Netgalley Review- The Longings Of Wayward Girls

 

The Longings of Wayward Girls
Karen Brown
Netgalley Review







Amazon Blurb -

It’s an idyllic New England summer, and Sadie is a precocious only child on the edge of adolescence. It seems like July and August will pass lazily by, just as they have every year before. But one day, Sadie and her best friend play a seemingly harmless prank on a neighborhood girl. Soon after, that same little girl disappears from a backyard barbecue—and she is never seen again. Twenty years pass, and Sadie is still living in the same quiet suburb. She’s married to a good man, has two beautiful children, and seems to have put her past behind her. But when a boy from her old neighborhood returns to town, the nightmares of that summer will begin to resurface, and its unsolved mysteries will finally become clear.
*****

Sadie is a mean girl.  Her and best friend Betty make fun of and tease neighbor girl Francie.  They do it in a way that is underhanded and not so obvious though.  While Betty seems to be getting a bit of a conscience, Sadie has zilch.   The two have vivid imaginations and role play these games of being wives from the 1700's, Barbies, and the usual young girl follies. When neighborhood girl Laura Loomis goes missing the whole town is on edge.   Sadie's mom makes the two play with Francie.  They include her in their imaginative game of colonial wives and use it as an opportunity to make fun of Francie and giggle cattily at her.  The three go trouncing into the woods behind Sadie's home, while Francie continue to ask if they should with what happened to Laura, knowing they've all been warned to stay close..  They all get quite a fright when they see a dark figure lurking and run back to,the safety of Sadie's basement.

Fast forward three years and  now Francie has gone missing.  It coincides with a crappy trick Sadie and Betty have played on her. To make matters worse, Sadie's mom isn't the most balanced.  Quite a tragic figure who meds up and drinks making for not the best home-life. Sadie occupies herself with behavior  that is not only inappropriate for a twelve year old it's downright dangerous.  As the years pass the things she does leads to Betty no longer being allowed to stay with her.

Twenty years later she's married with children, living in the same town and supposedly living a happy life.  But she isn't, still grieving fiercely over a miscarriage, she's just going through the motions. When a man from her past reenters her life, Sadie considers throwing it all away.  Past wrongs are dragged to the surface along with sad revelations.

This book was ok.  What saves this book is the author. Karen Brown's writing was very good, her detailing was vivid and put you right there.  My problem, I did NOT like Sadie one bit.  Just a stinky rotten kid.  Precocious is not a word I'd use to describe her, more like bratty witch.   I couldn't conjure any feelings of sympathy for her at any part of this story and I feel Sadie got away with way too much.  I know her home life wasn't the best, but just couldn't hack her.  Past that and you had the tension of what happened to these missing girls making for a good mystery.

3 cannolis

Fifty Shades Cast!

Have ya heard the news?  They have cast Fifty Shades, Charlie Hunnam is Christian and Dakota Johnson as Ana.  Not sure if I like Jax as Grey.  He doesn't give off that striking vibe as described in the book imho.  We'll see :)  What do you all think!

Josh and Hannah

Josh and Hannah (Redwood Falls book 1)
Lynda Chance

Amazon Blurb -

Josh Turner wants Hannah more than life itself. She's perfect and new . . . but she's a McIntyre. She's from the richest family in the county, and he's a Turner, from the wrong side of the proverbial tracks. And to make matters worse, there's no love lost between their families. 

*****
Mama mia ladies *fanning self rapidly*  this lady CAN write!!!!  I loved this book, it's a very mature YA, but that Josh Taylor is all alpha, and ya'll know I'm ALL about the alpha, holy moly!  Let's get into it...

Hannah McIntyre is a beautiful 16 year old girl, also from the town's richest family.  Her mother and father are very overprotective of her and she is finally allowed to go to her first football game with just her friend Ava.  When school witch Rachel asks Ava if she wants to stay with her and her group Hannah tells Ava it's ok.  Unbeknownst to all of them, town bad boy and major hottie Josh Taylor watches the whole thing go down and decides to save sweet Hannah from this hurt.  Taking her by the hand kissing her for all to see, he leads her away.

Josh never expected to feel like he'd been shot with adrenalin just from kissing this girl.  Young innocent, and worse, she is  out of his reach.  The Taylor's and McIntyre's are like the Hatfield's and McCoy's, no way will this work.

Slowly but surely he comes to realize she is everything to him, and Hannah feels the same.  How will they ever be able to make it work?  Both from opposite sides of the track, Josh just knows her family won't let him near her.  Hannah can't bare to be away from him, he's like her air.  Can the two ever come together and be happy?  READ IT GIRLS!!!!

I was on the edge of my seat with this book!  Young love, angst, heartbreak, this book has it all.  I love the characters, and Lynda does an exquisite job conveying all these feelings.  A great writer, thoroughly enjoyed reading and highly recommend this it.

4 1/2 cannolis

Netgalley Review- Escaping Reality, The Sectet Life Of Amy Benson

Escaping Reality, The Secret Life of Amy Benson
Lisa Renee Jones
Netgalley Review












Amazon Blurb -

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn't trust him. I shouldn't tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need. At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loved to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she's finally dared to believe she is forgotten-even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets her guard down, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take "no" as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

*****

Amy Benson is hiding, she's been hiding for several years now.  Someone killed her family and her life as Lara along with it and they're trying to find her.  Her guardian angel who's identity is a mystery helped her get away.  Just when she thinks all is well, her angel leaves her a note taped to the bathroom mirror in the museum she works at in New York City telling her if I found you they will, you have to leave now.  There are explicit instructions in this note on where she's going and what she will do.  Amy is not happy.  Leaving her friend and job behind and ripping her life up again has her angry, afraid, and tired.  She jumps into a cab and heads for the airport armed with a key to a locker with all the info she'll need.

 Denver is her new destination.  While waiting to get on the plane, Amy's eyes fall upon a devastatingly handsome man who notices her as well. She drags her eyes away not wanting to be noticed, only to find out he's in the seat next to her.  And so begins Amy's adventure with Liam Stone, billionaire architect and very eligible bachelor.  He knows what he wants and boy does he want Amy.  He is a major alpha who does NOT take no for an answer.  He seduces Amy who is way over her head with Liam.  Her biggest concern is Liam being hurt by those who are after her.  He knows she's hiding something about her past, her fear is he will use his resources to find out her story.

Amy is tired of running  and not knowing what happened to her family or why.  She starts digging and wonders just who she can or can't trust, even Liam.

I really liked this book, the mystery had me really going wanting to get to the end to find out who is behind this whole thing...BUT, it was a cliffhanger, ggrrrrr!!!!!!  I hate cliffhangers especially when I'm enjoying a book so much.  Now I have to get book two!!  Amy was a great character, Liam was a hot alpha.  At first I thought, "oh no fifty shades"  but thankfully it wasn't.  A couple of times I wished she would've of been a bit more forceful with him, he could have used being put in his place.  Hot and steamy love scenes but nothing to make you feel it was too much.  I sure wish it was a stand alone, other than that, read this book as long as you have patience to wait for the next one :)

4 cannolis

Louder Than Love, Netgalley Review

         

        Louder Than Love

        Jessica Topper  

     

Amazon Blurb -
In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband...and discovers a love that defies classification.

It's been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth...the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian "Digger" Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids' TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it's unclear whose past looms larger: the widow's or the rocker's. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart? 

*****

Break out the tissues girls, this story will have you laughing and crying!  A great story crafted with vibrant characters that you can't help but love.

Katrina and Pete are living a wonderful life.  New parents residing in Manhattan, assessing themselves to all the culture this wonderful city has to offer with their daughter Abbey.  A fairytale till a train wreck leaves Katrina a widow with her barely year old daugnter.  Deciding to move back to her childhood home Lauder Lake N.Y. with her parents, she is surrounded by her best friends from growing up.  Her parents leave her the house and fly south to be Floridians.

Fast forward four years and Abbey is a funny sweet little girl who has a love for PBS character Maxwell MacGillikitty cat sleuth.  Katrina goes on a sleuthing mission of her own to find Adrian Graves,the man who sings the show's jingle to see if he'll sing for the kids at the town's library.

Not only does he agree, this older tattooed Brittish rocker knocks her off her feet and the two start a relationship.  Kat, as Adrian likes to call her, is falling head over heals for this man and the feeling is mutual.  Her best friends Marissa, Liz, and Leanna wait with baited breath after each outing to learn how it went.  They are excited yet a bit nervous for their friend, not wanting her to be hurt again.  What an exciting ride to travel this road back to life with Katrina.  It's like you're right there with her feeling all her nerves, worries, and elation as she starts to fall in love with him.

I loved experiencing her excitement, sorrow, happiness and anger.  This book was such a joy.  From her best friends, to her high school sweetheart Grant who was a jerk with a capital J, to Adrian fighting the feeling of competing with a ghost.

If there was only one thing that I had a hard time with, it was the description of Adrian.  For some reason I couldn't get Rod Stewart out of my head.  I kept pushing that image away.  Read this book, you will laugh, cry, get angry and feel good.  Jessica Topper writes with such ease it's like a lucsious vanilla custard, simple yet so devine.  She is able to make you coast through the book feeling like you're right there with all of them!

4 cannolis

A Dangerous Fiction

A Dangerous Fiction

Barbara Rogan

Read by request in return for review

Amazon Blurb -

Jo Donovan always manages to come out on top. From the backwoods of Appalachia, she forged a hard path to life among the literati in New York City. At thirty-five, she’s the widow of the renowned author Hugo Donovan and the owner of one of the best literary agencies in town. Jo is living the life she dreamed of but it’s all about to fall apart.

When a would-be client turns stalker, Jo is more angry than shaken until her clients come under attack. Meanwhile, a biography of Hugo Donovan is in the works and the author’s digging threatens to destroy the foundations of Jo’s carefully constructed life. As the web of suspicion grows wider and her stalker ups the ante, she’s persuaded by her client and friend—FBI profiler-turned-bestselling-thriller writer—to go to the police. There Jo finds herself face-to-face with an old flame: the handsome Tommy Cullen, now NYPD detective.

*****

Jo Donovan is the successful head of  a literary agency in New York City.  She is the widow of renowned author Hugo Donovan and is fiercely protective of their life together.  She leads what some would consider a charmed life, respected in her field, attractive, financially secure.

After leaving work on her way to one of her best author's launch party, she's surprised by a stranger who tries to push his manuscript on her.  Trying to politely tell him no, his persistence starts to frighten her as he gets overbearing.  Luckily co-worker Jean-Paul comes to her rescue.

From that point forward "Sam Spade" as he's been dubbed begins stalking her. Jo's life is in an upheaval as two of her friends are murdered and the police are looking at her with a suspicious eye. Her ally on the force is old flame Tommy Cullen.  Still handsome, Jo tries to ignore her attraction in the midst of all the madness surrounding her.  She has to wonder if she'll be next, or if she'll wind up framed for the killings.

I enjoyed this book immensely.  It was a bit slow at first, but then took off.  Jo was a decent character I had a bit of a hard time warming to her.  The supporting cast was fantastic.  I loved Molly and Max.   A true who dunnit to the end! Barbara Rogan's writing is as smooth as silk. The pages just flow effortlessly. I highly recommend this book if  you love the thrill of thrillers ;)

4 cannolis

The Edge of Never

The Edge of Never
J.A. Redmerski
Netgalley Review













Amazon Blurb -

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish.

Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?
*****

Camryn feels choked, she doens't know how to tell those around her how she feels, or what she really  wants.  One day she just decides to jump on a Greyhound and go for a trip.  While on her little adventure she meets Andrew, and so begins a real adventure she never expected.

Andrew wasn't looking for love, he certainly never thought he'd find it in a spunky girl riding the bus.  Camryn sparks something in him he's never felt and showing her how to say what she wants and how she feels is givnig him more pleasure than he thought he'd imagined.  

Together they begin a journey that sparks passion, laughter, and fun.  Thing is, Andrew wasn't looking for a relationship and he doesn't know if he can keep this up with what is happening in his own life.  Camryn may have bit off more than she can handle.

This was a decent book.  It didn't bore me and the characters were good.  At times it got a bit predictable and it seemed the author was trying to go the dom/sub route which some seem to think is all the rage, and it just seemed forced to me, not necessary at all.

3 cannolis

The Wicked Girls

 The Wicked Girls

 Alex Marwood
 Read by request

  

Amazon Blurb -

On a fateful summer morning in 1986, two eleven-year-old girls meet for the first time. By the end of the day, they will both be charged with murder. Twenty-five years later, journalist Kirsty Lindsay is reporting on a series of sickening attacks on young female tourists in a seaside vacation town when her investigation leads her to interview carnival cleaner Amber Gordon. For Kirsty and Amber, it’s the first time they’ve seen each other since that dark day so many years ago. Now with new, vastly different lives—and unknowing families to protect—will they really be able to keep their wicked secret hidden? 

*****

Wowsers!  Phew, JUST finished it and wanted to get my review done.  This book was excellent!  I totally enjoyed it.

Jade and Bel are two misfits, one from the wrong side of the tracks, the other an unwanted inconvenience in her mother's new well to do life and family.  The two connect on one fateful day and nothing is ever the same for either. 

Fast forward to present time and these girls have been given new lives where no one knows their true identity. They are ironically thrown together at a tourist beachside town where someone is killing young girls.  Amber works at the amusement park and Kirsty is a reporter.  Both are stunned to see each other for the first time since they'd been in court.  

How will they handle this?  What really happened that fateful day?  Were they really Wicked Girls?  Well, you'll just have to read it for yourself ;)

I loved it!  This book had me angry, nervous, sympathetic, and sad.  My emotions ran the  gambit and that is absolute aces in my book :)  I felt for each girl willing everything to be perfect for them somehow.  Great characters.  Some that you just wanted to smash.   When a book gets your dander up you're going to enjoy the ride.  Highly recommend The Wicked Girls, you will NOT be disappointed!

5 cannolis

Rosethorn

Rosethorn

Ava Zavora

Amazon Blurb - 

"I know I could be happy with someone else . . . But it was decided a long time ago. It was always going to be you."

From Morocco to Paris, Sera has traveled the world over but she never forgot Rosethorn, the beautiful, abandoned mansion where she and Andrew used to meet for trysts. Until the day Sera found her mother's diary. Sera's obsession with the shocking secrets it contained tore them apart and sent Sera fleeing to New York with a devastated heart.

10 years later, Sera revisits Rosethorn, only to run into Andrew, all grown up and handsomer than ever. Politeness gives way to a heated confrontation over their painful past. Yet unable to resist each other's lure, both surrender to the undying power of first love.

Fate has brought them together once again, but will the wounds and tragedies of the past destroy Sera and Andrew's second chance - forever?
*****

What can I say other than this book was just fantastic.  You sit and read, your emotions going up and down.  What a ride.

Andrew and Sera are high school sweethearts.  Truly soul-mates, their love is palatable, so passionate.  There are times when they are also like fireworks going off when they fight.  Sera is soooo headstrong and sassy sometimes.  She gives Andrew a run for his money.  It's so sweet learning how they actually grew up together from little elementary school kids and she just never noticed him, but oh how he KNEW she was there :)

When Sera reveals that her dreams and wants aren't the same as what Andrew always thought they both wanted a heartbreaking journey ensues.  Will the two ever find real happiness together?  You just read this book and be prepared to get the SHOCK of your life.  I read the final chapters dreading what I thought was going to happen and then stunned at what did!

The only reason this book doesn't get a five rating is due to not always being clear as to when things were happening in Sera's life.  Wish that was delineated a bit better.  Read this book, you won't be sorry!

4 cannolis

The Dominant

The Dominant
Tara Sue Me
Netgalley Issue














Amazon Blurb -

 Nathaniel West doesn’t lose control.

As the playboy CEO of West Industries, he governs the boardroom during the day; as a strict dominant with exacting rules, he commands the bedroom at night. He never takes on inexperienced submissives, but when Abigail King’s application comes across his desk, he breaks his own restrictions and decides to test her limits.

Abby’s combination of innocence and willingness is intoxicating, and Nathaniel is soon determined to collar her as his own. As long as she follows his orders and surrenders herself fully to him, no one will get hurt.

But when Nathaniel begins falling for Abby on a deeper level, he realizes that the trust must go both ways—and he has secrets which could bring the foundations of their entire relationship crashing down...
*****

Well, I hate saying this, but I just didn't like this book.  The characters did nothing for me. Didn't stir a single feeling of angst, worry, anger, sorrow, nothing.  The protagonist, Nathaniel was, vanilla, to be honest.  Pun intended.

So I found out that this was also, like Fifty, Twilight fan-fic, I can't take it anymore. Though I heard that this series came about before Fifty.  So either E.L. or this gal copied one or the other big time.  

I don't know why I read these types since subs are so against my personality.  I keep hoping that the sub will turn around and just kick the dom in the you know what.  This stems from my feeling that this is degrading and a control issue. Punish and spank for not following the rules my eye.  Just can't deal so I think this shall be my last of this type. Unless someone writes a book about a dom who gets his butt and heart kicked by an awesome gal!

I found the writing not as good as Fifty number one.  After number one Fifty went down the tubes too, but Nathaniel just wasn't nearly as compelling as Christian at all.  Abby was just as boring as Ana, and I had no attachment to the side characters either.  Yes there were plenty of steamy scenes, but even those were blah for me.  Oh and his friend Tim needs to be schooled in loyalty, maybe Nathaniel should tie him up and spank him.  No way would I pal around with Tim anymore.

Sorry for the comparison to Fifty Shades, but the two were so alike it just begged to be done.

For the record these are my opinions, whatever floats your boat is your business, I just state what I think.

2 1/2 cannolis

Damaged 2

Damaged 2
H.M. Ward
ARC received in return for my honest review.

Amazon Blurb -

Home isn't supposed to be dangerous, but for Sidney it is. Returning home means that she has to face her past. It's not just the man who hurt Sidney that makes it horrible, but the family that didn't believe her. They were dead to her, but now that her mom is really dying things seem different. It's a chance to set things right.

What Sidney doesn't realize is that she's dragging Peter into a collision course with his past. Peter must deal with the demons haunting him if he wants to move forward with Sidney. He's willing to give up everything for her, even wade deeper into his past life to help her move forward. But, Peter isn't sure if he can get over what happened to him in New York.

*****

Ok, I'm going to be honest here, this book didn't do to me what the first one did. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as the first.  To be honest two weren't necessary.  One book would have taken care of the whole story very well.  There were things in #2 that could have been culled out so that Damaged would have been a more intense book.

I really like Sidney and Peter, but I found some of their behavior just a bit hard to believe in the second.  I didn't like Sean's behavior towards Sidney considering who he loves, which didn't click with me till I read the teaser of The Arrangement at the end of the book.  I found him so abrasive.  The whole Dean and Sam storyline was just way over the top into unbelievable.   The Ferro family in general and all their behavior, again, I wasn't feeling it. The bird???? 

I feel like Peter went from being a mature adult to this teenager.  Again, they were great characters, and I am going to read The Arrangement so I can get a better grip on Sean.  It was ok and an easy read.  I like Ward's writing style.  It flows well and the banter with the characters is enjoyable.   The book didn't bore me and never got tedious which is a big plus for me.

3 cannolis

The Widow Waltz

The Widow Waltz
Sally Koslow

















Amazon Blurb -

Georgia Waltz has things many people only dream of: a plush Manhattan apartment overlooking Central Park, a Hamptons beach house, valuable jewels and art, two bright daughters, and a husband she adores, even after decades of marriage. It’s only when Ben suddenly drops dead from a massive coronary while training for the New York City Marathon that Georgia discovers her husband—a successful lawyer—has left them nearly penniless. Their wonderland was built on lies.
  
As the family attorney scours emptied bank accounts, Georgia must not only look for a way to support her family, she needs to face the revelation that Ben was not the perfect husband he appeared to be, just as her daughters—now ensconced back at home with secrets of their own—have to accept that they may not be returning to their lives in Paris and at Stanford subsidized by the Bank of Mom and Dad. As she uncovers hidden resilience, Georgia’s sudden midlife shift forces her to consider who she is and what she truly values. That Georgia may also find new love in the land of Spanx and stretch marks surprises everyone—most of all, her.
*****

What would you do if you found out your life was all smoke and mirrors?

Georgia Silver-Waltz is an attractive Manhattanite, married to an attractive successful attorney and the mother of two college aged daughters, she lives a wonderful life.  Socially successful doing the volunteer route, belonging to the health club, living in an upscale apartment.  Everything a woman would want right?  Till her husband drops dead suddenly while getting ready to run a marathon and she finds out he has left the three of them high and dry.

Georgia is in absolute shock, and it only gets worse as she starts digging to find out what took place and how she was so blind.  We travel with her on the road back to the real world, her sorrow and worries, getting out there, supporting herself and meeting new people.

The cast of characters rounds this book out wonderfully.  Her daughters Luey and Cola are quite a pair, at times I wanted to just smack the two of them!  Her brother Stephan and his partner Daniel add a great touch, between her brother's air of uppityness trying to keep Georgia from being too dramatic and Daniel's caring touch with her. Dealing with her mother's rare instances of clarity through the fog of dementia and wishing she could share what was happening in her life.

I enjoyed this book it flowed beautifully and recommend it highly if you love chick lit.

4 Cannolis

Marco's Redemption

2

Marco's Redemption 
Lynda Chance















Amazon Blurb -

Marco Donati is rich, ruthless--and more often than not--indiscriminate. Interested only in satisfying his sexual needs casually and frequently, he has no intention of changing a thing about his life. Natalie Lambert is alone, broke, and new to the city when a chance encounter leaves her under the power and control of Marco Donati. As the story unfolds, tensions mount and trust is tested between two people who can't manage to stay away from each other.
*****

Mama friggin mia, that is one hot and spicy meatball!!!  This Italian girl thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Poor Natalie has not a single clue what the hell she's getting into when she smashes into the back of Marco Donati's car.  He is NOT a happy camper and it only gets worse when he finds out she has no insurance.   What's the solution?  Well to become his housekeeper for a year of course :)  How else can she work off the $20,000.00 repair bill when she has no job?

This man is alpha TO THE MAX.  And what does that do to me, well it makes mama a very very happy girl ;)  I love me my alphas, my hubby is a hot alpha that makes my heart go pitter patter :) Marco is confident. He knows what he wants, when he wants it, how he wants it and will not take no for an answer.  Something that made my heart go yay yippy skppy, he's tall but doesn't like amazon women, he likes small gals, yay for us sweet shorties! lol!!

The moment he see's her, he's hooked though he won't allow himself to acknowledge this fact, he fights it tooth and nail actually.  Though, he is uber possessive of her, hates the idea of other men even looking at her, and wants her all to himself.  He won't even acknowledge publically that his cave man instincts is what draws him to petites, normally what he has on his arm are statuesque women.

And how does Natalie handle all this, ha, she's like a deer caught in the headlights.  This is WAY over head as far as experience goes.  Macro is out of her league both in stature physically and lifestyle.  Of course she can't keep herself from falling for this hotheaded thick stubborn spoiled man.  She has the patience of a saint though, keeping her cool when necessary, but putting her foot down and giving him the business when it's needed.  No mamby pamby Anastasia here, thank goodness!

And speaking of that, Marco is NOT not another Christian Grey. He's been burned so he's cautious as a man of his wealth would be, and he is spoiled. When you're that wealthy you are accustomed to getting what you want.  Natalie also see's a wonderful soft and gentle side to Marco with his clients who are an older couple and it touches her heart.  Many compare him to the infamous Christian Grey, he is nothing like him.  Christian Grey was a giant box of messed up, Marco is not that at all, and kudos and a tip of the hat to Ms. Chance when Natalie asks if he's kinky and Marco says " You read too much fiction."

I loved this book, I love this author and look forward to reading more of her, this was my first but not my last.  The only thing that kept it from a 5 rating was the quick wrap-up of the ending.  I would've like to see that fleshed out a bit more.  Other than that, exquisite!! 

4 1/2 Cannolis

Damaged

Damaged
H M Ward















Amazon Blurb -

Life sucks. And, as soon as Sidney picks up the pieces something always knocks her back onto her butt. It's never pretty, but this time is different. This time pretty isn't even the right word.

Peter is the personification of perfection. It's like he fell off his angel perch in purgatory, because let's face it--any guy that hot has got to be naughty. He was probably sent here to ruin her life.

Peter is beyond beautiful with his sexy blue eyes, dark hair, and toned body. Add in his charming wit and Peter is everything Sidney ever wanted in a man, but when things get hot and heavy Peter shows her the door. Sidney takes the walk of shame and leaves. It's the end of the worst blind date ever. Her life couldn't possibly reach higher levels of suckage, but it does.

The next morning everything comes crashing down. The insanely hot guy from last night, the one that saw her half naked, is teaching at the front of the class room.
*****

Well, I have just discovered another great author :) and I'm very happy about it!  This was a great book, it moved quick, I loved the characters, great story, trifecta! 

Sidney is just trying to live life without the horror of what was done to her haunting her.  Taking it day by day even after all these years, trying not to let it get the best of her.  When her best friend Millie convinces her to go on a blind date, Sidney thinks she died and went to heaven.  A gorgeous guy who she instantly is attracted to makes her think it's finally her lucky day.  Ordering a glass of wine and flirting in just the first couple of minutes, and then it all goes to pieces when Millie comes running shouting "there you are!"  Poor Sydney is stunned, she was at the wrong table just thinking the rest hadn't arrived yet.

It only goes downhill from there.  The  dip-wad who is her date makes her want to scream, she leaves the restaurant and finds Mr. Hotty outside with his car that won't start.  Peter is just too good to be true, she gives him a lift home, things get a bit hot and heavy, but before anything can happen he tells her he can't do this.  Poor Sydney is mortified and humiliated.  She wonders what she could have done.  Things go from bad to worse when the Professor she ta's for dies and low and behold, who is his replacement?  Why Peter of course.

You travel this very tough road with them and find out things aren't all that ok for Peter either.  There isn't any hot and heavy love scenes, but BOY the tension is so very thick you can cut it with a knife!!  My heart ached for both of them and I just got lost in this wonderful book.  The only drawback?  I have to wait to see what happens between them with #2 which comes out in June.

4 Cannolis

Dead Ever After

X

Dead Ever After
Charlaine Harris













Ok folks, there is a BOAT load of anger stirring around this last book of the series.  Many gals are feeling betrayed.  Spoilers WILL ensue in my review/discussion, so don't read further if you don't want to know anything.

Amazon Blurb -

Sookie Stackhouse  finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

*****

I found this book ok.  It certainly wasn't an out of the park homerun, but, it wasn't the absolute disaster many are making it out to be.  I loved how all her friends past and present gathered together to help her in the latest jam she finds herself.

Sookie is accused of murder.  Someone is setting her up big time, the question is who, and why are 

they doing it.  In the middle of that mess, her vampire boyfriend is not happy with her, nor she him.  Her friend and co-owner of Merlottes, Sam is behaving odd to say the least.  When this is all said and done will she have either one in her life anymore?  The only staple seems to be good ole' Bill.

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STOP HERE TO NOT HAVE THE BOOK RUINED IF THAT MATTERS TO YOU!!!!

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Now for the controversy and what ticked me and hundreds of others.  First let me say that I called it when I read the last book, I think most of us did.   I love Eric.  He is an unapologetic, egotistical, megalomaniacal, ruthless killer.  We all know that about him, and yet we all still love him.  CASE CLOSED!!!  It doesn't bother me, I don't care one bit about that.  Why you ask? Because through each book you learn that Eric does love Sookie.  Did he do what he had to to get her, yup, but HE LOVES HER.  When she was tortured and mutilated by the fairies and he held her hand and she asked him "why didn't you come?"  His answer was "You're killing me."  It was a tortured and wretched angst filled response to her because he loves her so.  Their relationship has been sown slowly through each book lovingly crafted, and for the author to calously toss it away like gum on the bottom of ones shoe sucked a big smelly pickle to say the least!

In my opinion Harris was not happy with the devotion that her fans of this series have given to Eric. Not even Bill has the same level of adoration.  She point blank said in an interview that it baffles her how he is loved because he is a BAD guy plain and simple.  That Sam was her answer all along I personally find disingenuous.  There was never the same level of attraction for Sookie with Sam than there was with any of her boyfriends, even Alcide had more zing with Sook.  It would have been an easier pill to swallow if she would have had Sookie just be by herself and live her life.

How insulting to have a relationship that has been nurtured through several books be cast away with barely an explanation.  Eric is almost non-existent in this story and man that just is so out of character for the whole series and the personality of the characters.  Where was the angst, the heartbreak, the anger over this by both of them!?!   I felt more hurt amd pain when Eric forced Bill to tell her he was using her while she lay in that New Orleans hospital bed.  Sookie's gut wrenching pain was soooo thick in that one scene that I cried, but not here, not with Eric.

Oh well I guess this is what happens to loyal fans with some authors.  Her paltry explanation at the begining of the book that she knows not all will be happy is just meaningless.  You can't please everyone, I think we as adults know and accept that, but please don't insult us, those who have bought every single solitary book, pre-ordering them, getting them signed and keeping them as a treasure to not give away to anyone.  We all were short changed here, those of us who have come to love our Blonde Viking and it hurts, it hurts bad. To those who think we're crazy and say get a life, a pox on you and  your ancestors. 

And now comes the next screwing over with True Blood on HBO, this has become a torturous adventure of disgust as I watch beloved characters get twisted into things they never were and even dumber storylines.  I need a drink....

3 Cannolis   Because it wasn't the worst I've ever read (that award goes to The Gathering) even though she has SUPREMELY pissed me off.

Dare You To

Dare You To
Katie McGarry
Netgalley arc














Amazon Blurb -

"I dare you…"

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does….

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock—with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams—and his life—for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all….
*****

Why do children who are abused, neglected or both still love and feel loyalty to the crappy parent? A child wants to be loved and nurtured so bad by their parent they'll stick around through anything....

Beth is a hard skater girl. Pierced nose, jet black hair, foul mouth. Her aunt has taken her in as a foster child for the cash and lives in the basement along with her best friend Isaiah and Noah. Life hasn't been good to her and she has shut off all feelings of hope behind her tough exterior.

Ryan is the town's superstar baseball pitcher. "The Golden Boy", perfect in every way. Gorgeous, affluent, prominent town family, beautiful home, but is it? Peel away the facade of his home life and what lies beneath is far from perfect.

Ryan and his best buds and teammates Chris and Logan are forever daring each other to do stupid things, on this night at the Taco Bell it's to get a girl's number and a date with her. Chris scores with no trouble, Ryan needs to get the next girl or he loses. In walks Beth, the farthest thing from his type. As he gets closer he see's she is pretty and what starts out as a dare becomes a journey of discovery for them both.

I more than enjoyed this book, I loved this book. Another YA has stolen my heart! There is nothing like a great story and this is it. I even had tears streaming down my face at some points. That's major aces for me. It was a tough subject, and it portrayed it wonderfully, nothing smarmy, phony, or overdone. Katie covered all the bases well, right down to the school's bitchy mean girl. Beth and Ryan are true lovely characters. Ryan is such a gentle sweet kid and Beth, well your heart breaks for her. You will fall in love with them both.

I highly recommend this book. Very light on the love scene side so even a 15 year old will be okay with it. There is a book for Beth's beat bud Isaiah coming out, Crash Into You, and I want to read that too!

5 cannolis

First Grave On The Right

First Grave On The Right
Darynda Jones











Amazon Blurb -

Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.
This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.
*****
I enjoyed this book. It wasn't the best book I ever read, but it wasn't a drag. Charlie is a funny sassy character who "sees dead people". She is actually the grim reaper and helps souls cross over. Her dad is a retired New Mexico cop and her Uncle is a Detective and she helped her dad solve cases and now does the same for her Uncle. Her best friend Cookie is also her "secretary".

Charley has been having some really intense life like dreams involving a very hot man, and her dreams are slowly coming to reality and when she finds out who it is it just might be a deal breaker.

3 1/2 cannolis