NEW RELEASE: The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter

Published May 31, 2016 by Harlequin!

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with her most explosive Lords of the Underworld tale to date, about a fierce warrior on the brink of sanity who will stop at nothing to claim the exquisite human with the power to soothe the beast inside him… 

Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another…and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.  

Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart. 

But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.

Keep reading for an excerpt!

______________________________________________________________________

About the Author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series.  In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours…hours!  Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books atgenashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfan

Links:

Website: www.genashowalter.com

Twitter: @genashowalter

Facebook: Facebook.com/genashowalterfan

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/48192.Gena_Showalter 

____________________________Excerpt___________________________

Katarina wasn’t afraid of Baden. Not anymore.

He took a step to the side, intending to move around her. Oh, no. She flattened her hands on his shoulders, keeping him in place.

“I want to know what’s wrong with you.” She said. “Tell me.”

He snapped his teeth at her in a show of dominance. “You think you want to know my problem. You’re wrong.”

Her tone dry, she said, “I’m so glad you know my mind better than I do.”

“Very well. I need sex.” He threw the words at her as if they were weapons. “Badly.”

Whoa. Blindside!

Heart pounding, she jerked her hands away from him. “Sex...from me?”

“Yesss.” A hiss. “Only from you.”

Only. Amazing how one little word could send pleasure soaring through her, warming her. “You told me never to touch you.” Which she’d just done, she realized. My bad.

“I’ve changed my mind.” His gaze dropped, lingered on her lips.

Burning her... “But you and I...we’re a different species.” As if that mattered to her body. Gimme!


He took a step closer, invading her personal space.  “We’ll fit, I promise you.”


Tristo hrmenych! The raspy quality of his voice, all smoke and gravel...she shivered with longing. Must resist his allure.

But...but...why? Before she’d committed to Peter, she’d dated around, had made out in movie theaters, cars and on couches. She’d liked kissing and touching and “riding the belt buckle,” as her friends had called it. Then, after committing to Peter, she’d gifted him with her virginity. At first, he hadn’t known what to do with her—he’d been just as inexperienced—and she’d left each encounter disappointed. When finally she’d gathered the courage to tell him what she wanted, he’d satisfied her well.

She missed sex. But connection...intimacy...she thought she missed those more.

The dogs barked, jolting her from her thoughts. They’d cleaned their food bowls, and now wanted to play. She clasped Baden’s hand to lead him out of the kennel. He jerked away, severing contact.

One action. Tons of hurt.

“I’m allowed to touch you and you want to have sex with me, but you’re still disgusted by me.” She stomped outside the kennel, done with him. “Well, I’m leaving. Good riddance! Your do-what-I-say-or-else attitude was annoying, anyway.”

He darted in front of her, stopping her. Breath caught in her throat as sunlight streamed over him, paying his chiseled features absolute tribute, making his bronzed skin glimmer.

So beautiful. Too beautiful.

“I’m not disgusted by you. You need me. I’ve come to accept it,” he admitted, looking away from her. “But being skin-to-skin with another is painful for me. We’ll have to proceed carefully. And you’ll get over your annoyance.”

Another order!  She would show him the error of his ways.

Grab your copy of THE DARKEST TORMENT here!

Amazon * Kindle * Barnes * Nook * Book Depository * GooglePlay * iBooks * BAM * Kobo * IndieBound

And don’t miss the previous titles in the Lords of the Underworld Series!

THE DARKEST NIGHT

THE DARKEST KISS

THE DARKEST PLEASURE

THE DARKEST WHISPER

THE DARKEST PASSION

THE DARKEST LIE

THE DARKEST SECRET

THE DARKEST SURRENDER

THE DARKEST SEDUCTION

THE DARKEST CRAVING

THE DARKEST TOUCH

Once again a huge thanks to author, @genashowalter and the @InkslingerPR team for allowing me to be a part of the release!

REVIEW: Christine by Stephen King

Christine counts as my Book Riot entry for book published in the decade I was born. This 1983 King novel tell the story of an evil alive in Libertyville, PA--an evil that inhabits a red 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine and the car's teenage owner, Arnold Cunningham after he buys it from strange, anger ridden Roland LeBay.

It soon becomes apparent that Christine isn't like other cars.  With a sense of awareness as if she's alive, Christine targets those who bully Arnie and reacts jealously to those who sway his attention from her. Best friend Dennis Guilder learns of the car's dark past including murder, suicide and it's heinous regeneration.

In hopes to save Arnie and put an end to Christine's reign of terror, Dennis joins forces with Arnie's ex-girlfriend Leigh Cabot. But will they all survive or will Christine and the evil manifested by LeBay cost them their lives?

Christine doesn't disappoint. It's super creepy but also interesting in its plot and character development. We so often hear people speak about a car as if it were a real person that the prospect of a car as a sentient being is pretty frightening.  Overall, I enjoyed the book as well as the audio narrated by Holter Graham.

I still have a qualms about King's depiction of female characters.  At this point I've read The Shining, Doctor Sleep, Carrie, The Dead Zone, and Salem's Lot. I want a BA and strong female character that isn't so hopelessly flawed or comes across as a bitch.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars



#horror #Christine #stephenking #cars #possession #audiobook

REVIEW: Troublemaker by Leah Remini

My reading challenge includes reading a book about religion.  For this, I chose Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by actress Leah Remini.  Throughout she recounts her experience growing up as a Scientologist as well as the impact this had on finding success in Hollywood.

I've always liked Remini as an actress from the first time I saw her on Saved by the Bell to her leading role on King of Queens.  I watched her stint and Dancing with the Stars and when she's filled in as a co-host, I prayed to the TV gods that she'd permanently fill in for Erin Andrews.

Remini is smart, funny, and tells it like it is. I admire her honesty and courage to write this book despite the increase in backlash she's already experienced. Truthfully, I went in not knowing much about Scientology as a religion.  Sure I recognize key celebrity names (i.e. Tom Cruise, John Travolta) but when it comes to beliefs and principles I was a bit in the dark.  Remini sheds light on how it all is supposed to work but also blows the whistle on questionable actions and continued mysteries. Speaking her mind led her to be unjustly ousted because she spoke her mind and raised questions based on what she saw and how that factored into what she was always taught to believe.

This was a fascinating read made even more interesting by Remini's own narration of the audiobook.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @LeahRemini


#troublemaker #memoir #hollywood #religion #books #audiobook #celebrity #humor

NEW RELEASE: Charged by Jay Crownover

Published: May 24, 2016

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the second installment in the Saints of Denver series featuring a bad girl and a by the book attorney who could be her salvation...or her ruin.

Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.

When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.

Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.

As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged.

Don’t miss CHARGED by Jay Crownover! Grab your copy and meet the #LegalEagle!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1rfdYjs
iBooks: http://apple.co/1m8juBm
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1VQbp4A

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep reading for an excerpt!

____________________________________________________________________

About the Author

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs. 

Links:

Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter

CHARGED Goodreads ** Jay Crownover Goodreads

_____________________________Read an Excerpt____________________________

Avett

Don’t worry, Sprite, bad decisions always make for good stories…

              I could hear my dad’s gruff voice, lightened with humor, in my ear as he told me those words every single time I got caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to do when I was growing up. I was always doing something I shouldn’t then and now, so I heard those words a lot from him. Unfortunately, as an adult, my bad decisions resulted in consequences far worse than a scraped knee or a broken wrist from falling out of the tree in the backyard he warned me repeatedly wasn’t sturdy enough to limb. And sadly, my dad reassuring me in his firm and gentle way, while calling me his little Sprite as he kissed my boo-boos, wasn’t going to help my current situation at all.

              This boo-boo was big-time.

              This boo-boo was life-changing.

              This boo-boo was anything but a good story waiting to be told.

              This boo-boo very well could be the end of me, the end of the rope where my patient parents had dangled precariously for years, and it very well could be the end of any kind of future I may have had. A future I was well on my way to letting a lifetime of bad decisions and even worse choices screw up. At barely twenty-two, bad decisions had sort of become my stock in trade and were as familiar to me as my own face. I was almost legendary, at this point, for putting all my trust in the absolutely wrong kind of people. If there was a wrong path to take, I was going to skip gleefully down that road and not look back until I ended up exactly in the kind of situation I found myself in at the moment. It wasn’t like this was even a new dead end; it was the same one I ran into over and over again. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get myself turned around, and the longer I was at this dead end, the darker and more wicked it became.

              I knew better. I really did, even if there was a boatload of evidence contradicting that fact.

              I wasn’t stupid, naïve, immature, or senseless. I might appear that way to anyone on the outside looking in, but I had my reasons for being a consummate failure and lifelong loser. All of those reasons had nothing to do with me not knowing better and everything to do with me knowing exactly what I deserved.

              For a long time now I had been spiraling out of control, whirling, falling deep and deeper into a pit of really awful actions and consequences, each seemingly worse and more painful than the last. I also hadn’t made any kind of effort to try and pull myself out of it, so logically I knew the only place I was going to end up was right here, right at the lowest part of rock bottom. I never imagined the landing would be so jarring.

Go buy it today!!!

A special thanks to @JayCrownover @InkSlingerPR!  

#legaleagle #charged #SoD #jaycrownover #books

REVIEW: The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

The newest release from YA bestselling author Richelle Mead is best described as The  Selection meets Pride and Prejudice.

Set in fictional Osfrid, an young countess poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. To do so, she must become Adelaide and join the Glittering Court, a business venture designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages. Based on her upbringing, Adelaide excels in her studies while also making friends along the way.  She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court. 

Adelaide soon discovers that Cedric is hiding his own dangerous secret.  Complications arise as does a powerful attraction between Adelaide and Cedric. Such a relationship has the power to ruin them both and tarnish the Glittering Court. Will they be able to overcome all the obstacles and build a life together or will power, intrigue and secrets lead to their demise?

There is nothing wrong with the novel per se.  The premise is fine as is character development and pacing. Overall, this just lacked pizzazz and the personality present in so many of Mead's other works.   I miss the crew of characters from the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines books. I need more humor and less courtly manners.  This is a good read-a-like for fans of The Selection or similar regency novels. 

Final rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @RichelleMead

#richellemead #theglitteringcourt #yalit #teen #regency #marriage #books

REVIEW: What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

What I Saw and How I Lied is the 2008 National Book Award winner telling the story of 15 year old Evie Spooner. This is a tale full of murder, mystery and intrigue set just after World War II.

As Evie's step-father, Joe, returns home from the war, everyone is happy that life fell back to normal quickly.  However, Joe seems changed, bringing back far more than war stories. When he packs up Evie and her mother for an impromptu Florida vacation, their lives will never be the same.

Setting up in a dilapidated old hotel, Evie eyes are opened as she slowly learns that everyone has secrets.  When uber handsome Peter Coleridge, a 23 year old ex-GI who served in Joe's company, arrives in Florida, Evie finds herself caught up in a tumultuous scene.  Falling for Peter, she ignores the secrets surrounding him and his connection to her family until a horrific tragedy shatters her family as well as her perceptions about the world.

This is truly a stellar book. There's plenty of mystery and deceit but what I loved was the pacing and the overall theme of growing up and self realization.  Evie begins the novel an immature girl but as the narrative concludes she's progressed into a much more intelligent and world weary young woman. My heart broken for her that this sense of clarity and awareness had to come at such a steep price. I also admire the continued conversation regarding the persecution of Jewish families in the US even after the war.  I cannot speak more highly of the premise, character development or Blundell's writing style.  This is a YA novel worthy of its accolades. If you haven't yet read it, definitely add it to your list!

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @judymblundell




#whatisawandhowilied #nationalbookaward #YAlit #worldwarII #murder #mystery #identity

REVIEW: 'Unwanted' (Elemental Assassin 14.5) by Jennifer Estep

Expected publication: July 18, 2016

"Unwanted" is a novella from Finnegan Lane's perspective falling just after Bitter Bite.  The events of the previous novel were pretty devastating for Finn.  He's delighted when his long thought dead mother, returns very much alive and seems to want to be part of his life. Step-sister and deadly assassin, Gin, is skeptical as to her true motives but has to let Finn find out the truth for himself. Unfortunately, Finn is manipulated, betrayed and gruesomely tortured by his mother resulting in the deaths of multiple people.

Readers find Finn guilt ridden and depressed weeks after these events. His co-workers despise him and view him as a traitor; however, Finn carries on since he feels that the spite is warranted. He soon discovers that Bart the Butcher, a notoriously violent bookie is threatening the widow of Finn's former employee and he's vowed to protect them in lieu of his actions.  In this act, Finn finds a bit of redemption and some hard won solace but he's no where near being over what his mother did or his role in it.

I breezed through this story and just adored it.  It was important for Finn to explore what happened in Bitter Bite and for readers and fans of the series to have this story from his perspective.  He's grown as a character exponentially since Spider's Bite but that progression is too often seen from Gin's point of view. Finn's just as much of a bad ass as Gin but in his own way, especially since he lacks elemental powers--Fletcher would be proud.

Final rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @Jennifer_Estep





#unwanted #elementalassassin #urbanfantasy #netgalley #ginblanco #porkpit #novella #books

REVIEW: Boundary Born by Melissa F. Olson

*Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair review*

Expected publication: June 21, 2016

Boundary witch Lex Luther is back in this third installment to the Boundary Magic series.  Someone is poisoning the vampires of Colorado, leaving them paralyzed or dead. With the alliance between vampires and witches already tense, Lex is called in to find answers.  It just so happens that the man claiming to be her biological father shows up at this time too.  Nothing is ever a coincidence as Lex discovers the keys to her past are directly tied to current events. She has to draw upon her newfound powers as well as allies living and dead if she's going to face down the threat and save the day.

This series just keeps getting better with Boundary Born by far the strongest to date. I love the progression of Lex's character and those around her as both she and readers discover more about her magical power.  The narrative builds nicely on developments introduced in the first two books as well as providing direction for Lex's future quest to take down the evil baddies causing all the problems.

Overall,  I enjoyed this and look forward to the next adventure.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @MelissaFOlson






#boundaryborn #boundarymagic #urbanfantasy #netgalley #books #magic

NEW RELEASE: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrount

Expected publication: May 17, 2016

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a riveting new story about friendship, survival, and finding your voice.

For some people, silence is a weapon.

For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield.

Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

Keep reading for an excerpt!

________________________________________________________________________________

About the Author:

#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Links:

Website: http://jenniferlarmentrout.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout

THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26721568-the-problem-with-forever

______________________________________Excerpt____________________________________

Prologue

              Dusty, empty shoe boxes, stacked taller and wider than her slim body, wobbled as she pressed her back against them, tucking her bony knees into her chest.

              Breathe. Just Breathe. Breathe.

              Wedged in the back of the dingy closet, she didn’t dare make a sound as she sucked her lower lip between her teeth. Focusing on forcing every grimy breath into her lungs, she felt tears well in her eyes.

              Oh gosh, she’d made such a big mistake, and Miss Becky was right. She was a bad girl.

              She’d reached for the dirty and stained cookie jar earlier, the one shaped like a teddy bear that hid cookies that tasted funny. She wasn’t supposed to get cookies or any food by herself, but she’d just been so hungry that her tummy hurt, and Miss Becky was sick again, napping on the couch. She hadn’t meant to knock the ashtray off the counter, shattering it into tiny pieces. Some were shaped like icicles that clung to the roof during the winter. Others were no bigger than chips.

              All she’d wanted was a cookie.

              Her slender shoulders jerked at the sound of the all cracking on the other side of the closet. She bit down harder on her lip. A metallic taste burst into her mouth. Tomorrow there would be a hold the size of Mr. Henry’s big hand in the plaster, and Miss Becky would cry and she’d get sick again.

              The soft creak of the closet door was like a crack of thunder to her ears.

              Oh no, no, no…

              He wasn’t supposed to find her in here. This was her safe place whenever Mr. Henry was angry or when he—

              She tensed, eyes peeling wide as a body taller and broader than hers slipped inside and then knelt in front of her. In the dark, she couldn’t make out much of his features, but she knew in her belly and her chest who it was.

              “I’m sorry,” she gasped.

              “I know.” A hand settled on her shoulder, the weight reassuring. He was the only person she felt okay with when he touched her. “I need you to stay in here, ‘kay?”

              Miss Becky had said once that he was only six months older than her six years, but he always seemed so much bigger, older than her, because in her eyes, he took up her entire world.

              She nodded.

              “Don’t come out,” he said, and then he pressed into her hands the redheaded doll she’d dropped in the kitchen after she broke the ashtray and rushed into the closet. Too frightened to retrieve her, she’d left Velvet where she had fallen, and she’d been so upset because the doll had been a gift from him many, many months before. She had no idea how he’d gotten Velvet, but one day he’d simply shown up with her, and she was hers, only hers.

              “You stay in here. No matter what.”

              Holding the doll close, clenched between her knees and chest, she nodded again.

              He shifted, stiffening as an angry shout rattled the walls around them. It was her name that dripped ice down her spine; her name that was shouted so furiously.

              A small whimper parted her lips and she whispered, “I just wanted a cookie.”

              “It’s okay. Remember? I promised I’d keep you safe forever. Just don’t make a sound.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Just stay quiet, and when I…when I get back, I’ll read to you, ‘kay? All about the stupid rabbit.”

              All she could do was nod again, because there had been times when she hadn’t stayed quiet and she’d never forgotten those consequences. But if she stayed quiet, she knew what was coming. He wouldn’t be able to read to her tonight. Tomorrow he would miss school and he wouldn’t be okay even though he would tell her he was.

              He lingered for a moment and then he eased out of the closet. The bedroom door shut with a smack, and she lifted the doll, pressing her tearstained face into it. A button on Velvet’s chest poked at her cheek.

              Don’t make a sound.

              Mr. Henry started to yell.

              Don’t make a sound.

              Footsteps punched down the hall.

              Don’t make a sound.

              Flesh smacked. Something hit the floor, and Miss Becky must have been feeling better, because she was suddenly shouting, but in the closet the only sound that mattered was the fleshy whack that came over and over. She opened her mouth, screaming silently into the doll.

              Don’t make a sound.

Grab your copy of THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER Here:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1WMX5IM

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1SahjLo

iBooks: http://apple.co/1YcdPIf

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1Tr8JDD

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1q32q1D

A big thanks to @jlarmentrout as well as @InkSlingerPR and @HarlequinTEEN!  Happy reading!!

#theproblemwithforever #jlarmentrout #yalit #teen #books #survival #friendship #releaseday

REVIEW: Wedding Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

Wedding Cake Murder is the final? entry to Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mystery series.  Hannah is finally getting married! While she'd hoped for a low key affair, her family has other plans.  In typical Hannah fashion, she relents especially since she has to plan to be a contestant on a nationally televised baking competition.  When the head judge, world renowned Alain Duquesne, a celebrity chef with a nasty reputation, ends up stabbed to death in on the show's kitchen set, Hannah once again finds herself embroiled in this whodunit mystery.

This book had a lot more content than a few of the previous series entries. If this is the end, then Hannah has a fitting fairy tale wedding with the love of her life.  Fans of the series won't be disappointed by the mystery elements, characterization or delicious recipes. I wouldn't mind at least one more book to wrap up secondary character stories and to see how Hannah adjusts to married life.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @JoanneFluke


#hannahswensen #weddingcakemurder #mystery #recipes #humor #realisticfiction #bookreview

REVIEW: You're Never Weird on the Internet by Felicia Day

You're Never Weird on the Internet (almost) is a humorous and poignant memoir by actress Felicia Day detailing her life, career and professional prowess turning a wee little web show (The Guild) into a crazy popular, global phenomina.

This is a charming read! I laughed and also felt Day's anxiety over life in Hollywood and the pressure she put upon herself to be successful but also not to lose her sense of self. I love her voice and honesty. There is a sincerity to the writing that I admire and despite her humorous musings, there is depth regarding her unconventional upbringing and struggles with depression.

Readers will enjoy it no matter what but if you have the chance to listen to the audio narrated by Day, you won't be disappointed!

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @feliciaday




#memoir #youreneverweirdontheinternet #theguild #humor #audiobook #whatimreading

REVIEW: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

This is my Book Riot Reading Challenge entry for an author from Southeast Asia. 

The first in a seris, Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the scheming, backstabbing and gossip associated with them as one of their heirs and most eligible bachelors brings his ABC (American Born Chinese) girlfriend home to Singapore for the wedding of the year.

Nick Young thinks that Rachel Chu might be the one but love isn't that simple in his wealthy family.  He hasn't told her that he is heir apparent to a massive empire and his family is all but royalty in elite Singapore society.  Convinced that she is an unworthy gold-digger, Nick's family set about ruining their relationship.

This isn't a novel that would have been on my radar but it was delightful in its humor and thought provoking nature. The characterization is brilliant. The described opulence is staggering and I had no idea about the cultural clash between old money and new money. This should be a new reality show on BRAVO!  I'm pretty much hooked on these characters and need to read the follow up, China Rich Girfrield, to find out what happens with Rachel and Nick plus the score of other characters.

PS - the audiobook is fantastic!

Final rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @kevinkwanbooks




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REVIEW: Boundary Crossed by Melissa F. Olson

Book 1 in the Boundary Magic series is a solid first entry to this urban fantasy series.  When ex-military veteran, Lex, foils the kidnapping of her niece, Charlie, she learns about the existence of the Old World and the supernatural.  As it turns out, Lex is a boundary witch, and Charlie is a highly sought after null.  With plenty of interesting secondary characters, politics and plot surprises.

Lex is a kick butt female protagonist whose journey of self exploration is engaging. It's important that she's an Iraqi veteran and how that experience has shaped her current life. This was a good debut for the series, even if I read book 2 first.

Definitely recommended for fans of urban fantasy with a female driven lead. Despite a few flaws with development and pacing, this was a well written and enjoyable read.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @MelissaFOlson



#boundarycrossed #melissafolson #urbanfantasy #strongwomen #magic #books

Nostalgia

For the Popsugar Reading Challenge, two categories are a book you haven't read since high school and a book translated from another language.  I picked titles that brought back a bit of nostalgia for me as a reader.

The Great Gatsby is an American classic usually read in high school.  I was assigned the book as a junior.  I remembered the basics but honestly must have blocked out much of the actual plot which I find humorous. I'll chalk it up to immaturity and the passage of time.  Revisiting this I remembered primary character but nothing of the affairs, the jealous rage or the subsequent murder/suicide.

I definitely have a better appreciation for the depection of'1920s society and the greater nuances regarding the themes of the decline of the American Dream and the shallowness of the upper class.  This is never going to be a standout classic for me but it was interesting to revisit it as an adult.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Night was a book that truly changed by perspective as a reader. I'd never experienced a true story that was written is such an engrossing and haunting way.  As assigned reading in 9th grade, I remember this as one of my first "grown-up" books.  The narrative moves quickly and adeptly portrays the attrocities Wiesel and so many others endured during the Holocaust. The gravity of this book has always stayed with me even after nearly 25 years.
I remember being surprised that there are three books to Wiesel's story.  I plan to read Dawn and Day to finish the trilogy.

If you haven't experienced this on audio, I highly recommend the experience.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars






#popsugar #readingchallenge #nostalgia #greatgatsby #night #holocaust #YAlit