Waves of Sunday #63

Welcome to our weekly edition of Waves of Sunday where each Sunday we spotlight a book that has been making waves in the book scene or has simply caught our attention causing a riptide on our TBR. 

Today we are spotlighting:

Room for You (Cranberry Inn #1) by Beth Ehemann

Published May 5th 2015 by Montlake Romance

Kacie Jensen has one main priority in her life: raising her twin daughters, Lucy and Piper. Ever since her ex—the girls’ father—vanished four years ago, Kacie’s sworn to keep her head in her studies and her heart out of trouble. Moving back home to her mother’s bed-and-breakfast had seemed like the best way to start over.

But when hockey star Brody Murphy washes up on the front steps of the Cranberry Inn during a raging storm, he awakens a hunger in Kacie that she’s long forgotten…and he opens her eyes to a life she never thought was possible. With so much more to lose this time around, can Kacie trust her heart to make the right decision?

Room for You is the sweet, tantalizing first novel in bestselling author Beth Ehemann’s heartwarming Cranberry Inn series. 

Arlene's Thoughts

I've been looking for books that take place in cafes, diners, small town restaurants… don't ask… it's just a weird craving I've had lately. So if you have any suggestions, please let me know.  Well in my search, I came across Room for You by Beth Ehemann. It doesn't quite fit with what I was looking for, but it's pretty close. When I was adding it to my overwhelming TBR, I noticed that a few people on my flist have read and loved this book. Well, needless to say, I'd like to tackle this one soon to see what all the excitement is about. Sounds like my cup of tea. :)

Crystal's Thoughts:
This one does sound interesting.  I am more intrigued by the vanishing husband and am really curious if makes a cameo at any point.  This genre has been really hit or miss with me lately, but this one does sound interesting and I am thinking I will definitely give it a go!  Great pick Arlene!

Rachel's Thoughts
I get cravings for a small town romance as well, like Arlene.  I adore The Green Mountain series by Marie Force, but I remember having a great time with The Lovesick Cure by Pamela Morsi, a few years back.  Room for You sounds like it could be another great.  Like Crystal, I wonder about the husband disappearing and if he'll show up again. I'm definitely looking this one up! 

Waves of Fiction 2015 Reading Challenge - Team Update

It's time for our Waves of Fiction 2015 Reading Challenge Update!

Several of us at Waves of Fiction started this reading challenge at the beginning of the year. To learn more about it, you can go HERE for the details. 

It's been five months since we started, all of us have made some pretty good progress. Arlene has conquered, finished, killed it, etc, so it's just Crystal, Brandie, and Rachel (me) left.  Let's see what we've accomplished this month!

So I completed five reads this time! I'm really excited because I didn't realize I knocked out so many.  I think "A book most of your GRs flist have read" is going to be difficult. I have a lot of friends on there. Wish me luck!

A book with time travel - My Highland Lover by Maeve Grayson

A book set in the past - Only a Promise by Mary Balogh

A book with a number in the title - The 9th Girl by Tami Hoag

A book with a place in the title - Moonlight on Nightingale Way by Samantha Young

A book that's a stand-alone title - The Alibi by Sandra Brown

Great job Rachel! Only three books left in your challenge. Well if you're looking for a book that most of your GR flist has read, I would recommend Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I'm sure a majority of your fellow readers have read that book. Okay, okay… I know you've been hesitant about this one, but maybe you'll at least watch the movie with me??? :) If anyone is looking to meet the category of a book that was made into a movie, I would suggest that one!

I finished my challenge last month and had a blast going through the categories. It really helped with picking up a different array of books than what I normally would have read.  This month I've kept up with my eclectic reading choices. One of the novels I really enjoyed was Meet Me at Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan. What a fun book. So if you're doing the Waves Reading Challenge and you're looking for a book that takes place in a small town or another country (UK), I'd give that one a try. Loved it!

This challenge also got me back into Australian authors, which I absolutely enjoy. This month I read two books in that category, including You're the Kind of Girl I Write Songs About by Daniel Herborn and The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex by Gabrielle Williams. I really enjoyed both of those novels. 

There's just one more category I'd like to mention, which is a book that is set in a college. This month I read The Deal by Elle Kennedy and really enjoyed that novel. So, if you're looking to fill that category, I would suggest it!

Well I hope many of you are enjoying this reading challenge, and we'd love to hear your progress!!

 This month I only completed one category--Read a book published 10 years ago.  I read Storm Front by Jim Butcher and it was pretty good.  It has been on my tbr for forever so I am really glad I finally knocked it off!  Next month I am hoping to catch up to my amazing roomies!! Great Job ladies!!

Review: Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott

Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott
Published March 25th 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin

Kylie Scott returns with the highly anticipated follow-up to international bestseller Lick.

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn't plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn't count on finding the one right girl.


Anne Rollins never thought she'd ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn't end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

My Thoughts

Play is the second installment of the Stage Dive series, and like the first novel, it's filled with steamy moments and gorgeous rockstars.

Mal Ericson is the drummer of Stage Dive. He's confident, sexy and knows what he wants. However, being in a rock band comes with wild partying and hard drinking. Couple that with an inner struggle to deal with his mother's illness, Mal balances on the side of volitile.

Anne Rollins has had to take care of her sister since she was young. After having her father abandon them and her mother battling with depression, Anne's lost out on the chance of going to college and enjoying her life. She focuses on making sure her sister has what she needs, so she lives with the bare minimum. So, when her roommate takes off leaving Anne with back rent and no furniture, she has to reevaluate a new plan.

When Mal propositions Anne to pose as his girlfriend, she accepts the opportunity as a way of making ends meet, but what soon ensues are sparks and promises that leave them both winded.

There wasn't much to this story that I haven't seen before. It was entertaining to a mild degree, but I would have liked more development of their characters so I could come to like them a bit more. Mal sure knew how to flex his cocky side... no pun intended. However, I wish Anne would have given him a run for his money. Reese's part in this whole story confused me because it seemed his part was to simply make Mal jealous and show his crazy side even more.

Overall, not much to this book. Maybe the next installment will have more substance to the story.

3 Suns

Review: The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) by Graeme Simsion
Published October 1st 2013 by Simon & Schuster

An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

The Rosie Project is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges.

My Thoughts

“Humans often fail to see what is close to them and obvious to others.”

The Rosie Project falls under the category of “I wish I would have read this sooner.” What a hilarious and heartwarming novel that was oh so charming!! This book was perfectly casted and properly paced. With a blend of humor, wit, sincerity and truth… what else could you ask for in a fictional novel?

In The Rosie Project, we meet Don Tillman who has decided to embark on The Wife Project to help identify the perfect mate for himself with the least amount of wasted time and effort. As a result he creates a questionnaire to weed out the undesirables that would ultimately not prove to be a perfect match. The research efforts seem to be going well, and Don has no trouble disqualifying women based on smoking habits, ice cream flavor preferences and all sorts of other criteria, which he’s deemed relevant to finding a life-long partner.

Then comes Rosie who happens to represent the complete opposite of what Don has defined as the perfect match. She barrels into his life asking for his help to find her biological father. Well this professor of genetics decides to put aside his project for the moment and help Rosie with The Father Project. As they work together to obtain DNA samples using questionable methods that could clearly get Don fired from his post, they begin to get to know each other and Don slowly realizes that Rosie has not only upset his well-defined and properly balanced life, but also has uncovered some emotions he never knew he was capable of.

Don was an instant hit in my book. I loved his socially awkward ways and rigid to a fault personality. It added a whole new level of charm to this character that was never blatantly defined has having autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, but with the coincidental references throughout the book, it left much for interpretation. His demeanor was factual, abrupt but always delivered with a sense of wit that I couldn’t help but enjoy his reactions to situations and questions.

“But I’m not good at understanding what other people want.’
‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ said Rosie for no obvious reason.
I quickly searched my mind for an interesting fact.
‘Ahhh…The testicles of drone bees and wasp spiders explode during sex.”

There were so many moments of honesty and sincerity that I just couldn’t keep up. Every time Don estimated someone's BMI upon meeting them, I cracked up! The way this story was narrated was entertaining and engrossing. What a delight! For chickdude-lit, it was the perfect blend of romantic and funny. Completely worth my time!!

4 Suns

Review: Midnight Alias by Elle Kennedy

Midnight Alias (Killer Instincts #2) by Elle Kennedy

Publication Date: February 5th 2013 by Signet

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the book:

She’s smart, seductive, and in way over her head.
He’s her only way out.

An undercover DEA agent has gone off the radar. Suspecting an internal mole, the government needs Luke Dubois and his elite team of operatives to recover their man, and the New Orleans native thinks he’s found his way inside the dark underbelly of Manhattan: Olivia Taylor, the girlfriend of a mob boss and the sexiest woman he’s ever laid eyes on. His new mission objective? Get past Olivia’s defenses and convince her to take a chance—on him.

All Olivia wanted was to finish law school and live a normal life, but that dream was shattered when one dangerous night put her deeply in a mobster’s debt. Now Luke and his team will help her escape—in exchange for intel on the missing agent. But Olivia doesn’t anticipate her intense attraction to the reckless Louisiana charmer or that she’ll be forced to risk everything—including her heart.

My Thoughts:

Midnight Alias continues the story of Jim Morgan’s mercenary crew and Noelle’s chameleon assassins teamed up again in another thrilling mission. We get Luke’s romance this time and who’d have thought the sexy, charming ladies man would fall so head over heels for a woman so quickly, but Olivia drew him in like a moth to a flame. 

Olivia went to work as a dancer/stripper when her mother got sick with cancer and her work at a restaurant wasn’t paying the bills. Angelo, the club’s owner and unknown to Olivia, mob guy, zeroed in on her when she started working, but she was always able to fend off his advances. Unfortunately, the situation turned from bad to worse since Angelo took advantage of a situation and now has Olivia under his thumb. She became his “girlfriend”, more from him saying it was so, and now has to think of ways to keep him at bay and not sleep with him. Olivia’s is hemmed in a suffocating position closing in all around her. But she’s is biding her time, saving her money to make her escape. She gets more than a chance to escape when Luke crashes into her life and into her heart.

Luke, the sexy Cajun operative in Jim Morgan’s band of mercenary soldiers is part of the unit assigned by the DEA to track down their undercover agent gone missing at Angelo’s club.  The club is partially a front to launder money for the mob in their drug dealing business, and unknown to Olivia, Angelo is an integral part of the operation. When Luke meets Olivia as “Livy Lovelace” her nervous fear sends up red flags and also a potential in with Angelo and the inter-workings of the club, but Luke sees Olivia as more than just an asset to their case.  He’s taken with her the first moment he lays eyes on her and as he gets to know her, the attraction burns even brighter.

Midnight Alias is my third book in the Killer Instincts series by Elle Kennedy while it was my least favorite of the series so far, it still was an action packed, enjoyable read.  I think the situation with Angelo, the current villain creeped me out and was a bit unbelievable.  I mean, what mob boss would allow his girlfriend, a stripper, put him off and delay sex for more than six months? At any rate, Luke and Olivia’s romance was hot even if a little sudden.  I have to say Trevor and Olivia’s chapters caught my attention more than the main couple’s romance and I was a bit crushed by the ending.  No worries, though, I just finished the next book, Midnight Games, Trevor and Isabel’s story, and it did not disappoint!  It’s my favorite of the series so far.  Maybe tied to Midnight Action (my review), Noelle and Jim’s story, but more on that to come soon.   

If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, the Killer Instincts series is not to be missed.  Elle Kennedy is a pro at sucking you into a story and making it impossible to put down. Danger, excitement, suspense along with a wickedly hot romance is the standard for this series.

3.5 Suns

Connect with Elle Kennedy:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Waves of Sunday #62

Welcome to our weekly edition of Waves of Sunday where each Sunday we spotlight a book that has been making waves in the book scene or has simply caught our attention causing a riptide on our TBR. 

Today we are spotlighting:

Consolation (The Consolation Duet #1) by Corinne Michaels (Goodreads Author)
Published March 18th 2015 (first published February 26th 2015)

Book One in the Consolation Duet

Liam wasn’t supposed to be my happily ever after.
He wasn’t even on my radar.
He was my husband’s best friend—forbidden.

But my husband is dead and I’m alone. I ache for him and I reach for Liam.

One night with Liam changed everything. Now I have to decide if I truly love him or if he’s just the consolation prize.

Arlene's Thoughts

What caught my eye about Consolation by Corinne Michaels were the ratings and passionate reactions I've seen on Goodreads. The storyline sounds like it has a fair share of angst and a touch of forbidden to it. Two elements that always seem to satisfy my reading cravings when it comes to adult fiction.  I've added this book to my TBR and I'm queuing it up soon!

Review: Kaleb (Alluring Indulgence #1) by Nicole Edwards

Kaleb (Alluring Indulgence #1) by Nicole Edwards 

Published January 13th 2013 by SL Independent Publishing, LLC

Zoey Stranford might’ve had a crush on the sexy boy next door since middle school, but she’s a woman now, and that crush has turned into a full blown case of lust. So why is it that at twenty nine, her libido decides to ramp into high gear and the only thing she can focus on is the intensely sexy, scorching hot boy next door who is definitely not a boy anymore?


The only problem is that Zoey and Kaleb have been best friends for as long as she can remember. Not to mention, Kaleb and his brothers are working on buying Stranford land to build a new resort, and she’s more than a little hesitant about his intentions.

Kaleb Walker has had his eye on Zoey for close to twenty years, but never before has he considered taking their friendship to the next level, no matter how many fantasies he’s had about her over the years. That doesn’t explain why Kaleb is hell bent on having her – in as many ways as possible.


Kaleb finds himself in a precarious situation. His brothers have nominated him to pursue Zoey’s father about purchasing the land needed to get their new resort off the ground. Finding out that Carl Stranford is on the brink of foreclosure and Zoey might just lose her house and the land, Kaleb now has to convince her to put aside her pride and let him help her.

It doesn’t take long before the flames start burning bright and hot, and the two of them burn up the nights and the days as they explore each other’s forbidden fantasies. But can their friendship survive a business transaction or the new friends with benefits clause? Or will they realize that they’ve been overlooking something much deeper that’s been right in front of them all along?

Warning: This book contains sexual encounters and graphic language that some readers may find objectionable, including, but not limited to m/f/m encounters, anal sex, exhibitionism, and voyeurism. Consider yourself warned! Contains graphic material that is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.

My Thoughts
Not quite what I expected, but entertaining none the less. Definitely a 10 on the steam scale! Kaleb and Zoey can turn up the heat and adding a third person to the mix made it even more intense.

The plot was a bit light, so it wasn't hard to keep up with what was happening. Kaleb works with his brothers, and their most recent project is to build a resort on the Stranford property. If they can only get Zoey's father to agree with selling his land that's been in the family for generations. With Kaleb and Zoey being long time friends but never taking it to the next level, a connection is inevitable due to the chemistry between the two. Now that Zoey is divorced, there's all the more reason for these two to connect. However with the small conflict of Kaleb wanting Zoey's family property, things can get heated even outside of the bedroom.

First off, I struggled keeping all of the Walker boys straight. There were quite a few of them, so it's interesting to see that each/most will get their own book. All of the characters were interesting and not hard to like.

Nicole Edwards can definitely write some heated scenes, and she wasted no time in getting to that part of the story. However, what took me by surprise was the threesome that was added to the story. It felt like it came out from left field. Just as steamy, but a bit abrupt.

Overall, the story ended in a pretty interesting cliff-hanger and kept me interested all the way through, so I might just keep on going with this one.

3 Suns