Review: Home to Whiskey Creek by Brenda Novak

Publish Date: July 30, 2013
Kindle {p. 416 }
Series: Whiskey Creek #4
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Publicist
Adelaide Davies, Noah Rackham

Sometimes home is the refuge you need-and sometimes it isn't Adelaide Davies, who's been living in Sacramento, returns to Whiskey Creek, the place she once called home. She's there to take care of her aging grandmother and to help with Gran's restaurant, Just Like Mom's. But Adelaide isn't happy to be back. There are too many people here she'd rather avoid, people who were involved in that terrible June night fifteen years ago.

Ever since the graduation party that changed her life, she's wanted to go to the police and make sure the boys responsible-men now-are punished. But she can't, not without revealing an even darker secret. So it's better to pretend....

Noah Rackham, popular, attractive, successful, is shocked when Adelaide won't have anything to do with him. He has no idea that his very presence reminds her of something she'd rather forget. He only knows that he's finally met a woman he could love.

How Addy was able to keep any semblance of sanity when she came into any kind of contact with the people involved in that tragic event from her past, I will never understand. I liked Addy, but I didn't really feel that the connection between her and Noah was all that strong. Yes, she claimed to have loved him all her life, but I didn't feel the chemistry between them like I did with the leads from the previous three books in this series.

The whole "whodunit" was more front and center while the romance of Noah and Addy took a backseat. Which I was fine with that, because I was a bit more interested in who kidnapped Addy than I was with the budding relationship between her and Noah.

I don't feel like I ever really connected with Noah. He was cool at moments, and then at others he seemed more like a petulant child. I didn't care for how he'd get upset when he was teased about his sexual exploits when that was the information or side of himself that he put out there.

One of his finest moments was dealing with Baxter and his family. That was enough for him to win me over. With that being said, I didn't dislike either of the characters, the chemistry just wasn't there with them. That all could be due to the subject matter the author was tackling. Overall it was a good book with strong secondary characters that draw you into the town. It's definitely a series I would love to read more of.

Mailbox Monday {4} / In My Mailbox {133}

 

 

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Review: Hotshot by Julie Garwood

Publish Date: August 6, 2013
Kindle {p. 368}
Genre: Suspense
Source: Publisher
Peyton Lockhart, Finn McBain

Peyton Lockhart and her sisters have inherited Bishop’s Cove, a small, luxurious oceanfront resort, but it comes with a condition: The girls must run the resort for one year and show a profit—only then will they own it.

A graduate of a prestigious French culinary school, Peyton has just lost her job as a food critic. Out of work and in a bad place personally, a year doing something completely different sounds wonderful.

There are countless challenges and too many people who want to stop the sisters from succeeding. Among them are Peyton’s contentious cousins, who are outraged that they didn’t inherit the resort, as well as a powerful group of land developers who have been eyeing the coveted beachfront property.

It’s soon apparent to Peyton that their efforts are being sabotaged, but she refuses to let the threats scare her—until she’s nearly killed. She calls on her childhood friend and protector, Finn MacBain, now with the FBI, and asks for his help. He saved her life once; he can do it again. Julie’s previous two titles, The Ideal Man and Sweet Talk, both debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list.

I loved Finn and Peyton from the very beginning. I thought they had a very sweet relationship when they were children, and I was eager to see how it progressed once they became adults. The relationship between Peyton and Finn was the major draw that kept me going with this one.

The overall romance side of the novel was it's shinning glory. I loved the interaction not only between Finn and Peyton, but that of her sister Lucy and Christopher. Although as a reader, I wish we could gotten to know Christopher a little better. The fight/arguing those two did the majority of the time they were together was fun to watch.

Now on the side of the suspense, it was all that suspenseful. It didn't really add anything to the story other than a need for Peyton to call on Finn. The whole situation with Peyton and her previous employer and that of her cousin Debi, just seemed ridiculous. Debi should have never been allowed anywhere near the business no matter how much of a tantrum she threw. And her ex-employer was just plan stupid.

I love Julie Garwood's contemporary novels, but this one wasn't one of my favorites. I loved it for Peyton and Finn, and they will rank among some of my favorite Garwood couples, but the suspense storyline feel short for me.

Mailbox Monday {3} / In My Mailbox {132}

 

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Review: Ladies' Night by Mary Kay Andrews

Publish Date: June 4, 2013
Hardcover {p. 456}
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Public Library
Grace Stanton, Wyatt Keeler

Grace Stanton’s life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool. Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account, and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style. Moving in with her widowed mother, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called The Sandbox, is less than ideal. So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man for whom betrayal seems to be the only commonality. When their “divorce coach” starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at The Sandbox, and the unanticipated bonds that develop lead the members of the group to try and find closure in ways they never imagined. Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there?

Heartache, humor, and a little bit of mystery come together in a story about life’s unpredictable twists and turns. Mary Kay Andrews' Ladies' Night will have you raising a glass and cheering these characters on.

I almost gave up on this one around chapter five or so. Here's why. First off, Grace finds her husband cheating, and she chooses to leave the house? No not happening. If he wouldn't get out, she should have stayed in one of the fifty million bedrooms the house had. Secondly, her mother kept telling her to get a divorce attorney yet she refused. She wasn't sure she wanted a divorce even though she caught her husband cheating and he admitted to it being a more than one time thing. I didn't know if I'd ever get past her "kept woman" persona to truly like her. Her not knowing anything about their finances and lack of asking her husband questions regarding those things kind of put me off toward her. Even so that I was unsure if I would finish this book.

I'm so glad I did. It picked up a lot after Grace started "divorce camp," and befriend the people in camp with her. All of them had some horror stories of their own. And the divorce counselor was a total disaster herself. Grace's ex, Ben, seemed like a total a-hole from page one. Especially when it came to her work; he could come in and make what she'd been working on for hours seem like crap.

Camp is also where Grace connects with Wyatt, who is also going through a divorce and custody battle. I liked him from the start and thought he'd be perfect for Grace. Of course they have their issues, mostly his ex-wife Callie, but other than that they seemed to work together perfectly. He did manage to piss me off a bit when it came to his ex; he was far too nice to her.

I got a kick out of Wyatt's father Nelson throughout the entire book. I was always laughing at him and his oh so kind words for his son's ex. Grace's mom, Rochelle, I never really clicked with. I don't know what it was, but she just came across as a little dull.

Overall the story moved along nicely with no lags other than the bit there at the start. That could have just been something I experienced because I was upset with Grace for having her head in the sand when it came to her finances.

Review: Baby It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox



Publish Date: November 1, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p. 365}
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Personal Library
Sloan McKinley, Walker Montgomery

After a frantic call, Sloan McKinley travels to the heart of the Alaskan wilderness to be there for her best friend, who's just inherited property in the small town of Indigo. The last thing she expects is to be lured by the town's matriarchs into their annual contest to get their grandsons married off.

But Sloan can't deny the appeal of the rugged local men-Walker Montgomery in particular. Soon she finds herself falling in love with the wild outdoors...and with one of Indigo's most beloved residents. There's just one question that remains: is the town's most confirmed bachelor ready to get caught?

I was enthralled with this book and it's characters from page one. The is the first book I've read from this author (upon seeing this YouTube video) and I've already purchased book two and pre-ordered book three in this series.

Of the ladies in Indigo, Alaska, I have to say Sloan, Avery, Amanda and Jessica were my favorites. Although Grier is Sloan's best friend and the reason she came to Alaska, I didn't really like her at times. I just couldn't figure what her problem was.

Walker, Mick and Jack were great men as well, but they took a backseat to the women in this book, or at least that's the way it felt to me. What I truly loved was how the author made the town come alive on the pages. The vivid picture she painted of Alaska made me want to visit, and I hate the cold.

Walker had his butthole moments, but nothing that would make him unredeemable to me. Although he did act like a complete jerk the night of the bachelor auction. Of course in the end Walker and Sloan manage to get their acts together, and the author sets up the next couple of books in this one as well. But aside from the leads of the next two novels, I'm most interested in seeing what becomes of Jessica and her love interest. And if anything comes of Dr. Cloud and his.

Mailbox Monday 3 / In My Mailbox {131}

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Review: The Submissive by Tara Sue Me



Publish Date: February 7, 2013
Kindle {p. 304}
Genre: BDSM, Erotica
Source: NetGalley
Abby King, Nathaniel West

Abby King has a secret fantasy.

New York knows Nathaniel West as the brilliant and handsome CEO of West Industries, but Abby knows he’s more: a sexy and skilled dominant who is looking for a new submissive. Yearning to experience a world of pleasure beyond her simple life as a librarian, Abby offers herself to Nathaniel, to fulfill her most hidden desires.

After only one weekend with the Master, Abby knows she needs more, and fully submits to Nathaniel’s terms. But despite the pleasure he takes in Abby’s willing spirit, the Nathaniel hidden behind the rules remains cold and distant.

As Abby falls deeper into his tantalizing world of power and passion, she fears that Nathaniel’s heart may be beyond her reach—and that her own might be beyond saving…

To me The Submissive is a better written version of 50 Shades. People rave about that book, I however never finished it because the writing was just that bad. So I like to think this was what E.L. was trying to get across to her readers.

Abigail wanted to be submissive, but only to Nathaniel. To me their relationship was a bit cold and clinical, but that could just be the way D/s relationships are. He showed her no affection or warmth but he was always saying how it was his responsibility to take care of her. To me that would entail her emotional care as well.

He does come around in the end so that helped. Even though he was cold and detached, I never disliked him. I never felt that that he humiliated her any way. They had some very hot times, as well as some times that I wouldn't go for, but to each their own.

As far as the secondary characters go, I didn't care for Abby's BFF Felicia. she seemed very annoying. Scenes with her I tended to want to skip over them. But other than that, I enjoyed the read once I removed myself from the characters and just read it like I was on the outside watching instead of being a part of the characters living it.

Mailbox Monday {2}/ In My Mailbox {130}

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List of Five ~ July 2013

I got the idea of making a list of the books I'm going to read for the month from a similar feature done by GalleySmith. Although she lists 10 books I'm only doing 5, to take into account ARCs I may receive or just falling into a reading slump.

Hopefully this will also cut down on the time I spend sitting in front of my bookshelf trying to decide what to read next. Plus maybe it will help with my need to read my own books. I have this problem of putting books on the shelves in favor of reading newer, shinier books and forgetting all about the previously purchased ones.

My goal is to stick to this 5 with the addition of others throughout the month. I may not read them in the order they are listed, but it is my goal to read all five.

July 2013 List of Five:

• Turn and Burn
• Hotshot
• Baby It's Cold Outside
• Ladies' Night
• The Hero

Review: The Newcomer by Robyn Carr

Publish Date: June 25, 2013
Mass Market Paperback {p. 360}
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Mac McCain, Gina James

Single dad and Thunder Point's deputy sheriff "Mac" McCain has worked hard to keep everyone safe and happy. Now he's found his own happiness with Gina James. The longtime friends have always shared the challenges and rewards of raising their adolescent daughters. With an unexpected romance growing between them, they're feeling like teenagers themselves-suddenly they can't get enough of one another.

And just when things are really taking off, their lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. When Mac's long-lost-and not missed-ex-wife shows up in town, drama takes on a whole new meaning. They're wondering if their new feelings for each other can withstand the pressure...but they are not going down without a fight.

First off, I hated Downy. He seemed like such a great guy in the previous novel, with friending Landon when he was being harassed by the football team. Not in this book. Complete and total ass. The more I kept reading about him, the more I wish bad things to happen to him.

I felt so bad for Ashley. How could Downy have claimed to love her and be a party to things his new girlfriend was doing to her?

Cee Jay was a bit odd. She seemed to be able to changes emotions at the drop of a dime. That made me not trust her or her intentions. By the end, I was still left feeling unsure of her and what her plans might be.

Mac and Gina's relationship was pretty uneventful. Sure Mac's ex showed up but it didn't throw a wrench into their relationship like I thought it would. Gina and Mac's biggest issues were blending their families.

Cooper and Sarah also played a large part in this installment, and had some curves come their way. With Sarah, I didn't understand her need to withhold certain information from Cooper. I felt they had a better relationship than that, and she should have felt fine with discussing matters with him sooner. And the curve Cooper was thrown, well he handled it like a champ. He was a real class act. Carr managed to make me love him all the more.

There's only been two books of this series thus far and I've loved both. The characters are so well written that you become invested in their lives and the town. It never fails that when I pick up a Robyn Carr novel, it's like I'm visiting with friends.

Review: The Officer and the Secret by Jeanette Murray

Publish Date:  July 2, 2013
Mass Market Paperback {p. 345}
Series: Semper Fi #3
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Veronica Gibson, Dwayne Robertson

After a rougher than expected deployment, Captain Dwayne Robertson craves the sense of normalcy that his friends can bring him. But when he returns home, there's an unexpected, but pleasant, twist in the mix—Veronica Gibson. As he struggles to adjust to daily life again, Dwayne craves Veronica and the peace she brings him. But Veronica isn't without faults. Dwayne hates lies, and Veronica's entire past is a well-guarded mystery. When the completely unexpected happens, they both realize it's time to lay their cards on the table and hope they're ready for love.

Dwayne returns from his latest deployment suffering from PTSD. At first it appears that no one but Veronica notices his behavior. But as the story progresses he admits he's suffering and seeks help.

The story of Veronica and Dwayne naturally picks up because the "romance" started in the previous book in the series via Skype. Veronica I liked more so in this installment than the previous ones. They had a nice, sweet romance to start, nothing fireworks hot, but nice all the same. Until Dwayne became a jerk.

Sure, he'd been duped in the past, but I thought he knew Veronica a bit better then girl who'd previously duped him. His behavior toward Veronica turned me off to him. Of course they made up in the end and was able to move on together, but I as the reader was unable to get past it and lost all interest in Dwayne.