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Latest Paranormal & Contemporary Romance Book Releases – May 31st 2016

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<— BREAKING NEWS WEDNESDAY UPDATES!!! IT’S LIVE!!!!! The Butterfly Garden is the psych-thriller that I’m reading and it’s FREAKING AWESOME! AND AND!! It’s bargain priced! AWESOME price for an creepy-awesome story with awesome writing, and a scene that already shocked me good!!!! I’m having SO. MUCH. FUN!!!!

Amy: Anyone else coming to frolic in the Butterfly Garden with us? If it continues like it is now, holy moly! I’m gonna be GUSHING over this one. *fingers crossed* <—– though I don’t think it will need that. ;)

Here’s more that just went live!

      

Happy release day everyone! It’s the end of the month and it’s going out with quite a book-bang!! SO MANY awesome new books came out today, and from our favorite tried and true authors. AND AND!!! I found some new-to-us that sound just as exciting! Oh and don’t forget to check out yesterday’s Monday early bird book releases ’cause there were some big ones, in there!

<— Okay, and… that one up there to the left (Grin and Beard It) just sounds like my idea of reading-fun, because I too, have NO sense of direction. NONE. Maps? neutral *shrug* Go north at the light? *blink blink* confused Er… I dunno. I think it’s genetic ’cause my mom and a few of my family members have the same problem. rolleyes Anyway… LOL! A snippet from the blurb that had me grinning:

…she has a problem, she can’t read maps and her sense of direction is almost as bad as her comedic timing is stellar. Therefore, when Sienna’s latest starring role takes her to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park she finds herself continually lost while trying to navigate the back roads of Green Valley, Tennessee. Much to her consternation, Sienna’s most frequent savior is a ridiculously handsome, charming, and cheeky Park Ranger by the name of Jethro Winston.

What else looks extra-good to me, today? Unrequited (in the bargains section, he steals the wife of a mafia head for himself… eeeeep!! And book #2 was just released today), Hooker (bad childhood until she was adopted but… she realizes there was more to it. With THAT title? I’m thinking things…), Hold You Against Me (a boy once saved her, and she thought he died, but now she realizes he might by a dangerous criminal), Unexpected Circumstances (just ’cause it’s Shay Savage – right off the bat – but also a historical? Instead of marrying the princess, he makes a political move and marries his maid… and she’s freaking out!!), Sweet Jayne (that blurb!! Listed as a dark taboo?? Three guys, they all are in her life for different reasons, but SHE might be the actual villain? I’m curious!). AND AND!!! I’m reading THIS ONE as we speak (The Butterfly Garden) and SO FREAKING EXCITED about it!! Psych-thriller!!!!

P.S. The bargain finds and reader recommendations are loaded in MY favorites, today!!! YAY!! I must insist on ’em… and I included my reviews. 😉 It’s like a who’s who of Maryse’s favorites from a few years ago that I STILL reminisce about. These set the standard. Or are a secure PART of the standard, of what makes up my favorites!

AUDIOBOOK L:DVERS

For those going on a road trip soon, or maybe you’ve got some projects that require both hands this weekend but still allows you to “listen”… check out the free audible trial + 2 free audiobooks deal —>

  • AND! Here’s the fun-tool again! —> Find out which of YOUR Kindle books are available as audiobooks at a BARGAIN-PRICE! <— This thing is so cool (Amazon calls it “Matchmaker“)! It’s an Amazon feature, that scans your Kindle books and will list all of the ones you have that are also available as an audiobook at a discounted price (not normal audiobook prices). This way, you can switch back and forth, seamlessly between your ebooks and your audiobooks. VERY COOL!
  1. Dirty Love: The Dirty Girl Duet Series, Book 2 by Meghan March
  2. Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
  3. The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter
  4. The All-Star Antes Up: Wager of Hearts, Book 2 by Nancy Herkness
  5. Everywhere and Every Way: The Billionaire Builders, Book 1 by Jennifer Probst
  6. Into the Whirlwind by Kat Martin
  7. The Island House: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
  8. Demand: Careless Whispers, Book 2 by Lisa Renee Jones
  9. Dear Heart, I Hate You by J. Sterling <— I LOVED this book!!! (my review)
  10. Wicked Love: Wicked White, Book 3 by Michelle A. Valentine
         

 

BARGAINS & READER RECOMMENDATIONS (NOTE: bargain priced when I added them, but prices can change on Amazon, so make sure to check before you finalize your order).

  • Unrequited (Fallen Aces MC Book 1) by Max Henry <— DARK ROMANCE BIKER/MAFIA BOOK and part 2 was just released today (below). This one is super-bargain priced today! “Our love was all consuming, passionate, and forbidden. We took risks to be together, carrying on an affair for months before her psychotic drug lord husband found the truth behind the lies. She barely escaped with her life … and that of my son...”  (also on Amazon UK) And Angela says:
“Have you read this one yet? Just started it today and can’t put it down. The second book comes out at midnight.”
  • The Year of the Dragon Series, Books 1-4: The Crimson Robe by James Calbraith <— FOUR BOOK SUPER-BARGAIN BUNDLE ALERT!!! (also available on Amazon UK but it doesn’t appear to be super-bargain priced)
  • Shifting Dreams (Cambio Springs Mysteries Book 1) by Elizabeth Hunter <— SO MANY LOVE THIS AUTHOR!! And book #1 in this series is super-bargain priced right now! (also on Amazon UK)
  • Sloth: A Sinful Secrets Novel by Ella James <— The second book in the series was just released (below) and it sounds awesome!! Kind of scary, maybe ever? And Kristin found us this one as a freebie today! “And the first book is free this week. I had to one-click that one…”
  • Distraction: Underground kings by Aurora Rose Reynolds <— THEY WAKE UP TOGETHER… “When Maggie wakes up naked in Sven’s bed, with no memory of the night before, these two must be honest about their feelings and face their fears, so they can build a future together.” and it’s super-bargain priced today! (also on Amazon UK)
  • RYLEE (The Rylee Adamson Epilogues Book 1) by Shannon Mayer <— Released just a couple of weeks ago (and also on Amazon UK)
  • Starting Fires by Makenzie Smith <— And she found us this one on super-bargain, which is another one I LOVED! (my review) and here it is on Amazon UK too!
  • The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred <—  AWESOME BOOK ALERT!! Michelle found us this super-bargain that I LOVED like crazy!! (here’s my review) and here it is on Amazon UK too!
  • The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies Book 1) by Tarryn Fisher <— SUPER-ROMANCE ANGST AND INFURIATION ALERT!! Also super-bargain priced and ALSO one of my favorites. 😉 Everyone knows that! This one made me cry HARD. (my review) and here it is on Amazon UK!
  • Rainfall by Melissa Delport <— ONE OF THE MOST AWESOME & UNDERRATED (or should I say under-read?) BOOK THAT I CONSIDER A MUST READ!!! DO IT PLEASE!!! It’s super-bargain priced. You have nothing to lose. (my review) and here it is on Amazon UK!!
“I was so into it, that the minute I reached the end, I was kind of shaking. Exhilarated, misty-eyed, melancholy, happy, sad, elated, devastated… I was a mess. EVERY feeling, every emotion, was ebbing and flowing through me all at once. LOVED it!!” <— That’s a part of my review!!
  • The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah <— TEAR-JERKER AWESOMENESS ALERT!!! And this one made Tasha cry!!! “I finally finished The Nightingale and I’m totally too embarrassed to say how long I’ve been milking that book, but it was such a great read, first time I literally cried in a year!” and I loved it too (my review) and here it is also on Amazon UK.
  • Waiting for April by Jaime Loren <— MichelleS AND Sarah LOVED this! (and here it is on Amazon UK too)!

MichelleS: “Waiting for April”. He’s over 300 & been protecting her his whole life. And loving her. She’s 17… And has never made it to 18. He’s watched her die 19x. In this life, she lives next door & has a hunky boyfriend. I love this kind of story!!! Yippee!!!!!!

Sarah: Waiting for April, read it people!! It is a rollercoaster, I was sweating all over in some parts just dying to know what happens, such a good story and hoping it continues in a sequel, my fingers and toes are crossed!!!

MichelleS: I finished Waiting for April. Now I’m waiting for the sequel. Loved it. But it definitely has at least a part two!… I’m a little speechless at how Waiting for April ended. Anyone else read it? Now I’m all torn up

           

 

PARANORMAL/FANTASY/SCI-FI/DYSTOPIAN

  1. The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld) by Gena Showalter (also on Amazon UK)
  2. Blood Lust (The Sentinels) by Alexandra Ivy (also on Amazon UK)
  3. The Angel Wore Fangs: A Deadly Angels Book by Sandra Hill (also on Amazon UK)
  4. Betrayal Foretold: Descended of Dragons, Book 3 by Jen Crane (also on Amazon UK)
  5. Hunted by the Dragon (Captured by a Dragon-Shifter Book 4) by Michelle M. Pillow (also on Amazon UK)
  6. Not Quite Mine (A Lowcountry Mystery) (Lowcountry Mysteries Book 7) by Lyla Payne (also on Amazon UK)
  7. Silver Moon (Hot Moon Rising #6) by Merryn Dexter (also on Amazon UK)
  8. Alpha Bear (Alpha Bites Book 2) by Mandy Rosko (also on Amazon UK)
  9. The 27 Club by Alexandria Bishop (also on Amazon UK)
  10. Enchanted: A Paranormal New Adult Novella Collection (also on Amazon UK)
  11. The Pages of the Mind (The Uncharted Realms) by Jeffe Kennedy (also on Amazon UK)
  12. Aether Spirit (Aether Psychics) by Cecilia Dominic (also on Amazon UK)
  13. Succubus in Seattle: Paranormal Romance Novella: The Blood Stone Series by J.M. Friedman (also on Amazon UK)
  14. Brother Mine (Brother Assassins Book 1) by Jolie Mason
  15. Soul-less by Greyson James
             

 

CONTEMPORARY

  1. Grin and Beard It (Winston Brothers Book 2) by Penny Reid <— SOUNDS SO FUN/SHE’S A FAMOUS ACTRESS & HE’S A PARK RANGER ALERT!!!! She’s an actress with no sense of direction and she gets lost… and a park ranger comes to her rescue. YAY!!!! 😛 And Bethany says: “This book was soooo awesome!” (also on Amazon UK)
  2. Murder: A Sinful Secrets Romance by Ella James <— WHOA. SOUNDS A BIT SCARY & ROMANTICALLY ANGSTY (is he scary??) “She was not who I’d have chosen. Gwen was delicate and lovely: a former model with a ruined life, living in the quiet of the Smoky Mountains, healing injured bears. When she laid her hands on me, she healed me, too. That’s how it began. That’s where it first went wrong. I knew she could never be mine. But I sinned…” (also on Amazon UK)
  3. Empire (Eagle Elite Book 7) by Rachel Van Dyken <— MAFIA ARRANGED MARRIAGE ALERT! “…the only way to fix, is to do something I swore I’d never do again. An arranged marriage. Only this time. I won’t fall. Or so help me God, I’ll kill her myself.“(also on Amazon UK)
  4. 30 Nights (The 30 Series) by Christine D’Abo (also on Amazon UK)
  5. Smoke & Metal (New York Crime Kings Book 3) by Skyla Madi (also on Amazon UK)
  6. Jae’s Assignment by Bernice Layton
  7. Summer (The Pleasure Quartet) by Vina Jackson
  8. Hooker by J. L. Perry <— EEEP! SHE WAS ADOPTED BUT… “Things began to look up for her when she was adopted by a wealthy socialite at the age of eleven. Sometimes, though, things aren’t always what they seem. Jade didn’t know it at the time, but her new adoptive mother had big plans for her . . .”  (also on Amazon UK)
  9. Ransom (Dead Man’s Ink Series Book 3) by Callie Hart <— BIKER BOOK ALERT! “Jamie will do anything to protect Sophia, but with Hector kidnapping her family members and demanding the greatest of ransoms, keeping her safe is beginning to seem like an impossible task…” (also on Amazon UK)
  10. Bewitching Winter: A Sexy New Zealand Romance (The Four Seasons Book 3) by Serenity Woods (also on Amazon UK)
  11. Unforgettable Memories (The Unforgettable Series Book 4) by Nikki Lamers (also on Amazon UK)
  12. Wilde For You (The Wilde Sisters Book 3) by Marianne Rice (also on Amazon UK)
  13. Love, With All My Heart by A. Gorman (also on Amazon UK)
  14. Prime Minister (Frisky Beavers Book 1) by Ainsley Booth <— HE’S THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA & SHE’S HIS INTERN ALERT! “How much I like the PM varies on a daily basis. He’s intense, controlling, and a perfectionist in every way—and he demands the same of his staff. How much I want him never wavers…“ (also on Amazon UK)
  15. Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch) by Carolyn Brown (also on Amazon UK)
  16. Dirty Love (Dirty Girl Duet Book 2) by Meghan March <— DUET FINALE!! “…a sexy new spin-off duet from the Dirty Billionaire Trilogy” (also on Amazon UK)
  17. Hold You Against Me: A Stripped Standalone by Skye Warren <— NOW-CRIMINAL SAVED HER LIFE LONG AGO ALERT… “But he isn’t the boy I left behind. He’s a violent man. A criminal. And he’s been waiting for me–the final pawn in a dark game of survival and love.” (also on Amazon UK)
  18. The All-Star Antes Up (Wager of Hearts Book 2) by Nancy Herkness (also on Amazon UK)
  19. Unanswered Prayers by Morgan Malone (also on Amazon UK)
  20. A Bet Worth Making (Grayson County Series Book 2) by Heather Hildenbrand (also on Amazon UK)
  21. Under The Surface: An Alpha Ops Novel by Anne Calhoun (also on Amazon UK)
  22. Hot in Hellcat Canyon by Julie Anne Long (also on Amazon UK)
  23. Unexpected Circumstances: The Handmaid by Shay Savage <— SHE’S HIS MAID, AND HE MARRIES HER INSTEAD OF THE PRINCESS ALERT! “In a bold political move, Sir Branford claims a handmaid as his bride instead of the expected princess in an attempt to spark a war. Poor Alexandra knows little of how to behave as the wife of a future king and knows nothing of the man who is suddenly her husband…” (also on Amazon UK)
  24. Love Me: Always Series book 2 by Cristin Cooper
  25. Gamer Girl by Glynis Astie
  26. Worth The Wait: A Nature Of Desire Series Novel by Joey W. Hill <— HE’S A DOM AND SHE’S A 40-YEAR OLD SUB THAT HAS GIVEN UP ON LOVE… “Desmond Hayes is the roofing contractor repairing their rundown theater building, but he’s also a rigger, well-known in the BDSM world for his rope artistry. He’s not just a top, though; he’s a Dom whose unexpected quirks mesh too well with Julie’s eccentric personality and awaken her submissive side…” (also on Amazon UK)
  27. Stare Him Down (Stare Down Book 3) by Riley Murphy (also on Amazon UK)
  28. The Peppercorn Project by Nicki Edwards (also on Amazon UK)
  29. Steal Me (Haunted Roads Book 1) by India R Adams (also on Amazon UK)
  30. Unbreakable: Unrequited Part Two (Fallen Aces MC Book 2) by Max Henry <— BIKER BOOK DARK ROMANCE ALERT!! This is part 2 so I won’t read the blurb… P.S. Book #1 is on super-sale right now, so I posted it above in the bargains. (also on Amazon UK)
  31. Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas <— RUTHLESS BUSINESS TYCOON & A SHY ARISTOCRAT ALERT! “Helen’s gentle upbringing belies a stubborn conviction that only she can tame her unruly husband. As Rhys’s enemies conspire against them, Helen must trust him with her darkest secret...” (also on Amazon UK)
  32. Sins in the Sand (Totally Five Star) by Kait Gamble
  33. Until Then by Delisa Lynn
  34. The McKenzie Artifact: Smithson Group #5 by Alison Kent
  35. Waking Up in Vegas by Sarah King
  36. Tainted Love (A Lovestruck Novella Book 1) by Lane Hart
  37. Everywhere and Every Way (The Billionaire Builders Book 1) by Jennifer Probst <— SHE HIRES HIM TO BUILD HER HOUSE… “…demanding high-end home designer Morgan hires Caleb to build her a customized dream house that matches her specifications to a T—or she’ll use her powerful connections to poison the Pierce brothers’ reputation. Not one to ignore a challenge, Caleb vows to get the job done—if only he can stop getting distracted by his new client’s perfect…amenities.” (also on Amazon UK)
  38. Vulnerable by Bonita Thompson (also on Amazon UK)
  39. The Whole Day Through: A Novel by Patrick Gale
  40. Demand (Careless Whispers Book 2) by Lisa Renee Jones <— LISA RENEE JONES ALERT!! (also on Amazon UK)
  41. Stacked Up: Worth the Fight Series by Sidney Halston <— MMA FIGHTER ALERT! She’s a rich girl with a preacher father and she meets MMA fighter! “...if Penny hadn’t struck out on her own, she never would have met Travis Calhoun. The intensely physical heavyweight brawler has a way of drawing out her wild side. But Travis lives fast, with no responsibilities—and that just isn’t for Penny…” (also on Amazon UK)
  42. The Anatomy of Jane (WJM Book 1) by Amelia LeFay <— POTENTIAL THREESOME LOVE ALERT! One guy has a TV show, one guy wants to be a famous chef and she becomes their maid… “…to figure out how to simultaneously get the first and second things I want without any of us getting hurt. THREE PEOPLE. ONE LOVE STORY….” (also on Amazon UK)
  43. Wicked Love (Wicked White Series Book 3) by Michelle A. Valentine (also on Amazon UK)
  44. Torn: LOST Series #4 by Cynthia Eden (also on Amazon UK)
  45. Your Mess Is Mine by Stephanie Alba <— THEY MEET AT THE AIRPORT “I didn’t expect to fight her for the last standby seat to New York City. I didn’t plan on letting her get under my skin. Or the way her vulnerability tore me up inside and compelled me to care for her. She didn’t plan on letting me witness her chaos.” (also on Amazon UK)
  46. Jason (Kings of Guardian Book 4) by Kris Michaels <— SHE WAS SAVED BY HER STEPBROTHER & THEN HE DIED… “Faith Collins’ stepbrother rescued her and her infant son from a hideous life, then died overseas in a black ops mission gone tragically wrong. Faith knew how to pick up and go on when things got bad. So she’d made peace with losing him–until Jason King arrived…” (also on Amazon UK)
  47. Constant Craving (Task Force Hawaii Book 3) by Melissa Schroeder (also on Amazon UK)
  48. Fulfilling Promises (Red Starr, Book Five) by Kennedy Layne (also on Amazon UK)
  49. Learning to Breathe: Based on The Falling Series by Marisa Oldham <— ROCK STAR BOOK! He finally asks her to move to LA with him… “When he finally asks her to move to Los Angeles to be with him, she risks everything, taking the leap into a new life. Drowning in the wake of her decisions, she struggles just to breathe as destiny threatens to take everything…” (also on Amazon UK)
  50. Protecting His Own (Masters of the Shadowlands Book 11) by Cherise Sinclair <— SHE & HER MASTER CAN’T HAVE CHILDREN DUE TO HER ABUSED PAST… but two little boys need a home when their abused mom enters the hospital: “Agreeing to care for them temporarily, Beth soon falls in love with the two adorable boys. Now Master Nolan has a new problem. How can he protect the children when their drug-addicted mother is released—and how the hell can he keep his sweet submissive’s heart from being broken when they leave?” (also on Amazon UK)
  51. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley <— PLANE CRASH SURVIVORS!! “…the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs-the painter-and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul’s family…” (also on Amazon UK)
  52. Cold Hearted (Cold Justice Book 6) by Toni Anderson (also on Amazon UK)
  53. Where There’s Smoke: inspirational romantic suspense (Montana Fire Book 1) by Susan May Warren (also on Amazon UK)
  54. Ultimate Vengeance (Wanted Men Book 4) by Nancy Haviland <— RUSSIAN MAFIA ALERT & HE BROKE HER HEART… “When he prowls back into her quiet life, Sacha’s decision to run is immediate. But before she can, Alekzander offers a confession that fully absolves him of his sins. Rather than celebrate, Sacha is forced to acknowledge an alarming truth. She has now become the villain in their story. Will she survive when Alekzander discovers why?” (also on Amazon UK)
  55. Unbreak Me by Julieanne Lynch (also on Amazon UK)
  56. SEVEN by Amy Marie <— SHE WANTED TO BE ACCEPTED BY THE POPULAR GUYS… “How was I to know that the one night I willingly gave away my innocence would set off a chain of events, turning my world upside down? Now, ten years later, it’s my turn to use sex, money, and lies to take from them all that they took from me . . . and more…” (also on Amazon UK)
  57. The Heart’s Shrapnel by S. J. Lynn (also on Amazon UK)
  58. Sweetest Kisses (Men of the Sprawling A Ranch Book 4) by Anna Alexander (also on Amazon UK)
  59. Heart of a Bad Boy by Sugar Jamison (also on Amazon UK)
  60. Working With Temptation (Unclaimed Novellas Book 2) by Nixie Gray (also on Amazon UK)
  61. Clandestine: A Garden Falls novel by Allie Kincheloe (also on Amazon UK)
  62. Sweet Jayne by K Webster <— DARK TABOO STORY ALERT! There are three guys in her life and they all associate differently with her but… “…maybe complicated Jayne isn’t so sweet after all… In fact, she might just be the biggest villain of them all.” (also on Amazon UK)
  63. Secrets, Lies, and Online Dating by Sylvia McDaniel (also on Amazon UK)
  64. Loving Lindsey (The Protectors Book 1) by Patricia Keelyn (also on Amazon UK)
  65. Recovery Road by Danielle Donaldson
  66. Breaking Promises (B-boy Book 1) by S. Briones Lim

                                                             

PREORDERS (tomorrow’s & next week’s!!! :D )

  1. About the Night by Anat Talshir <— THEY FALL IN LOVE DURING WARTIME BUT IT’S FORBIDDEN! This sounds like it could be as epic as The Nightingale and The Bronze Horseman AND!!! It’s already in the top 10 of all of Amazon and it hasn’t even released yet! “Tragically, they come from two different worlds. Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. A growing conflict between their cultures casts a heavy shadow over the region and their burgeoning relationship.” <— JUNE 1st 2016
  2. The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison <— #1 RIGHT NOW!!!! This book is #1 on ALL of Amazon Kindle right now, and it’s coming out in just a couple of days! I can’t wait to read it!!!! (It’s on my latest TBR list that I posted last night) <— JUNE 1st 2016
  3. Flash Point (Kilgore Fire Book 2) by Lani Lynn Vale – June 2nd 2016
  4. Nolan: Return to Signal Bend by Susan Fanetti – June 4th 2016
  5. Six by K.I. Lynn – June 6th 2016
  6. One True Loves: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid – June 7th 2016 (here’s MY REVIEW)!!!
  7. End of Watch: A Novel (The Bill Hodges Trilogy) by Stephen King  – June 7th 2016
  8. Idol (VIP Book 1) by Kristen Callihan – June 7th 2016
  9. Rootbound by Shannon Mayer – June 7th 2016
  10. Coast (Kick Push Book 2) (The Road 3) by Jay McLean – June 7th 2016
  11. Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn – June 7th 2016
  12. Killing The Sun: Part 1 by Mara White & K. Larsen – June 7th 2016
  13. White-Hot Hack: Kate and Ian #2 by Tracey Garvis Graves – June 7th 2016
  14. End of Watch: A Novel (The Bill Hodges Trilogy) by Stephen King – June 7th 2016
  15. Amber Fire by Lisa Renee Jones – June 7th 2016
  16. Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn  – June 7th 2016
  17. Nothing More by Anna Todd – SPINOFF!!  June 7th 2016
  18. Downtown Devil: A Sins in the City Novel by Cara McKenna – June 7th 2016
  19. The Proposition by Missy Johnson – June 7th 2016
                        

 

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Happy Memorial Day! Monday Early Birds & Some of Tomorrow’s Preorders…

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Happy Memorial Day my friends!! I hope you are all have a relaxingly peaceful, and joyful day with your friends and/or families. I will be taking it easy today, reading my heart out (The Butterfly Garden <— a book that I’ve been DYING to read, and I think some of us are even buddy reading it as we speak), and I too, shall enjoy some grilled yummies.

Happy Memorial Day!

But! Today is proving to be an awesome book day, ’cause a few just went live!!! And… wow!  Just looking at the AMAZING pre-orders that are going live tomorrow (er… tonight? *fingers crossed*) tomorrow’s is going to be AN AWESOME & HUGE release day. What a way to end a month!!!

JUST WENT LIVE!

  1. The Honor Anthology by Emily Snow, MJ Field, Daryl Banner, Lacey Black, SM Donaldson, Misha Elliott, Ellie Keys, Ryan Michele, Chelsea Camaron, Amanda Lanclos<— MILITARY ROMANCE ALERT!!! Yes perfect for today! :D!!! “For Memorial Day 2016, eleven authors have come together to honor those who lost their lives while defending our freedom. Enjoy eleven brand new military-themed stories, which may contain a few familiar faces…” (and it’s over 650 pages!!) (also on Amazon UK)
  2. Shameless (Playboys in Love) by Gina L. Maxwell <— PLAYBOY ALERT & SHE DOESN’T WANT HIM! “…I always follow when it’s pointing at something I want. That goes double when it points straight at the one girl in all of Chicago who’s not dying for a piece of me. She’s all I can think about, and that’s a problem, because she wants nothing to do with me. But I’ve seen her deepest secrets, her darkest fantasies, and they match mine to a f**king T…” (also on Amazon UK)
  3. Test Drive (Crossroads Book 3) by Riley Hart <— ONE OF OUR FAV M/M AUTHORS ALERT!!! So many of us absolutely LOVE Riley Hart’s brand of angsty m/m romance! His dad is dying, so he leaves everything and moves to him and discovers he has other siblings. And that his new-found sister’s brother-in-law was HIS past hookup. *gasp*!! “Things go from bad to worse when he discovers his recent hookup is his newfound sister’s brother-in-law. Drew Sinclair never expected to see Justin after their night at the club or to discover their family connection…” (also on Amazon UK)
  4. Beta Test (#gaymers) by Annabeth Albert <— M/M ROMANCE!! “Tossed together in close quarters, Ravi’s shocked to see Tristan’s sexy, softer side emerge from such a conservative shell. He’s less shocked to learn his handsome colleague’s prominent family would never support an out-and-proud son…” (also on Amazon UK)
  5. I’m Nothing (The Family Book 2) by Sam Crescent <— MAFIA ROMANCE ALERT? She’s trapped (kidnapped?) and he saves her… (also on Amazon UK)
  6. Delivered (The Monster Trilogy Book 3) by Marissa Farrar <— DARK READ TRILOGY FINALE!!! (also on Amazon UK)
  7. The Mating Destiny: Werewolves of Montana Book 7 by Bonnie Vanak (also on Amazon UK)
  8. Cornered (Holloway Pack Book 5) by J.A. Belfield <— HE’S A WOLF & HE MEETS HER IN A BAR! “Seduced by his new companion, and happy to ignore the divide growing between himself and the pack, Danny is oblivious to the trap being laid out for him…” (I think she’s a vampire!!) (also on Amazon UK)
  9. Only For A Night (Lick) by Naima Simone <— SOUNDS STEAMY!! (also on Amazon UK)
  10. Back To The Beginning: A Duet by Laramie Briscoe and Seraphina Donavan <— PREQUELS TO THEIR POPULAR SERIES ALERT! “Join Laramie Briscoe & Seraphina Donavan as they take you back to where it all started for their two most popular series!… Back to Basics: A Heaven Hill Novella & Remembered: A DuChamps’ Dynasty Novella” (also on Amazon UK)
  11. One Good Reason (A Boston Love Story Book 3) by Julie Johnson (also on Amazon UK)
  12. Learning Curves by Cathryn Fox (also on Amazon UK)
  13. Bound to Serve (Dangerous Liaisons) by Julie Castle <— DELTA STAR’S ULTIMATE SECRET AGENT ALERT! “…no matter how many times he’s saved the world, he’s a ghost who will never take credit. He works best alone, and to continue to protect his country, he’ll stay alone…” that is, until he’s paired with her to take down a criminal mastermind… (also on Amazon UK)
  14. Shoot Out (The Baltimore Banners Book 7) by Lisa B. Kamps <— HOCKEY STAR ALERT! “Finally free from an abusive relationship, her focus is on looking forward. Her first step in that direction? A quick get-away to immerse herself in her photography–and a steamy encounter with a gorgeous green-eyed stranger…” It looks like it can be read as a standalone. (also on Amazon UK)
  15. Line Brawl (The Dartmouth Cobras Book 8) by Bianca Sommerland <— HOCKEY STAR ALERT! He wants them both… a man he loves and a woman that he is falling for… “Shawn gave up on ever having someone to call his own. A young woman who expects nothing from him slips into his life and has him ready to toss the rulebook. While the man he loves tempts him to burn it. Keeping them both would be easy, only…caring about them isn’t.” (also on Amazon UK)
  16. Adulterated: “There’s two sides to every love story” by Charlese Johnson <— SHE FALLS FOR A POLICE OFFICER BUT SHE… “…must get used to her role as the girlfriend of a police officer in a city where tension and hatred for her man are at an all time high. Despite the hate, their romance blossoms, until she discovers a startling and heartbreaking truth changing her life forever…” (also on Amazon UK)
  17. Disgrace by Dee Palmer <— THEY’RE BOTH DOMS & HE WANTS HER TO SWITCH FOR HIM!! “I must be mad to even consider Dominant club owner and King of Kink Jason Sinclair’s proposition. Two Doms don’t make a right. Self-preservation has kept me at a safe distance from the one man who could change all that. The only man who wields power like a sensual sword and keeps me balanced on that knife’s edge. My choice is simple: He wants me to switch for him…” (also on Amazon UK)
  18. Pretty When You Cry: A Dark Romance Novel by Skye Warren <— DARK READ SHE ESCAPES CULT ALERT & it’s super-bargain priced today! I think she escapes a cult or a religious commune!! “I came from a place of dirt floors and holy scriptures. They told me the world outside was full of sin, and the first night I escape, I find out it’s true. Ivan saves me, but he does more than that. He takes me. He makes me his own girl. My conditioning runs too deep. Ivan sees what I am. That’s the thing about showing a mouse to a cat. He wants to play. And it’s terrifying, even for me. Because the only thing darker than my past is his.” (also on Amazon UK)
  19. Reckless Beat Boxed Set by Eden Summers <— ROCK STAR SERIES BUNDLED at a bargain price!! (also on Amazon UK)
  20. Love, in Duology: The Love in English and Love in Spanish Bundle by Karina Halle <— SUPER-ANGSTY FORBIDDEN LOVE ALERT! SUPER-BARGAIN sale on this “duet”. I read book #1 and 5-star LOVED it, and now I can have both for super-cheap! (my review of book #1) (also on Amazon UK)
  21. Angel of Redemption by J.A. Little <— SLOW BURN & HE’S A JERK ALERT AND!!! My book-besties are absolutely LOVING this one!!! (also on Amazon UK)

Kandace: A few of us read and loved Angel of Redemption by J.A. Little. It’s a longer book (600 pages). He’s an moody but lovable jackbutt. She’s a bit feisty and sassy. Their chemistry was sizzling. It’s a bit of a slow burn romance but once they connect….THEY *Ahem*….connect often! The foster kids’ story was just as interesting. …I think a lot of you would love this book.

Shirley: After being in a book slump the past few weeks, I started Angel Of Redemption last night and I’m loving it!!! I agree with Kandace in what she said about this book!!

Kristy: Omg soooo soo good. And wonderfully long but not slow!!

Lauren: I haven’t read it yet but I bought it a few weeks ago when the price dropped. Guess I’ll move it up the TBR list!!!

Andrea: Just finished it and loved it…it was definitely a long book, but didn’t feel long. Every page was a perfect part of the story.

                    

 

GOING LIVE AT MIDNIGHT!!!

  1. Empire (Eagle Elite Book 7) by Rachel Van Dyken
  2. Grin and Beard It (Winston Brothers Book 2) by Penny Reid
  3. Ransom (Dead Man’s Ink Series Book 3) by Callie Hart
  4. Dirty Love (Dirty Girl Duet Book 2) by Meghan March
  5. Unexpected Circumstances: The Handmaid by Shay Savage
  6. Worth The Wait: A Nature Of Desire Series Novel by Joey W. Hill
  7. Unbreakable: Unrequited Part Two (Fallen Aces MC Book 2) by Max Henry
  8. Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
  9. Everywhere and Every Way (The Billionaire Builders Book 1) by Jennifer Probst
  10. Demand (Careless Whispers Book 2) by Lisa Renee Jones
  11. Stacked Up: Worth the Fight Series by Sidney Halston
  12. Blood Lust (The Sentinels) by Alexandra Ivy
  13. Wicked Love (Wicked White Series Book 3) by Michelle A. Valentine
  14. Torn: LOST Series #4 by Cynthia Eden
  15. The Angel Wore Fangs: A Deadly Angels Book by Sandra Hill
  16. Protecting His Own (Masters of the Shadowlands Book 11) by Cherise Sinclair
  17. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley <— PLANE CRASH SURVIVORS!! “…the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs-the painter-and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul’s family…”
  18. About the Night by Anat Talshir <— THEY FALL IN LOVE DURING WARTIME BUT IT’S FORBIDDEN! This sounds like it could be as epic as The Nightingale and The Bronze Horseman AND!!! It’s already in the top 10 of all of Amazon and it hasn’t even released yet! “Tragically, they come from two different worlds. Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. A growing conflict between their cultures casts a heavy shadow over the region and their burgeoning relationship.” <— JUNE 1st 2016
  19. The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison <— #1 RIGHT NOW!!!! This book is #1 on ALL of Amazon Kindle right now, and it’s coming out in just a couple of days! I can’t wait to read it!!!! (It’s on my latest TBR list that I posted last night) <— JUNE 1st 2016

                 

Book Review – Undone by John Colapinto

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Undone: A Novel
*Ooooof* What a book. I feel depressed right now. Having spent so many hours in this crazy mind-mess of a story, that at first, beckoned me with the promise of a forbidden psychological thrill. With the creepy-handsome main character and his angelic-looking 17 year old student and their intricate plotting (using her seductive powers and his outlandish ideas) to steal quite a fortune.

Going by some of the reviews (glowing praises by HUGE names in the industry), it promised to be a wild ride. For sure an uncomfortable one (considering a few taboo-angles it was weaving me through), but my mind was going all over the place with the possibilities, potential scenarios, and I was hoping for that big-bang ending that was sure to knock my socks off.

Maryse: I’ve kind of started a er… forbidden, possibly shocking darkish satire-black er… I dunno? Comedy read? Dark psych-thriller, love story spiral descent? No. I dunno. I’ve heard it’s fairly forbidden and it’s written by a man, and it’s got all sorts of weird feedback but I’m taste-testing it, ’cause you know I’m attracted to the psych-mind-benders. It’s called: Undone: A Novel by John Colapinto … It’s excellent writing and a bit… sordid. I’ll let y’all know soon.

bev: Oooooh. Maryse is reading something sordid.

Maryse: YESSSS This will be the “forbidden/taboo” list for sure. I’m into it, thinking I know what’s coming… cringing, and yet I can’t stop. Yep… slow burn for sure, but in all the wrong ways. Yikes. It’s hypnotizing to be sure, but soooooo OH NOOOOO and yet… I read and I read and I read it….

Amy: Whoa…that looks like it’s a WTF book.

Maryse:  I love the WTF-ery books!!!!

Maryse: …it’s a risqué, taboo read that has received plenty of accolades, and yet, toes the line of too risqué for some. When you’re reading something significantly sordid, thinking you knew what the “sordid” part was from the beginning, but it turned into something so much more… sordid. It’s all sorts of moral distress. ;) That’s where I’m at. Tee hee!!!

Cheryl: I had to look up ephebophile to make sure what this book is about, not to mention the blurb that just ends on an incomplete sentence. *blink-blink* This seems disturbing on so many levels.

Maryse: They call it a “black-comedy” but I don’t get it. There’s been nothing “comedic” at all… other than, I guess the “bad guy’s” crazy internal dialogue and musings… Maybe that’s what they mean by “black” comedy? But this is NOT a comedy by any means. It’s morally disturbing on all sorts of levels, and I’m actually a bit scared as if it might be a psych thriller. And of course, it’s certainly got the taboo-part down. WOW!!! 8O *blink blink*

bev: It definitely seems people love or hate it. I think black comedy can be a tricky thing to pull off. I’m curious to see your review.

Instead, I was at my wits end, by the end of it, and I’m so relieved I’m done. I think I’ll be frowning and annoyed for the next 24 hours at least. It absolutely infuriated me, drained me, and exhausted me. And I think it kind of insulted me. Ugh. I don’t know what to say. Did I like it? Sort of. I dunno. Do I hate it? Sort of. I dunno.

It was disconcerting, dreary, depressing, desolate, and so destructive. Left me in a dark cloud of disquietude. LOL. I over D’d it, didn’t I? 😉 But those words perfectly describe the “feel” of this book, or at least how it left me feeling. I feel like I did after watching a “A Clockwork Orange”. Just… uggggh.

So what’s it about?

Dez has a proclivity to teenage girls, and has lost his law-career and his teaching career over his inability to keep it in his pants around them.

…it was not the first time he experienced trouble over his sexual nature. He had long known that his tastes differed subtly from those of his male peers— or, at least, the tastes his peers would admit to. Teenaged girls, anywhere from fifteen to eighteen— but strictly confined to those age limits— were his sole erotic interest; and it was an interest that amounted to obsession.

But his er… charms (and good looks) have manipulated one lost soul… a seemingly innocent seventeen year old beauty (the student he lost his latest job over) named Chloe, to be his girlfriend.

She loves him and will do anything for him. He finds her clingy neediness overbearing, and contemplates skipping out on her,

But now, with her mother having contrived to join her father in violent, untimely death, she was officially an orphan, Dez her sole protector. He did not relish responsibility even at the best of times, and these were hardly that, with his bank balance fast dipping toward zero and no plans for how to replenish it.

He had thought more than once about ditching her— packing his few possessions into a bag and slipping out while she slept, lighting out for California, Florida, Mexico— anywhere but here. But he had somehow not been able to do that. There was something about this one that had gotten under his skin.

but when he realizes her deceased mom once had an affair with a now rich and famous author,

“Before I was born,” Chloe said excitedly. “When Mom was working as kitchen girl at the New Halcyon Country Club. He was the tennis teacher! They had a fling.

…he decides to take advantage of Chloe’s devotion. She’s going to claim that she’s the author’s illegitimate child.

Let the crazy plotting begin.

Ooooof! That monster of a main character wore me down. The perfect example of a narcissistic sociopath, or maybe even a psychopath? I dunno. I’m no psychologist but I think he’s one of “those”.

…it was living proof that his own dramatic fall from a life of comfort and respectability (a fall precipitated by the most natural and insistent of all human impulses) was anyone’s fault but his own: it was the fault of a sick, silly, hypocritical society, a society in its death throes.

And while there wasn’t any violence per se, the way this character wormed his way into, and leeched off of his victims was downright savage. I won’t say more, but if you read it, expect to be appalled at what he’s willing to destroy, to satisfy his gluttonous desires.

Sometimes I was just… What? Wait… WHAT!!!??? Come on!!!! NO. Noooooooo.

I also struggled with a certain aspect of the writing. It certainly has an eloquent, intellectual-writer quality to it, but (and this is the only thing that “bugged” me) the internal musings and descriptions felt unnecessarily wordy, by way of extreme run-on sentences laden in embellished descriptives. Sure, it sets the scene and “mood” of the world we’re entering, but it eventually wore on me. I found myself reading and rereading parts that that I could barely get through (my mind would start drifting or I’d start skimming), just to realize a paragraph was just one HUGE, flowery sentence. Ah.

I’m wordy by nature, so I feel as if I shouldn’t talk, but this could be a bit much. But now that I think of it, I’d be interested in knowing if the run-ons were when we were in the main sociopath’s perspective. Perhaps it was done purposely so to annoy me when we were in “his head”? Hmm… something to consider.

I dunno. Plus the whole “black comedy” thing. Maybe I just don’t get the whole “satire and black comedy” descriptives, ’cause there was absolutely nothing funny in this story, to me. Not even that monster’s internal musings. It just made me feel crazy and forlorn.

Annoyed.

Yes.

Some things were far-fetched and yet some things were quite clever. As awful as some of the characters could be, as horrible as things got for some of them, and as shocking as some moments were (morally reprehensible and HOW could anyone do that?!), there were moments of relief, and personal growth. Of realizations. A shimmer of light at the end of this long and dreary tunnel.

I know, on some deeper level in my future, when I have overcome my annoyance, I may “like” it better, due to it’s unforgettableness. Or I may hate it more. That’s how I feel. But you know what? It’s a sure thing that I’ll NEVER forget this one. Maybe I just can’t see past my perturbance right now.

3 stars. I want to give it less because of how annoyed I am. I want to give it a 2. And I want to give it the finger. But in a weird way… I may have liked it (I’m not sure yet), so I’m trying to settle myself, first.

I’m so scattered right now. Go away book. You’re in my personal space. I need to think. Or I need to stop thinking. 😉

P.S. Thank you to the author for sending me a review copy.

P.P.S. For the UK readers ➔ Undone by John Colapinto on AMAZON UK

My “Desperate to Read” list… (my latest TBR list)

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Going over the fun “TBR list” quizzes that I’ll be posting in the next few weeks, I realized, mine was in sore need of an overhaul. Or at least an update. ;) From what I can tell, I haven’t posted an official one since October 2015! I’ve been meaning to make a new list for some time now. I have many unfinished TBR lists, but I hear many of you do, too, so I don’t feel so bad. Tee hee!

But come on!! How can anyone blame us? Considering all of these new releases coming out, or when we’re in the mood for a little genre-change, or when our best book-addict friends INSIST they’ve read one they know we’ll love like crazy, it’s impossible for a book-addict to stick to just one.

Amy: Oh geez…*throws hands up in the air**tosses TBR list backwards over head*

Sandi: Ok, I’m going to have to put my foot down! My TBR list is just too long and you keep putting too many up that sound good. I can’t be held responsible because I have to keep checking…so you have to stop!

Fabi: *Tbr fist bump* I was just looking through one of Maryse’s tbr lists from a couple of years ago and I think I’m depressed now. Most of those are also and STILL on my tbr. I feel like I’m missing out on so many great books that I meant (still mean) to read but haven’t yet for some unknown mysterious reason…

Salllie: Man my tbr/ to be bought list is getting longer and longer!

No worries, you guys! Having plenty of choices is a wonderful thing. A TBR list is a great guide, but not necessarily one we have to stick to from start to finish right? We can just keeping adding. Rearranging. Or just making new one after new one, like I do. But! I save all of mine, so I can always backtrack (and I do!)

P.S. Here’s the smorgasbord of MY TBR LISTS (there are umm… a few of ‘em on there. Tee hee!! ALL the books on those lists, that I haven’t read yet, I still badly want to – so these lists are still valid)

Okay and to be fair, there are HUNDREDS more on my current TBR list (old and new), that I can’t wait to read, but right now, at this very moment? Consider this:

MY DESPERATE TO READ LIST:

  • It Ends with Us: A Novel by Colleen Hoover <— Because I absolutely love everything this author writes, and I just read an excerpt of a review a few days ago that said something along the lines of how this one was very different from her other books, and was… I dunno…. GUT WRENCHING? Or devastating. Anyway, it appears this book will destroy me. Or make me? Maybe both? Either way, I want that! Jawdroppingly good was the impression I had from that snippet.
  • Undone: A Novel by John Colapinto <— WHAT I’M READING RIGHT NOW!!! I’ve had this one on my list for a month or so now, and I’ve been nervous. As nervous as I am to read the one called Tampa (below). But I’m also titillated ’cause it’s a risqué, taboo read that has received plenty of accolades, and yet, toes the line of too risqué for some. When you’re reading something significantly sordid, thinking you knew what the “sordid” part was from the beginning, but it turned into something so much more… sordid. It’s all sorts of moral distress. ;) That’s where I’m at. Tee hee!!! READ!!! MY REVIEW
  • Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn <— When I’m in the mood for unrequited love, romance angst and a sweet but SO sad sounding story. This one sounds like EVERYTHING I love in a potential love story, and I am on pins and needles waiting for it!
  • Until You: The Fall Away Series by Penelope Douglas <— Because even though I already read Bully and loved it, supposedly this one (from HIS POV) is even better. And NOT the whole story retold from his POV… very different, in fact, and my book-friends are insisting this cannot wait any longer.

Grey: Read it!!! I’m abusing exclamation points right now, and I don’t even care! I loved Until You even more than Bully! Bully actually only got a 4.5 star rating from me, but Until You got a full 5 star rating!!! Oh hell, now I am going to have to go and read it again! Oh you simply have to read it!!! Jared’s take on everything… it’s… pretzel tummy jerkface angsty brilliance at it’s best!!!

Jean: Ugh Maryse! I know the feeling! But please read Until You! You won’t be disappointed! I don’t want to leave this book! I want it to last forever……I could get lost in it forever! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!!! … it is a totally different story than Tate’s in Bully. I could not stop reading and stupid work is getting in my way today! I just want to get back to it asap! My heart is aching for Jared….I love him! Love him! I definitely see a book fog coming after this one! Anyone who has not read Bully and Until You, GET ON IT NOW!

Tessa: Until You gutted me just like Bully. It’s how same time-frame, different POV should be done. It was insane.

  • The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison <— Sounds like the ultimate psych-thriller, and the reviews are AMAZING. It’s only coming out in a few days, but I AM SO ON THIS.
  • Angel of Redemption by J.A. Little <— For when I want a slow-burn with a jack-butt! LOL! 😉 My book-besties are LOVING this one!!!

Kandace: A few of us read and loved Angel of Redemption by J.A. Little. It’s a longer book (600 pages). He’s an moody but lovable jackbutt. She’s a bit feisty and sassy. Their chemistry was sizzling. It’s a bit of a slow burn romance but once they connect….THEY *Ahem*….connect often! The foster kids’ story was just as interesting. …I think a lot of you would love this book.

Shirley: After being in a book slump the past few weeks, I started Angel Of Redemption last night and I’m loving it!!! I agree with Kandace in what she said about this book!!

  • The Jack & Jill Series by Jewel E Ann <— When I’m “ready for a “cry so hard you can’t see and also laugh so hard you can’t breathe” series” (<— as per Rebecca 😉 ) ’cause so many here read this trilogy and LOVED IT LIKE MAD!!!

Rebecca: Did I mention you need to read Jack and Jill? I am not sure if I adequately expressed how excited I was. I may have seemed under-enthused. 🙂 I am telling you….telling anyone who will listen…telling everyone…READ IT! you will not be disappointed. I think I only slept 3 hours a night each night once I started the series- I literally could not put it down.

marina: Hi Rebecca, I too am wanting Maryse and anyone and everyone to read Jack and Jill IMMEDIATELY… Funny we both told her to “bump it up” in our comments. And all 3 books can all be read in a row! I had to wait with cliffhangers which was tough. THEY ARE SOOOO GOOD!!!

Linda: I’m on book 2 of the Jack and Jill series by Jewel E. Ann and they are unputdownable!!!! Jewel is such an intelligent writer!!! Her books have all the feels!!!

Jenny: The Jack and Jill series! I read all 3 this week. Never have I been so happy to have the stomach flu. It gave me 2 days off work to be able to lay in bed and read. (I may be silver lining the situation a bit.  :) . I remember you recommending these but the book blurb turned me off. I’m slightly burned out from the love triangle theme and the rest sounded convoluted, but when I came across it again I hit the “read sample” button and didn’t come out for 48 (flu filled) hours. Read these, Maryse! You won’t be disappointed!

  • Sunset Park (Five Boroughs Book 2) by Santino Hassel <— When I’m in the mood for an awesome M/M romance book, and I hear this author is one of the best. Plus so many of my friends LOVE this series, and a few loved THIS book the most (it can be read as a standalone so YAY me!!).
Fabi: I finished the Sunset Park in, like, a day because I couldn’t put it down. I’m not sure I got any work done today at all. I’m in a total book fog. This next one needs to either blow it out of the park or be cute and funny. It’s really hard to read that next book after finishing an awesome one.
  • Tampa by Alissa Nutting <— When I’m in the mood for infuriating, morally confusing, taboo forbiddenness. It’s a love or hate fest for this one, but it seems to be unforgettable no matter what. And that crazy risqué blurb scares me good!
S. Ann: Maryse, you should totally read TAMPA! For those who have kids, it might be cringe-worthy, but it’s worth the experience being in the head of a pedophile. For me, I was fascinated! Mind you, I rated it 2.5 stars on Goodreads only because at the 70% mark the protagonist did something completely unforgivable in my eyes. It pissed me off royally, and I rated the book poorly because of that one incident. That said, I will be going back to upgrade my rating because TAMPA has turned out to be one of those reads that NEVER leaves my mind! Even though it’s been quite a while since I read it, I find myself thinking about it all the time. And that, in my honest opinion, is what makes a good book.
  • The Empty Jar by M. Leighton <— When I’m in the mood for a solid ugly cry from start to finish. Just look at all of the 5 stars (and pretty much ONLY that). When I’m ready to go deep, this is the one for me.

Ela: YOU WILL SO LOVE THE EMPTY JAR, JUST KEEP THE TISSUES AND ALCOHOL READY… :)  THE EMPTY JAR IS A SOBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG FEST OF A BOOK! IT’S SO SADLY BEAUTIFUL BUT OH SO DAMN SAD TOO!!!!!!

Michelle: I’m finishing up and then onto The Empty Jar tomorrow. Per Ela, I’m ready for a SOBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG FEST OF A BOOK!

  • The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith <— When I’m in the mood to immerse myself in an extremely long book, but in for an epic, long and crazy kind of darkish sci-fi romance feel, that has so many here LOVING IT like crazy.

Jan130: Finally finished Last Hour of Gann last night. Yeh, it’s a megaread, but so totally worth it. Completely gripping adventure. A lot of it is about desperate people behaving badly, and you just never know what’s going to happen next. The story is actually quite uplifting in many ways. Smith isn’t afraid to show us the worst side of humanity (and of the aliens, who behave just like humans anyway).

But she also shows us how people (and aliens) with integrity can grow and develop wisdom.I usually can’t stomach books or films with too much violence or darkness, but in this case the violence is totally an essential part of the story and the characters. You even find some sympathy for some of the bad dudes (like Zhuqa) when you understand their history and motivations.

And the romance of Amber and Meoraq is totally lovely. This isn’t one of those schlocky human woman meets hot alien with extraordinarily large **** for kinky sex type books. It’s a well-written book that also explores some very interesting philosophical questions through the storyline, without being preachy. Well done, R. Lee Smith.

Fabi: yes The Last Hour of Gann should not be missed. …dark and gritty and takes you on a wild ride.

  • Radiance (Wraith Kings Book 1) by Grace Draven <— Another paranormalish? Fantasy-ish LOVE story that everyone here goes crazy for, and insists we NOT judge the book by it’s cover.

Fabi: Radiance…wooooow. That was…woooooooow. I don’t know if I can resist going straight through to the next one. The end of that book was so unexpected I’m still reeling.

Jean: You guys! I am loving Radiance. Only at 20% but, yeah, don’t want to put it down! And yes, I will never look at a potato the same again!

Jan130: Yeah, it’s official. Radiance is excellent. Lovely, original characters and world-building. Kind of like a sweet YA fantasy in some ways, except the relationship between Brishen and Ildiko gets *ahem* rather adult.

  • Warprize (Chronicles of the Warlands Book 1) by Elizabeth Vaughan <— For when I’m in the mood for another like The Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley. I just love a book where a bad-ass, untouchable and seemingly unloveable warrior wins a woman (aka: forces her to be his). Ugh right? But in books, I love that love-story journey… when it’s done right.

Young: Please read Tairen Soul series, or Warprize. Both were AMAZING and the best I’ve ever read!! The world building in the stories is top notch. You won’t be sorry 

Michelle: it is very good and a fabulous rec for those who want that kind of read again minus the alternate universe stuff.

  • Broken Prince: A Novel (The Royals) by Erin Watt <— Relief from that cliffhanger on the first book, and more bully-rich kids drama that I can’t wait to devour.
  • Swear on This Life: A Novel by Renee Carlino <— She reads a best selling book that she’s entranced with and realizes that it’s HER story! Someone from her past wrote about her life, and is doing VERY well with that book… and she’s mad!!
  • The Goal (Off-Campus Book 4) by Elle Kennedy <— When I’m in the mood for more Elle Kennedy “new adult” romance. Wait… when am I NOT in the mood for her awesome stories? She’s hilarious, her books read like you’re watching the BEST sitcom or best romcom movie ever, and I can’t WAIT for this one.
  • Hidden Bodies: A Novel by Caroline Kepnes <— When I’m in the mood for psych-thriller, crazy stalker love-story fun! I can’t wait!!! You was darn good, so this… well. I’m reading it as soon as I get it!!
Now… I wish I could add a terrifying horror story or two to the bunch. Maybe another gut-twisting psych-thriller. :D *waggles eyebrows* I love my love stories (and I have a TON of awesome sounding ones on my TBR list), but I also love my adrenaline pumpers, so let me know if you have a super-recommendation of something scary or mind-mess of an awesome book!

 

               

Reader Focus – 10 Questions based on our TBR lists – Fabi’s List:

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bev was curious and decided to start a quiz a few weeks ago (and she played her own quiz, so here are her answers in case you missed ’em). The answers were so fun, and I know we ALL can relate to these in one way or another. What’s fun about ’em, is it forces us to reconsider our TBR lists, and re-introduces us (or REMINDS us) of highly recommended books that are already on it. Or gives us insight as to what our fellow readers like to read, and how they “choose”.

Here are the questions:

  1. Book(s) you can’t believe you haven’t read yet?
  2. Book(s) that the cover grabs your attention?
  3. Book(s) from buzz/review?
  4. Book(s) from book buddy book talk?
  5. Book(s) you are hesitant to read?
  6. Book(s) in part because the author makes you feel you are in that locale?
  7. Book(s) you really hope is what you think it is going to be?
  8. Book(s) that randomly pop into your head and you think yes I need to read that?
  9. If your weekend read had to come from this list what 1 or 3 would they be?
  10. Last one. Should Maryse put her tbr away and watch the first episode of Sherlock and blog it?
In fact, here are Fabi’s answers! 😉

Fabi’s Answers:

“Those are way too questions above. I could answer some but others would require way too much work. lol I’ll try. Question answers coming up next. Warning…it’s loooooooong. Sheesh Bev. lol”

1. Book(s) you can’t believe you haven’t read yet? Way too many to list. A prime example being Radiance (Wraith Kings Book 1) which I finally read and just finished.

2. Book(s) that the cover grabs your attention? In general, any cover with the color emerald green immediately snags my eye. Also any cover with a depiction of the DNA strand makes me pause and read the blurb. In particular, there is one book on my carousel that catches my eye every time I open Kindle. It’s Eternal Eden (Eden Trilogy Book 1) by Nicole Williams

3. Book(s) from buzz/review? Almost every day I add a “want to read book” based on reviews. Some people read the news with their morning coffee. I read book reviews. One or two dozen a day.

4. Book(s) from book buddy book talk? I tend to read books rec’d on Maryse’s book blog.  :-)

5. Book(s) you are hesitant to read? Amy’s heartbreaking favorites and Maryse’s scary thrillers. I’m such a chicken. :-/

6. Book(s) in part because the author makes you feel you are in that locale? No idea, other than sci-fi when I’m on a space ship or a cool as shit planet.

7. Book(s) you really hope is what you think it is going to be? Not to many of these. At least I can’t think of any. I go into books with closed eyes and an open mind.

8. Book(s) that randomly pop into your head and you think yes I need to read that? There’s lots of these every day. Most recently, The Girl With All the Gifts

9. If your weekend read had to come from this list what 1 or 3 would they be? :-/ I didn’t pick a single one from this list for my weekend read. I scrolled and scrolled through my tbr. Opened Altered by Marnee Blake then switched to my iPad so my phone could charge and as I was looking for Altered I stopped on Mnevermind 1: The Persistence of Memory, opened it and started reading. It’s great so far. But I am so random in my reading. There’s no telling what I’ll read next in spite of the dozens of lists I keep to get books in some sort of order.

10. Last one. Should Maryse put her tbr away and watch the first episode of Sherlock and blog it? Maryse may have to. Although, if it were me, I’d turn the show on and read a book while it played.  ;-)

    

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