Tag: kindle

Contemporary · Humor/Funny · Romance

Christmas from hell – R.L Mathewson

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27742535.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: Duncan Bradford is used to putting other people first even the annoying little jinx that lives next door, but when the unexpected happens and he starts to see her in a whole new light, he decides that it’s time that he acts more like a Bradford and takes what he wants.

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My thoughts: Sometimes I feel for an easy read. A book that is funny, easy and a little predictable. A book you just read for the happiness of it. A book that makes your mind rest for a bit. I often feel to read this kind of books after I have read something big or boring, difficult or just not that pleasing mentally. Many would say that these books are simple and not real literature. But to make me laugh or cry to a book is the hardest thing for an author to do. And if you succeed with that, you have succeeded to write real literature in my opinion. And R.L Mathewson has certainly succeeded with that.

This is the 7th book in the series about the Bradford family. After 6 books, I know what to expect and I was not disappointed. We meet Duncan who haven’t been a big character in the other books. But he is an original Bradford trough and trough with the food obsession and everything. Then we met Necie, who is a queen in both cooking and baking. I would have thought the relationship between Duncan and Necie would start off from the beginning with his food obsession and her skills with food. But Necie is one unlucky person who keeps hurting herself or Duncan so he “hates” her and tries to avoid her at all costs. And the whole thing is just hilarious. Hilarious!

There is not one book in this series who have gotten a lower score than 4 by me and this one must be one of my favorites. It is just that good. It is funny and relatable and it just makes me happy. Exactly what I wanted when I picked it up.

Contemporary · Romance

Cyrus – Jessica Gadziala

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35450200.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis:
Cyrus
Family. Brotherhood. Music. Women. That was pretty much my life. And it was one I was happy with too. Until I came across her- the one woman I knew I had no right to put my hands on, the woman who I still felt such a connection with that, even though I knew I had to keep my hands – and other body parts – to myself, I wanted to be in her life. So I became her friend. Except, this sweet, shy, bookworm was making being honorable a hell of a lot harder than I expected.

Reese
Family. Books. To be perfectly honest, that was pretty much all my life was about. And I was happy with that. I lived a thousand lives. I saw and felt things in stories I never could have otherwise. Besides, real life was never as good as books. Until I came across him. He was leading man material if I ever saw it. You know, just not for me. He made that perfectly clear. We were going to be friends. Friends. That was it. Except, maybe that simply wasn’t enough…

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My thoughts: I have been looking forward to this book since I read about Reese in Kenzi’s book 14 Weeks. Mostly because she was a little mysterious, social awkward and a total book nerd. Who can not relate to that if not me? However, I must say I’m a little disappointed. I still gave this book a four-star rating but that is mostly because I love the series and the Navesink Bank universe and the characters Cyrus and Reese is to die for. Their story however is not as good. Pretty boring actually.

It is sweet and a little funny yeah, but not quite my cup of tea. I need more excitement and suspense. Or more humor or more feelings or more depth. Just more! This was kind of bland and it all went a little too easy and there where to big jumps in time. Suddenly it had gone 5 weeks. When they were not talking, I would have loved to read about them see each other or an awkward meeting or a fight. Just something with emotions. There where talk about some real “on his knees, begging for forgiveness” work and kissing her feet to make up for stuff that happened, but there was just some lame show of affection that made me a little sad. It was promising some heavy standoff between some characters but also that never happened. And the story about Kenzis reaction to Cyrus was completely ignored and I would have loved to read Reeses reaction when finding out that Cyrus “destroyed” a book.

Just many small things building up to a big thing. A little more time and more depth would have made this book one of my favorites I think. But even the high score, it is one of my least favorites of all the (30?) books I read by Gadziala. Story wise. The characters are on top of my favorite list though.

Contemporary · Romance · Suspense

Take the key and lock her up – Lena Diaz

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22608022.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Lena Diaz returns with another sexy, thrilling Deadly Games novel and the darkest question of all: What do you do when your freedom could cost you your life?

Detective Emily O’Malley just stumbled upon a killer’s lair—and the remains of a woman he kept locked away for years. But this killer isn’t done yet. More women are missing, and all clues point to Devlin Buchanan—the man who seems to know just a little too much. Emily’s instincts are rarely wrong, and now they’re telling her this sexy, mysterious man is hiding something big …

As a trained assassin for EXIT Inc—a top-secret mercenary group posing as an international tour company—Devlin “Devil” Buchanan isn’t afraid to take justice into his own hands. But when the hot new detective on his trail gets too close to the organization and a contract is placed on her life, Devlin does the only thing he can: he turns rogue agent and kidnaps her to save her life.

With EXIT Inc closing in and passions running hot between them, Emily and Devlin must work together to find the missing women and clear both their names before time runs out … and the key to freedom is thrown away.

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My thoughts: I have not read that much by Diaz. Only this series and this book is the last one (as I understand it) in the series Deadly Games. I loved the first three books and they all got top score by me. These books are old fashion, romantic suspense that makes you want to stay home from work, sit in your reading nook and do nothing but read all day and night. That is how good these books have been. I must, however, say that I was a little disappointed on Diaz with this one. The story is awesome as always but I do not like the ending.

Well, it ended the only way it could have ended and that is fine. I’m satisfied by that. But since this is the last book, it should not have been as many questions (tough small) left for me as a reader. It should not imply that you will get all the answers if you start the series EXIT and then you read the synopsis about the first book in the EXIT series and there is nothing that implies that you will get your answers.

However, if you can ignore that those small questions won’t get any good answers, the book is awesome and I love all the characters. I love the story and I love how strong and fierce (in the right way) the female character is. It is just so good and I can’t say anything other than these books are so worth reading if you are a romantic suspense junky as I am.

Contemporary · Humor/Funny · Romance

Grin & beard it – Penny Reid

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23337863.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: Sienna Diaz is everyone’s favorite “fat” funny lady. The movie studio executives can’t explain it, but her films are out-grossing all the fit and trim headliners and Hollywood’s most beautiful elite. The simple truth is, everyone loves plus-sized Sienna.

But she has a problem, she can’t read maps and her sense of direction is almost as bad as her comedic timing is stellar. Therefore, when Sienna’s latest starring role takes her to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park she finds herself continually lost while trying to navigate the backroads of Green Valley, Tennessee. Much to her consternation, Sienna’s most frequent savior is a ridiculously handsome, charming, and cheeky Park Ranger by the name of Jethro Winston.

Sienna is accustomed to high levels of man-handsome, so it’s not Jethro’s chiseled features or his perfect physique that make Sienna stutter. It’s his southern charm. And gentlemanly manners. And habit of looking at her too long and too often.

Sienna has successfully navigated the labyrinth of Hollywood heart-throbs. But can she traverse the tenuous trails of Tennessee without losing her head? Or worse, her heart?

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My thoughts: I’m in love. Yes I am. I’m in love with Penny Reid. And even though i’m straight I can totally appreciate beauty. Specially if you have the beautiful gift of writing. Which Reid totally has. And it is so obvious in this book.

I’m that kind of reader who makes faces when I read. I smile, frown, I cry and even look bored if the book is boring. But I do NOT laugh out loud, hardly ever cry so that other notice, gasp or talk to the book and the characters. Do you still follow me here? Okay… but this book started with me laughing out loud. Yes. I was like 4 pages in, it was 06:22 am in the morning and it totally made me laugh and I was hooked there and then. The book is highly funny in this sarcastic, in your face, type of way and I totally love it.

I have read one book by Reid earlier (the first book to this series, this one is the second). And even though I really liked it, I did not LOVE it. Not like I love this one.

The characters is just wonderful and it is nice to really get to know them more. Cletus (who is not the main character in this book) has such a big part and you can’t do anything other than loving him, and looking forward to his own book. Sienna is wonderfully quirky, funny and has like “joke diarrhea” which is funny as hell. Jethro is this dark, brooding type of man who is trying to make amends for his past and make everything right by his family and friends. He is open, funny and lovable if given the chance and him and Sienna really match each other perfectly.

I thought, half way through the book, that some shit would happen and you would get this tense, anguished and mentally exhausted part, but it never came and it was so uplifting that Reid not followed the mainstream way, that seems to be dominating in this types of books. And that just made it all that much better.

Contemporary · Romance · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

After The Dark – Cynthia Eden

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30836269.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Former FBI agent Samantha Dark was one of the most respected profilers in the bureau, an expert on the twisted minds and dark hearts of the most depraved criminals. But when her own former lover turned out to be the serial killer she was hunting, Samantha’s career was destroyed. Blamed for the FBI’s failure on the complex case, Samantha fled Washington, DC, for the quiet anonymity of Alabama.

Now an all-too-familiar killer is hunting once again. She can catch the sadistic assassin, but that means putting her trust in her former partner, Blake Gamble. Ex-military, Blake is tough, protective, precise. With her entire life on the brink, she knows he wants her back in the FBI…and possibly more.

But someone else wants her, too. A threat is waiting in the dark, a killer who has set his sights on the ultimate trophy victim—Samantha.

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My thoughts: I don’t know if I just had to high hopes or what not for this book, but no matter what the reason, I was not happy with the result. It is so repetitive. Yeah I get it that the characters want something or need something but do you have to keep thinking it, saying it and be angry if you don’t get it and keep it on a loop even after you get it. It destroyed the story. Specially since the story could have been good, even though you get to know the truth early on.

I still liked the book enough to give it a two star. It is still not positive but since the story was intriguing even though no suspense or excitement, I got through it. It is an average read. Not something I would recommend to friends if they not specifically requested something in this line. However Eden has done a great job with capture a killer’s mind and the law enforcement work and even if the whole story was predictable, it still was somewhat entertaining.

But I didn’t like the character’s dynamic to each outer. Someone who do not trust someone, don’t just show up the next day and have complete and utterly trust in that person. And the relationship between Gamble and Dark just didn’t feel real at all and quite forced. There was nothing with it that I liked and that makes me a little sad.

So, to conclude it all, I liked the story even though it was predictable and you got to know it all already in the beginning. I did however don’t like the characters and the general dynamic in the story. Probably had higher hopes for the book, than what I should have had.

Fantasy/Paranormal · Romance · Young, New adult/College

Fear University – Meg Collett

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26038790| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: I’ve always known I was a monster, and I don’t mean some teenage vampire shit either.

My mother abandoned me when I was ten years old because I have a freakish mutant disease that makes me incapable of feeling pain. I bounced from one foster family to another because too many people like to test my medical condition in a game of “Try To Make Ollie Scream.” At sixteen, I killed a man for taking that game too far.

Two years later, I’m still on the run in Kodiak, Alaska. Here, I’m the most dangerous person around, until I come face to face with a creature that should only exist in folklore. The monster is an aswang, and I, with my medical anomaly, am uniquely qualified to hunt the beast that haunts the night. At least, that’s what the two scarred, mostly crazy ‘swang hunters tell me when they kidnap me and take me to Fear University, a school where young students learn to hunt and kill aswangs.

I arrive at the university a prisoner, but I stay because I finally find my freedom.

For once in my life, I belong. I’m needed. I make a home for myself inside the university masquerading as an old Alaskan prison. Something close to happiness warms my icy heart when I’m with my scarred, still mostly crazy tutor, Luke Aultstriver. For a murdering runaway like me, Fear University is a haven where I can put my skills to good use hunting monsters in the night.

But when certain truths come to light and even more lies are exposed, I fear that I, Ollie Andrews, am the worst kind of monster of all. And, maybe, they should be hunting me.

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My thoughts: First off, before I start to talk about the book itself. I don’t know if it is the authors fault or someone else but either way. Do not, I repeat, PLEASE DO NOT end the e-book under 90%. It makes you as an reader feel cheated, and that is not a good feeling to have your reader sit with at the end. Even more important so if the book ends on a cliffhanger. It happened with this book. Ended on a cliffhanger when I thought I had at least 10% left of the book to read. Not a good feeling at all. An quite frankly, it makes me a little pissed off and not wanting to read the second book. I will of course someday read it, because I need to know how it will end, but it will probably take awhile.

So what about the book itself? It is really good. Fresh and quite imaginative. Asuwangs is from an old Filipino folklore and I have seen and heard a lot about it from the movie world. But really not read anything. So I did not know exactly what to expect. But the story is exciting and filled with lies, mystery’s, really good characters and suspense. I like the dynamic and I like what the book is starting to build up. It’s twisted and you think you know how it all is put together but in the end that is just wrong. I do not, however, like Ollie that much. Well I like her fine, but for a girl who has been through everything she has been through, she is quite naive and really childish sometimes. And it does not get any better. I do hope she grow up some in the next book because if not, I don’t know if I want to continue reading.

I do not know the history with Asuwangs but have read a little about it now after the book and if I get it right, Collett (Which is not of Filipino descent) has done a great job with mixing the history with her line of the story and make it believable.

So as soon I have forgotten the “betrayal” I will read the second book and I really hope it is as good as the first one.

How do you feel about books ending before you think it will and cliffhangers?

Contemporary · Romance · Suspense

On the chase – Katie Ruggle

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34006761.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: After witnessing a horrifying crime, Kaylee is forced to flee to a small Colorado mountain town and take on a new identity. There she becomes Grace, a dog kennel worker trying to avoid the dangerously attractive K-9 Officer Hugh Murdoch.

When an accident leaves Hugh and his K-9 partner, Lexi, on desk duty, both are anxious for Hugh to heal. Until then, the highlight of his day is teasing the beautiful but mysterious new kennel employee. Their simmering attraction fuels a passionate kiss—interrupted by a sniper’s bullet. With targets on both of their backs, Grace and Hugh will do whatever it takes to stay alive…not realizing the most dangerous threat of all is hiding right in front of their noses.

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My thoughts: I’m having a super great start on the new year with an other really good book. This one is about Kaylee who has to run for her life after witnessing something she should not have witnessed. At her new town she meets Hugh. We met him in the first book “Run to ground“. This is an series and you should really read that book first before you read this one.

I really, really liked this. Much better than the first book in my opinion. But then again, I’m a sucker for story’s with strong women’s who have to run for their lifes, are terrified, but still meet that perfect guy, who sweep them of there feets and in the end “Saves” them.

Kaylee is a little of an “Princess” but only on the surface and when you really get to know her, she is an really down to earth person I just love. And Hugh. O my, he is funny, really funny and sweet and just great. You do know that I’m still talking about fictive people here right. Haha. But the characters are great and even if I did not like the first book as much as this one, it was nice to meet all the characters again and get to know them more.

Anyway. The book is great and I can strongly recommend it, but you need to read the first book first. 🙂

Fantasy/Paranormal · Thriller/Horror

The Knowing – Ninie Hammon

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27791721| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis: It starts with a school shooting.
It ends with the return of an evil as ancient as the skeleton of the universe.
In the middle, normal garden-variety people must figure out how to live their everyday lives—how to survive!—after they discover that all those childhood horror stories … well, most of them are true.
When the hot call comes over the radio: “Code Red! Active shooter at Carlisle Elementary School,” Police Sergeant Jack Carpenter has one job and only one job. Find the gunman; take him out. He rushes into the school, fully armed and focused on cold, hard reality. But what happens to him in the next few hours shatters the world as he has always known it. And in the next three days, everything Jack Carpenter believes about himself, about life and reality, about good and evil and the whole nature of the universe will be challenged.

Can it possibly be true—seriously?—that invisible monsters prowl among us every day?
That there exists in the real world a winged creature more horrifying than any Hollywood-animated, computer-generated, mechanical unreality?
And that the single-minded mission of that beast—a creation of absolute, soul-less evil—is to kill Jack Carpenter?
That’s crazy! Fairy-tale-science-fiction-horror-movie-bogeyman crap!
Bottom line: it flat-out cannot possibly be true.
But it is.

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My thoughts: Have you ever read a book that you really like but at the same time really did not like at all. And you can’t for the life of you, understand why? Why in the heck did I not like this book, when I liked the story. With a 4.23 at Goodreads and a 4.6 at Amazon, this should be a top book for me. But no, it really was not.

I cant put my finger on what exactly that rubbed me the wrong way. The story is the same as have been in other books and movies many times before. But I expected it and was prepared for it so I do not think it is that.

No, I will leave it with that. I can’t understand it. Oh and one more thing. There is nothing in this book that is in the category “Horror” for me. Maybe I’m just not that easily scared anymore, but everything that happened in the book was expected.

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

The Darkest Corner – Liliana Hart

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32620320| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: The Gravediggers aren’t exactly what they seem. They’re the most elite of the world’s fighting forces—and all they have in common is that they’ve been betrayed by the countries they’ve died for. Because they are dead. To their country, their military, and their families.

Sometimes the dead do rise…

Deacon Tucker is a dead man walking. A former black ops agent, he was disavowed and stripped of all honor before being recruited as a Gravedigger. But his honor and good name no longer matter, because no one knows he’s alive, and he’ll never get the recognition he deserves. His mission is simple: save the world or die trying. And for God’s sake, don’t ever fall in love. That’s a rule punishable by death. The kind of death a man can’t be brought back from.

Tess Sherman is the only mortician in Last Stop, Texas. She has no idea how Deacon Tucker ended up in her funeral home, but she’ll eat her hat if he’s only a funeral home assistant. Deacon is dangerous, deadly, and gorgeous. And she knows her attraction to him can only end in heartache.

Deacon is on a mission to stop the most fatal terror attack the world has ever known—what’s known as The Day of Destiny—a terrorist’s dream. But when he discovers Tess has skills he can use to stop them, he has to decide if he can trust her with secrets worth dying for. And, most important, he has to decide if he can trust her with his heart.

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My thoughts: Okay book. I liked bits and pieces of it. But it was not an great book and frankly , i’m a bit disappointed. I have read like 13 books by Liliana Hart and for the most part I have really liked them. She writes characters who are fun, quirky and really lovable and you cant not love the male heroes. They are awesome. But there is nothing of that in this one.

Somewhat repeatable. Specially about Tess’s temper, read hair and white skin. About Deacons “undead” life and past. There is no real explanations to WHY Deacon is where he is and they all is a little boring. The only character that actually did anything for me was Eve and I completely loath her. So yeah.

I’m not even sure if I will bother to read the next book in the series. Since I have read so many books by Hart and know what she is capable to do, I feel thorn. Should I risk wasting time on another mediocre book or should I risk missing one great story?

Contemporary · Romance

Wait for it – Mariana Zapata

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33288638.jpg| GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ |

Goodreads synopsis:If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn’t been one long enough.

Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing half the time. How she’s made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn’t supposed to be so hard.
With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for.

Except for a boyfriend.
Or a husband.
But who needs either one of those?

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My thoughts: I read “The wall of Winnipeg and me” (twowam) earlier this year and back then I did not know Zapatas books or writing style. I have had this book in my Kindle long before I even read “twowam” but there is always been something there who have stopped me from actually starting the book. But now I have read it and i’m so happy I finally did because O MY GOSH this book is good. It is even greater than “twowam” and I freaking loved that book.

This one is also an slow burn and wordy book but I feel I was a lot more prepared for it this time. There is also a lot more characters in the story and even two kids. And I freaking loved the youngest one.

The story is great and really believable. The characters is warm, funny and feels real. The only thing I feel that I need to comment on is that Dallas mood and personality do not quite match his backstory but that is okay. He is freaking great and I totally love Diana to. The relationship develops in a natural pace and I was not bored for one second. I can see how some readers can feel this book boring because it is not that much going on. But Zapata has an great ability to write an day to day story without at least boring me out and that is a valuable thing for me to like an author. Because I get easily bored.

This book gave me major hangover but it is so good and so worth it and you just have to read it. If you want. 😉