Book Review: The Matchmaker of Périgord

Book: The Matchmaker of Périgord by Julia Stuart

Cover Design by Helen Chapman
Cover Illustration by Mary Schuck

Edition: Paperback

Description:

The charming tale of a small French town in which the local barber, whose business is failing as his clients grow older and lose their hair, decides to become the town matchmaker.

Barber Guillaume Ladoucette has always enjoyed great success in his tiny village in southwestern France, catering to the tonsorial needs of Amour-sur-Belle's thirty-three inhabitants. But times have changed. His customers have grown older—and balder. Suddenly there is no longer a call for Guillaume's particular services, and he is forced to make a drastic career change. Since love and companionship are necessary commodities at any age, he becomes the town's official matchmaker and intends to unite hearts as ably as he once cut hair. But alas, Guillaume is not nearly as accomplished an agent of amour, as the disastrous results of his initial attempts amply prove, especially when it comes to arranging his own romantic future.

For every reader who adored Chocolat, Julia Stuart's The Matchmaker of Périgord is a delectable, utterly enchanting, and sinfully satisfying delight.

Book Review: Caribbean Cruising

Book: Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne

Edition: Paperback

Description:

The perfect summer story of a girl, several boys, and a cruise ship full of possibilities.

Lindsay has never been on a cruise, but she knows exactly what she wants to do now that she is: climb a waterfall, snorkel, meet lots of cute guys, and look for one perfect guy for a summer fling.

But her to-do list isn't going according to plan, especially when she discovers that it's impossible to have a fling-when you're actually falling in love.

Book Review for The Book Girl's Book Club for July: A Malibu Kind of Romance

Book: A Malibu Kind of Romance by Synithia Williams

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Slick lines and sweet nothings have zero effect on ambitious real estate developer Julie Dominick. Her love rules have thankfully saved her from dealing with messy relationship complications. But since R & B superstar Dante Wilson hired her to open his new Malibu nightclub, he's determined to add some pleasure to their business dealings. And Julie's strategy to protect her heart may not stand up to his seductive appeal.

Growing up in a music dynasty, Dante enjoys all the female attention that comes with his fame. For the first time, he knows what it feels like to be brushed off by someone he's falling for. When his usual moves fall flat, he has to show Julie the real man behind all the glitz and glamour. Will it be enough to convince Julie that it's better to break the rules rather than risk losing love's passionate melody?

Book Review: One Con Glory

Book: One Con Glory by Sarah Kuhn

Cover by Chris Stewart

Edition: Digital

Description:

Diehard fangirl Julie loves Buffy marathons, fighting about comic book continuity, and being left alone. But more than anything, Julie loves Glory Gilmore, a mostly-forgotten C-List superheroine from the world of '80s comics.

For years, she's longed to reclaim the precious Glory action figure that's eluded her grasp so many times before. And one fateful weekend, she has the chance to do just that. Of course, no great quest is ever simple. Before she can triumph over the forces of loudmouth nerds and clueless Mundanes everywhere, Julie will have to deal with an avalanche of unexpected obstacles.

In the midst of battles for videogame supremacy and frustrating encounters with a supremely irritating TV pretty boy, she'll be forced to reconsider her fandom and reevaluate her life. She might even have to talk to people.

Book Review: Baggage Claim

Book: Baggage Claim by David E. Talbert

Edition: Paperback

Description:

SHE'S GOT THIRTY DAYS AND THIRTY THOUSAND MILES TO FIND A HUSBAND.

According to the women in Montana Moore's family, you're not a lady until you marry and not a woman until you have birthed at least two children. At age thirty-five, Montana is neither and her prospects are meager. Her mother is working on husband number five, and her baby sister, Sheree, has just announced her engagement to a promising future doctor. Pledging to keep herself from being the oldest and the only women in her entire family never to wed, Montana embarks on a thirty-day, thirty-thousand-mile expedition to charm a potential suitor into becoming her fiance.

Who will she choose? Damon Diesel, a P. Diddy wannabe; Reverend Curtis P. Merewether, pastor of Greater House of Deliverance, Tabernacle of Praise, Worship, and Miracles; pompous attorney-turned-councilman Langston Jefferson Battle III; or Quinton Jamison, a multimillionaire who's twenty years her senior?

Book Review: Puppy Love

Book: Puppy Love (Romantic Comedies series) by Nancy Krulik

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Romance can be ruff....

Alana loves her dog-walking job, but it blows her mind to see how pampered these pooches are. Her newest clients actually feed their poodle steak and treat her to massages at a doggie spa! Alana can't make heads or tails of why anyone would do this -- or why she complains to hunky handyman Connor and not to her boyfriend, Sammy.

When Sammy starts keeping her on an awfully tight leash, Alana wonders whether Connor might be a better match for her. But Alana's puppy love comes to a screeching halt when she learns that Connor isn't who she thought he was. Is Alana barking up the wrong tree with him, too?



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Puppy Love is a young adult meets new adult book set in New York City with 17 years old Alana Marks trying to enjoy her senior year of high school. But between being busy with her dog-walking job, school stuff, volunteering and hanging out with her best friend Stella, it makes it easy for Alana to avoid the realization that her three year relationship with her boyfriend Sammy is not as good as it used to be.

Sammy recently started his freshman year at Columbia University and everything about him has changed from his personality to the way he thinks to the way he dresses including the way he interacts with Alana and his old friends. He's no longer the sweet and thoughtful guy he once was, he's more of a stranger with the way he has changed. He used to care about causes and helping others but his short time at college has changed his perspective. He's also very distant towards her but at the same time very jealous in regards to her friendship with her dog walker friend Leo or her new friend Connor.

But the abrupt ending of her relationship gave her a chance to move on, to focus on herself and possibly explore her crush on Connor. Alana and Connor had an immediate connection when they met while she was picking up one of her doggy clients a poodle named Nicolette. She thinks Connor is an interesting guy with being 18 years old and trying to make a career as a photographer in between working as a handyman. At the time, nothing happened between them because she had a boyfriend but now that she's single things are looking up.

Everything was going great between Alana and Connor with their new found relationship growing into something real until a misunderstanding led to a break up. Can Alana look pass this to follow her heart?

As a fan of romantic comedies, I'm glad I read this because it's full of all these funny and romantic moments mixed in with a little bit of drama. This was a quick read with an engaging story with interesting characters. But asides from the fun and romance, the story also showed characters who are in the process of trying to find themselves while also trying to stay true to who they are.

And speaking of characters, I thought the author did a good job with creating characters that felt real and placed them in situations that actually felt realistic and very relatable. I really like Alana, Stella, Leo and Connor. The only one I didn't like was Sammy but I'm sure that was the point, he was shown as an insincere jerk and not to mention how he treated Alana. I was surprised by how Alana and Stella were shown because they were very social conscious and support various causes from animals to the environment and that's something I don't usually see in a lot of young adult books. Alana has this desire to help others and she's earning money to save up for college with her dog walking job yet she also found time to volunteer for various organizations. That's pretty cool.

This is a really cute and romantic read and plus it's filled with adorable doggy antics.

Book Review: Make Me Forget

Book: Make Me Forget (Make Me part 1) by Beth Kery

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Part One of the Make Me Serial

The New York Times bestselling author of Because You Are Mine, The Affair, and Glow is back with a tantalizing new serial novel about hidden pasts, dangerous obsessions, and uncontrollable passion... 

Harper McFaddan has made her name as an investigative journalist by being both compassionate and fearless. After tragedy strikes her family, she moves to the shores of Lake Tahoe to find some peace. But when mysterious software mogul Jacob Latimer comes into her life, her thoughts turn from her own healing to an urgent need to get closer to him...

Jacob Latimer is the definition of a self-made man. The software entrepreneur built his corporation from nothing, but rumors abound about the shadiness of his rise to power  and no one knows what secrets lurk in his past. Harper is the last person he should let into his life. As an investigative journalist, she’s the one person who could expose his hidden origins. But Jacob knows things about Harper’s past that make him irresistibly drawn to her. He wants nothing more than to make her his—and Jacob is a man who always gets what he wants...

Don’t miss the next installment, Make Me Tremble...



Rating: 2 stars

Review:

Make Me Forget started out rather interesting with 32 years old former San Francisco Chronicle reporter Harper McFadden taking a break from the fast-paced world of hard hitting news. She moved to Lake Tahoe for a new job as News Editor of the Sierra Tahoe Gazette. She thought the sleepy town would be a great place for her to relax and to help lessen the pain of the death of her parents.

A run on the beach turned into a surprise meeting with a handsome and mysterious stranger and his dog. The next day at work, Harper received an invite to a party hosted by the elusive Jacob Latimer. Latimer is a bit of an enigma, he's built a lucrative career in the tech industry and his work with the military but anything else about him is truly a mystery.

Harper mainly attended the party simply because she was curious as to why she was even invited. Plus, she wanted to know more about Jacob Latimer and to her surprise he turned out to be the guy she met on the beach.

The plot quickly dissolved into nothing more than erotica. I was surprised this was listed in the romance category on NetGalley instead of erotica especially since there was no romance in this story. The last half of this story was nothing but sex mired with hints to there being a past connection between Jacob and Harper. However, she has somehow forgotten about the incident that has been alluded to that occurred when they were pre-teens.

Character wise, I thought Harper was flaky and passive-aggressive while Jacob was too controlling, aggressive and forceful. Which doesn't make for interesting characters for me.

This started out good but the plot quickly disappeared leaving nothing but sex. I don't mind if a story has sex in it but I want a story that has an actual plot. Although this was a disappointing read for me, I did think the writing was good. The author has a way of interjecting a bit of intrigue and moving this short story along that is until it hit a wall leaving the story to fall flat.

This is the first part of an eight part serial but since I'm already bored with this story, I will not be continuing on with this series.

Book Review: I Don't Want to Talk About It

Book: I Don't Want to Talk About It (Yorkshire Romances book #5) by Jane Lovering

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: June 10, 2016

Description:

What if the one person you wanted to talk to wouldn’t listen?

Winter Gregory and her twin sister Daisy live oceans apart but they still have the ‘twin thing’ going on. Daisy is Winter’s port in the storm, the first person she calls when things go wrong …

And things are wrong. Winter has traveled to a remote Yorkshire village to write her new book, and to escape her ex-boyfriend Dan Bekener. Dan never liked her reliance on Daisy and made her choose – but Winter’s twin will always be her first choice.

She soon finds herself immersed in village life after meeting the troubled Hill family; horse-loving eight-year-old Scarlet and damaged, yet temptingly gorgeous, Alex. The distraction is welcome and, when Winter needs to talk, Daisy is always there.

But Dan can’t stay away and remains intent on driving the sisters apart – because Dan knows something about Daisy…



Rating: 4 stars

Review:

I Don't Want to Talk About It focused on writer Winter Gregory who was staying in Yorkshire, a small English village as she attempted to write her second book. She had previously wrote a best selling book about graves stones and the dead, she was in town trying to write the sequel. It appears that she was also there trying to avoid her ex-boyfriend Dan Bekener, who also happens to be her editor.

Winter doesn't want anything to do with Dan who she feels made her choose between him and her twin sister Daisy. Being in the small town gave her a way to both work and escape from Dan.

The only discomfort she thought she would experience in Yorkshire would be staying in a very small cottage. But things you avoid have a way of showing up.

While doing research in a cemetery, Winter met eight years old Scarlet who lived with her very handsome uncle Alex Hill. Despite Scarlet appearing happy and carefree, she and her uncle are both dealing with the death of her mother. It affects then in different ways, Scarlet is very attached to the last gift her mother gave her, while Alex has developed a severe stammer.

As Winter got to know Alex, it's clear to see that he was starting to make an impression on her. But was she ready for any sort of romance with Alex or was something holding her back from moving on? Also is there more to Alex and Scarlet's teacher Lucy Charlton friendship?

It wasn't long before Dan showed up in Yorkshire ruining Winter's mood. He claimed he was only there to make sure she completed the book but he seemed to be holding some secret in regards to Daisy.

I'm not sure I would classify this as a romance since this story is filled with quite a bit of emotional drama and dwelling on the past. The romance although there was more subtle. I could see the possible beginning of a romance between Winter and Alex but the past was haunting both of them.

I like the characters Winter, Alex and Scarlet while Dan came across mostly as being rather charismatic and an arrogant jerk at times but I found his arrogance was a way to hide his true feelings so as not to get hurt again. Meanwhile, with Lucy I feel like there wasn't enough of her shown to get a feel for her personality other than her somehow hovering near Alex somewhere in the background. But what I could gather she was a nice enough character.

This was an interesting story even if I could see where it was going before it got there. Despite that, I thought the writing was very good and humorous at times. Although the story does slow down at a few points but it doesn't ruin it. I like that this wasn't the typical romance, I found it dealt with quite a few issues including guilt and forgiveness.

This is the first book I've read from the author and since this wasn't a bad read I wouldn't mind reading something else from the author in the future.

Book Review: Wet, Hot, Australian Christmas

Book: Wet, Hot, Australian Christmas by A.V. Sanders

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Reid, an American shark research scientist, is in Perth, Australia working to develop a mobile app that may revolutionize shark safety practices. But even the company of his boyfriend, Graham, isn't enough to stave off homesickness as Christmas approaches, and a missing shark and Graham's struggling business seem set to ruin the holiday for good.


Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

I'm glad I gave this author a second chance because although the first book I read Percolation, Poetry, and Passion was good, it felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped especially near the end. Meanwhile, I found this book to be much more well thought out and well-written.

In this short story, Reid an American research scientist was trying to enjoy the Christmas holiday in his newly adopted city of Australia. However, despite having a wonderful boyfriend (Graham), he still can't quite shake his Christmas blues.

Reid has been in Australia for a year studying sharks and testing his invention, a surf safe app that can both track sharks and be a warning system when they get too close to shore. Reid's work with sharks and trying to test out his shark detecting app are helping to keep his mind off of the fact that Christmas won't come with snow and many of the other things he's used to seeing. Lying around on the beach in hot sunny weather doesn't feel like the Christmas season to him.

Meanwhile, native Australian Graham had been waffling when it comes to his career. After his father died, the party planning business Celebration Hall was left to him and his mother. But his heart really wasn't into the business.

Adding to Reid's homesick troubles is that his favorite shark Molly has gone missing. He hasn't been able to track her whereabouts and is starting to fear the worse. Meanwhile, Graham while trying to avoid his family obligations is trying to find different ways to show Reid how Australians celebrate Christmas.

However, Graham may have unexpectedly found a new career opportunity that may make it possible for him to continue working in the family business but add something new to it.

I really like this story, it was nice and fluffy and there was no unnecessary relationship drama. But there was some shark drama near the end that added a little suspense to the story. Reid and Graham are two 30-somethings already in an established relationship and you get to see these sweet and romantic moments between them in this interesting story. I really like the characters, despite being a short story, I found out a lot about Reid and Graham. The author also included a lot of interesting information about sharks and the Australian ecosystem.

Book Review: Taste

Book: Taste (A Love Story book #3) by Tracy Ewens

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

If only life were as simple as following a recipe.

In her twenties, Kara Malendar found herself at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris, thousands of miles away from the harsh media coverage of her political family. But Paris ended abruptly when she was summoned home to Los Angeles and expected to stand in again as the senator’s perfect daughter.

Now, thirty, Kara has made a different kind of life for herself. As a food critic for the Los Angeles Times, she casts a critical eye on other people. That is, until her past finds his way back into town and opens a new restaurant.

Logan Rye, the youngest son of the Ryeland Farms family, is a chef and knows exactly what he's doing with his life. After a few years spent getting his head and heart together, he's opened a new farm-to-table restaurant, The Yard, in Los Angeles. It’s his passion, but according to the LA Times, he’s a trend.

Kara and Logan haven't seen each other since she left him in the lobby of her Paris apartment building, but when she is asked to write a feature on him, it's not long before they are rediscovering the delicious parts of each other. As things heat up, all recipes are forgotten, and Kara and Logan realize nothing was what it seemed in Paris.

If Logan can only find a way to trust, he may be exactly what Kara needs . . . if she's ever going to taste life again.



Rating: 2 stars (Did Not Finish)

Review:

This was really boring and too predictable. The story follows 30-somethings Kara Malender and Logan Rye who reconnect after years from when they broke up. In flashback scenes, the two once dated while studying abroad in Paris back when they were in college. However, their relationship ended once Kara abruptly left to head back home to the US.

In the present, Kara is a harsh food critic while Logan is a chef running his own restaurant in Los Angeles. They met for the first time in years at a party her politician father was throwing to thank his volunteers at Logan's restaurant.

After this scene is when I stopped reading this, as I said above, this was boring. However, one of the main reasons I stopped reading this story was because of Kara. She was hard to connect with and very off putting. She can't stand up to her overbearing parents but seems to have no problems being cold and mean to people as well as in regards to writing her reviews. It felts like she goes out of her way to write particularly harsh reviews.

But it was that party scene that really made me dislike her even more. Because during that scene, she was really enjoying the food she was eating. However, instead of letting Logan know that, she instead purposely and intentionally said in a childishly way that the food was atrocious. She is supposedly a well-known and well-respected food critic yet she would purposely be so rude and possibly ruin Logan's restaurant's reputation because she couldn't deal with seeing him again.

The one good thing I did like about this story was Logan, he was an interesting, charming and well written character. I wish the rest of the story was given the same amount care and attention. Maybe if this story was more interesting, I would have stuck with it to possibly see if Kara actually becomes likeable. But I couldn't.

Book Review: His Work of Art

Book: His Work of Art (Hot & Nerdy book #4) by Shannyn Schroeder

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Reese Carter is definitely not your average college girl. She'd prefer to spend Saturday nights playing Hero's Crusade than attending a wild frat party on campus. When she bands together with Adam, fellow comic enthusiast and illustrator, it appears that Reese has formed a dream team sure to propel her writing into the comic hall of fame.

Adam Hayes has never met a girl like Reese. She's sassy, smart, and loves talking comics, although he can't see why she'd choose DC over Marvel. He's thrilled to finally put his artistic chops to use in their upcoming comic project. But. this relationship is strictly professional. Or so he tells himself. When the two combine forces, they churn out magic in more ways than they had planned; they never expected to develop a steamy romantic sub-plot of their own...



Rating: 3 stars

Review:

I'm disappointed with the cover because after some time in the story it was revealed that Adam was black however looking at that cover you wouldn't think that. So, 1 star goes to that cover.

This was a relatively fluffy story that almost didn't reach 3 stars. It follows two comic book geeks/college students as they attempt to work together to create a comic book.

The more Reese and Adam worked together the more they couldn't hide how much they were interested in each other. However, Adam wasn't sure this was the right step to take because he was a little hesitant about getting into an interracial relationship especially after remember some of the hardship his parents went through.

This started out really cute and sweet as Adam and Reese were getting to know more about each other as they created the comic book. I thought they had great chemistry but nearing the end of this novella I felt like their romance became rushed resulting in an awkwardly placed sex scene that didn't seem to go with the story. It seemed like it was added just to provide more unnecessary drama because after that Reese and Adam fell into the cliché of being awkward and avoiding each other. Adam was still having doubts about pursuing this relationship despite how much he liked her.

I liked the first half of this story because it was fun and different and not a standard boring romance story but then the story quickly turned into that. As it neared the end, the story was filled with a lot of clichés that left the story circling itself until the very end where there was a happy ending.

I like these characters but feel maybe they deserved a much better story that's perhaps a little longer. It would give it more time to flourish and become more than just another cliché.

Book Review: A Taste of Sake

Book: A Taste of Sake (The Napa Wine Heiress book #4) by Heather Heyford

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

As author Heather Heyford pours a final glass in her series following three Napa wine heiresses, a newcomer must work her way into a tightly-knit family whose bond has been fermenting for years…

Though they each have their own ambitions and are known to be competitive—even with each other—the St. Pierre sisters are fiercely loyal. Chardonnay and Merlot are thrilled about Sauvignon’s wedding day, and it’s slated to be the soirée of the decade among Napa’s most elite residents. Given the family’s notoriety, it almost stands to reason that their eccentric father, Xavier, would arrive by helicopter. But no one could have anticipated the wedding surprise he’d brought along with him…

The product of one of Xavier’s many affairs, Sake is introduced as the half-Japanese sister the St. Pierre girls never knew they had. She struggles to break into clique-ish Napa society—and getting in with her sisters is proving more difficult than nabbing a ’74 Cabernet. It seems only high-end realtor Bill Diamond can tell there’s more to Sake than meets the eye. Afraid of repeating her mother’s mistakes, Sake just hopes that getting drunk on love won’t leave her with a hangover of rejection…


Rating: 1 star (Did Not Finish)

Review:

Right off the bat, I was disappointed by the cover because if you compare it with other books in this series (see below) you can see the difference. For the three previous books all the faces of the female models are shown but for some reason the model's face for this fourth book which features main character Sake who is half Japanese is obscured. Why cover the model's face? Was it because she wasn't Asian? If so then why wasn't an Asian or bi-racial model chosen for the cover shoot? Anyway, on to my review.

A Taste of Sake was the second book that I've read from this series, the other book was A Taste of Merlot which had started out well but quickly fizzled. Even though I didn't enjoy A Taste of Merlot, I still gave this fourth book a chance. I wish I had not, because it started out bad and seemed to continue in that direction before I stopped reading it.

The story is told from Sake St. Pierre and Bill Diamond's point of view. Bill is the family's realtor and friend who is used to his life being in order and it's clear to see that Sake is going to throw his well ordered life into chaos.

This wasn't the best story, it opened with a boring prologue that started with a ridiculous scene that had Xavier St. Pierre crashing the helicopter he was flying with his youngest daughter Sake. The arrival and then the crashing of the helicopter disrupted the wedding of his oldest daughter Sauvignon. He had been bringing Sake to the wedding so she could get to know her sisters.

Sake who is 22 years old has a huge chip on her shoulder which is understandable since she had grown up without knowing any of her sisters and only saw her father from time to time. Also, while the family had been living the life of luxury she instead has been living a rough life.

Sake had gotten in a bit of trouble prior to her father picking her up for the wedding and to keep her out of any more her father has set some conditions which she needs to stick to by her approaching 23rd birthday. If she follows them, then he will give her a large amount of money to help pursue her future. She currently works at a bakery but doesn't have a high school diploma and her father strongly suggest she finish her education.

I couldn't finish reading this because not only couldn't I get pass the horrible (and I mean horrible) tough girl dialogue for Sake but the writing wasn't that great either. The story was also bad and way too predictable. I got tired of Sake's father treating her like a child and making her feel bad that she didn't measure up to her sisters. The sisters that he raised while he only sent checks and the occasional gifts to Sake and her mother. If he cared so much then why had he not been in her life. He looks down at her and dismisses every part of her life, at this point in her life does he have any right to start telling her how to live her life.

This just wasn't working for me, there was nothing here that I liked. I think I would have liked Sake more is she had been better written and poor Bill he was just so boring. I don't think I will be taking anymore chances with this series.

Book Review: Plato for Plumbers

I just finished Shoe Addicts Anonymous and I will have the review posted tomorrow.

Book: Plato for Plumbers by Francis Gideon

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

The week before an important philosophy conference, Kenneth is struggling to finish both the last chapter of his book and the paper he's writing for the event. His efforts are thwarted by a leaky faucet—and his life as a whole is turned upside down by the plumber who shows up to fix it.


Rating: 4 stars

Review:

This short story takes a look at a burned out Philosophy Professor who may have found inspiration from an unlikely source.

When 44 year old professor of Philosophy Doctor Kenneth McLaughlin sat down to write his paper for an upcoming conference, he couldn't concentrate. First, he was dealing with signs of being burned out and second, the constant dripping faucet in his bathroom was making it impossible to focus.

The faucet almost seemed like the perfect excuse for not being able to write especially since he has been stressed out and already off to a bad start trying to piece together his paper. But really his main problem was he didn't seem to be enjoying philosophy as much as he used to. Over the years, all he has done is invest his time into his career that now that he looked at his life it seemed a little empty despite all his accomplishments. In his pursuit of career advancement he has forgone social interaction and making new friends, love and romance and his passion for writing anything non-academic.

Not being able to take the dripping any longer he finally called a plumbing company and was told a plumber would stop by that day.

As he thought over a recent phone call he had with his former professor and now colleague, it had Ken thinking back to his time in grad school when his approach to philosophy was more enthusiastic. He was starting to feel like he was turning into one of those bitter professors he used to have when he was in school and that was something that he didn't want to become. But most importantly he seems to have lost his drive and passion.

When the plumber Mark showed up, he gave Ken an unexpectedly new look at philosophy. Mark had a great understanding of the subject which made for an easy conversation between the two. After the talk, Ken started to rethink his current take on how he viewed philosophy. It also didn't hurt that he had a bit of an attraction to Mark, how could he not the guy had brains and good looks.

I like that the story had a nice build up and even though there is a bit of insta-love in the story which is usually a pet peeve of mine but this time it didn't annoy me. I guess since the characters are a little older and have a better grasp on who they are, the some what rushed romance near the end didn't seem to be a problem.

Since I started reading Philosophy again (thanks to joining the Philosophy book club) I've really become fascinated by the subject and I thought the author did a great job of including it in the story. Plato for Plumbers although a short story has a full and interesting plot with very likeable characters.

This is a romance story but what I found interesting was that it didn't delve into the erotica or racy scenes but instead focused on the connection building between theses two characters. I also like how the story showed not to judge someone because although Mark didn't have a college degree he understood Philosophy better than most scholars.

I enjoyed this, it was a fun read and I thought the sample of that corny and cliché story that Ken was working on was actually really funny. It showed that Ken was finally starting to relax and get back into writing again even if his story wasn't the greatest.

Book Review: Percolation, Poetry and Passion

Book: Percolation, Poetry, and Passion by A.V. Sanders

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Beckett works at a coffee shop to make ends meet while attending a prestigious university. It's not the most exciting job, but he's done it long enough he's good at it—and can avoid the tedium by spinning sexy little daydreams of things he doubts will ever happen.

Daydreams that soon include Simon, the hot, handsome, and older freelance writer who stops in one day. But then Simon becomes a regular, a bright spot more interesting than the inside of Beckett's head, and daydreams start to seem like they could be something far more tangible—if reality doesn't get in the way first.


Rating: 3 stars

Review:

I'm not exactly a fan of the cover, it's a little cheesy, but it does go with a scene in the story.

In this story, Beckett a 20-something who recently graduated from UC Berkley is also working at The Percolation Station, a local coffee shop. Things are going great for him and instead of heading back home to New Orleans after graduating, he plans to continue his education by getting his Master's degree in Conservation and Resource Studies with a minor in Energy and Resource Group. He will also be starting a research position that was offered to him by one of his professors.

With all the good things happening for him there is only one thing that might put a damper on his excitement and that is he hasn't told his family about his new plans. He hasn't told them because he's sure they're going to object. Beckett comes from a close knit family who doesn't seem to be able to let him live his life away from them. He has been working so hard because he has a goal to return back to his hometown to work as a Coastal Environment Engineer in hopes of restoring Louisiana's beautiful environment that was once devastated by the flood and other disasters.

One summer day while he was working, he met Simon, a charming and slightly older man who stops by the coffee shop for a warm beverage and an atmospheric place to work since he's a freelance writer.

The interaction between the two was mainly in a friendly nature, however it wasn't until Simon's relationship with his boyfriend ended that things changed between them. After their first date, their relationship seemed to speed up maybe perhaps a little too fast since it brought out trust issues for Simon. His last relationship ended when he found out he was being cheated on and it left a wound that didn't quite heal.

Beckett had planned a trip back home to finally tell his mother and his sisters about his change of plans but everything went wrong with both his family and Simon after several misunderstandings. The ending felt rushed to me in regards to there wasn't any closure with Beckett and his family. Were they finally going to stop giving him grief for wanting to live his life?

Despite, the way the story ended I don't necessarily get a sense that this couple is going to last. For one thing it feels like Simon wasn't ready to be in another relationship after his last one ended terribly. He wasn't over the heartbreak and brought some baggage in the form of insecurity and trust issues with a little dash of possessiveness.

I thought the writing for this was good, it had a strong start and you can tell the author put a lot into building up this story but near the end it felt incomplete and rushed. There were also plot points that were hinted at but nothing was ever really dealt with.There were quite a few scenes that I enjoyed reading such as Beckett and Simon's first date at the celestial theme fondue restaurant and later on when they were in New Orleans exploring the city.

Beckett was an interesting character, he's very driven and knows what he wants and honestly it would have been a much more enjoyable read if the story had left out the romance between him and Simon (they could have stayed friends) and his family who I didn't think added anything to the story besides unnecessary drama and tension. I thought Simon was okay but the way he was presented he definitely has some baggage he needed to deal with before he started dating again.

Perhaps if this story had been longer maybe Simone would have become more interesting and Beckett's family would have had more of a purpose. Considering that this is the author's debut story it wasn't bad and if another book is published in the future I may give that a chance.

Book Review: A Wedding in Truhart

Book: A Wedding in Truhart (Truhart book #1) by Cynthia Tennent

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Rating: 2 1/2 stars (Did Not Finish)

Review:

I'm sure this may be a lovely book but for the moment it's just not holding my attention. It's a standard chick lit with the main character Annie a bit of a mess along with her life. Her younger sister Charlotte is getting married, so along with her mother and aunt the trio travel to Atlanta from Truhart, Michigan to help celebrate the engagement.

When they showed up for the party it was an elegant event held at a luxury hotel which unfortunately, Annie, her mom Virginia and aunt Adelaide "Addie" were not exactly dressed up enough for. There was another surprise in store for Annie, her old friend and her older brother Ian's best friend Nick Conrad, who also happen to be her old childhood crush was there. Nick will be the Best Man in the wedding and she Maid of Honor. It's been years since she's seen Nick yet she's still as infatuated as ever with him. Despite his rudeness and his strong desire to really have nothing to do with her, she can't help putting him up on a pedestal or comparing him to how he used to be. Well, that's the thing, she really doesn't know who he is, now if ever, since she's always looked up to him as her prince or knight in shinning armor. But a car trip back to Michigan gave them a chance to reconnect along with a possible spark of romance.

Charlotte's upcoming wedding to Henry Lowell seems to have her trying too hard to impress her future in-laws and also being embarrassed of her loving if not rambunctious family. Horrible weather makes it impossible for the wedding to be in Atlanta and it will now be moved to Truhart held at the family inn.  Although the family's inn is struggling at the moment, Annie and her family have been working hard to keep it from going under.

The story was okay if not a little predictable but it was the characters that I couldn't connect with, each character seems to fit a certain archetype from the rich snobs to the small town eccentrics almost to the point that they seem one dimensional. As I reading this I could help wonder if Nick and Annie were somehow modeled after Mark Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice from the misunderstandings to the rudeness.

I don't know, maybe I'll read this again some other time but for now I'm going to shelve it.

Book Review: Yours All Along

Book: Yours All Along (Loving on the Edge book #7.5) by Roni Loren

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication Date: Available now

Publisher: PEGUIN GROUP Berkley: InterMix

Description:

The new Loving on the Edge romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Nothing Between Us turns on the heat between two men who wonder how much they’re willing to risk in the name of love.

Four years after an accident tore their friendship apart, Hunter and Devon are living separate lives. Hunter is now the all-America hero—a congressman’s son and a pro pitcher in Houston preparing to marry his beauty-queen girlfriend. Devon is in Dallas running a new restaurant.

But when Hunter unexpectedly shows up in Devon’s bar, Devon can’t turn him away. Damn it if the man isn’t still gorgeous. But engaged? Hell no. All he’s doing for Devon is bringing back memories of their college-roommate days, and the night their relationship went too far. Turns out Hunter has never forgotten it either.

Now Devon can’t help but be drawn in all over again by the only guy who’s ever gotten close enough to break his heart. Maybe one more night together would be enough for both of them to finally move on. Or maybe one night will change everything…



Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

Yours All Along is a stand alone novella from the Loving on the Edge series, although this is the only book of the series that I've read. It focused on the college friendship turned romance between Hunter Riley and Devon Crowe that abruptly ended but the two eventually meet again years later.

The story begins with Hunter sampling wedding cakes with his fiancée Macy but his heart doesn't seem into it. Everything seems to be moving too fast for him and he's stressed out. His fiancée noticing this, decides he needs a vacation to unwind. She books him a room at a luxury hotel and spa in Dallas so he can get away for a few days. Although Hunter is a professional baseball player he is use to the attention of the media since his father is in politics.

With his trip set, Macy suggested he look up his old fraternity brother Devon to ask him to be his best man, since Hunter still has not picked one yet. 

The story then switched to Devon who manages an upscale restaurant dealing with all the problems associated with the job. He was taking a small break but it was cut short when he was needed to go speak with a customer. He was shocked to see Hunter sitting in the booth, especially since they have not spoken in years.

It wasn't hard for Devon to see that Hunter was drunk and in no condition to drive. By the time the restaurant closed, Hunter was still in no shape to drive and not wanting his former friend to possibly get into an accident he decides to drop him off at the hotel.

As Hunter was riding in the car, he flashed back to memories of when he was in college in California and of how him and Devon as members of a fraternity met and became friends. It began with Hunter offering to share a room at the frat house with Devon who is openly gay. Hunter figured that most of the other guys were perhaps not too eager to share a room with Devon so he decided to step up and be a friend. Things started out well between the two of them. It quickly turned into an easy friendship where they learned a good deal about each other such as learning that Devon was disowned from his family after he came out while Hunter's strict and conservative father controls nearly every aspect of his life.

However, as the story moved along their friendship was starting to change into something more but neither one was sure what that meant but they wanted to see. But everything changed once Hunter got into a car accident and that brought his high profile father down from Texas who quickly issued out an ultimatum which included breaking all contact with Devon. Not able to stand up to his father, Hunter went along with all his demands.

Which brings the story back to the present, is it even possible for Hunter to restore a relationship he let fall to the wayside years ago? Should he follow his heart to the love of his life even if might be too late or continue on with the "perfect" life that is expected of for him? Hunter's life is "perfect," he's a professional athlete, handsome and rich yet his life is turning into something he hates. He's not happy and planning the wedding brought up all of his problems.

Although a majority of this novella is set in flashback it gives the reader a good sense of who Hunter and Devon were so you can understand who they are now and what they've been through. This was a good story, there are a few steamy scenes with a some cheesy dialogue here and there but all and all this wasn't a bad read. 

I have only one problem with this story, it wasn't long enough. Too bad it wasn't a full length novel I wanted to read more. It was a story filled with friendship, romance and colligate Greek life. I really liked the characters and their romantic drama.

Book Review: Focus on Me

Book: Focus on Me (In Focus book #2) by Megan Erickson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: PEGUIN GROUP Berkley: InterMix

Description:

Colin Hartman can now add college to his list of failures. On the coast-to-coast trek home from California, Colin stops at a gas station in the Nevada desert, and can’t help noticing the guy in tight jeans looking like he just stepped off a catwalk. When he realizes Catwalk is stranded, Colin offers a ride.

Riley only intended to take a short ride in Colin’s Jeep to the Grand Canyon. But one detour leads to another until they finally find themselves tumbling into bed together. However there are shadows in Riley’s eyes that hide a troubled past. And when those shadows threaten to bury the man whom Colin has fallen in love with, he vows to get Riley the help he needs. For once in his life, quitting isn’t an option…  


Rating: 4 stars

Review:

21 year old Colin Hartman got more than he bargained for when he offered to give 23 year old Riley Sorenson, a stranded young man at a Las Vegas gas station, a ride to the Grand Canyon.

Colin had been traveling from California on his way back home to North Carolina after he flunked out of college. He never seems to succeed at anything and so before he goes back home to work at his family's restaurant, which he actually enjoys working at, he wants to enjoy the trip.

What started out as Colin trying to get to know his rather mysterious passenger Riley, turned into a friendship that turned into something romantic. Although at times you can tell that Riley was hiding things from Colin. What Riley was hiding was the fact that he was dealing with mental health issues along with having an eating disorder. Riley had been a model but decided to quit because it wasn't working for him anymore and was making his problems even worse.

As the story moved along, the guys were enjoying the road trip with Riley trying to complete a sort of bucket list. Unbeknownst to Colin, the list is something Riley hopes will help him be able to feel something because he feels so dead inside and just wants to feel alive. With Colin in no hurry to head home that gave them plenty of time to explore not only their growing attraction but the places they were visiting. However, after some time Riley's erratic behavior and mood swings were starting to make Colin wonder if everything was okay with Riley.

Some days Riley would be happy but other days he would be depressed and withdrawn with nothing being able to bring him around. Even the cute little dog they found on the side of the road couldn't help with his really bad days. When their relationship turned serious, Riley seemed to become really dependent on Colin almost as a lifeline for him. This unnerved Colin because what he thought was romantic was quickly revealing itself to be something really unhealthy.

This story is told from Colin's point of view as it focused on two 20-somethings who were both trying to figure out what they wanted out of life. Colin who usually fails or quits just about everything he attempts decided that he was not going to give up on Riley who truly needs professional help. However, Riley is resistant to seeking help but Colin knows that to help the person he loves he needs to do something even if it may result in Riley never wanting to see him ever again.

Focus on Me is a sequel to Trust the Focus with it connecting to the previous book with Justin and Landry (the couple from the first book) showing up at a critical point in the story. Riley is friends with Landry and had been sending e-mails to him throughout the story.

This was slightly darker than the first book with Riley dealing with a lot of issues. But the subject matter aside, the author created an interesting story (albeit with a bit of instant love) that's part road trip and part self discovery with romance added on. Similar to the first book this is a touching story that is filled with drama, humor and romance intertwined with emotional turmoil. There is a lot of good character development in this for both Colin and Riley, the author did do a good job with making these characters seem real instead of being stereotypical or one-dimensional.

Please note, there are some steamy/racy scenes in this.

Book Review: How Stella Got Her Grove Back

Book: How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan

Rating: 1 (Did Not Finish)

Review:

I really tried to like this but I couldn't. It was so hard to enjoy reading this with the all the run on sentences which is Stella's fast paced inner monologue. I struggled to get to page 92 before I decided I couldn't read any more.

The story follows Stella Payne who always has a plan for everything in her life, decides to take an impulsive trip to Jamaica for a vacation while her son is away visiting with his father.

Stella, who is a divorced 42 years old woman, was no longer enjoying her life and thought this vacation would give her a chance to feel alive again. And while on vacation she meets a younger man where she contemplates a spur of the moment romance with him.

I had problems with this book, from the run on sentences and the lack of commas (and other punctuations) to the main character. There were just way too many. I guess this was written as a way for the reader to see Stella's thoughts in a stream of consciousness sort of way. But instead of getting to understand who Stella was, it put me off. From her inner monologue, you get to see how she feels about any and everything, and it's not very nice. Stella's not a likeable character. Plus, she complained far too much instead of just relaxing and enjoying her vacation.

This should have been a fun book where Stella decides to take a very much needed vacation since she is very stressed and feels as if she's no longer her fun self. There was so much potential with this book but instead of a well written story it's mostly Stella's long winded inner monologue that's not interesting.

I have seen where many who have read the book and seen the movie say that the movie is so much better than the book. I have not seen the movie but I plan to. Hopefully, it is indeed the better option.

Book Review: At Home in Last Chance

Book: At Home in Last Chance (A Place to Call Home book #3) by Cathleen Armstrong

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: Revell

Rating: ;3 1/2 stars

Review:

This is an easy breezy story that takes place after the second book One More Last Chance, with Kaitlyn Reed trying to make up for the huge mistake of leaving her 7 years old daughter Olivia and taking off. Olivia was being taken care of by Kaitlyn's brother Chris where she had to get used to the idea that her mother left her. So for six months she built a new life with her uncle who also had gained custody of the little girl and was starting to no longer feel sad and lonely.

But then her mother Kaitlyn returned trying to make amends, she's doing her best to prove that she is there for her daughter. Yet that doesn't keep the small town residents from constantly commenting about how she left her daughter. However, no one can make her feel any worse than she already feels for what she did.

Although trained as a hair stylist, Kaitlyn works in her brother's restaurant as a waitress to get herself back on track. Even though she has been getting reacquainted with her daughter it still doesn't help that no matter what she still feels like an outsider in Last Chance. And with trying to get her life back in gear the last thing she's looking for is any type of romantic relationship. Since they have brought her nothing but trouble so not falling for the charming Steven Braden is not in her plan.

Kaitlyn isn't the only person who feels like an outsider, Steven shares that feeling. Although he has grown up in the small town he never quite fit in with his family and the town. He works for his uncle and aunt on their farm but he still doesn't feel as if he's really a part of the family. Like Kaitlyn, Steven has made his fare share of mistakes but is always reminded by his family and the rest of the towns people about those mistakes. I guess that's why he can't wait to leave Last Chance, in a few months he plans to leave to attend the police academy but with nothing holding him in place, especially since his flirting effort with Kaitlyn were leading nowhere, he feels as if he could leave even sooner.

Will Kaitlyn and Steven ever get over their pasts and their mistakes or will they continue to let other people's opinions guide their lives?

I like how the story was unfolding but there were times when I wished that Kaitlyn and Steven would have stood up for themselves whenever they were being talked down to as if they were children. They were adults and I kept waiting for both of them to stand up to their judgmental family. Yes, Kaitlyn made a extremely awful mistake of leaving her daughter but no one was seeing all the good she's done since then and how hard she was working to fix things and the same goes with Steven.

The author did a good job with the characters they seem like regular everyday people. This is definitely a story about forgiveness to oneself and to others but also learning to look pass your mistakes and let it go so you can become the person you want to be.

The pacing for the story was good until the ending which felt a little rushed and unexpected, hopefully the next book will continue from there. Just to inform readers this is a faith based book but it's not so in your face that it feels preachy.

Book Review: No One Wants To Be Miss Havisham

Book: No One Wants To Be Miss Havisham by Brigid Coady

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: HarperCollins UK: HarperImpulse

Description:

What the Dickens is going on?

Edie Dickens is a shark of a divorce lawyer. She doesn’t believe in love and she scoffs at happily ever afters, however she’s agreed to be maid of honour for her oldest friend, Mel in two weeks and she still has the hen night to endure. But she has even more to endure when she’s visited by Jessica Marley’s ghost and finds out she must change her ways or end up being damned to an eternity watching other people’s happiness. Edie is visited by the Ghosts of Weddings Past, Present and Future, every Friday night until the day of the wedding. Can she learn from her mistakes in time? And did the ghosts send the hunky new lawyer, Jack Twist, to distract her?


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

This was an interesting retelling of A Christmas Carol. In this story, Edwina "Edie" Dickens is a divorce lawyer with an extreme type A personality. Where mean spirited Ebenezer Scrooge hated to part with any money, Edie who is also mean spirited has let her job take precedence in her life and no longer expresses any feelings or love for anyone. Love and marriage mean nothing to her especially when she feels that love isn't real or won't last. Edie rarely doles out a kind word to anyone, she's known as being an Ice Queen.

Following the death of her friend (or just long time acquaintance) Jessica Marley, Edie soon found herself being visited by Jessica's ghost. Edie was then told that to ensure that she wasn't going to wind up like Jessica, an emotionless empty shell, she would need to change her ways. And she was also going to be visited by three more ghosts, something Edie was not looking forward to.

The day after Jessica's ghost showed up, Edie was out of sorts when she met the new lawyer at the firm, Jack Twist. Besides being handsome and annoying, he was a former professional rugby player who decided to go back into law. It's an understatement to say that he had thrown her off guard nearly as much as Jessica's ghost had.

Once the first ghost, the Ghost of Weddings Past showed up, Edie had to see again many of the things she had hoped to have forgotten which also included the mistakes she made in her past relationship with her ex-boyfriend Tom.

In the mist of all this Edie was the maid of honor for her best friend Mel and during the bachelorette weekend Edie soon found herself keeper of a secret she didn't want. Mel's mom told Edie that she and her husband are planning on getting divorced. They also had not told Mel because they didn't want to ruin their daughter's wedding. Edie also ended running into Jack at the nightclub the ladies had gone to adding even more tension to the evening.

With weeks still before the wedding, Edie decides that she's going to try to keep Mel's parents together by first calling them in to meet with her for mediation. However mediation is not her forte. The week long mediation sessions were soon out of her control with the couple's anger and animosity becoming more intense as the sessions went along. Out of her element, Jack ended not only taking over her mediation but also taking her clients as well and that didn't sit well with her.

In between being haunted, Edie tried to change and become a better person by trying to help others but it kept backfiring. Her life was turning upside down. Was it too late for her to change or is she fated to have the future she saw from the last ghost?

This was a very well written and wonderful book that was a blend of funny moments and heartfelt moments as Edie dealt with her life and finally stop closing herself off from the world. I thought all the characters added something to story even the ones who seemed annoying. I liked Edie, she started out very cynical and although she was a little reluctant to change at first she realized it was what she needed to grow.

I also really liked Jack, he had a fun and outgoing personality. And as her love interest, I like that you could easily see the chemistry between them even if Edie was fighting it. But there was something I didn't like about Jack just a little in this story. I felt like this was supposed to be Edie's much needed journey to transforming from an Ice Queen to a more caring person but Jack sometimes kept appearing and being at the exact moment she needed to go it alone to prove to herself she was making a sincere effort to change. It's almost as if he had a hero complex in regards to Edie, she couldn't even do this fundraiser she signed up for to rappel down a building alone without him at the last minute joining her.

But that little bit aside, I enjoyed reading this. It's been a while since I've read any Chick Lit and I'm glad I picked this one, it was a clever fun read.