wind river wrangler – Lindsay McKenna
Settings: Wyoming, USA Pages: 342 Published: 2016
Genres: Romantic, suspense, contemporary
My rating: -To repetitive. Only got 20% in before my patience had run out.

Fantasy/Paranormal · Romance

Dark lover – J. R. Ward

July 1, 2018July 1, 2018 Book Chick2 Comments

42899 | GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

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My thoughts: What a great book. I’m often sceptical toward this kind of books. This whole supernatural, paranormal, love, suspense kind of books do not often sit well with me and I often find them exaggerative. Specially if it is about vampires since that topic have been pushed for centuries now. But here I was really surprised that I liked is as much as I did.

It is a complexed story where vampires are not as I’m used to. They are a lot more vulnerable but still strong and mystic. In this book, just under 400 pages, you get a story filled with suspense and thrilling events from the first to the last page It is well written with a lot of details, great characters and hot, hot scenes. It is a complex world with even more complex characters and I just fell hard for the main male character, Wrath and almost as hard for the rest of them. I found the name at first somewhat excessive but after a while I got used to it and now I can’t have it any other way.

Really looking forward to continue this series. There is like 16 books in this series with another one that has it release next year. Oh wow this is going to be awesome I hope. If I’m right, I might have found a new favourite author. 🙂