Saturday, February 29, 2020

Sunday Post #65


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. 

So this week I've officially started my half-marathon training. This will be the third half -marathon for me, but I'm always nervous!  My training should be easier this year, though. Last year I had a wedding where I was doing the flowers. Mind you, I don't do flowers for a living, so it's on top of my job and life that I've done this in the past. LOTS of work, let me tell you. Anyhow, running is kicking my ass! I'm so tired at night I can barely keep my eyes open to read!  Here's a picture from one of last weeks run:


Read:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link:)




Fragmented Loyalty was all about a sexy, smart nerd, so of course I was on board! Two Girls Down was amazing! Alice was a badass and I loved Cap!  5 star read for me and I can't wait to dive into The Janes.  Let Me Lie was a letdown. Slow going and disappointing ending.

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link:)


I broke down and bought Wild at Heart even though I'm super nervous about picking up a sequel to a story I thought ended perfectly. Don't want the perfection ruined, but I've seen good reviews. I immediately requested The Janes from my library once I realized Two Girls Down was fabulous! My request came through quicker than I expected. I had an e-copy of The Best Thing but I'm used to listening to Mariana Zapata's stories so I've been waiting until the audio was released. Yay! 

Watched:


This is the second time I'm watching. I LOVED the book series, so I was highly anticipating the Netflix adaptation and it did not disappoint, with the exception of Charmaine (go away, Charmaine!). 

How was your week?



Friday, February 28, 2020

Blog Tour Review: Fragmented Loyalty by Tonya Burrows



Publication Date: February 26th 2020 by Entangled Embrace
Pages:330
Source: Publisher
Purchase Links: 

About the book:

All I want is to leave my past of criminal hacking behind. Oh, and ditch the blackmailer who has been dogging my every move for the last three years.

The plan: Hack my way into being part of Class Alpha, a training program for a secretive organization that rescues hostages the government can’t or won’t go after. Save the world and make enough money to pay back my blackmailer—solves all my problems, right?

The complication: Sweet, nerdy, and unbearably sexy Eric “Harvard” Physick. Harvard is my ideal man, but he’s also my instructor. Seriously a no-go, except we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.

My blackmailer isn’t willing to let me off the hook, though, and a series of freak accidents—deadly accidents—sends Class Alpha into a tailspin. And the more I get to know Harvard, I start to realize his past is just as troubled as mine.

Am I the cause of this chaos...or is he?

My Thoughts:
After getting caught as an “hacktivist”, and paying for her crimes, Samira gets a second chance to use her computer genius skills for good with the group HORNET, a private security group that specializes in rescuing hostages. She shows up in Wyoming for her training, and immediately falls for her instructor, Eric aka “Harvard” a fellow nerd at heart with hacking and computer skills that rival and surpass her own.

Eric falls hard for Samira, too, but as her instructor he’s feels he must keep things professional.  It’s love at nerd first sight! I do love a sexy nerd, especially when they switch from shy and sweet to man-in-control in the bedroom! I didn’t expect this one to be quite so hot, but oh my, yes!

However, things are far from smooth sailing. Both Samira and Eric have past secrets that weigh heavily and could spell danger for everyone at HORNET.  Samira makes a mistake that I knew would come out and bite her in the ass, and I wasn’t thrilled waiting for it to come out.  My one main niggle with the story was Eric’s over-the-top reaction to it, especially when he had a dark secret of his own. Kind of a “pot calling the kettle black” situation, that made me want to smack him upside the head. Fortunately, it was short lived and put aside with the more immediate and dangerous situation they were thrown into. I’m a full believer in proper groveling when someone screws up in a relationship and I did think Eric made up for his errors, so all was forgiven.

Thrilling, sexy, and fast-paced, I really enjoyed Fragmented Loyalty! This is the first in a spin-off from the HORNET series, but it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.  

4 Suns




About the author:
Tonya Burrows wrote her first romance at age 13 and hasn't put down her pen since. Originally from a small town in Western New York, she suffers from a bad case of wanderlust and usually ends up moving someplace new every few years. As of now, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with The Boyfriend, a diva schnoodle, a plucky pug-mix, and #writercat. 

When she's not writing about hunky military heroes, Tonya can usually be found kayaking, hiking, or road tripping across the country. She also enjoys painting and B grade disaster movies.

Connect with Tonya:

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Blog Tour Review: Unforgiven by Jay Crownover




Publication Date: February 25th 2020 by Forever
Pages: 410 (275 without bonus story)
Source: Publisher
Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Audible

About the book: 

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes an irresistible and suspenseful romance between a tough Texas Ranger and his first love--a woman in danger who insists she doesn't need his protection.

Hill Gamble is a model lawman: cool and collected, with a confident swagger to boot. Too bad all that Texas charm hasn't gotten him anywhere in his personal life, especially since the only girl he ever loved has always been off-limits. But then Hill is assigned to investigate her father's mysterious death, and he's forced back to the town--and the woman--he left behind.

When Hill left Loveless, he broke Kody Lawton's already battered heart. And now that he's working on her father's case, avoiding him is impossible. She can handle Hill and her unwanted feelings--until he puts his life on the line to protect her. Suddenly, Kody realizes that Hill could be taken away from her...for good.


My Thoughts:
Hill and Kody have a complicated past where both have loved each other from afar. It was complicated as Kody was involved with Hill’s younger brother, Aaron, before Aaron took his own life. Lots of guilt, blame and anger have colored their relationship since, but underneath it all, Kody has always loved Hill.

Hill was more honest to himself with his feelings from the beginning.  Knowing that he loved his brother’s fiancĂ©e made it impossible to stick around home. He couldn’t stay and feel the way he did for Kody and not feel completely horrible.

Being assigned to investigate the murder of Kody’s father brings Hill back home, making these two finally face their true feelings, and move on from the past, and oh did things get deliciously steamy!

I’m a sucker for the unrequited love trope, and a fan of Jay Crownover so I knew I was pretty much guaranteed to love Unforgiven!  Like Justified, book one, Unforgiven is romance with a mystery/danger element, and while the culprit is identified, the Lawton’s are not out of danger yet. You don’t have to read any of the previous books first to love Unforgiven, but Justified was oh-so-good, too, and should not be missed! I’m already dying for the next book, Blacklisted, featuring Shot, the president of the local biker club, and Presley.  


4.5 Suns



About JAY CROWNOVER:

Jay Crownover is the international and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, The Point Series, Breaking Point Series, and the Getaway Series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.

Connect with Jay:




Saturday, February 22, 2020

Sunday Post #64



The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. 

So this week passed in a blur. I was really busy at work and just in a funk mentally, a little depressed, truth be told.
Sorry I didn't get around to everyone this week, but I'll be making the rounds and trying to catch up. I did manage to do a six mile hike with my sister today, which was really good for my mental state. It rained on us, but still very pretty:

A view from the top

Read:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link:)


I'm enjoying the Gaslight mystery series and I just loved Unforgiven! Jay Crownover rarely disappoints!

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:
Click on cover for Goodreads link:



Watched:


This show is such a tear jerker! We binge watched about 6 episodes. 


How was your week?



Sunday, February 16, 2020

Sunday Post #63



The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. 

It was a busy week and I hardly realized it passing! I'm back up in Northern California, but I'll be on the road again to come home later today.

Read:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link:)


I'm hooked on the Gaslight Mystery series by Victoria Thompson listening to the audio version. Marriage on Madison Avenue was a nice end to the series, and I loved All the Best Lies!

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link:)


I really enjoyed Catherine Bybee's First Wives Club series, so I'm looking forward to My Way to You.  Bears Behaving Badly sounds fun and I hope it's good.

Watched:

I've been a fan of the Terminator series since it came out back in the 80's and I was happy that the series went back to it's roots. I really liked this new installment, and I think we might get more continuing in the path this one has set. I guess we'll see.


How was your week?


Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Romance is in the Air Giveaway Bloghop




I'm participating in Romance is in the Air Giveaway Hop hosted by BookHounds and will be giving away a $10 Giftcard to either US Amazon or US Barnes & Noble or up to $10 at The Book Depository to one reader. The giveaway is International as long as The Book Depository ships to your country. See below for a list of participating blogs or click HERE.

As part of this tour I thought I'd list a few of my favorite romances:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link:)



A $10 Giftcard to either US Amazon or US Barnes & Noble or up to $10 at The Book Depository. The giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository ships to your country. Click HERE for their list of countries. Simple fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

Monday, February 10, 2020

Review: All the Best Lies by Joanna Schaffhausen

All the Best Lies (Ellery Hathaway #3) by Joanna Schaffhausen
Publication Date: February 11th 2020 by Minotaur Books
Pages: 328
Source: Publisher
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | IndieBound

About the book:


The highly anticipated third novel in the award-winning Ellery Hathaway mystery series.

FBI agent Reed Markham is haunted by one painful unsolved mystery: who murdered his mother? Camilla was brutally stabbed to death more than forty years ago while baby Reed lay in his crib mere steps away. The trail went so cold that the Las Vegas Police Department has given up hope of solving the case. But then a shattering family secret changes everything Reed knows about his origins, his murdered mother, and his powerful adoptive father, state senator Angus Markham. Now Reed has to wonder if his mother's killer is uncomfortably close to home.
Unable to trust his family with the details of his personal investigation, Reed enlists his friend, suspended cop Ellery Hathaway, to join his quest in Vegas. Ellery has experience with both troubled families and diabolical murderers, having narrowly escaped from each of them. She's eager to skip town, too, because her own father, who abandoned her years ago, is suddenly desperate to get back in contact. He also has a secret that could change her life forever, if Ellery will let him close enough to hear it.
Far from home and relying only on each other, Reed and Ellery discover young Camilla had snared the attention of dangerous men, any of whom might have wanted to shut her up for good. They start tracing his twisted family history, knowing the path leads back to a vicious killer—one who has been hiding in plain sight for forty years and isn't about to give up now.

My Thoughts:
Ellery Hathaway, a police officer, and FBI Agent, Reed Markham have a complicated past. Years ago, Reed saved fourteen-year-old Ellery from the clutches of a deranged serial killer, something that left a mark on them both.

In Vanishing Season (book one), Ellery, asks for Reed’s help with a case, and they’ve been sort of attached since. Solving cases is the excuse that brings them together, but they’re drawn to each other, and while the mysteries they investigate are thrilling, I’ve been more fascinated with their evolving relationship. As I said, their relationship is complicated since Ellery went through a horrific event: kidnapped, and held for three days before Reed found her, so even though years have gone by she’s still dealing with the emotional fallout.  Reed initially feels a lot of guilt over his attraction, since Ellery was a victim, and she’s several years younger. As the story progresses Reed has come to terms with the fact that Ellery is no longer the child he rescued, but a grown woman and survivor. Strong, intelligent, but with a determination that gets her into trouble at times.  Reed has his own troubles: work, a failed marriage, and the struggles of joint custody.  Not a fan of his ex-wife. I sense a “dog in the manger” sort of situation on her end. No worries, she’s a very minor side character.  

In this current installment Reed is the one asking for help with a case: the grisly murder of his birth mother, forty-years ago.  The case has gone cold, and about to be closed for good. Reed needs someone objective since new DNA evidence makes him question everything he thought he knew about his family and the past.

I had strong suspicions which turned out to be right on some things, but I was captivated by every new development! Trying to piece together a mystery from forty-years ago was not an easy feat, especially with all the lies they had to deal with. There were tense moments from unpleasant revelations, especially for Reed, but I think I felt worse for Ellery. The situation with her dad was heartbreaking, and I was so outraged for her!

Through it all, Ellery and Reed are there for each other, and I was soooo thrilled! Their relationship has been tentative, slow going with setbacks from misunderstandings, and the baggage of the past, but I have been so hopeful; hanging on every interaction, feeling the passion simmering beneath the surface! I’ve been inpatiently waiting for these two to realize it’s only a matter of when not if, and finally we’re getting somewhere!

All the Best Lies was soooo good!  I devoured it in one day, and now I can’t wait for the next one! There was a little happy/bittersweet twist at the end that I wondered about before it was revealed. While All the Best Lies could be read as a standalone, I wouldn’t recommend it. The books are best read in order.

5 Suns



Saturday, February 8, 2020

Sunday Post #62


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. 

So, I'm up in Cambria, California, a beach town on the Pacific Coast of California. My husband and I visit here often; whenever we can find a deal. We're enjoying the sunshine even if the temps are a bit cold. Can't complain with middle 60s being the high. We went on a five mile hike above Ragged Point. Elevation gain of 1800+ feet in the 2.5 miles up and my thighs were quite sore, but we had a great time! Plus, no guilt for the wine and goodies consumed on the trip, right? Lol! Here's some  pics. Tide pool, and lazy fire reading.





Read:
Click on cover for Goodreads link:


Both were excellent! My reviews for Whiteout and Alone in the Wild

Received/Library Lend/Purchased:
(Click on cover for Goodreads link)



Watched:


The hubby and I watched a few more episodes, but I think we're going to move on. I don't know what it is about this show, but it just feels off for us. Too gritty, too depressing, I'm not sure, but we just don't like the feeling after watching an episode. Moving on.