Sunday Post #126

 

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 hectic week with work and getting ready for our trip to Montana, but I'm here now and it's beautiful.  I hope to get some reading in, we have some pool days planned, but I have my grandkids with me and it's seems like there's constant activity. 

Read:

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The Anatomy of Desire was an interesting listen with a full cast of characters. I wondered how it'd all turn out. The story was engrossing, but a bit tragic. Loved Someone to Cherish. Seems like it might be  the last of the series since we got a nice cameo of all the previous couples. The Road Trip was a second chance romance that was a little angsty and a lot funny. I was rooting for Addie and Dylan! Loved it!

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:

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I've loved every Sarah Morgan I've read so far so I decided to request some of her backlog from the library. Now let's see if I can squeeze it in before it expires. 

Instagram:

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Watched:

Yep, I'm a creature of routine. I'm still watching Schitt's Creek and Forensic Files. I was thrilled to hear a new Forensic Files is coming in July! 

How was your week?

Review & Giveaway: Match Made in Paradise by Barbara Dunlop

 

Match Made in Paradise (Paradise, Alaska #1) by Barbara Dunlop

Publication Date: May 25th 2021 by Berkley Books

Pages: 320

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Mia just lost her much older husband to a long-time illness and is being made the gold-digger villain in the press by her step-kids and the ex-wife. The media is stalking her and she’s getting death threats, but even worse her step-kids and the ex are contesting the will and trying to take over the company Mia has had a big part in making successful. While the lawyers battle it out, she decides to lay low until it blows over by escaping to her cousin Raven’s cottage in the Alaskan wilderness. Mia has a bit of culture shock being out in the middle of nowhere, and clashes with the hot bush pilot sent to pick her up in Anchorage.

Silas can’t believe Mia is Raven’s cousin. Yes, she’s gorgeous but she comes off as a snob and a half whereas Raven is down-to-earth and capable. Paradise is a small town and Silas’ job is intertwined with Raven’s so Mia and Silas can’t help but run into each other.

Match Made in Paradise gave me The Simple Wild vibe, but with adult characters, not new-adultish. Mia made me cringe and roll my eyes at first, but she made great positive strides. She wasn’t a bad person, just out of touch with how the real-world works. There was even more of a contrast here because not only was Paradise an extremely small town; it was very remote. Not many creature comforts, shopping, or restaurants to be had, but Mia was a good person, and it wasn’t long before she adjusted.

I love the setting of Alaska as it’s somewhere I’d love to visit. I love the idea of a town out in the middle of a beautiful, almost untouched wilderness, rustic with small-town charm. 

While Mia recently lost her husband, they were more good friends than romantic partners, so the romance wasn't odd. It was something I was wondering about at first, so I thought I'd mention that. The romance was a hate-to-love romance, one of my favorite troupes. Mia and Silas didn’t exactly hate each other, but they didn’t really like the person they thought they saw.  Getting to know each other both Mia and Silas start to discover they may have made snap judgements, and that immediate physical attraction blooms into more despite their misgivings. Their romance was both sweet and sexy and a pleasure to experience!

I can’t wait to dive into the next book, Finding Paradise, with Marnie, Mia’s lawyer and Conrad, the strong, silent airplane pilot!

 4 Stars

Book Description:

Supermodel Mia Westberg finds herself on the run from the paparazzi after the death of her much older husband. In order to stay out of the public eye until the fate of her late husband’s fashion house is decided, Mia leaves behind her lavish Los Angeles lifestyle for the wilderness of Alaska—a place where no reporter would follow. It’s immediately clear that Mia isn’t ready for everything Paradise, Alaska has in store for her: the wild animals, insanely harsh weather, and a gorgeous no-nonsense bush pilot who is immune to her charms.

When pilot Silas Burke flies a beautiful blonde into town, he thinks he has her all figured out from the jump. She’s a city girl who has no business in the rough Alaskan terrain. Silas decides against his better judgment to help Mia acclimate to life in Paradise after seeing her struggle. But he’s an impatient teacher and she’s a frustrated pupil—and nothing gets them more fired up than each other. Can these two polar opposites find common ground and let their hearts soar?

About the author:

Barbara Dunlop is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has published more than fifty novels. Her stories have ranged from lighthearted comedies to family sagas. Barbara is a four-time finalist for the RWA RITA award, and her Tule novel His Jingle Bell Princess has been optioned by Motion Picture Corporation of America for a Hallmark movie. Barbara resides in Yukon, Canada with her bush pilot husband. You can find her at www.barbaradunlop.com.

The wonderful people at Berkley kindly provided a Paperback Copy of Match Made in Paradise I'm giving it away to one lucky reader. The giveaway is open to US Residents only.  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

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Sunday Post #125

 

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 took an unplanned blogging break this last week. I was really busy and didn't have the energy to post anything. I've been having trouble writing reviews lately, also.

It's been hotter than heck out here, on Wednesday we hit 112 and every other day was well over 100 degrees. I couldn't get outside to do any runs. I did workouts inside, but it's not the same. Getting out is a big de-stresser for me especially after work. This weeks temps are a little better, in the 90s. I'll be heading out to Montana on Friday for a family vacation and I'm looking forward to getting away!

Read:

Click on cover for Goodreads link:

Two review books and two that I just felt like reading. Much Ado About You was a miss for me, unfortunately. Waiting on the Rain was really good. I love the McKinney/Walkers! Twice Shy was quirky and cute! The audio was fantastic! Match Made in Paradise was really good, too! It gave me The Simple Wild vibes.

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:

Click on cover for Goodreads link

Watched:

Still binge watching. It's hilarious.

How was your week?

Sunday Post #124

 

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 worked three days this week and had Thursday and Friday off. Went to the doctor for a sorely overdue routine checkup: bloodwork, updated my tetanus vaccine. Lounged by the pool, read, and just caught up on home chores. My husband and I tried a new restaurant for lunch down in a part of town that's gone under a lot of revitalization. It's so cute now! The place was a micro brewery and the food was delicious! 

Even though it's not officially Summer we had hot temps, in the high 80s and 90s this last week and next week five of the seven days will be over 100! Tuesday and Wednesday are supposed to be 112! I don't mind 80s and 90s, but I hate it when it's over 100! 

Read:

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I had an excellent reading week, all my books were a win! Hearts in Darkness is a novella I first read about ten years ago and loved. I re-read and found it to be just as good as the first time! Forced proximity romance where the couple meet and fall for each other while trapped in an elevator with the lights/power out. I adored Float Plan which made me want to plan a sailing trip through the Caribbean. Down Too Deep was so good! I love single parents helping each other out. Cute, funny kids are a bonus! The Summer Cottage was another book that made me long to be on vacation, this time at a picturesque small lake town. I'm giving away a copy HERE. 

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:

Click on cover for Goodreads link:

I bought an audio copy of Orphan X and The Night Swim since they were on sale at Chirp. I listened to The Night Swim and loved it, so I needed my own copy and I've heard good things about Orphan X. I'm looking forward to The Mixtape. It'll be the first book I've read by Brittainy Cherry.

Instagram:

Almost finished with Match Made in Paradise and I'm really enjoying it!

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Watched:

I've been binge watching and it is sooo funny!

How was your week?

Giveaway & Review: The Summer Cottage by Annie Rains

 

The Summer Cottage (Somerset Lake #1) by Annie Rains

Publication Date: May 25th 2021 by Berkley Books

Pages: 449

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Trisha Langley was looking for a fresh start for her and her young son, Petey, after her ex-husband was imprisoned for embezzling funds from clients. Doesn’t matter that she didn’t know, Trisha still got the side-eye from some and her son was being bullied in school because of it. The ad for a live-in property manager on Somerset Lake couldn’t have come at a better time. No one knows her at Somerset Lake and she immediately bonds with Vi Fletcher, the owner.  The cottages may be rundown, but they’re right on the gorgeous lake and Trisha looks forward to the work of sprucing up the cottages.

Somerset Lake holds a lot of bittersweet memories for Jake Fletcher. The family’s rental cottages have fallen into disrepair and his grandmother’s health makes it hard to handle on her own. Jake is sent by his family to convince Vi to sell the cottages and come live with them in Florida. However, when he arrives, he finds a new property manager. She’s beautiful, but he can tell there’s more to her story than she’s letting on.

Somerset Lake sounded magical, a perfect Summer getaway to me! I even loved the sound of the rundown cottages as they got a bit of fixing up. I love a place with character and charm, and the Somerset Cottages were brimming with both!

I was so happy that Trisha’s past wasn’t a long-held secret between Jake and her throughout the story. Instead, Trisha shares as Jake and her bond and become close, as two friends would. The attraction between them was immediate, but both Trisha and Jake were cautious and took it slow. I loved how sweet Jake was with Petey, taking him under his wing.

The Summer Cottage was a low drama, sweet romance set in a picturesque small lake town. We’re introduced to an interesting cast of secondary characters, setting up the series for future installments. I can’t wait for Lucy’s second chance romance, The Christmas Village!

4 Stars

Forever has generously offered up a Paperback Copy of The Summer Cottage to one reader. The giveaway is open to US and CA residents only. Fill in the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

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My Favorite Non-Review Books: May 2021

I'm back with My Favorite Non-Review Books.  

 As a blogger sometimes writing reviews can feel like a chore so it seems I rarely write reviews for non-review books anymore. I feel bad about that, because it's not that I didn't enjoy them less than the books I review here, just that I don't have the time or energy to write a review for each and every book I read. I thought it would be nice to list my favorite non-review books each month to bring more attention to them.

I didn't read many non-review books for the month of May, but out of three I loved two. I'm featuring those here. 

May 2021 Favorites:

Blood Heir is a spinoff of the Kate Daniels series featuring her adopted daughter, Julie, eight years in the future. So many changes for Julie! I love the Kate Daniels series so I'm so thrilled we're back in the same world. However, now I want the next book and there is no news on when Ilona Andrews plans on writing and publishing the next one. Their writing is is soo so good, I sometimes forget how good until I dive into one of their books again. Five stars all the way.

Branded by Fire is Mercy and Riley's romance, the sixth in the Psy-Changeling series. It's one of my favorites so far, right up there with book one, Sascha and Lucas' story, and two, Faith and Vaughn's story. I'm looking forward to continuing the series as part of Anne @Books of My Heart's read-along. I'm behind, but I already have the next book up and ready. 

That's it for May. I should have more non-review books for June. 

Do you have any stand out non-review books recently?

Sunday Post #123

 

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 got up and ran 3 miles yesterday, although not as early as I was hoping and by the end it was hot!! We're still working on our kitchen remodel and started painting the cabinet faces (we ordered new ones) white. Well, my husband did, lol! I sanded a couple of wall shelves that are black so we can paint them white, and then after that I spent Saturday afternoon by the pool reading.  We took my son and is wife out to dinner for their anniversary with my sister and her husband (we're all vaccinated) and had a really nice evening catching up!  

Today I'll probably work in the garden, read, and run when it cools down. Cooking at home and getting ready for the work week. The weekends go by way too fast!

Read:

Click on cover for Goodreads link:

The Final Girl Support Group isn't due until next month but I was in a reading funk last week and needed a change from romance. It was like an 80's horror movie; campy and fun! Crazy About a Cowboy was a sweet, feel good romance. I'm giving away a copy HERE. I read Branded by Fire as part of Anne @Books of My Heart's read-along and it was a one of my favorites so far in the Psy-Changeling series! Tragic was a freebie a few weeks back and the library had an audio so I "read" it that way. Loved! Now I want Isaiah's story which is the second in the Tin Gypsy series. I think I'll break down and buy it. 

Received/Purchased/Library Lend:

Click on cover for Goodreads link:

Yep, went a little crazy here. Do you sometimes wait to download ARCs from publisher emails? I do because if I download all at once I'll have a ton on my Netgalley shelf that aren't reviewed. I'm always worried that if I have a lot if I request another book the publisher will see that and reject my request, even though I have a 96% feedback ratio. I have those emails open on my computer so I don't forget to grab them, but I got tired of seeing so many emails open and just decided to download all of them. Well, except for the August titles...

At any rate, that's why there's so many although, 4 of the above titles are not review copies.

Instagram:

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Watched:

Finished Mare of Eastown last week and it was sooo good! It's only 7 episodes to it's not a long and dragged out mystery, which I liked.  Those Who Wish Me Dead was entertaining. Maybe just a smidge above "okay" for me. 

How was your week?