Contemporary · Romance

Edison – Jessica Gadziala

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36357979.jpg| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Lenny
I have one mission in life.
Revenge.
I didn’t have time for anything else.
Let alone the mysterious, unfairly good-looking member of a local outlaw biker gang.
But Edison is not the kind of man to be easily ignored, and the closer he gets, the more I seem to sway from my mission.
Until the unthinkable happens.

Edison
She’s special.
That has always been my type, women with that ‘something’ that you can’t quite put your finger on. And Lenny with her knife-sharp tongue, stubbornness, and guards thicker than almost any I had ever seen, yeah, she had that thing. And I wanted to put my finger on it.
Finger. Mouth. Tongue… everything on her.
But Lenny is hiding things.
And it wasn’t until her world shatters around her that I finally get to see what was beneath them all along. And it is more than I could have ever hoped for. It’s something I want to hold onto. I guess the only thing left is to get that through her stubborn head as well…

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My thoughts: I have not read a book by Gadziala for way to long and now that my prohibition of buying books have been lifted, of course my first one was one of her books. I have missed her. I have missed her books, her writing, stories and her world in Navesink Bank. I have missed to get to know more of the Henchmen men and see what will happen with all that is happening in the crime capital of USA. Edison was also an character who intrigued me right from the start. He was so dark and mysterious in the earlier books, that I just had to start off with him since he was the next one to read in the series.

This is the 10th book in the series about the Henchmen in Navesink Bank. Gadziala have built a whole world with different series that are linking together. The Henchmen will probably be my favorite. Well I did love the Mallicks family (still have one more book to read) and I can’t wait for The Grassis to be published and the Professionals are also a great series, but it is the Henchmen who made me fall in love. And what’s so great is that it is so different from many other MC series out there. Her books always have a kick ass female character and awesome alpha hero sexy man with a moral compass who points in the right directions and have great female values. It is hard not to fall in love. My biggest problem often are that I find the books to be to short. 😛

Edison was a lot deeper character than I thought he would be and his story about his life and traveling through Europe was just fantastic. And I loved Lenny. She has walls thicker than the earth’s crust and the way the relationship grew between them was just perfect. And the ending was so fitting to it all that I have nothing more to say.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Thriller/Horror

The Witness – Simon Kernick

Book Chick1 Comment

26631703.jpg| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: ‘I had a simple choice. Stay here, and almost certainly be discovered. Or get up and run.’

THE WITNESS
When Jane Kinnear sees her lover being murdered, she suddenly finds herself in danger. Taken to an anonymous police safe-house, it soon becomes clear that her lover was an MI5 informant with important information about an imminent terrorist attack.

THE DETECTIVE
DI Ray Mason of Counter Terrorism Command is a man with a controversial past, but his effectiveness at getting results means that he’s now been given the task of preventing the attack from taking place. But can he be trusted, and does he know more about the attack than he’s letting on?

THE KILLER
In the safe-house, Jane is trying to piece together a description of her lover’s killer. But what she doesn’t know is that the killer has already found out who she is, and where she is hiding.

And now he’s coming for her.

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My thoughts: This was not what I had expected. I thought the book was more about the witness. But in reality you follow Mason most of the book. It started off fast and good with some intense chapter and great build up. Unfortunate that didn’t hold and I lost interest some 100 pages in.

Mason sure is an interesting character with an interesting past. You do get to know a lot about him but you do feel that there is so much more and stuff like that will probably be relived later on in the series. According to GoodReads there is one more book about Ray Mason so far. I will probably not read it though. The witness character was also interesting. With a background where she grew up in South Africa and escaped to the other side of the world and then a lot happened. You don’t get to know everything in one go either and it makes you curious of her past. She is an enigma and great to get to know more about. Certainly fit well with the main character and his own dark secrets.

I am however not fond of terrorists plots. I often find them childish. But I guess it is childish in reality to. To take out your own thoughts and views on other innocent people, just because others are not thinking the same way, is just making you a coward. It is like the bully in school who need to hurt others to feel better him self. Unfortunately terrorist are so much bigger and causes so much more destruction. So since the books plot is more about terrorist than anything else, this was not a book for me.

However, there is a MAJOR plot twist in the end that totally threw me. It was so far from what I expected and it was a great way to heat up the plot again and make it interesting. It was so good that it earned its own star and went from one to two stars in rating. The ending was not 100% completely satisfying but I do understand the reasons for it.

Monthly summary

August Summary

Book Chick3 Comments

monthlysummery2

Have had a lot of hit and miss this month. I’m now at my end of my “not to buy any books” ban and I think that’s why I have had such a rocky month. Several of the books I read are those who have been on my shelf for a lot longer than it should. Still I did read some great books in genres I not normally read in. Like for an example Hex by Heuvelt and You by Caroline Kepnes.

September will be the “caching up” month I think. Since I don’t have been able to buy books, I have a lot of series I follow and new books to read. So I will have to get that boll rolling. I’m going to try not to go overboard and buy to many books again. Do NOT wish to be put on another ban in the near future.

Favorite book this month: Hard choice this month but I think it is Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley. That one was wonderful.
Least favorite book this month: The undomestic goddess – Sophie Kinsella. Not happy with that one. 😦

Number of physical books: 7
Number of e-books: 3
Number of audiobooks: 3
Total pages: 5178
Female authors: 7
Male authors: 5

17325157Spirits in the trees – Morgan H. McDonald
Settings: Washington, USA Pages: 410 Published: 2012
Genres: Horror, romance, mystery, thriller and suspense
My rating: 3/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The spirits series.
18775247Mr Mercedes – Stephen King
Settings: USA Pages: 436 Published: 2014
Genres: Fiction, thriller, mystery, crime and horror.
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The Bill Hodges series.
35535454The Child – Fiona Barton
Settings: London, England Pages: 448 Published: 2017
Genres: Mystery, fiction, thriller, crime, suspense.
My rating: 3/5
Links: Review
31560400HEX – Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Settings: USA Pages: 384 Published: 2013
Genres: Horror, fantasy, paranormal, fiction, thriller.
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review
20512384Sudden response – R.L Mathewson
Settings: USA Pages: 260 Published: 2011
Genres: Romance, contemporary, funny.
My rating: 5/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The EMS series.
13147460Flesh & Bone – Jonathan Maberry
Settings: Dystopia USA Pages: 469 Published: 2012
Genres:Horror, dystopia, young adult, science fiction.
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review
Book 3 in The Rot & Ruin series.
20821614You – Caroline Kepnes
Settings: New York, USA Pages: 424 Published: 2014
Genres: Thriller, fiction, mystery, contemporary.
My rating: 3/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The You series.
23492589Finders Keepers – Stephen King
Settings: USA Pages: 431 Published: 2015
Genres: Horror, thriller, crime, mystery.
My rating: 3/5
Links: Review
Book 2 in The Bill Hodges series.
21412207Hush – Karen Robards
Settings: Huston, USA Pages: 407 Published: 2014
Genres: Romantic, suspense, thriller, mystery.
My rating: 2/5
Links: Review
18656253Sweet Dreams – Kristen Ashley
Settings: Carnal, Colorado USA Pages: 562 Published: 2011
Genres: Contemporary, romance.
My rating: 5/5
Links: Review
Book 2 in The Colorado mountain series.
23129712The red notebook – Antoine Laurain
Settings: Paris, France Pages: 159 Published: 2015
Genres: Contemporary, romance.
My rating: 5/5
Links: Review
18332155The murder bag – Tony Parsons
Settings: London, England Pages: 384 Published: 2014
Genres: Mystery, crime, thriller.
My rating: 3/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The Max Wolfe series.
33722The undomestic goddess – Sophie Kinsella
Settings: England Pages: 404 Published: 2005
Genres: Contemporary, chick lit, romance.
My rating: 1/5
Links: Review

monthlysummery2

Chick Lit · Contemporary · Romance

The undomestic goddess – Sophie Kinsella

Book Chick1 Comment

33722| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.

Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.

But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

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My thoughts: I LOVED “Can you keep a secret?” and adored “Finding Audrey” but The Undomestic Goddess was nothing more than some time-killer and company while doing my workout (listened on the audiobook). I didn’t find it as hilarious as it supposed to be. It wasn’t a strong chick lit with great characters. No it was not witty, smart nor romantic. If anything it was exaggerated. Excessive in the multiple breakdowns that is occurring, the runaways, her reactions and her way of solving situations that would not have been able to be solved that “easy”. If I would describe this book to my friends, I would say that “it is like that comedy movie where they try so hard to be funny that in the end it is just a cheap, cringe worthy movie you will only see once and never recommend to your friends.”

I’m sorry but no. This was nothing for me. And the worst part of it all is the ending. It was unsatisfying and a little lame. I would have like to see Samantha stand up for her self and make her point clear. And what happens next? How will it go? What will they do? It left to many questions unanswered and for me it was the end. Done, finito. Happy for you who liked this book but that is not me and I don’t have anything more to say!

 

Mystery/Crime · Thriller/Horror

The murder bag – Tony Parsons

Book Chick1 Comment

18332155| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Twenty years ago seven rich, privileged students became friends at their exclusive private school, Potter’s Field. Now they have started dying in the most violent way imaginable.

Detective Max Wolfe has recently arrived in the Homicide division of London’s West End Central, 27 Savile Row.

Soon he is following the bloody trail from the backstreets and bright lights of the city, to the darkest corners of the internet and all the way to the corridors of power.

As the bodies pile up, Max finds the killer’s reach getting closer to everything – and everyone – he loves.

Soon he is fighting not only for justice, but for his own life …

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My thoughts: Never read anything by Parsons before and I’m pleasantly surprised. I like the book, unfortunately I didn’t love it. Probably because of the slightly diluted plot and the typical English settings. And I don’t mean typical in a good way. This book has a somewhat tame and watered topic, which I have read over and over again before. Why do you have to have that slanted balance of power in crime thrillers, specially English crime? I’m getting tired of it and quite frankly, is the genre done? Is there nothing more to write about? I feel English crime books are a complete genre by itself since they often are the same specially with the work relationships in the police house. Still I do love English Crime.

This gritty thriller is about a rebel cop (Max Wolfe) who’s only goal in his job, is to do the right thing and find out the truth. Perhaps even save a couple of lives along the way. He is following the questions and evidence no matter where it will lead and even if his bosses are against it or try to stop him. Wolfe is a great character to follow. He is a rebel yes, but he is not that typical kick ass cop you often read about. He feels more human, can get hurt as easily as anyone else, struggles with stuff and I love how real he feels. He is a single dad with a daughter and a dog. This little family is the center of the book and makes it warm and real in the chill of the crimes.

The plot was interesting and the mystery wasn’t that predictable. I do want to try the next book in the series. Book two actually have a higher rating on GoodReads and the first book so I’m kind of curios.

Contemporary · Fiction/Science Fiction · Romance

The read notebook – Antoine Laurain

Book Chick1 Comment

23129712| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Heroic bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street. There’s nothing in the bag to indicate who it belongs to, although there’s all sorts of other things in it. Laurent feels a strong impulse to find the owner and tries to puzzle together who she might be from the contents of the bag. Especially a red notebook with her jottings, which really makes him want to meet her. Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions?

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My thoughts: Such a charming and sweet little story. It surprised me how much I loved this book. It is short, sweet and taking place in Paris, France. What can be more romantic than that? It is a easy and funny modern romantic love story and it’s perfect for a hangover cure. I listened on the audiobook and the narrator, Alex Wyndham, was a perfect choice for the task. He did a great job with the french accent and the cadency.

It was a fascinating hobby detective story. It made me think how a total stranger would interpret me by just looking in my handbag. Me among other things, also drags around a book to write in. I use Leuchttrumn and not Moleskin but still. You can probably learn a lot about a person by the content in their bags.

Adult fiction/Erotica · Chick Lit · Humor/Funny · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense

Sweet Dreams – Kristen Ashley

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18656253| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: She’s ready for the ride of her life . . . 

Lauren Grahame is looking to reinvent herself. After leaving her cheating husband, Lauren moves to Carnal, Colorado, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar called Bubba’s. It’s a nothing job in a nowhere joint . . . until Tatum Jackson walks in. Lauren has never seen a man with such good looks, muscles, and attitude. But when he insults her, Lauren doesn’t want anything to do with him. Too bad for Lauren he’s also the bar’s part owner and bartender.

When the rough-around-the-edges Tate meets the high-class Lauren, he thinks she won’t fit in at Bubba’s. Yet there’s more to Lauren than meets the eye, and Tate soon sets his mind on claiming her as his own. Before long, the desire burning between them is heating up the cold mountain air. But when violence strikes the town, Tate must reveal a dark secret to Lauren-one that may put an end to their sweet dreams.

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My thoughts: Overall I would like to describe the book as deep, complex characters, complicated, thrilling, butterflies in my stomach, knock me on my head, god damn perfect with that satisfying ending, horrible tearful chapters and beautiful closing. I can’t enough English words to try explain what I’m feeling. But for me, this book, was pure perfection and exactly what I needed, wanted and sought.

KA is starting to be an addiction. I literally have to prevent myself from binge reading all her books. That is how good she is. And this is as usual a book who takes hold of you from the first page. It hooked me and never let go. I’m happy I started reading this only a day before the weekend because work at Friday was awful. I could not stop thinking about the book. I dreamed about it in the nights and on the days I only wanted to look myself in my home, abandon society, all my responsibilities, sleep and food. All I wanted was Lauren and Tatum.

It is a sweet story really. I love the characters and how diverse they were. Ashley is such a great author who writes these perfect characters that are deep, complicated and so easy to love or hate. I get invested in all her books and it is like I know them. I connected so hard with this one that when I ended the book, I could not stand starting a new romantic book right now. That is how huge impression this book, these characters and their story made on me. I can only say, read it! Hopefully you will to, love it.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Hush – Karen Robards

Book Chick1 Comment

21412207.jpg| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: When Riley Cowan finds her estranged husband Jeff dead in his palatial home, she’s sure it’s no coincidence. The police rule it a suicide, but Riley thinks someone’s out for blood—specifically someone Jeff’s father ripped off in one of the biggest financial fraud cases of all time. She suspects that someone is trying to send a message to Jeff’s father: Tell me where the money is, or everyone you care about will die.

Riley’s in-laws might be billionaires, but she’s afraid that not even their dirty money can protect her from an irate investor who will stop at nothing to get his hands on his misappropriated cash. Enter Finn Bradley, Philly-based FBI agent and Riley’s love interest from way back when. Finn agrees to help Riley, and the two reignite sparks they both thought were extinguished long ago. But can they discover the killer’s identity in time, before he resurfaces—and strikes again?

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My thoughts:All sexual tension aside, there is not much left to brag about. Nothing that made a big impression on me. And I’m a little sad about that since I see Robards as one of my favourite mystery, romantic suspense authors. I have “only” read six of her books and they have been a really hit or miss so I suspect she is a volatile author. You hope for the best but apparently you could get the worst.

The story is long winded, slow paced and repetitive. Some chapters had the feeling that they went on and on and on. A never ending story. And when you have read the same thought, the same phrase in 300 pages, you are bound to get bored. Well I did.

My biggest problem with the book is that everything take such time. The two main characters butt heads like two five year old and then suddenly it is all fine and dandy. The ending comes in a rushing pace and after it I was like “what did just happen?”. Well I do not recommend this book. Don’t take my word for it though. The book has a 3.75% in average rating on GoodReads and more often than not that should fit me pretty perfect in this genre. Well not this time. Not for me. But maybe for you? Judged by many of the reviews on GoodReads, there is a lot of happy, satisfied people out there who have read the book and liked it.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Thriller/Horror

Finders keepers – Stephen King

Book Chick2 Comments

23492589.jpg| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Wake up, genius.

The genius is John Rothstein, an iconic author who created a famous character, Jimmy Gold, but who hasn’t published a book for decades. Morris Bellamy is livid, not just because Rothstein has stopped providing books, but because the nonconformist Jimmy Gold has sold out for a career in advertising. Morris kills Rothstein and empties his safe of cash, yes, but the real treasure is a trove of notebooks containing at least one more Gold novel.

Morris hides the money and the notebooks, and then he is locked away for another crime. Decades later, a boy named Pete Saubers finds the treasure, and now it is Pete and his family that Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson must rescue from the ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris when he’s released from prison after thirty-five years.

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My thoughts: “Shit don’t mean shit” – Jimmy Gold. The main character in the trilogy series written by John Rothstein (who after some Googling I believe is a alter ego to King himself). It is inception. This book is a book about a book. King certainly understands how us readers work and all the feelings we can experience while reading. He understands that in some degree we actually can get a little obsessed and there is probably a few people out there who have or could kill for their obsession. Who knows. We are 7 billion people on this planet so it is not that unlikely.

Anyway, I did not find this one as good and well done as the first in the series. The story was intriguing but the main character (Bill) didn’t have a big part at all. He was the side character who is coming in to “solve” everything in the last 50 pages. And I’m a little sad about that. I was looking forward to follow Bill and Holly for another book but instead I’m quite disappointed. My main thought about the book is that it probably would stand strongest on its own, like an stand alone. It does connect with the first book but everything is so well explained that you hardly notice.

I have read some reviews where it talks about how Finders Keepers is a recycled Misery (also written by Stephen King) and that they are disappointed on King who wrote about the reader/fan idea once again. I however have not read Misery but judged by the synopsis, I do not feel that way at all. I find this plot to be completely different. Specially since Rothstein don’t have a living part in the book.

The ending is a lot more in King’s style and it does end one a little cliffhanger. I will read the third book someday. I have to. Because I believe that it is in that book the real stuff is gonna happen. And it is gonna be great.

Contemporary · Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Thriller/Horror

You – Caroline Kepnes

Book Chick2 Comments

20821614| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

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My thoughts: This is a highly uncomfortable book about a seemingly normal guy who works in a bookstore. There is however nothing normal about Joe, who is both manically obsessive and manipulative. He is stalking this girl and as a girl myself and also a girl who is somewhat active in social media, this is terrifying. Totally utterly terrifying. Not that I think that I ever will be stalked or ever going to stalk someone, but how easy Kepnes made it seem. It is kind of sick of how I was shifting my focus and who I was rooting for throughout the book. Kudos to you Kepnes who with this book have made me uncertain and question myself.

Well the book is certainly making you think. At first you are on Becks side of the whole thing. But later on it is like this Joe character does not only manipulates Beck but also me as a reader. I’m rooting for him and even feel sorry for him. There was a couple of chapters where Joe was really sad and I just wanted to hug him, until I remembered who he is and what he does. I really did not like Beck for most of the book and could not for my life understand what Joe saw in her, which only made it even more insane and I do not know how I’m supposed to feel. I’m scared, disturbed and feeling all this icky feelings but in the same time I’m also outrageously impressed.

The book is weirdly captivating and addictive. Even though I did not find it that good of a read in total at the end, I still could not stop reading. I needed to know what would happen. It is messed up, highly crude,  gross and appalling, realistic. It is probably the best, worst captivating book, which I don’t even like that much, that I have ever read. How weird is that?