This has been a good week of reading while traveling. I am attending Indies Invade Philly today and have been trying to read attending authors I haven't read before. I try to do this before every signing, but this has been by far my most successful attempt. I have been able to read something, even if it was a short story in an anthology by all but four attending authors. I have a plan for those and hope to read them soon. Due to some technical issues with my laptop I need to cut this post here.
How The Grump Saved Christmas by Claire Kingsley
ARC: Release Date 11/17/2022
#Holiday #SmallTown #GrumpyHero #SecondChance #ARC
5 STARS
This is a stand-alone novel that is a spinoff of the Bailey
Brothers series and is somewhat concurrent in timeline with book six of that
series, Rewriting the Stars. It can be
read 100% without reading the This is written in first person from an
alternating dual POV.
Elias is seriously grumpy.
He is so grumpy it is funny at times.
As I got to know him, I understood why he acted the way he did, and it
made me love him. Underneath the grumpy
man is a boy with a broken heart. Isabelle
is a woman who loves her family and works hard to help her parents with their
tree farm and Christmas Village. She is
sassy, witty, driven, and absolutely fierce.
I loved her from the start.
The two of them together have chemistry and history they
need to address before they can become more than just lovers. Though they have intimate moments on page,
they are not as explicit as some. I
would probably give this a level 3 heat rating. They work well together, and I could see a
practical HEA between them.
The storybooks firs is set in the small town of Tillicum and Annika Haven is one of Isabelle’s best friends. It was the Bailey fun to see her again in that capacity. There are parallels to Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol that I loved. Elias’ assistant, Alice, was a real treat. I loved her from the start, even as a secondary character. As always, this author delivers a book with well-developed characters and a story that made me warm and gooey inside. This is a perfect holiday read and an excellent addition to an an annual holiday reading rotation.
This is the author's first novel and my first read of her work. It is a standalone and ends with a HEA. It is written in third person from multiple POV.
Alex is a government contractor leading a mission back to Afghanistan to rescue some hostages. She is a former NSA field agent and has been chosen because of her language skills and her knowledge of the terrorists and area involved. At her disposal is a SEAL team and a couple NSA agents (along for the ride). Ace is the Lt. Commander of the SEAL team working with Alex. When they literally run into each other before realizing they will be working together, there is an instant pull between them.
I loved both of the main characters. Alex in particular is beautiful, smart, determined, feisty, and tough beyond comprehension. She has been through, and goes through, some very difficult things in this book. Yet she continues to fight: to win, to survive, and to get her HEA. Ace is a wonderful hero. It is hard to go wrong with a SZEAL. The strength of character required to operate at those extreme levels make the man interesting. I adored his protective and comforting nature when it comes to Alex. They hold off on pursuing much more than kissing for most of the book. Part of that is due to circumstances and part is due to choice to not be together like that while on their mission. When they do finally come together it is in a fade to black scene. Normally, I prefer a much steamier read, but I have to say that I didn't really miss the details in this book. The emotional connection between the characters and the events of the story left me feeling like it was complete.
The story itself is intense. There is a lot of danger and tension as the team searches for the hostages and avoids death multiple times. I loved the portrayal of the team and life on FOB in the sandbox. The author has done her research and I felt like the military aspects of the book, so often done wrong, were done very well. I especially loved the interactions of the members of the SEAL team. There are themes of double agents, spies, treason, and manipulation in this book. In addition, the terrorists are especially vile. Alex's will to survive and the respect the SEAL team gives her as part of their team and family is a big part of this book. The epilogue sets up the next book nicely and I am excited to read it. Because the secondary characters are such a big part of the book, I feel like I know them and I want to see their HEAs happen too. (A previous reviewer had mentioned editing issues. I did not find that to be true at this point so I believe those have been fixed). I liked this book and felt like it was very well done, especially for a debut. I can't wait to read more of the series.
TW: Gun, knife. & war violence, torture and near rape, and themes relating to grief, survivor's guilt, and PTSD.
Sanctum (Blackwater Pack #1) by Hannah McBride
#Paranormal #Shifter #YoungAdult #FatedMates
4 STARS
I heard wonderful things about this series and I knew it would be one that I would want to continue into the next book right away. As I was working to read new-to-me authors who are attending Indies Invade Philly 2022, I saved this author for the last minute. This is book one in a series and ends with a HFN, but the series has an underlying plot that will arc over the books and put the couple in danger. It is written in first person from Skye's POV.
I was surprised when I started this book to learn that the characters are seniors in high school. This is younger than I normally read. I saw that some reviewers made some comparisons with Twilight, which I have not read. The first several chapters were actually kind of tough to get through for me. Skye is subjected to bullying in her pack. There are also some very dark and unsavory things that go on in the pack that some readers may find triggering.
Skye's character is tough. She has been through a lot and though she breaks down sometimes, she handles everything she encounters better than I think many would. I love the way the story develops her relationship with her wolf. It is nearly as big a part of the story as the relationship she forms with Remy. I also love the relationships she forms with members of the new pack. I love that she finally starts to come into her own.
Remy is an alpha and yet he is a gentle leader when he can be. I love the instant connection between Remy and Skye. I adore their shifter bond. It is one of my favorite things in shifter romances, and this one is special and intense.
I appreciated that with their youth, this book does not delve too far into the steamier aspects of their bond. They make out a little bit (second base) and have some grinding, but the story is more about the emotional connection and how they support and bond to each other. Before I finished this book, I went and downloaded the next one and started reading as soon as I finished. There are also elements of danger in the plot that keep the story moving. Overall, I really liked this and will be reading more of the series.
TW: bullying, rape (off page and not explicit) and physical assault of secondary characters, physical violence against main character (not by H).
Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger
Narrated by Troy Duran and Tara Langella
#paranormal #contemporaryromance #thriller #audiobook #reread
5 STARS
This is only my second book by this author and it is very different from the first one I read. I loved both of them. The author lists this book as an erotic thriller with a non-traditional HEA and I can't disagree with that description. There are several trigger warnings for this book on the author's website. I highly recommend that sensitive readers reviews these prior to making a decision on whether this book may or may not be for them. I am going to do my very best to write this review without giving away the plot twists or any spoilers.
I read the blurb for this book a while ago and I was intrigued. Dark romance is not usually my jam, but I do enjoy one every now and then to offset my love of romcoms. This book delivered a beautifully written story with twists, turns, and surprises. It is full of five alarm heat with explicit scenes that include light BDSM, role-play, and kink. I went in blind and had several theories about the truths buried in the mystery of the story as I went. I can tell you I really couldn't put this down. When I had to, I couldn't stop thinking about it. After I finished it several hours ago, I still can't think of anything else but this book. What makes a five star read? For me, it completely captures me. I want to read it again. I can't stop thinking about it when I am done. Some books manage this in a mild way while others, like this one, completely blow me away.
Kayla has a unique story. Is it a romance? I believe the answer is yes. If this story was told in a completely chronological manner, it would be hard to doubt this. Her relationship with the hero is full of love, understanding, friendship, and undeniably hot passion. The hero is everything! I loved him so, so much. I don't even have the words. Kayla is a character who grows over the course of their romance. She finds her true self in him and their relationship.
With nods to Dante's "The Divine Comedy" and Greek mythology, the story is told from mostly Kayla's first person POV with a couple of other POV's included at various points. I loved how the author intricately weaves the mystery into this story. From a story-telling perspective, this is masterfully told. If it was told in a traditional way, it would not be as completely captivating. This is one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time without knowing what is coming next. I have no doubt though that I will be rereading this one. If you like an erotic read full of mystery and dark moments, you want this book.
Reread: Audiobook November 2022
This book has not left my mind since I read it in August. When the audio became available, I knew I had to listen. The narrators and the duet narration really brought this story to life. Tara Langella perfectly captured Kayla. Her sarcasm, dry humor, and all of her emotions as she thinks she is going crazy are all apparent in Tara's voice. Perfect! Troy Duran: WOW! His growly voice was ideal as our hero. To say it gave me chills would be a HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT. His ability to capture our hero's vulnerability during the couple's emotional moments was not lost on me. I melted. The narration also added a new dimension to the role play games the couple engages in. The duet narration really made it possible to embody the fun and playful way they come together.
As the second time through this book, knowing the ending, I was able to see some of the intricacies in the author's writing that I missed the first time around. There are so many clues that I missed on first read. Also the beautiful imagery and literary refences the author uses became more apparent. I am in awe of the talent required to weave this story together the way she did. If I was blown away at first read, the second time through via audio has left me completely breathless. There is no doubt this is one of my top reads of the year. There is also no doubt that this audio currently holds the top spot of the year. I have listened to several good audiobooks this year, but this is miles above anything else. I can see myself listening time and again to this amazing story. No regrets on this purchase at all.
TW: descriptions of domestic abuse (on page), gun violence and other violence (on page), mental illness, grief, sexual role play games.
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