July Summary

August 3, 2019August 2, 2019 Book ChickLeave a comment

monthlysummery2

Wow. Four books read this month. That is so bad. There is several years since I read so little in one month. But I have just not had the time. With the house and everything, reading has not been a priority. Now that we are starting to get settles, I due hope that I will find time for more reading in August. 😀

Favorite book this month: Rhythm, chord & Malykhin – Mariana Zapata
Least favorite book this month: Whiskey and gunpowder – Liliana Hart

Number of physical books: 1
Number of e-books: 1
Number of audiobooks: 2
Total pages: 1343
Female authors: 3
Male authors: 1

The husband’s secret – Liane Moriarty
Pages: 402 Published: 2013
Genres: Fiction, mystery, chick lit, romance, adult.
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review

Rhythm, chord & Malykhin – Mariana Zapata
Pages: 398 Published: 2015
Genres: Contemporary, romance, New Adult.
My rating: 4/5
Links: Review

Whiskey and gunpowder – Liliana Hart
Pages: 217 Published: 2018
Genres: Chick lit, romance, contemporary, crime.
My rating: 1/5
Links: Review
Book 6 in The Addison Holmes Mysteries series.

Save me from dangerous men – S.A. Lelchuk
Pages: 326 Published: 2019
Genres: Mystery, thriller, fiction, suspense
My rating: 3/5
Links: Review
Book 1 in The Nikki Griffin series. (Maybe)

TBR

To Be Read – July

July 3, 2019July 2, 2019 Book Chick1 Comment

Due to to big move and renovation of our new house, I do not count on getting that much reading in as I would like. I’m not even sure I will be able to listen on some audio books. So for July I have only picked four books, all in my kindle, since my physical books are in boxes. Here is what I have.

Rhythm, chord & Malykhin by Zapata. She is one of my absolute favorite authors and I always saves her books and reads them when I need it the most. For an example when I’m sick, depressed or now in July, probably very, very stressed.

Whiskey and Gunpowder by Hart, the sixth book in the series about Addison Holmes. I need to read it to know if the series is finished or not. I don’t know if I want to know the answer though.

Escape from the green by Gadziala. She usually don’t write fantasy but her first book “The Green” totally knocked me flat on my ass and I have been saving this one for the perfect time. Lets see if July is the time.

Next of kin by Sala. I feel that I probably will need some old time fashion romantic suspense and hope that this one will bring that to the table. 😀

What are you planing on reading in the month of July?

Under Locke – Mariana Zapata

February 26, 2019February 25, 2019 Book Chick1 Comment

20613920 | GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: He was my boss, my brother’s friend, a Widower, an ex-felon, and a man I’d seen casually with a handful of women. But he was everything that gripped me, both the good and the bad. Worst case scenario if things turned awkward between us, I could go somewhere else. I’d gotten over epic heartbreak before, one more wouldn’t kill me.

After moving to Austin following six months of unemployment back home, Iris Taylor knows she should be glad to have landed a job so quickly… even if the business is owned by a member of the same motorcycle club her estranged father used to belong to. Except Dex Locke might just be the biggest jerk she’s ever met. He’s rude, impatient and doesn’t know how to tell time. And the last thing they ever expected was each other.
But it was either the strip club or the tattoo shop.

… she should have chosen the strip club.

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My thoughts: Mariana is one of my favorite authors with her unique writing style and thoughtful plots. And even though I often find it a delight reading her books, I can’t say that it I fell for Under Locke. In my opinion, of those book I have read so far, this is certainly the weakest one. I can see how she tried to achieve some strong, kick ass characters but it fell flat on so many levels.

My biggest problem was really Iris and that she certainly is not an character easy to love. She prides herself with not holding grudges, but like 60% of the books is constant nagging about what a dick one character is, what an asshole another are and it goes on and on and on. I can’t stand that type of self-pity and it drives me nuts that she sounds like a broken record. She is almost 25 years old but often acts like 15. Yeah I know she have had a hard life and so on, but then you would expect a more mature woman.

The plot is pretty straight forward. Woman has troubles with finding job, finds a job working for an asshole. Female fall in love with asshole and lo and behold, he is not an asshole after all. Just a man with many layers. Unfortunately those layers was not as deep as expected.

Overall it is a good book. It is quite entertaining and so on but so much dwelling is annoying to read. This book will not change my opinion regarding Mariana Zapata. I see it as a bad day, everyone has one and this book is just one of Mariana Zapatas bad days. Still okay but not as good as I know it can be.

Contemporary · Romance · Sports/Games · Young, New adult/College

From Lukov with love – Mariana Zapata

September 27, 2018September 27, 2018 Book Chick2 Comments

| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one.

After seventeen years—and countless broken bones and broken promises—she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close.

But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything.

Including Ivan Lukov.

My thoughts: I want so badly to give this book a five star rating. It was so good, I’m serious. It was! But there was a couple of things that totally ticked me off and no matter how much I tried, I can’t ignore it. But first, lest talk about the positive things.

God I Love Jasmine and Ivan. They are such funny characters and their constant banter toward each other is never to much or excessive. And it certainly makes the sport part of the book a lot more fun to read. Sport books can often be tedious due to all the technical talk. But that never happened here. I love the side stories and how much deeper characters Jasmine and Ivan are. Nothing is as you first think it is and it is a wonderful story to follow. I don’t know what it is but Zapata is a queen when it comes to writing books. They are complex and deep which just makes your heart warm, fuzzy and you feel so good after ending the book.

The two things I did not like however is how slow start it was and that it was a lot of writing between the characters talk and somewhat repetitive. But when the story finally kicked off, that was no longer a problem. The second thing is the romantic aspect of the story. You, who follows my reviews, knows that I love slow burn romance but come on, here you could have kicked it up a notch at least 100 pages earlier in my opinion. I would have liked to seen more of it and due to the slowness off it, the book ended to fast.

But still, god damn this is a good book. Perfect middle of the week read when everything else feels dull and boring.

Contemporary · Romance · War/Military

Dear Aaron – Mariana Zapata

May 7, 2018May 7, 2018 Book Chick1 Comment

| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Ruby Santos knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she signed up to write a soldier overseas.

The guidelines were simple: one letter or email a week for the length of his or her deployment. Care packages were optional.

Been there, done that. She thought she knew what to expect.

What she didn’t count on was falling in love with the guy.

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My thoughts: I really like Zapata and her way of writing. This is the third book I read by her and I still just loves her and she is one of my favorite authors. Yes I can say that after three books. This book, however, is probably the one I like the least of those I have read. And that is just because it is so god damn slow. I did expect some slowness since that is her thing. Slow burned, contemporary romance is what she do. So I was prepared and didn’t expect anything else. But I didn’t know that I had to wait like 90% of the book for something to really happen and at 40% I was actually ready to give up. I don’t have patience for slowness. But I did keep reading and I’m happy for that. It is a great book. But it would not be the first one I would recommend by her if anyone asked.

I did, however, really liked Ruby who is this nerdy, a little social awkward young woman with big dreams but also a lot of fear. She is trying to do some good because she is a genuinely nice person. Then we have Aaron, who kind of just float through life right now. He doesn’t know what he want out of life, he has no near relationship with his family and comes from a different kind of background than Ruby. But they spend 9 months just talking, getting to know each other, before stuff happens and things evolve. Just a great, great story. But so slow!

In some way I feel that this book is unfinished. There was parts that I didn’t really understood and others that was needlessly. And there is a pretty big part of the book (can’t say what because I do not want to spoiler you) that was kind of boring because nothing really happen until the end. And I found that the end was somewhat unfulfilling. Gosh is sounds like I didn’t like this book at all, but I did, I promises and I think that you would to. Probably even more than me.

Contemporary · Romance

Wait for it – Mariana Zapata

December 1, 2017November 30, 2017 Book Chick3 Comments

| 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. 😉

Contemporary · Romance · Sports/Games · Young, New adult/College

The Wall Of Winnipeg And Me – Mariana Zapata

September 16, 2017September 26, 2017 Book Chick1 Comment

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

Goodreads synopsis: Vanessa Mazur knows she’s doing the right thing. She shouldn’t feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she’s beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn’t find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He’s asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?

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My thoughts: I have had like three books by Mariana Zapata in my electronic library for ever and when I finally read this, I certainly do not regret it. I dont know why I hesitated so to read her books. This one for example has an 4,34 in average rating and over 30.000 people have rated it and there is over 3000 reviews on the book. It should say something. But after my experience I do not often like the stuff that “everybody else loves”. But I did love this one. Not 5 star loved it but still loved. And I shall explain why.

First of, the book is on like 700 pages, but that I hardly noticed because the story captured me from the beginning. I love the characters and the dynamic in the book. I love the fast, funny banter between them and how it all just evolves. I love the up and downs and I specially love the female character Vanessa. That is a girl with skin on here nose and when you think on here childhood and the person she has evolved till, you cant stop loving her even more. Aiden however is so silent and closed for the major part of the book that its hard to get to know him, but also he is a great characters and you will see that as soon you get to know him.

The reason the book not got a full pot is because it was kind of slow. Not boring slow really, but still slow. Some things could have happen a lot sooner and some stuff should have been said earlier. Due to this it made me not get that 100% connection with the book that I need to have to be able to give a five star review. But the book is pretty damn close and I certainly will be reading more from her.