My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

 

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

Publication Date: September 17th 2024 by Berkley 

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Amelia needs a date for her cousin’s upcoming wedding. She’s worked hard to get to where she is in life with a career she loves (an accountant) and she isn’t searching for romance. However, she’s tired of the pitying glances and fielding her family’s questions about why she’s still single. An unexpected run in with Reginald Cleaves provides the perfect solution.

 

Reginald is running from The Collective, a vigilante vampire organization hunting him for a century old crime. He runs into Amelia, and she provides him a cover. Her proposition to play her boyfriend in all the events leading up to her cousin’s wedding is no imposition since he’s already fascinated by the organized and stunning CPA!

 

Reginald was a character! He cracked me up! Amelia was a sweetheart, too, and I loved these two together. I had to laugh at some of her cluelessness regarding the whole vampire thing. Loved the interactions between Amelia’s dad and Reggie.

 

My Vampire Plus-One was whacky and fun with a bit of danger, adding a bit of excitement! A pure delight!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Nothing sucks more than fake dating a vampire in this paranormal romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.

Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she’s tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding arrives, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone–anyone–to pose as her date.

After a chance encounter with Reginald Cleaves, Amelia decides he’s perfect for her purposes. He’s a bit strange, but that’s fine; it’ll discourage tough questions from her family. (And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s very handsome.) For centuries-old vampire Reggie, posing as her plus-one sounds like the ultimate fun. And if it helps his ruse of pretending to be human, so much the better.

As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, it becomes clear that Reggie is as loyal to her as the day is long, and that Amelia’s first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being in a real relationship with Reggie sounds pretty fang-tastic.

Review: The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak

 

The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak

Publication Date: September 17th 2024 by MIRA

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Harper Collins | Bookshop.org | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

I absolutely LOVED The Banned Books Club! I had been picking up and setting aside several books, none capturing my attention and then I started it and was hooked from the very first page!

 

Gia loved reading, part of that passion was ignited by her favorite teacher, Mr. Hart, but then he crossed boundaries. Gia reported him and things changed when he lost his job. Some believed Gia and some believed Mr. Hart and so Gia left town after graduating and rarely came to visit. However, she can’t avoid her hometown anymore since her mother is losing her battle with cancer and Gia doesn’t want to miss the precious time she has left with her. Plus, her sister Margot has appealed to Gia to come back and help, which is uncharacteristic. Gia’s worried something’s off with her sister, but Margot is mum on the subject.

 

Margot has her own story, and I was worried for her! She was clearly in danger, and I wondered how it would be resolved!

The Banned Books Club was part romance, and that was a messy situation but so good! It was also emotional on so many levels and suspenseful with a situation that had me on the edge of my seat! I started the story and read straight through in one day! Five stars all the way!

5 Stars

Book Description:

For fans of Elin Hilderbrand, a riveting exploration of family, sisterhood, and the transformative power of literature. When two sisters, one a free spirit at the helm of a rebellious book club, the other a conventional woman locked in the clutches of an unhappy marriage are forced into a reluctant reunion by their mother's illness, they must confront past ghosts that rock the entire community.

Gia Rossi was considered a bit of a rebel in her small hometown of Wakefield, Iowa ever since she challenged the gaggle of well-meaning but misguided women from the PTA who’d insisted the high school English department, drop a number of "controversial" titles from the reading list. Gia had expected her favorite teacher to stand up for the books she loved by explaining why they were so important. Instead, just to avoid a fight, he’d caved in immediately, which was what had incited her to start The Banned Books Club.

That was the first time Mr. Hart had let her down, but it wouldn’t be the last. Because of him she left her hometown when she turned eighteen and graduated. But now, with her sister begging her to return home due to their mother's failing health, Gia will come face to face with the beloved teacher who was fired after she reported him for sexual misconduct. Gia's return has the town divided between those who believe her and those who believe she ruined Mr. Hart's life. Even members of her beloved book club--who've continued to meet virtually over the years--aren't sure who to believe.

Gia's homecoming dredges up a lot of pain from her past. Her relationship with her sister has always been strained but there's no denying that Margot has taken on the burden of caring for their mother and now it's Gia's turn to help. She's grateful to have the time with her mother and to come to terms with what happened to her in high school. What she doesn't expect is for her sister to use Gia's arrival as the opportunity to pack up her kids and leave town to escape her emotionally abusive husband. With the support of an unlikely ally, Gia is able to prove that Mr. Hart really was to blame for his own downfall, supports her mother and her sister when they need her most and finds love and a future in the town she thought rejected her.

Photo Credit: Rudy Meyers Photography

Author Bio: 

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Bookbuyer's Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com. 

Connect with Brenda Novak:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The Trouble With Love By Lauren Layne

 

The Trouble With Love (Sex, Love & Stilettos #4) by Lauren Layne

Publication Date: March 3rd 2015 by Loveswept

Pages: 237

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The Trouble With Love was a classic second chance romance with Emma and Cassidy at odds, acting icily indifferent to each other. However, with a bit of maneuvering from Camille (Stiletto’s editor in chief) they’re forced to deal with each other and so some of that ice starts to melt. Cassidy takes over Camille’s position while she goes on leave and because he wants answers pushes Emma to write an article detailing her past loves and why they broke up.

 

I forgot how well Lauren Layne writes romance! It seems lots of romance novels now are pages and pages of sex scenes without much lead up. Layne, however, laid a foundation with Emma and Cassidy having a history, which was slowly revealed.  There was buildup and chemistry! I loved Emma and Cassidy’s journey back to each other. Loved that they were not hateful or mean to each other while there was a lot of hurt feelings between them. This romance was well-crafted, sassy, and hot! A definite recommend!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

As Lauren Layne’s salacious Sex, Love & Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get over an old flame: falling for him all over again.
 
As Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte, North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart. Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly sexy guy who ditched her at the altar.
 
After giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancée . . . right? But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her more.

Sunday Post #264

 

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. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

I'm posting late because we had guests over for dinner yesterday and it was a flurry of activity cleaning and cooking. We had a great time catching up with our friends. They live about an hour away from us and hadn't been to our house since the walk through with our real estate agent right after we made the offer over two years ago. The night before we went to dinner with my sister and her husband in downtown Auburn not realizing there was some classic car festival and the city was packed! We walked through and looked at a few of the vintage cars. It was pretty neat:

Auburn Classic Cars Festival

Had my yearly blood chemistry done and all my levels were in the good range and yet my total cholesterol is 206 (supposed to be under 200), which is considered borderline. I guess I need to make some changes.

Did a puzzle:

We bought this at an independent bookstore when we visited Truckee (in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe) a few weeks back. 

Read:

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)

The Trouble With Love by Lauren Layne: 4.5 Stars

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe: 3 Stars

Unnatural Death by Patricia Cornwell: 4 Stars

The Guilty One by Kiersten Modglin: 4 Stars

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco: 4.5 Stars

I've been trying to read arcs I've had on Netgalley for way too long. I've had The Trouble With Love on my shelf since 2014!! You know when you download a book and then a few reviews come through that make you hesitant to pick it up? If I remember correctly, that's what happened here, however, I loved the story! Shouldn't have waited so long to read it.

Received:

 

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Blackstone Publishing, Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press!

Instagram:

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Review: Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White

 

Christmas At Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White

Publication Date: September 1st 2024 by Bethany House Publishers

Pages: 208

Source: Publicity team/Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

As the holidays approach, Lady Mariah has two suitors coming to visit and she’s a little worried. There’s Lord Gyldenkrone, a cousin to the Prince of Denmark, seeking a bride to take back to home, and then Cyril Lightbourne, the heir to the estate Mariah lives at. Mariah and Cyril had such fun dreaming up stories when he visited while they were children, and they corresponded after, but their letters became fewer and farther in between as the years went by. And recent news connected Cyril with Lady Pearl, a mercenary type of debutante, so Mariah wonders about what kind of man he’s become.

 

Lady Mariah’s whimsical outlook on life brought joy to so many around her. Which man will appreciate her for who she is?

 

This was a sweet and heartwarming romance! It was filled with cozy, warm, and delicious winter traditions, community and romance. It also highlighted the good that can come when people examine their own actions and try to rise above and do the right thing. Faith is mentioned, but not preachy. By the end there were two romances in the story, and I was pleased with how it all turned out!

4 Stars

Book Description:

The Nutcracker and Edwardian-Era England combine to weave a magical tale of love and friendship at Christmastime.

As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn't seen or heard from in years. Once, Mariah dreamed their friendship would kindle into something more, but that was before she heard Cyril was courting the cruelhearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will be the heir her stepfather needs, but she'll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.

Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself caught between his affection for her and her family's misunderstanding of his attachment to Lady Pearl. Then, more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah's hand by Christmas. Will the magic of the holiday season help lead to the discovery of true love, or will duty to country leave all longing for what could have been?

AUTHOR BIO

Roseanna M. White (RoseannaMWhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.

Mini Audiobook Reviews: Middle of the Night by Riley Sager & Four Minutes by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson

 

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

Publication Date: June 18th  2024 by Penguin Audio

Pages: 367

Audio Book Length: 11hrs 22min

Narrator: Santino Fontana

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Ten-year-old Ethan’s best friend Billy is taken in the middle of the night, from the tent they have pitched/camped in his parent’s back yard. Years later Ethan is still haunted by the event. Back at home thirty years later Ethan starts to feel Billy’s presence and strange things start happening, spurring Ethan into re-examining the events of that night and questioning the people who were present back then.

 

I wasn’t sure if there were paranormal things at work with the startling things happening. There were a few twists and revelations that were surprising, one I suspected. I think the story would’ve benefited from some editing down, as it felt a little drawn out, but the story was engrossing and at times spooky! I liked how it all turned out.

 

I had listened to Santino Fontana’s excellent performance of You by Caroline Kepnes in the past, so I was thrilled to find out he was the narrator. He did not disappoint! 4 Stars

Four Minutes by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson

Publication Date: January 1st 2024 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 356

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 53min

Narrator: Ray Porter

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The premise of this story was mind bending! A secret US counterterrorism task force can jump into the future, within a thirty-day period, but can only stay for four minutes. To Tyler Brooks, the head of this special op, this has exciting implications. They can go and prevent attacks before they happen! There’s a threat and enemy that seems to elude them at every turn! Tyler and a select few have been drafted into this task force for special reasons which are revealed as the story goes along.  I liked the personal relationships that end up factoring into this exciting story! I grew to like each character on the team and I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment!

 

Four Minutes was an exciting thrill ride! The only drawback is that it ended in a cliffhanger, and I don’t see any information on book two!

Ray Porter's performance was strong and perfect for this military/action thriller! 4 Stars

Sunday Post #263

 

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. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Got back from Idaho on Monday and was happy to be home. Summer decided to have it's last hurrah with a couple of days of 100 degree weather. We've cooled down now and it's supposed to be beautiful this week! I planted some seeds for a fall crop: Little Gem Lettuce, radishes, green onions, Swiss Chard, and arugula. My zucchini, cucumber, summer squash, and peppers are cranking out. My tomatoes are finally starting to produce more than a trickle. I think the severe heat stunted their growth. My zinnias and roses are doing really well. I have zinnias all over the house! 

My panicle hydrangea has an abundance of blooms and I'm drying some for my sister:

We went for drinks and dinner at the historic Holbrook Hotel downtown Grass Valley. It's been operating since the 1800s and has hosted a several famous guests including a few US Presidents over the years. Their drinks are yummy and they have a good happy hour.

Read:

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)

Cold Curses by Chloe Neil: 4 Stars

The Hollows by Mark Edwards: 3.5 Stars

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida: 4 Stars

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose: 4 Stars

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White: 4 Stars

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley: 4.5 Stars

It was a good reading week. My standouts were The Mystery Guest, (oh how I love Molly the maid!) and How to Age Disgracefully, which was so clever and had me laughing a bunch! The story had a moving emotional depth that had me worried and rooting for all the characters! Daphne was a rockstar! I finally listened to The Hollow after having downloaded it from Kindle Unlimited over a year ago. Lark said to skip the epilogue as it was annoying, but I got curious and listened to it anyhow. Should've listened to her, lol! Typical horror movie/story ending with that last little twist that makes if feel like the bad things aren't as resolved as you hoped.

Received:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Poisoned Pen Press and Berkley!

Instagram:

Peanut graciously allowed me to use his image for this post. I think he's pretty photogenic! 

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Review: We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, E. Madison Shimoda (Translator)

 

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, E. Madison Shimoda (Translator)

Publication Date: September 3rd 2024 by Berkley

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

As a cat lover I couldn’t resist picking up a copy of We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, because, of course, I feel any problem can be cured by a sweet, cuddly cat. Even a sassy cat with attitude can fix a lot, IMO, lol!

 

The story is actually five mini stories featuring a character at a crossroads: unhappy, sad, or disillusioned with the direction their life has taken.  They come to the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul and find they’re assigned the unusual prescription of a cat! It’s moving and fun to see how the cat impacts the life of each character.

 

This was a unique and magical tale that left me uplifted! This story is translated from Japanese into English, so there are a few quirks here and there with the dialogue, but its heartwarming message came through loud and clear! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

A cat a day keeps the doctor away…

Discover the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation in this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats.

Tucked away in an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives and genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.

Throughout the pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a hardened bag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha finds herself unable to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.

Giveaway: 3 Romance Books!

 How is everyone's week going? I am back from Idaho, but still feel like I'm not quite back in my routine. I have reviews I need to write and post, but in the meantime here's a new giveaway! 3 Romance Books! 

The RomCon by Devon Daniels-Paperback

Happy Medium by Sarah Adler-Paperback

Seven Summer Weekends by Jane L. Rosen-Paperback

The giveaway is open to US Residents only. Fill in the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

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