Mercedes, Cora, and Noah were best friends since they were kids, but before Nora came there were just Mercedes and Noah. They had a special bond, but when they got older and Cora asked Mercedes if she were in love with Noah, Mercedes lied. She only lied because it was Cora that asked the question and because of that lie Mercedes had to step aside until the day it was up to her to pick up all the pieces.
If you are a fan of slow burn romance novels then you must read The Smallest Part. I read another blogger’s review and decided I’d give it a chance. I’d never read an Amy Harmon novel and I wasn’t sure if this synopsis appealed to me but I am so glad I picked up this book. It wasn’t at all what I expected and I really enjoyed how the story unfolded.
Cora was always troubled. She had a father who came home wounded from the war and committed suicide. Cora found the body and it left a lasting impression on her young mind. She always felt like she wasn’t enough and had very low self esteem. Even though she had two great best friends in Noah and Mercedes.
Noah was that male best friend that you always knew you loved. He was sweet, gentle and just an all around nice guy. He truly cared for both Cora and Mercedes and it wasn’t until he was older that his innocent feelings changed to something much more.
Mercedes was a hard worker, loyal friend, and was the backbone of their friendship. She would never betray a friend which is why she stepped aside when Cora declared her feelings for Noah. This book starts with Cora’s death and through flashbacks we see how their feelings were intertwined. How Mercedes and Noah always had just a little more feelings for each other and how that one moment deflected Noah towards Cora instead of Mercedes. It kind of killed me emotionally, but this was a really good book! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️
Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!
JUST FINISHED
Heartache and Hope (Heartache Duet #1) by Jay McLean
First Sentence Read: “One minute you’re sipping on your first beer at your first bonfire party, wearing a hoody provided by a boy you’ve been crushing on for months.”
JUST STARTED
The Lemon Sisters by Jill Shalvis
First Sentence Read: Without warning, the helicopter dipped sharply, and Brooke Lemon’s stomach went along with it.”
Both of those first sentences were pretty thrilling, right? Now that you know what books I’ve been reading, share…
Once again, another month has flown by and I find myself looking at the start of July. Wow! June weather was actually gorgeous being a little cooler than normal at the start of the month. Despite spending more time outside I got a lot of reading done! I read and listened to a total of 22 books which could be a record! However, some of those reviews are set for future months. Here are my top picks from my reviews in the month of June.
GREAT JUNE READS!
A Question of Holmes (Charlotte Holmes #4) by Brittany Cavallaro
“The conclusion to the mystery was satisfactory and the conclusion to the series although a little confusing, did fit the characters and how they grew throughout the series. Would I change anything if I could? Yes. Do I know what I’d change? Not really. That doesn’t really help does it? LOL. “
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
“This novel was one of my most anticipated reads for June. Did it live up to my expectations? It had a great meet cute, subtle humor, solid friendships, kooky best friend, and hot love interest. YEP! I wasn’t disappointed at all. “
Wherever She Goes by Kelley Armstrong
“As I read this novel I realized there were actually a few different mysteries I was trying to unravel. 1) Aubrey’s background 2) the missing child and 3) the reason why her relationship fell apart with her husband. Kelley Armstrong does a great job of intertwining all of these mysteries so that each reveal is intertwined with a personal reflection Aubrey has about her life. I loved how all of those ties bound the novel into one cohesive, solid piece of fiction.”
Dating by the Book by Mary Ann Marlowe
“..for those readers who are fans of a slow burn romance novel, you’re going to love how the relationship between our heroine and hero develops throughout this novel. By the time they get together you are so ready for it, and I mean that in the best way possible.”
THIS CHICKS SUNDAY COMMENTARY/BOOKISH DISCUSSION
I got hooked into a young adult series written by the writing duo Erin Watt called The Royals. Disclaimer time! Yes, I am a middle aged woman who reads YA novels. Sue me! I like them for many reasons, but mostly because they are pure escapism and when I’ve had a rotten day a sweet contemporary romance that’s lighthearted and fun does the trick! Plus I like that I can read them quickly! So, back to my subject. I got hooked into Erin Watt’s series the Royals. Definitely not a sweet romance, but a LOT of fun! It did get me thinking about whether YA readers ever stop and think “WHOA” this is not YA appropriate! Or if I’m just totally out of the loop on what young adults are experiencing nowadays. So I wrote this discussion post. If you haven’t had time to read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
I also like to look forward into the upcoming month to see what releases I’m really looking forward to, as well as take a look back at what I did in the previous month. Here are those two posts!
July is going to be a catch up month for me. I don’t have any ARC’s that need to be read for this month so I’m actually going to be proactive and get some of my August ARC’ read, and I don’t know, maybe get some reviews done in advance? Novel concept, I know! LOL. Actually, I did overextend myself on a few August release dates, so this is a really good thing. What I’m more excited about is that I get to read something because I want to read it. I can catch up on my Kindle Unlimited as well as some books I’ve checked out from the library. Exciting! LOL.
I did get tagged for my Mid Year Book Freak Out and will be writing that post soon and I’m really looking forward to looking back at the first six months. I read soooo many great books!
What am I looking forward to reading the most in July? If you read my 5 most Anticipated releases post you already know.
I’m not sure how it’s even possible that TWO Ilona Andrews books are being released back to back. If you’re a fan, this is book #4 in the series and it’s Maud’s story. I can’t wait!!
Do you have an opinion on my What is YA Appropriate post? I’d love to hear it!
What’s your most anticipated July’19 release? Let me know in the comments below.
After the Paper Princess cliffhanger Broken Prince starts right up with Ella on the run again. When she’s found and brought back home things have changed. Reed takes all the blame for Ella’s disappearance, his family no longer sticks by him, and his life is out of control. He does not give up on getting Ella back but she no longer trusts him and he’s got a long road ahead.
Broken Prince is just as riveting as Paper Princess, but the tone is a little more desperate. Because Reed no longer gives a damn his high school peers start to spin out of control. Normally a nasty bunch, they are downright evil now. Easton doesn’t have it in him to be in charge as he’s one of the kids spiraling downward, his only interest getting drunk and laid. The sexual activity in this book amps up to another level adding to the dark tone of the novel.
I really do like Reed as the hero. He’s doesn’t have the humor and charm of Easton being a guy who fixes things with his fists. His alpha male-ness gives his actions conviction and his single mindedness in winning Ella back struck a chord. I liked that the two of them were brutally honest with no gray areas. It fit the style of this billionaire high school novel. Even though none of it was very realistic (at least I hope not!) I found the book really hard to put down.
Did I like Broken Prince as well as Paper Princess? No, but only because I liked Ella’s POV as the poor girl who gets found and is thrown into the rich life. It didn’t change who she was and I liked that honesty in her. Reed is honest too, but he’s more brutal and is better in smaller doses. Really, the Royal who steals the show is Easton, every time, but I haven’t gotten to his books yet. I like knowing his story is out there and will be reading them soon.
The Royals series has a LOT of adult situations and sexually explicit scenes. The covers of these novels make you think you’re reading Disney princess books, but The Royals series is on the opposite end of that princess spectrum. Be warned! However, once you pick one of these novels up? You won’t be able to put them down until you are finished. They are action packed and like any good soap opera they leave you wanting more. Yep, another cliffhanger! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“Lots to love about this book, and definitely will carry on to the next. Um, how can I not with the two bombs… yes, that’s right… TWO bombs dropped on us right at the end. Wowza!” Nerding Out With Nicky
Maisy Harrison has one rule, never date a musician. When she meets Ryan De Luna backstage at one of his concerts she’s surprised at their electricity but is determined to follow that rule and gives him some sass instead of the love he is used to receiving. Intrigued, Ryan looks her up and see’s that she and her band Yesterday have covered one of his more popular songs and he comments on the link, giving their video a huge push into the millions viewed. When he tracks her down at watches them play at their gig he offers them the opening act on his current tour. Too hard to pass up, Maisy finds herself living in temptations reach, her resolve weakening.
From the synopsis above you’d think this was all sex, love, and rock and roll, right? It is, kind of, but it’s the heart and emotion that drive this novel, not the sex. #Moonstruck is a “slow burn” romance. Meaning, that the relationship is fully developed before love hits the pages. You really get to know both Maisy and Ryan and like them a lot before their relationship hits romance status. What’s truly different about this novel is that there’s a ton of backstory regarding why Maisy thinks she should not get into a relationship with a musician, and some it is kind of heartbreaking.
I really liked all of the characters in this book. There was something really wholesome about all of them, which is a complete departure for a rock and roll romance! The banter between she and her brothers (her other band members) were really fun and full of love. Maisy’s sass was one of the things I loved about her the most.
At times I wondered if this was an Inspirational Christian novel, and even though there was a lot of self inspection, it didn’t cross into religion at all. Maisy was just trying to figure things out, herself included and Ryan was patient enough to believe she was worth the wait. It was so refreshing!
If you are a fan of slow burners, then you should definitely read this novel. It’s my first by this author and I have to admit I’m intrigued. Are they all this good without bringing the act of sex into the story? I’m definitely going to find out! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“I love Sariah Wilson’s writing and her characters. I love that there is chemistry, passion and a fairly normal feel to the people within her books. I love that there are sexy men who do not instantly want to jump into a woman’s underwear (and that it doesn’t happen) and that her books are full of humour, witty comments and fierce women.” Book Addict Rambles
“#Moonstruck is delightfully entertaining with banter and sizzle. Sariah Wilson definitely dials up the heat and tension with this fake relationship. Ms. Wilson developed a great cast of characters in Maisy’s siblings and friends with a cameo of Zoe and Chase from #Starstruck. ” Harlequin Junkie
Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!
JUST FINISHED
Sapphire Flames: A Hidden Legacy novel by Ilona Andrews
First Sentence Read: “I was swimming through the warm water of the Gulf when someone knocked on the sky.”
JUST STARTED
No More Secrets: A Small Town Love Story (Blue Moon #1) by Lucy Score
First Sentence Read: “Summer Lentz hefted her suitcase and laptop bag into the trunk of her snappy little rental car.”
Sapphire Flames was everything I could’ve imagined and it’s been so hard to choose my next book! Truthfully I started a different book, the second in a series where I loved the first book and it just didn’t feel right, so I put it down. I haven’t started No More Secrets yet, but LOVED the last novel of Lucy Score’s I read so I have high hopes I’ll be able to get into this one!
It’s the start of a new week, What are YOU reading?
At seventeen Ella Harper has lived harder than most girls her age. She’s had to come up with unconventional ways to take care of her dying mother and pay off her hospital bills. Stripping is the easiest way to make a buck and she can still go to school for her GED. When a strange man shows up at school saying he’s her guardian Ella does what comes easiest and runs, but unfortunately for her this guys has a ton of money and tracks her down- hauling her out of the strip club she’s in and back to his home to live with he and his five teenage sons. Those teenage sons? Handsome, built, and angry that she’s been brought into their lives.
Paper Princess is so many things! It’s irreverent, fast paced, dramatic, sexy, and really just a lot of fun to read. The contrast between Ella’s poor upbringing and the spoiled rich kids she encounters at home and school makes this a compelling read. It would be so easy for Ella to conform and yet she remains the same girl despite the easy access to sex, drugs, and money. The Royal boys are the biggest obstacle to Ella’s happiness. They control the school and whether someone is accepted or not and they all look to Reed for how to treat Ella. Let’s just say it doesn’t go in her favor. At first.
My public school upbringing was nothing like what I read in this novel, it was really fantasy life at it’s best. The normal cliques you typically read about were present but over dramatized 100%. The mean girls? They didn’t just bad mouth her they stuffed her locker with garbage and used tampons. Most of these scenes were not true to life, well at least not true to my own life but a fun escape from reality.
The Royal boys were the most fun to read about. Reed was tough, mean, beautiful, and brutal. Easton was funny, sarcastic, over-sexed, and ambivalent. Sawyer and Sebastian (twins) were not as large a part of this novel, but they looked to their older brothers for how to act and react. There is also an older brother, Gideon, who is off at school and makes several appearances, but all the brothers seem to look to Reed as the leader of the group. Ella realizes this quickly and doesn’t even try to play up to him, instead antagonizing and remaining true to her roots, but deep inside she wants to belong.
I really liked this book and thought it was entertaining and fun, but when I think about how this is directed towards teens I cringe a little. Some of the references and situations seem a little adult and I wonder if young adults think this is how they should be acting? Of course it’s not, it’s a fantasy world, but I worry that it will be taken seriously by some too young to understand the authors intent. If you don’t take it seriously, it’s great fun to read!
I would advise anyone who plans to read this series that there is a lot of mature content with some pretty explicit scenes. Be warned!
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Opinions from around the Blogosphere!
“In general I don’t think it’s a bad book. I finished it in two days, it’s entertaining and very fast paced. I didn’t care much for the abuse and rudeness in the first part of the book, but I did began to like it when the relationship between Ella and the brothers started to lighten up and they treated her like a sister. ” My Bookish Rambles
“This series is geared for more of a mature audience because there are sexual scenes throughout all of the books. This was such a fun read and kept me on my toes through not just the first, but all of the books throughout the series. I would recommend this to anyone likes contemporary!” The Book Instruments
As one of the Seven, Ivar’s mission is to find a way to return to a hellish dimension to save his brother Quade before that world gets crushed. In order to find his way back he needs the help of Dr. Promise Williams, mathematical genius. He’s not the only one who wants her services and he finds himself fighting off the evil Kurjans before they can kidnap her to rescue their own from a similar dimension. With the help of the demon and vampire races he spirits her away so she can find the mathematical formula that will save the day. Spending time with the Dr. brings out Ivar’s alpha side and they soon find themselves creating sizzling chemistry that they both find irresistible.
It was easy to jump right into the story as this is the 10th novel in the series and the third or fourth in this most recent rehabilitation of the story. I wish I could say it was as easy to like these characters but I found it really hard! Ivar is recovering from being lost jumping from dimension to dimension and surviving some horrible physical injuries as well as being mentally wiped out. His character although alpha, seemed more boorish and I just didn’t find the same heart in his character that I did in the heroes of the earlier novels. Promise, also, had some serious warmth issues. For two such cool customers I found it hard to find emotion in their slam bam thank you ma’am sex life, and even less so in their rather stilted dialog.
I have been a fan of Rebecca Zanetti’s and love the earlier Dark Protectors novels, but once she returned to this series after venturing into other novels, she seems to be having trouble finding that magical ingredient again. I did enjoy her Realm Enforcer’s series, which inhabits this same world, but the last couple of books have been so-so and I’ll admit to disappointment. I might think twice before picking up another one of these novels for fear of finding them lacking again.
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I received a copy of this ARC through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.
Maddie Hanson was jilted at the altar six months ago. Living in her hometown of Orion surrounded by her friends, she is spending her time trying to bring her bookstore to life while at the same time waiting for her first book to be released. When her publisher sends out ARC’s of her book, she reads a not so nice review by a blogger named “Silver Fox” and retaliates in anger at his questioning her lack of romantic experience. This comment spurs Maddie to look at her past decisions and the men surrounding her to try to find her own real life romance hero.
Dating By The Book is a trip down memory lane of several novels that I and other bibliophiles love. Each man in Maddie’s life representing a hero in one of the novels her book club is reading. A club that is in fact filled with men; her high school boyfriend Dylan, lifelong friend Max, and dependable customer Charlie. Each of whom could be a romantic interest in the likes of Rhett from Gone with the Wind, Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and Rochester from Jane Eyre. Let’s not forget about the mysterious Silver Fox who develops into an email pal giving solid advice about life, love, and plot points in her novel. I couldn’t help but picture Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan from You’ve Got Mail each time her mail chimed!
Maddie’s journey to find passion and love was intertwined with her need to get her second book finished in time. Each lesson she learns about herself is written into her book, reminding me that each author puts her heart and soul into their novel, regardless of how well that novel is received. Luckily, that’s not a problem with Dating By the Book. Even if it didn’t have all of the literary references to hold my interest the story itself made sense and took me on a journey. It’s one of those books that can be taken as a life lesson to the person who reads it, or it can be tossed into a bag for their summer vacation. Both to be revered and enjoyed.
If you have read Mary Ann Marlowe’s two previous novels, Some Kind of Magic and Crazy Kind of Love you will be happy to hear that she does also have a rock star in this book. Is he the man of Maddie’s dreams? Well, he has a lot of competition, that’s for sure! Even with that familiarity, I was happy to see the author try something a little different in this novel which reads more as a Women’s Fiction novel than a Contemporary Romance. Also, for those readers who are fans of a slow burn romance novel, you’re going to love how the relationship between our heroine and hero develops throughout this novel. By the time they get together you are so ready for it, and I mean that in the best way possible.
It’s summertime and there are so many good books out there to read and not enough time to get to all of them. My recommendation is that Dating by the Book is worth moving up on your TBR pile, putting in your bag when you hit the beach, or digging out of your purse sitting on the train to work in the morning. It’s fun, but it also makes you think about your own choices in life, love and literature.
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I received a free copy of this book from the author for my honest review and it was honest!
Opinions from around the Blogosphere
“What didn’t really jive with me was the overall chaotic feeling of the characters and storyline. There was just a bit too much going on for my taste. I never fully connected with the main character or any of her love interests and, because of that, there was no one I was rooting for her to end up with.” The Oxford Comma Momma
Happy Monday everyone! I ran across this post on Book Date and liked the idea of sharing what I’m currently reading, so here goes!
JUST FINISHED
Alpha’s Promise (Dark Protector’s #10) by Rebecca Zanetti
First Sentence Read: “Across the windy cemetery, beyond the rows of gravestones, a man leaned against a pine tree and watched her.”
JUST STARTED
Every Last Breath (Final Hour #1) by Juno Rushdan
First Sentence Read: “No need to waste a bullet.”
I was disappointed in Zanetti’s novel so I picked up this new-ish Juno Rushdan novel. It’s a romantic thriller and started out F-A-S-T. I’m enjoying it so far! I have to admit, that first sentence is kind of dull though…
A new week means a new book! What are you reading this week?
The Reading Chick 
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