It’s Monday, what are you reading? (1/24/22)

With a couple of weeks of reading for pleasure I’ve gotten to re-read and read quite a few great books! It’s funny how if I’ve reserved a book to review mentally I put it in a different mental category, even though they may be books I’ve anticipated reading too. The mind is a tricky thing. LOL. Here are the books that are on my radar.

Again, I’d like to thank Book Date who has started this topic for other bloggers to join in and keep the conversation going.

JUST FINISHED

I love Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, enjoyed the first novel in the series, and it still took me almost two years to read this book. Now that I’ve caught up with Squad 312 I am not letting another two years go by without finishing out the series. This is fast-paced, has a lot of emotional punch, and a great sense of humor. I really do love this writing team.

JUST STARTED

I love great historical mysteries and this series is fantastic. I’m mid-way through and love the direction this plot just took! Book #7 in the series and it’s still fresh and fun.

These are the books that are on my nightstand. What are you reading today?

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Most Anticipated Book Releases- Feb’22

Sometimes when I look ahead for my top releases I have trouble coming up with five, which is why January only had three. February does not have that problem at all. Guys, there are a lot of good books coming out next month! A good mixture of genre’s that will keep me turning pages. Here are my top 5!

#5 BOOK RELEASE

I love a great fantasy novel and when you pair that with my love for this author’s book A Queen’s Rising, I know I’m going to pick up this book and read it. Despite the ugly cover.

Synopsis:

Jack Tamerlaine hasn’t stepped foot on Cadence in ten long years, content to study music at the mainland university. But when young girls start disappearing from the isle, Jack is summoned home to help find them. Enchantments run deep on Cadence: gossip is carried by the wind, plaid shawls can be as strong as armor, and the smallest cut of a knife can instill fathomless fear. The capricious spirits that rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind find mirth in the lives of the humans who call the land home. Adaira, heiress of the east and Jack’s childhood enemy, knows the spirits only answer to a bard’s music, and she hopes Jack can draw them forth by song, enticing them to return the missing girls.

As Jack and Adaira reluctantly work together, they find they make better allies than rivals as their partnership turns into something more. But with each passing song, it becomes apparent the trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret about Cadence lurks beneath the surface, threatening to undo them all.

With unforgettable characters, a fast-paced plot, and compelling world building, A River Enchanted is a stirring story of duty, love, and the power of true partnership, and marks Rebecca Ross’s brilliant entry on the adult fantasy stage.

Click this link to purchase this book!* A River Enchanted: A Novel (Elements of Cadence Book 1)

#4 BOOK RELEASE

I’ve actually had the privilege of reading Hunt the Stars already and guys, it’s really good! The first book in a new series, it starts off fast and keeps on moving! This is a science fiction serial and I can’t wait to read the next installment.

Synopsis:

Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.

With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.

But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line.

Click this link to purchase this book!* Hunt the Stars: A Novel (Starlight’s Shadow Book 1)

#3 BOOK RELEASE

This series character driven series is at times eery, mysterious, and mystifying. It takes place in the middle of the wilderness in a town called Rockton. A town filled with people who are looking to escape their reality. These people may be hunted or they may be hunters. A mystery always needs to be solved and Detective Casey Duncan and her boyfriend Sheriff Eric Dalton are the only two who can solve them. I love this series! This is book #7.

Synopsis:

It’s not always easy to live in the hidden town of Rockton, something Detective Casey Duncan knows firsthand. Tucked away in the Yukon wilderness, the community survives—and thrives—because the residents’ many secrets stay just that—secret.

But what happens when these secrets start to come out? Overnight, no one is safe. It’s not a question of if your secret will come out—but when.

Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, need to find the culprit while protecting those who have been thrust into the spotlight. For a place built on privacy and new beginnings, Rockton isn’t handling these revelations very well. People are turning on one another, and when one of the loudest complainers turns up barely alive, it’s clear that their trickster is actually a murderer.

The threat of exposure is reaching its breaking point, and no one knows what’s going to happen next.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Deepest of Secrets: A Rockton Novel (Casey Duncan Novels Book 7)

#2 BOOK RELEASE

This is #7 in a wonderfully written historical mystery series. Each mystery reveals more about our two main characters Veronica and Stoker. I can’t wait to see what new piece of information will be revealed in An Impossible Imposter.

Synopsis: London, 1889. Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau Stoker are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch. He has a personal request on behalf of his goddaughter, Euphemia Hathaway. After years of traveling the world, her eldest brother, Jonathan, heir to Hathaway Hall, was believed to have been killed in the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa a few years before.
 
But now a man matching Jonathan’s description and carrying his possessions has arrived at Hathaway Hall with no memory of his identity or where he has been. Could this man truly be Jonathan, back from the dead? Or is he a devious impostor, determined to gain ownership over the family’s most valuable possessions—a legendary parure of priceless Rajasthani jewels? It’s a delicate situation, and Veronica is Sir Hugo’s only hope.
 
Veronica and Stoker agree to go to Hathaway Hall to covertly investigate the mysterious amnesiac. Veronica is soon shocked to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past. To help Sir Hugo discover the truth, she must open doors to her own history that she long believed to be shut for good.

Click this link to purchase this book!* An Impossible Impostor (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery Book 7)

MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE IN FEB’22!

This book wasn’t even on my radar until I started looking at all of the book releases, but this synopsis hooked me. I have to read this book!

Synopsis:

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Paris Apartment: A Novel

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase a book through one of the above links I’ll receive a small stipend.

What do you think about my top 5 picks? They may be completely different than your own. I am seriously committed to a couple of series and when those books come out they automatically drop into my must read list. I have a couple of those this month. Please share any books that you can’t wait to read that may be released next month. I’d love to get them on my radar!

Happy reading!

Deb

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (1/17/22)

If you had bad weather as the southeast and northeast did in the US you may have spent your weekend curled up with a book. Or streaming some fabulous shows on Netflix or HBO Max. I did a bit of both. I also backed some yummy banana chocolate chip bars with some extra ripe bananas we had in the house. It was a perfect winter weekend. LOL. Here is what I was reading.

Thanks to the Book Date who started this topic on her own blog. It’s a fun way to share what you’re reading on a daily basis.

JUST FINISHED

This book started off quick and it was easy to get hooked to the tension between the two main characters. A fun, fast weekend read!

JUST STARTED

I literally just started this one this morning but my hope is that it’s as good as the hype. I love a good enemies to lovers trope. Fingers crossed!

What book has you wishing you could stay at home curled up on your couch today?

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (1/10/22)

I have spent the past weekend trying to get over the jet lag from my vacation to Egypt. The flight back got re-routed due to a storm here in Nashville which added a day onto my travels. Another day of reading isn’t normally a bad thing but I’m exhausted! Today I get to go back to work for the first time in two weeks and catch up on the indecent amount of emails I’m sure I have waiting in my inbox. While on vacation I got a chance to read a bunch of books, some of which you’ll see reviewed on my blog. Here’s a brief look into what’s on my kindle.

JUST FINISHED

Made in Manhattan is a fun, lighthearted Eliza Doolittle romance. It was perfect for a vacation because it was easy to follow regardless of how many times I was interrupted and had to put it down. I really enjoyed this one!

JUST STARTED

A new novel in the romantic science fiction genre. I have enjoyed this author’s previous series and this one is off to a very quick start. In fact, I woke up at 430p this morning and started reading it again. LOL

I haven’t checked in with you all in a couple of weeks so I’d love to hear what you have been reading. Let me know in the comments!

Have a great Monday and happy reading!

Deb

Happy New Year!

It’s kind of strange hitting the New Year before your friends and family at home, but that’s what has happened this year as my husband and I are traveling through Egypt.

Do you start a new resolution every year? To be honest, I don’t usually but this year I am. I have had trouble with my back over the last year so my #1 goal for this year is to just move. Whether that is a walk down the street, through the mall, doing my exercises, etc. Every day I need to do something if only for 20 or 30 minutes. Move is my word of the year! It has been a challenge on this trip as I was in not so great shape before getting to a country that requires you to walk everywhere! It’s a great time to start the habit though.

I hope that your New Year brings you the movement and change you are looking for and if you are happy as you are, I think that is great as well! Happy New Year to all of you! May 2022 bring you all that you desire to be happy and healthy.

Deb

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (11/29/21)

I love the long Thanksgiving weekend. With the exception of spending time in the kitchen it’s all about relaxing. We even put up our tree last weekend so that chore was checked off the list. What have I been doing? You got it! Reading! Here’s what I’ve been reading.

JUST FINISHED

My favorite writing duo dropped a book from an old series last week and I eagerly dove into it this weekend. It’s novella length so it didn’t take me long to read, but it was a fun new world to relearn and the characters were great!

JUST STARTED

The series that got me started with binging Kristen Ashley novels. It’s been awhile since I’ve read these so I decided to read one or two. They are so fun!

Now that you know what’s on my coffee table, what books did you read this weekend?

Happy Monday!

Deb

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Book Releases – Dec’21

It’s always a shock when you hit that last month of the year isn’t? With everything else I’m working ahead. I have my tree up, the majority of my presents purchased, and plans made for the holidays. I just forgot to take a look at the book releases for next month, but hey! It’s only Nov. 28th so I’m not too far behind.

#5 MOST ANTICIPATED

It only takes two words for me to want to pick up this book. Penny Reid. She has escapism reading down to an art form. Her writing is sweet, funny, and romantic. Enough said.

Synopsis:

Rex “TW” McMurtry’s perpetual single-hood wouldn’t bother him so much if all his ex-girlfriends didn’t keep marrying the very next person they dated, especially when so many of those grooms are his closest friends. He may be a pro-football defensive end for the Chicago Squalls, but the press only wants to talk about how he’s always a groomsman and never a groom. Rex is sick of being the guy before the husband, and he’s most definitely sick of being the best man at all their weddings.

Bartender Abigail McNerny is the gal-pal, the wing-woman, the she-BFF. She’s dated. Once. And once was more than enough. Privy to all the sad stories of her customers, ‘contentment over commitment’ is her motto, and Abby is convinced no one on earth could ever entice her into a romantic relationship . . . except that one guy she’s loved since preschool.

The guy who just walked into her bar.

The guy who doesn’t recognize her.

The guy who is drunk and needs a ride home.

The guy who has a proposition she should definitely refuse.

Click this link to purchase this book. Homecoming King (Three Kings Book 1)

#4 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I might have put this one on November’s most anticipated list because the drop date is 11/30, but I’m just going to add it to the December list as well. It looks so good!

Synopsis:

Their union is his revenge.

Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day to be her death day. To end a years-long war, she is to marry vampire king Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him.

But her assassination attempt is thwarted, and Adrian threatens that if Isolde tries to kill him again, he will raise her as the undead. Faced with the possibility of becoming the thing she hates most, Isolde seeks other ways to defy him and survive the brutal vampire court.

Except it isn’t the court she fears most—it’s Adrian. Despite their undeniable chemistry, she wonders why the king—fierce, savage, merciless—chose her as consort.

The answer will shatter her world.

Click this link to purchase!* King of Battle and Blood (Adrian X Isolde Book 1)

#3 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I am totally invested in this series. It’s fantasy, mystery, and action adventure all rolled into one. Plus the main character is a strong willed female who is in charge and takes no prisoners. These novels are totally fun.

Synopsis:

In this thrilling historical fantasy, time-traveling Librarian spy Irene will need to delve deep into a tangled web of loyalty and power to keep her friends safe.

Irene is trying to learn the truth about Alberich-and the possibility that he’s her father. But when the Library orders her to kill him, and then Alberich himself offers to sign a truce, she has to discover why he originally betrayed the Library.

With her allies endangered and her strongest loyalties under threat, she’ll have to trace his past across multiple worlds and into the depths of mythology and folklore, to find the truth at the heart of the Library, and why the Library was first created. 

Click this link to purchase!* The Untold Story (The Invisible Library Novel Book 8)

#2 MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

So many of us fell in love with Amanda Gorman’s gorgeous poem at the inauguration and even if it might be the first book of poetry I read, I am curious enough to give it a try and see if she can inspire me with her words and imagery as she did on that day.

Synopsis: Formerly titled The Hill We Climb and Other Poems, the luminous poetry collection by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman captures a shipwrecked moment in time and transforms it into a lyric of hope and healing. In Call Us What We Carry, Gorman explores history, language, identity, and erasure through an imaginative and intimate collage. Harnessing the collective grief of a global pandemic, these poems shine a light on a moment of reckoning and reveal that Gorman has become our messenger from the past, our voice for the future.

Click this link to purchase!* Call Us What We Carry: Poems

MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE

I work for a ballet company and despite how I hear that no one ever gets details right in a novel, I have to read this one! It sounds so good and it might be an edge of your seat thriller. I can’t wait.

Synopsis:

Dare Me meets Black Swan and Luckiest Girl Alive in a captivating, voice-driven debut novel about a trio of ballerinas who meet as students at the Paris Opera Ballet School.

Thirteen years ago, Delphine abandoned her prestigious soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet for a new life in St. Petersburg––taking with her a secret that could upend the lives of her best friends, fellow dancers Lindsay and Margaux. Now 36 years old, Delphine has returned to her former home and to the legendary Palais Garnier Opera House, to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career––and, she hopes, finally make things right with her former friends. But Delphine quickly discovers that things have changed while she’s been away…and some secrets can’t stay buried forever.

Moving between the trio’s adolescent years and the present day, Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s The Ballerinas explores the complexities of female friendship, the dark drive towards physical perfection in the name of artistic expression, the double-edged sword of ambition and passion, and the sublimated rage that so many women hold inside––all culminating in a twist you won’t see coming, with magnetic characters you won’t soon forget.

Click this link to purchase!*The Ballerinas: A Novel

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase any of these books through the above links I’ll receive a small stipend.

These are the book releases I am most looking forward to reading next month. I’m sure they are not the same as your own. Please feel free to give your favorites a shout out in the comments.

Happy reading!

Deb

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (11/15/21)

I have a few weeks in between ARC’s and am reading entirely for pleasure this week. I’ve started up an old Kristen Ashley series and have read a couple from the Burg, which is fun to revisit. I’ve also just finished a book by Helena Hunting, not an author that I’ve read a lot of and was pleasantly surprised. Let’s get to it!

JUST FINISHED

The first in the All In series, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the characters. Lainey had anxiety issues which our hero RJ handled extremely well. He was the type of guy who likes to be needed. The basis of the book is that they met and he didn’t tell her that he was a pro hockey player and that lie caused difficulties down the road. It was a kind of simple story but when the characters are interesting that can make a simple story interesting.

JUST STARTED

I can honestly say that I don’t remember this book at all. I often revisit KA’s novels, but I don’t think I’ve read since it initially came out in 2011! I do enjoy this author’s earlier books when they had a heck of a plot AND a romance. This novel seems to follow that format as well and I’m digging in and will enjoy it fully.

Do you ever revisit favorite books or series? Which books do you like to re-read. Let me know in the comments.

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Book Releases- Nov’21

Ahh November, a month when the weather is finally cooler and I can lounge around in sweats reading books. Swap sweats for leggings and a t-shirt and it could be June! Every month is a good month for me to find some good books coming out in bookstores that I need to read or at least put on my TBR and dream of reading. November has quite a few good ones!

#5 BOOK RELEASE

The fifth book in the series, I am completely invested in seeing if the main character, Rosalind Thorne, improves her circumstances and what mystery she will solve for the ton next.

Synopsis:

Among the ton of Regency London, one breath of scandal can be disastrous. Enter Rosalind Thorne, a young woman adept at helping ladies of quality navigate the most delicate problems—in this charming mystery series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen . . .

It is every mama’s dearest wish that her daughter marries well. But how to ensure that a seemingly earnest suitor is not merely a fortune hunter? Rosalind is involved in just such a case, discreetly investigating a client’s prospective son-in-law, when she is drawn into another predicament shockingly close to home.

Rosalind’s estranged father, Sir Reginald Thorne—a drunkard and forger—has fallen into the hands of the vicious scoundrel Russell Fullerton. Angered by her interference in his blackmail schemes, Fullerton intends to unleash Sir Reginald on society and ruin Rosalind. Before Rosalind’s enemy can act, Sir Reginald is found murdered—and Fullerton is arrested for the crime. He protests his innocence, and Rosalind reluctantly agrees to uncover the truth, suspecting that this mystery may be linked to her other, ongoing cases.

Aided by her sister, Charlotte, and sundry friends and associates—including handsome Bow Street Runner Adam Harkness—Rosalind sets to work. But with political espionage and Napoleon loyalists in the mix, there may be more sinister motives, and far higher stakes, than she ever imagined . . .

Click this link to purchase!*A Counterfeit Suitor (Rosalind Thorne Mystery Book 5)

#4 BOOK RELEASE

I love romance novels that revolve around fate and whether there is someone out there who is meant to be our true life’s partner. I’m not sure if that’s what Just Haven’t Met You Yet is all about but I’m looking forward to finding out!

Synopsis: Hopeless romantic and lifestyle reporter Laura’s business trip to the Channel Islands isn’t off to a great start. After an embarrassing encounter with the most attractive man she’s ever seen in real life, she arrives at her hotel and realizes she’s grabbed the wrong suitcase from the airport. Her only consolation is its irresistible contents, each of which intrigues her more and more. The owner of this suitcase is clearly Laura’s dream man. Now, all she has to do is find him.
 
Besides, what are the odds that she’d find The One on the same island where her parents first met and fell in love, especially as she sets out to write an article about their romance? Commissioning surly cab driver Ted to ferry her around seems like her best bet in both tracking down the mystery suitcase owner and retracing her parents’ footsteps. But as Laura’s mystery man proves difficult to find—and as she uncovers family secrets—she may have to reimagine the life, and love, she always thought she wanted.

Click this link to purchase!* Just Haven’t Met You Yet

#3 BOOK RELEASE

It’s a retro-novel harkening back to this author’s early years. I love romances with a solid crew of female friends! Our two main characters are really fun to read too.

Synopsis: Pepper Hannigan is determined to keep any romance off the table—and out of her bedroom—while her daughter Juno is still young. Sure, a certain handsome commando is thoughtful, funny, and undeniably hot, but Pepper’s had her heart broken before, and she won’t let it happen again. Not to her or her little girl, even if this hero could melt any woman’s resolve.

Augustus “Auggie” Hero can’t deny his attraction to beautiful, warm-hearted Pepper or how much he wants to make a home with her and her little girl, but Pepper’s mixed signals have kept him away. That is, until Juno decides to play matchmaker. Her efforts finally bring Pepper into his arms, but they expose the danger Pepper is in. To protect Pepper and Juno, Auggie will have to live up to his last name and prove happy endings aren’t just for fairy tales. 

Click this link to purchase!* Dream Keeper (Dream Team Book 4)

#2 BOOK RELEASE

hope this book is as sweet as it sounds!

Synopsis:

Jasmine Tran has landed herself behind bars—maple bars that is. With no boyfriend or job prospects, Jasmine returns home to work at her parents’ donut shop. Jasmine quickly loses herself in a cyclical routine of donuts, Netflix, and sleep. She wants to break free from her daily grind, but when a hike in rent threatens the survival of their shop, her parents rely on her more than ever.

he’s also Chinese. He’s everything she should wish for, until a disastrous dinner reveals Alex isn’t as perfect as she thinks. Worse, he doesn’t think she’s perfect either.

With both sets of parents against their relationship, a family legacy about to shut down, and the reappearance of an old high school flame, Jasmine must scheme to find a solution that satisfies her family’s expectations and can get her out of the donut trap once and for all.

Click this link to purchase!* The Donut Trap: A Novel

MY MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK RELEASE FOR NOV’21

I love new worlds, interesting characters, and VAMPIRES! LOL. No, really, this one sounds truly great and I’m really looking forward to reading it.

Synopsis: Their union is his revenge.

Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day to be her death day. To end a years-long war, she is to marry vampire king Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him.

But her assassination attempt is thwarted, and Adrian threatens that if Isolde tries kill him again, he will raise her as the undead. Faced with the possibility of becoming the thing she hates most, Isolde seeks other ways to defy him and survive the brutal vampire court.

Except it isn’t the court she fears most—it’s Adrian. Despite their undeniable chemistry, she wonders why the king—fierce, savage, merciless—chose her as consort.

The answer will shatter her world.

Click this link to purchase!* King of Battle and Blood (Adrian X Isolde, 1)

I’d love to hear about your own top 5 books you’re looking forward to reading next month! Please let me know in the comments.

Have a great month everyone!

Deb

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase one of these books through the above links, I’ll receive a small stipend.

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (10/18/21)

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. The weather here in Nashville was gorgeous and I did get outside quite a bit, which meant I slowed down on my reading a little. I’ll catch you up real quick.

JUST FINISHED

I am a huge fan of Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series but have put off listening to these short stories despite having purchased the audiobook. It does include the origin story of Briggs’ Alpha and Omega series and how Charles and Anna first met. I’ve heard that story before and looked forward to hearing it again. There were a couple that weren’t as interesting to me, probably because I couldn’t remember how the characters had interacted with Mercy’s stories but some were quite interesting and I enjoyed them tremendously! All in all a really good book!

JUST STARTED

I’m a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong and after being selected to read the ARC of the second novel in this series I realized I had never read the first! I used an Audible credit and am so enjoying this book! It’s a mystery/time travel/love story and the narrator has done an excellent job giving all of these characters their voices. I’m almost done with it and am looking forward to reading that next novel!

I hope you all had a great weekend! If you’d care to share what book you are reading, please do!

Deb