Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! It turns out that I actually am a fan of historical romance—this particular one, at least. I had all these Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! It turns out that I actually am a fan of historical romance—this particular one, at least. I had all these pre-conceived notions of fainting virgins, tight corsets (ergo, the fainting?), overly formal speech, and watered down romance. In other words, boring. Devil in Winter erased my misgivings and made me wonder why I’ve avoided this genre for so long.
Evie is shy and has tendency to stutter, but it turns out that she is no shrinking violet when she sets her mind on something. In fact, she is brave enough to go toe to toe with Lord St. Vincent, an infamously unscrupulous rake.
Far from boring, their romance is captivating and clever. I thoroughly enjoyed St. Vincent’s confusion and frustration over his reluctant growing attraction to Evie. Their interactions are witty, and I must say I was surprised that there’s quite a bit of heat between the pair! Evie’s despicable relatives and unpredictable threats add a thrilling sense of urgency to the plot.
I admit there are several archaic terms with which I was unfamiliar, but that’s the great thing about Kindle’s dictionary feature. This entire story is a pure delight. I’m already searching for another Lisa Kleypas book to read.
Note: I chose to read this book as part of the #UltimateReadingChallenge for September 2018: Read a book outside your comfort zone.
Recommended for fans of: Historical romance Marriages of convenience Unscrupulous manwhores
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I read Forever My Girl as part of the Ultimate Reading Challenge to read a book that has been adapted into a movie. I have to wonder if this is one ofI read Forever My Girl as part of the Ultimate Reading Challenge to read a book that has been adapted into a movie. I have to wonder if this is one of those rare cases where the movie is better than the book because the book just didn’t do it for me.
The premise is great, but when you come down to it, Liam’s reasons for ghosting Josie for a decade are massively lame and seem to come out of nowhere. Cutting his best friend out of his life also doesn’t make sense. **SPOILER ALERT: It is impossible to address the rest of my issues without revealing a pivotal part of the plot, so stop reading now if want to be surprised.** While Liam regrets abandoning the love of his life, his apology comes with a “but” as he places some of the blame on Josie for not knowing he has a son. Um, excuse me? He’s the one who went out of his way to make sure she couldn’t get in touch with him.
Despite his selfishness, I like the man Liam grew up to be and I respected Josie. She welcomes him back into her life with too much ease to be believable, though. I also found it unrealistic for their son to unquestioningly accept their new family dynamics unquestioningly and with little to no difficulty.
Overall, while I was fond of the characters, the illogical plot aspects and choppy cliché storytelling made this a less than stellar read for me.
Overall, while I was fond of the characters, the illogical plot aspects and choppy, repetitive storytelling made this a less than stellar read for me.
I listened to the audio book version, and Stephanie Rose and Nelson Hobbs do a fine job with the narration. Stephanie’s delivery as Josie tends to be somewhat flat. Funny enough, I actually liked her interpretation of Liam more. Both voice actors, however, deserve credit for increasing my enjoyment of the so-so story.
#UltimateReadingChallenge July: Read a Book with a Cover You Love
This book went down nice and easy. Tattered is such a delightful story that is filed #UltimateReadingChallenge July: Read a Book with a Cover You Love
This book went down nice and easy. Tattered is such a delightful story that is filed with warmth. Single parent romances are my kryptonite, and this one comes with a strong woman, an honorable man, and an adorable little girl.
Thea’s life has been pretty craptastic since the time she was born. As a young, poor bartender in New York City, she’s barely making enough to live off that good old college staple, Ramen noodles. A one night stand with Logan, a charismatic and obviously wealthy patron, rocks her world. It also changes her life drastically when she discovers she’s pregnant and they never exchanged last names.
Years later, Thea finds herself tending bar and raising her five-year-old daughter Charlie in Lark Cove. Devney Perry draws an idyllic and vivid portrait of the small lakeside town where Charlie—being a huge tomboy—is free to climb trees, make forts, and run around. That little girl charmed my pants off.
Logan is undeniably wonderful. All he wants is to be a good dad and make up for all the years he missed with his daughter. Okay, maybe he also wants to get back in Thea’s pants. Who could blame him? There’s some serious sexual chemistry between the two. Logan is a powerful NYC lawyer and heir to a fortune, but he never once tries to make Thea feel “less than”. Distance and career goals are not on their side, though.
A pseudo dangerous mysterious side plot is haphazardly thrown in and contributes very little to the story. The ending also feels very rush, but otherwise I enjoyed every aspect of this love story.
Recommended for fans of: Single parent romances Small town stories Second chance romance Accidental pregnancies
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Mariana Zapata slays it again with an utterly entertaining enemies-to-lovers story set within the world of professional figure skatingAudiobook Review
Mariana Zapata slays it again with an utterly entertaining enemies-to-lovers story set within the world of professional figure skating. I listened to the audiobook of From Lukov with Love which is 15 hours long (524 pages), and I can honestly say that I didn’t want it to end.
Jasmine Santos! I was taken aback by her potty mouth and abrasiveness initially. It didn’t take long, though, for me to recognize that those traits are woven into the DNA of her character and—oddly enough—are a huge part of her appeal. She might have a bad reputation, but I could not have loved her more. Having spent more than two decades pursuing a career as a figure skater with little success to show for it, she refuses to give up. I admired her determination in the face of overwhelming obstacles. She’s tough as nails, independent, and confident.
Jasmine’s archenemy is decorated pairs figure skater Ivan Lukov. He seems to be everything Jasmine is not: a physically perfect specimen, wealthy, accomplished, and adored by all. Everyone except Jasmine, that is. She is massively stubborn. Couple that with Lukov’s unyielding nature, and these two are a match made in hell. They dish out endless servings of smack talk, and I ate it all up. Their insults and interactions are so funny I was cackling out loud like a crazy person.
The audiobook is produced in a very unique way. The story is told strictly from Jasmine’s perspective, so I wondered how two narrators would be incorporated. I have been impressed with Callie Dalton’s work in the past, and it didn’t surprise me that her narrative perfectly conveys Jasmine’s sarcasm, wit, and passion. Whenever there is dialog, Ivan’s lines are seamlessly delivered by Teddy Hamilton. He successfully exudes strength, humor, and combativeness.
I was completely absorbed by all aspects of this character-driven story: Jasmine and Ivan’s on-ice partnership and off-ice animosity; the slowly evolving nature of their relationship; Jasmine’s training routine and willpower; and her large family dynamics. The book is chock full of heart, and if it’s true that laughter is the best medicine, this is a dose I would gladly take again and again.
DNF @ 68% November 2018's Ultimate Reading Challenge: A book featuring a musician or actor.
By all accounts, I should have loved this book. I'm a massivDNF @ 68% November 2018's Ultimate Reading Challenge: A book featuring a musician or actor.
By all accounts, I should have loved this book. I'm a massive lover of performing arts and I'm in an interracial marriage. An interracial romance that takes place while creating a Broadway musical equals winning, right? Not so much for me. Primarily, I didn't care for the writing style.
Mina is a French-American who has spent the majority of her life in Paris. I don't understand why Mina has to include at least one French word in virtually every sentence she speaks. I found it distracting. I'm following the dialogue, hearing Mina's accent in my mind, only to smash into an unnecessary reminder that she really, really, really is French. It seems inauthentic. I also didn't like that the story changes character perspective mid-chapter without any warning or indication other than an extra space between paragraphs.
The chemistry between Zach and Mina is fine, and I liked the parts that explore the rehearsal process the best. The story is very slow, though, and at 68%, I just didn't see the plot going anywhere any time soon....more
March 2018’s #UlimateReadingChallenge was to read a book by a new-to-you author. I chose Jennifer L. Armentrout and Wait for You. No, I’ve ne3.5 stars
March 2018’s #UlimateReadingChallenge was to read a book by a new-to-you author. I chose Jennifer L. Armentrout and Wait for You. No, I’ve never read one of her books before. I know; I know. I can hear your gasps from here. At least I’m part of the “in” group now, right?
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Cam is pretty much the perfect catch and so unbelievably patient. His repeated attempts to date Avery are absolutely adorable. However, when I say Cam is unbelievably patient I’m not exaggerating. I think very few college guys would let themselves be strung along by Avery for such an extended period of time, but maybe that’s just me.
I admired Avery’s desire to be independent and create a new life for herself. I truly sympathized with her heart-tugging story. However, at the same time she annoyed me. She’s a liar, liar, pants on fire. There’s no two ways about it. I know that fear makes change difficult, but she doesn’t just lie about huge secrets. She also repeatedly lies about insignificant things. Perhaps it’s her youth and immaturity that cause her to stick her head in the sand and think all her problems will disappear, but those traits combined grew tiresome.
Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of Avery, there are still many things to enjoy about the book. The story itself is quite touching. In addition, you’ve got Cam, Cam, and more Cam. I loved that young man and his warm family. His connection with Avery is magical, and her caring friends are a hoot.
In the end, this was a book that I was fond of but didn’t love. The writing is good and the story is creative enough that I would definitely read more books by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Recommended for fans of: College romance Dreamy book boyfriends Eggs Turtles
Audio Book Review February 2018 #UltimateReadingChallenge
Welp. I was looking for a good tear jerker and this book has a ton of 5-star reviews. Many havAudio Book Review February 2018 #UltimateReadingChallenge
Welp. I was looking for a good tear jerker and this book has a ton of 5-star reviews. Many have mentioned how heartbreaking it is. This is clearly a case of it-must-be-just-me. I’m probably emotionally stunted or my tear ducts may be extremely clogged because I didn’t come close to shedding a tear. There are parts that are quite sad, but I felt detached from the story for the most part. I think the fact that I listened to the audio book may be to blame, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
Moses pissed me off through at least the first half of the book. He is such a complete prick toward Georgia, and all the while she’s like, “You just insulted me and repeatedly told me to leave you alone, but I know deep down you love me.” I have no patience for heroines who act like doormats, but I wound up admiring Georgia’s resilience and big heart. I enjoyed the second half more than the first.
The story seems really s-l-o-w. It’s possible my opinion of the book may be distorted by the disappointing quality of the audio book. Tavia Gilbert’s vocal performance is phenomenal. She tells the story in an extremely authentic and effective way, which makes JD Jackson’s narration even more lacking in comparison. It just falls flat, and he takes such long pauses between sentences that I kept checking to make sure my app hadn’t quit. I finally decided that it’s just his style. In the end, I looked forward to Georgia’s chapters and tolerated Moses’s.
My recommendation for potential readers is to read the book rather than listening to the audio.
What did you like best about this story? Life has a way of knocking you down and then stripping away nearly every ounce of your self-coAudiobook Review
What did you like best about this story? Life has a way of knocking you down and then stripping away nearly every ounce of your self-confidence, strength, and joy. I enjoyed the process of Kate gradually getting her mojo back despite her weariness.
Who was your favorite character and why? My favorite character is Jamie. He is a genuinely nice and humble man who enjoys working hard and appreciates the little things in life. Jamie is also good with his hands (in the wine fields and in bed—just sayin’). I love his persistence in pursuing Kate.
Is this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting? No. This isn’t a book that swept me away to the point that I was fully engrossed and couldn’t stop listening. I happily and easily reconnected with the characters when I was able to continue listening to the audio, though.
Have you listened to any of Amy Landon’s other performances before? What about her performance did you like or dislike? This was the first audiobook I’ve listened to that was narrated by Amy Landon. I have to say that I enjoyed the way she voiced Jamie—with lots of feeling and without sounding like a male cartoon character. Her portrayal of each side character, in fact, is distinctive and believable.
Would you listen to another book narrated by Amy Landon? Definitely.
Any additional comments? The plot is fairly predictable, but the strong relationships between all the characters make up for it. If I could change one thing about the story it would be to immerse the reader in the more sensory aspects of Napa Valley. I had a clear vision of being a guest at the inn, but I wanted to feel intoxicated by the sites, textures, tastes, and smells of the winery itself.
Recommended for fans of: Wine Writers Women getting their groove back
I was extremely moved by Archer’s Voice when I read it three years ago. At the time, I diRe-read for the Ultimate Reading Challenge 2018
Still 5 stars!
I was extremely moved by Archer’s Voice when I read it three years ago. At the time, I didn’t hesitate to place it on my Favorites bookshelf. I was scared to re-read it, though, because I know my tastes as a reader tend to change. I shouldn’t have worried because I loved it every bit as hard as I did the first time.
Archer’s Voice is one of those elusive romance novels that seems to have it all—depth, fun, compassion, a wonderful cast of characters, and some sultry love scenes. Set in a cozy tourist lakeside town, it has a nostalgic feel. It’s a beautifully written, heartwarming story about two people who’ve been crippled by tragedy and are made strong again by each other’s love.
Archer’s gentleness and vulnerability touched my soul, while Bree’s bravery and kindness instantly endeared her to me. I loved the fact that the author takes her time in developing the layers of their emotional connection. There wasn’t a moment I wasn’t fully invested in their story. I devoured this book for a second time, and even though I was sad to say goodbye to all the characters I’d grown to love once more, I was left with a satisfied smile on my face. Until my next re-read…
Recommended for fans of: Small tourist towns Diners Heartwarming romance Dogs
Angela (Reading Frenzy Book Blog)
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