Contemporary · Fantasy/Paranormal · Romance

Escape from the green – Jessica Gadziala

34608739._SY475_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis:
Amethyst
Determined not to be a pawn in my mother’s game any longer, I finally decided to take my destiny into my own hands.
But I had made a promise to myself many years ago when I used to dream about running away. If I was getting my freedom, he was getting his too…

Drake
Imprisoned. Enslaved. That was my life for longer than I cared even to admit, beaten and humiliated for what I was. Draca. Dragon fae. The supposed last of my kind. Except I wasn’t. But that was a secret I’d take to my grave.
I’d learned long ago to accept my fate, that freedom was not something I would ever know again.
But then one day after one of the worst snowstorms in my memory, the daughter of the man who had shackled me in iron chains to begin with burst into my barn with a key and a mission. Free me. And herself.
Things, though, often don’t go to plan. And we found ourselves stuck in the middle of something no one ever could have predicted. A war between the Light and Dark fae.
Our futures uncertain, we decided there was only one place to go.
Back to the land of my kind. To see if any were left. And if they would have us.

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My thoughts:

The magical land of The Green is on the brink of War. Where dark and light fairies lives together with a million other creatures. We have good characters, evil characters and those you feel are good but keep doing “evil” things. It is interesting, captivating and somewhat suspenseful. AND of course there is dragons in it. I could not have been asking for more. Unfortunately I just don’t feel for it.

I cannot say it was as good as the first one. It is good, don’t get me wrong, but it lacked some of the “umph” I felt from the first book. And it may not be that positive that I found Sal and Smokey more interesting than the two main characters the book actually was about. I do really hope Gadziala one day in the future write Sal and Smokey’s book. I would love to take part of that story.

This one however, I found it just okay. It was nice to spend time with, but I would not read it again in a near future.

Contemporary · Romance

Fix it up – Jessica Gadziala

39963632._SX318_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: “The chance of a lifetime. With one little catch.”

All Brinley Spears has ever dreamed about since she completed design school four years ago was getting noticed. By the right people. By the right companies. Anyone who could finally help launch her career onto a new level.

Unfortunately, the opportunity comes to her in the aisle of a home improvement store while she was arguing with the world’s most irritating contractor… Warren Reyes.

It was everything she ever wanted, the chance to star in HITV’s hit show Fix It Up. There’s one problem though. The producers think Brin and Warren are married. And want them as a pair… or not at all.

So, desperate for the opportunity she has always wanted, Brin hatches a plan. One fake marriage. One season of a show. And then they can both go their separate ways.

You know, if they don’t kill each other first…

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My thoughts:

Fantastic! For you who have not yet read Fix it up by Jessica Gadziala, doesn’t know that the word “fantastic” is repeatedly written throughout this book. And it’s a perfect word to describe it. Fantastic! Just utterly, rip out my heart and put it back in again, fantastic. I can’t do anything other than recommend it. Specially if you are looking for something fun, light and easy with great characters, plot and some hot, sexy stuff. Start here.

It’s an easy, lovable and funny book which is a little different from what Gadziala normally writes. But I like it. No, I Love it! It’s refreshing and reminds me a little of R.L Mathewson who writs fantastic and funny romantic contemporary. It is nice to see that Gadziala, even though she is one of my favorite authors, isn’t a one trick pony.

I love Warren and Brinley. Missed some more detailed descriptions of the characters and there were some grammatical errors even I could detect, but that was so small stuff that I don’t even bother thinking about it.

Great stand alone and nice that not everything has to be a series. Gadziala is a queen when it comes to publish books and she writes faster than I have time to read. But in the end Fix it up, is just Fantastic.

Chick Lit · Contemporary · Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Romance

The husband’s secret – Liane Moriarty

17465450| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: My Darling Cecilia
If you’re reading this, then I’ve died . . .

Imagine your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret – something so terrible it would destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others too. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive . . .

Cecilia Fitzpatrick achieved it all – she’s an incredibly successful business woman, a pillar of her small community and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia – or each other – but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s devastating secret.

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My thoughts:

I really, really liked The Husband’s secrets. Never read anything by Moriarty before but keep seeing her name circulating out there in the bookish community. So when I found one of her books in my grandma’s bookshelf I just had to buy myself a copy and give it a try. Grandma has great taste in books.

At first I was a little confused. Judged by the synopsis, I thought that the letter would have had a much bigger part of the story than it actually has. But it is the three main characters, Cecilia, Rachel and Tess, and what was happening in their day to day life, that’s actually was the focal point. I like the history twist of the story, the character and their relationships. It is not disappointed at all that it was not what I first had foreseen. It is relatable, believable and realistic. Really well written and even though it is suppose to be a chick flick, the mystery feel of it and the dark emotions certainly made it a lot more likable for me. It made it more captivating, if you understand what I mean. And that ending was both wonderful, heartbreaking and you sit there thinking, what could have been and are not in your own life and on the butterfly effect.

Non of Moriartys books has interested me but after this I certainly feels that I should look into them to. Maybe I have missed something big here. Either way, I would differently recommend The Husband’s secrets. A perfect book for those late summer days.

Romance · Suspense

Hidden star – Nora Roberts

34775583| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: She couldn’t remember a thing, not even who she was. But it was clear Bailey James was in trouble. Big trouble! And she desperately needed Cade Parris to help her live long enough to find out just what kind.

The moment the cool-headed private eye laid eyes on the fragile beauty, she almost had him forgetting who he was. If Bailey was a criminal, Cade would eat his hat. But what was she doing with a satchel full of cash and a diamond as big as a baby’s fist? And how could he unravel this mystery if he kept tripping over his heart?

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My thoughts:

“She is such a pussy who wimps out at every turn of event and every headache that surface together with a flash of memory. “

First off, I did not know this was part of a trilogy where the ending is both unsatisfying and kind of a cliffhanger are happening. It was not quite what I expected but good enough. The plot itself is kind of good and believable. A little easy at the end and everything went by so fast. Entertaining but not enough to continue the series. Nothing I would recommend in the first place and that only due to my “hate” for the characters.

The character Bailey is infuriating. She is such a pussy who wimps out at every turn of event and every headache that surface together with a flash of memory. Then she keeps getting angry at Cade for trying to help. Then she gets angry on him for not only focusing on helping her. Come On? Show some backbone. I just can’t take those type of characters. I was surprised because that is not something I associate with an author as Roberts who is a queen when it comes to write strong, leading, female characters.

Cade on the other hand is an underdeveloped character where you get the feel of much more but never receive it. He is descent enough but noting to shout hooray for. His “love” for Bailey is shallow and uninteresting and the dynamic between those two just don’t work. I felt more of a sparkle between Cade and one of his old flames who visited the story in like, one page. That is not a good thing.

Classic/Historical · Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction · Romance

Spellbound – Margit Sandemo

51ZgfQcxO0L._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Winter 1581: a deadly plague outbreak robs sixteen-year old peasant girl Silje of all her family. Homeless, starving and shepherding two abandoned children, she stumbles out of the corpse-strewn streets of Trondheim on Norway’s northern coast.

Heading desperately for the warmth of the mass funeral pyres blazing beyond the city gates, she encounters in the shadowy forest one of the infamous Ice People, a fearsome, strangely captivating ‘wolf man’. He offers help – and she feels irresistibly drawn to him. But what is the terrible fascination? And where will it lead?

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My thoughts:

“It is a great start on a series who will take place over several centuries.”

This is probably my third or fourth reared of the first book in the Legend of the Ice People series. A book series, written by a Norwegian author and published in 47 parts. Yes. It is 47 books in this series and myself have not read more than eleven. Now I’m fortunate enough to have found and bought the whole series in hardcover. They do not print them anymore, not in Swedish at least, so second-hand was the only option. So now my challenge is to read all the 47 books. It will probably take me a couple of years but one day I will make it.

It is an historical fantasy about The Ice People who have a curse riding through the generations. The first book is about Silje and her travels in the plague ridden part of the Norwegian mountains where she meets some of those people and one of the cursed ones. She is strong and a motivated character in a way that you can relate with her. We meet some of the ground laying characters and gets to know the history and story of the Ice People. It is a great start on a series who will take place over several centuries.

It is easy to read and it have been translated to English. How easy it is to get hold of the books, i do not know, but they must exist out there somewhere if you are interested.

 

Romance

Sugar – Jessica Gadziala

38353681| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Sugar had known a lot of women in his life. But he’d never met anyone quite like this mermaid-haired, tattooed, pierced, smartass woman named Peyton who made it clear she didn’t want anything from him except as many orgasms as he could give her.

So what was he supposed to do when he realized he did want more? How was he supposed to get this woman who was so committed to non-commitment to take a chance on him? Or convince the loansharks and ex-armed robbers that loved her that he was worthy? All the while trying to figure out how a dead man from his past had somehow come back to life… and why he was coming for him…

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My thoughts:

“So overall I may be a little too generous with the rating, but even though I did not like it as much as the others, I still enjoyed it.”

12 books! 12 books I have so far read in the Henchmen series, and a number of others from the same universe and I love it and I love Gadziala. I love her characters and her easy way of writing but I have mixed feelings for this one. I freaking love Sugar and Peyton and the fizzy chemistry between them. Sugar is cool and layback while Peyton is… well she certainly wins the first price in craziness and is all over the top at all times. But I think the biggest problem with the book is the fuzzy plot. Nothing really happens until like 90% in, and that is over long before it even started. Kind of anticlimactic when you get all that build-up but no real release. It felt rushed and a few parts was kind of boring and in the end there are a few things that didn’t make sense. I will however not dive into that pit of thoughts due to spoilers.

I was just expecting more. Specially sine Peyton belongs to both Mallick and Rivers family, kind of, and I thought the V thing would escalate but that was completely “dead”. So overall I may be a little too generous with the rating, but even though I did not like it as much as the others, I still enjoyed it. And that makes the difference.

Contemporary · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense

Sizzle – Julie Garwood

6671931| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Lyra Prescott, a Los Angeles film student, is closing in on graduation and facing important decisions about her future. She’s already been offered a job at her hometown TV station, an opportunity that could ultimately launch her dream career as a film editor. But heading back home would also mean dealing with her overprotective brothers, social-climbing mother, and eccentric grandmother. Unsure of her future, Lyra dives into work on her final school assignment: a documentary transformed by a twist of fate into a real-life horror film.

After she unwittingly captures a shocking crime on camera, a rash of mysterious, treacherous incidents convince Lyra that she’s trapped in a sinister scenario headed for a violent ending. Running scared, she turns to her best friend, Sidney Buchanan, whose connections bring dauntless and devilishly handsome FBI agent Sam Kincaid into Lyra’s life. As the noose of deadly intrigue tightens and the feelings between them deepen, Lyra and Sam must place their faith in each other’s hands – and stand together against the malevolent forces about to break loose.

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My thoughts:

“So it is not a full pot in rating but still just what I needed.”

Garwood has this nice way of writing which makes you feel warm and captivated by her books and this one was no exception. This time it is even a little funny. Not only does we follow the good guys, Lyra and Sam, but also some of the bad guys, and one of them is hilarious. He prides himself with being smarter than everyone else but in the end he keep taking those not so smart decisions which is resulting in some funny situations. It fit perfectly and I wanted more of it.

The plot is quite believable if not a little exaggerative and the relationship between Lyra and Sam feels a little forced. To much of that instant attraction and not enough off actual conversation between the main characters. And I would have loved to get more of Gigi and the whole tornado around her. She is one heck of a good character and I would totally read a book only about her. So it is not a full pot in rating but still just what I needed. Been having trouble with a reading slump lately that I’m trying to dig myself out off it.

This is the 8th book in the series and that Garwood still can keep me captivating I find it somewhat impressive. Specially since the books, I so far have read, are between 10 and 20 years old. But it still does not feel old fashioned.

 

 

Fantasy/Paranormal · Romance

Lover revealed – J.R Ward

42898| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Butch O’Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he’s the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world—to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He’s got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who’s way out of his league. If he can’t have Marissa, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers…

Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he’s found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back. But even her love may not be enough to save him…

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My thoughts:

“He is like the perfect character with a moral compass always pointing in the right directions but still this ruff , broken and hurting man with an hell of a history.”

This was quite a hard review to write. I feel kind of indifferent toward it. I really liked to read about Butch aka. Cop O’Neal and Marissa, but at the same time I do not feel much for the story itself. The dynamic of the characters around and in the Black Dagger Brotherhood is still as fantastic as usual. There is also some characters outside of the brotherhood who we are learning to know more and more. But the rest is starting to be somewhat repetitive and bored me out most of the times.

I love Butch. He is like the perfect character with a moral compass always pointing in the right directions but still this ruff , broken and hurting man with an hell of a history. It was even better to really get to know him and learn about his history and the plot twist made sense and fit perfectly. Marissa however I did not like as much in the beginning. But when she finally took a firm grip of her own life and “grew” a spine, she also grew on me.

My favorite part of the book is however the virginity thing.  This is probably the first time I have ever read a realistic telling about the first time and that it is not perfect for many women. That you get just a little pain but after a couple of strokes an explosive orgasm is braking through your body. No! Come on! Ward did a great job with an realistic telling about the emotions and confusion and I just feel it somewhat ironic that it is where the character is a vampire. They are supposed to be bad asses. But I’m not complaining. At least I now know that there is one book out there who have it somewhat realistic and not a fantasy.

Contemporary · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense

Dirty laundry – Liliana Hart

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| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: A new novel in the New York Times bestselling series: Coroner JJ Graves and her husband Sheriff Jack Lawson are back on the job when the body of an elderly woman is found in Bloody Mary.

Rosalyn McGowen is everyone’s favorite great-grandmother. She always has baked treats in her bag, she smells of roses, and she takes in stray cats. No one knows who could hurt a sweet old lady. But Rosalyn isn’t exactly as she seems. Every Thursday at noon Rosalyn secretly posts The Bloody Mary Tattler on social media, and it has everyone in town both captivated and horrified.

When Rosalyn’s secret is discovered along with her body, it’s not easy for JJ to determine her death as a homicide. But it’s not long before they discover the list of suspects is endless and Rosalyn didn’t exactly take all of her secrets to the grave.

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My thoughts:

“There relationship is so well written, it feels natural and realistic and it is easy to connect with.”

Another brilliant J.J Graves story from Liliana Hart. I read book 4.5 in the series several years ago and then I quite forgot about the series while waiting for book five. It was nice to pick up the thread again. I really like Harts writing where you get this warm, fuzzy feeling and even though the book about murder, death and human eating cats, there is also an aura of a feel good book at the same time. Mostly because I love JJ and Jack. Their relationship is so well written, it feels natural and realistic and it is easy to connect with. This time the book also has the feel of a mix between “desperate housewives” and “Midsomer Murders”. Such a fun story and plot to follow.

The conclusion in the end was however somewhat rushed and rich in details. It was a little hard to keep up with it to understand who the killer was and the why’s. It also ended on a major cliffhanger and we still haven’t received the whole truth around JJ’s dead parents. There is just so many loose threads floats around and it is time to knot some of them and be done with it. It is time to reveal those secrets.

Contemporary · Romance

Breathe – Kristen Ashley

18773967| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: There’s nothing like the first time . . . 

In Carnal, Colorado, Faye Goodknight is the town’s quiet, shy librarian. She may also be Carnal’s last remaining virgin. For years, Faye has had a crush on Chace Keaton, but the gorgeous cop has always been unattainable. She’s resigned to live contentedly with only her books for company-until Faye suddenly meets Chace alone in the woods . . .

Chace doesn’t think he’s the good guy everyone believes him to be. He’s made a lot of choices he regrets, including denying his feelings for Faye. Through his choices, he’s come to believe the pretty librarian is too good for him, but after their time in the woods, Chace realizes that she may be his last chance for redemption. Soon, their long simmering desires grow to a burning passion. Yet always casting a shadow over their happiness is Chace’s dark past . . .

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My thoughts:

“KA is so good at what she does that even she may not be able to maintain the expectations she has created.”

“I’m so bored.” That was my main thought throughout the whole thing. I don’t know what it was, but it never fell right with me. Didn’t find the characters as good as I know Ashley usually writes them, the story was mostly repetitive information from the earlier books and the romantic part of the plot was just overrated. KA is so good at what she does that even she may not be able to maintain the expectations she has created. I’m disappointed to be honest and it was not what I expected.

I struggled so much, I feel exhausted and broken. I really wanted to DNF it but couldn’t do that to her since KA is one of my favorite authors. But I tried, Oh lord did I try and maybe it would have been more humane to end it in the middle and not knowing what I know now.

I’m tired and I need a break. No romance for a while now. I need to read some other stuff and hopefully find my reader self again.