Melpomene

A Postcard Would Be Nice by Steph Campbell

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postcard As you know, I’m not one for reading blurbs. I tend to stick to my favorite authors and if I try a new one it’s only because my friends tell me I should. But for some reason, I felt as though this blurb needed to be read before I preordered it. But from the very first sentence, I had a feeling I was going to need this book. And when I finished reading the blurb, I knew I was going to need this book. I knew this story was going open lots of eyes and bring forth a lot of emotions.

Blurb
Seventeen-year-old Oliver Wu remembers four things about Saturday night.

1. He remembers going to the party and seeing Paloma, the girl he’s had a crush on for years.
2. He remembers the disappointment he felt when Paloma left early, just when he was sure his bravery had paid off.
3. He remembers the room spinning and someone helping him up the stairs.
4. He remembers waking up next to Tarryn, a girl he barely knows, with his clothes on the floor.

There’s just one notable memory missing.
Oliver doesn’t remember saying yes.

When Tarryn laughs off Oliver’s panic and tells him he should take her out for breakfast, he doesn’t say no. He stops himself from saying no to Tarryn for weeks because he’s waiting for what never comes—an honest answer about what happened that night.

With his friends shutting him out, and the rumors swirling, Oliver is turning into himself and just trying to make it through the rest of his senior year with his head down.

But the one person that Oliver wants to hide the truth from more than himself, Paloma, is the one person who won’t back down and accept his changed behavior. Oliver opening up to Paloma not only means facing what happened that night—it means airing a truth that could easily rip Paloma’s world wide open, too.

Tell me I’m right. Well, the blurb has nothing on this story. I was in a constant state of angst. My heart was in my stomach the entire time. This is real. This happens more than we care to think about. I have teens and this scares me. I am buying this book and having them read it. It will be uncomfortable, but I feel that they need to see. I realize this is fiction, but I’m willing to bet that this has happened to someone. I want my kids to know what to look for and how to help.

To be honest, I never think of the guys. I just don’t. But I am now.

Review: The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons

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codex I can’t believe this series is over. I just can’t. I’ve enjoyed watching these characters for so long and it’s very bittersweet to realize there’s no more to come. I may wallow in the depths of despair for a while.

There will be no spoilers in this review, so don’t worry. But make sure you’ve read the first three books before you read this.

The Lost Codex takes place immediately after The Forgotten Mountain. And we all remember how that one ended, right? It ended with lots of screaming and gasping and yelling. Or maybe that was just me. Well, anyways, I was anxious to start this book. My heart was racing and I could barely sit still. I needed Alice’s world put back the way it was. But in order to do that, she needed to take control and decide what’s best for her.

Without saying spoilers, all I will tell you is that this book caused tears, tears and more tears. I actually had to read a few scenes over and over again just to make myself comprehend what I just read. I couldn’t believe what happened. If I was Wonderlandian, my shirt would’ve been stained red from my broken heart.

The Collectors’ Society is in the battle of its life. This is what they’ve trained for. This final battle will ask more from them than ever before. Some lives will be lost while others will be changed forever.

Can Alice and Finn’s love hold them together? Will there ever be peace? Who is that blasted Librarian? So many questions will be answered, even if not in the way we want, they will be answered.

~Melpomene

Buy The Lost Codex HERE.

Purchase previous books in this series:
The Collectors’ Society
The Hidden Library
The Forgotten Mountian

Review: Mr. President by Katy Evans

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pres Matt Hamilton for President. That is all. Really. I wish I could just leave it at that, but that would be a crazy review, right?

Matt Hamilton never wanted to run for president. But life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to. So when he finds himself running, he remembers receiving an intriguing letter from a girl eleven years ago and her promise to help him win if he ran. Little did he know this girl would have him questioning everything he believed.

Charlotte has zero desire for the spotlight of politics. She prefers working behind the scenes and living a quiet life. But when she receives an invitation to work for Matt Hamilton, she really wants to say, but something has her changing her mind. That something is Matt himself. He is powerful and he can win and she wants to help him do just that.

Matt remembers when his dad was president and how his job came before his family, so he is determined to run and win and not have one. Charlotte is the wrench in his plan. Their chemistry is combustible. No matter how hard they try, they can’t stay away from each other. But will his feelings of family keep them from being together? If he wins, what will happen to them? Will he let her go?

We’re a perfect couple, in the most imperfect situation.

I will admit, my nerves were twisting throughout this story. I wanted them together, but I knew they couldn’t be. Watching them sneak around had me on his alert. His passion for this job was noble. I would vote for him in heartbeat. No joke. I can’t wait for the next installment. I need to know what happens with these two!

~Melpomene

Buy Mr. President HERE

Review: Keepsake(True North#3) by Sarina Bowen

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keepsake
There’s just something about this series that I love. I can’t put my finger on it, but whatever it is, I hope it continues.

Lark has lived through a horrific ordeal and is struggling to get back to what she was before. She goes to stay at the orchard for the summer, in the hopes that the peace she finds there will put her back together. But she has no idea that the peace won’t come from work and fresh air, but from a certain sheltered boy who’s had his own share of trials.

I loved Zach, from the very first book. I was so curious about his story. I loved his vulnerability and yet his strength. He was sweet and patient with Lark. I loved the way he helped her at night. He’s compassionate about her struggles and soon finds himself with feelings that he’s unclear if he should run with.

She looked vivid, as if God had painted her features with bolder paints than he used on the rest of the world.

Watching these two tiptoe around each other was cute. Gah! I love these characters! This entire family, whether blood related or not, is the perfect family. They care and love each other and would just about anything to help each other out. At one scene I had tears pouring down my face from how much these guys care fo each other. They may tease and give a lot of grief, but it’s all in love. I wish I lived on the Shipley’s farm.

This may be book 3 in a series, but it can totally be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend you read the first two books also. You will love this family as much as I do.

~Melpomene

Buy Keepsake HERE.

Review: The Stolen Mackenzie Bride by Jennifer Ashley

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stolen

Since I never read the synopsis, I didn’t know who this book was about. But when I realized who the story was about and my heart started to race. From reading the previous books, I knew who Malcolm was and how he became Duke. I didn’t read a sad story, a story I already knew the outcome. But I kept going and realized this was so much more.

This love story was so epic and emotional, filled with heartache and honor. Mal loved his family so much he was willing to do just about anything to keep them safe and together. Oh my gosh. And he loved Mary something fierce. His love for her was his driving force for all of his actions. He was never going to leave her unless he had no other choice.

This story had me smiling and crying. And I mean CRYING. So embarrassing. These battles happened. These man lost their lives. This was real. And through it all, Malcolm never stopped fighting for his love. Ugh. So many tears…

You can read this book first, as a standalone, or read the series in order. I personally liked reading in order. As you read, you’re able to see glimpses of future Mackenzies in the past ones. I could totally pick out all the brothers’ personalities. It was fun to see which brother was matched up with what nephew. I loved it! I can’t wait for the next book. My historical romance heart is verra happy with this series.

~Melpomene

Buy The Stolen Mackenzie Bride HERE.

Review and Giveaway: The Bachelor Auction by Rachel VanDyken

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bach I always look forward to Rachel’s releases. When life gets to be a little too serious I can count on her to bring out the funny and make me smile. This newest book is no exception.

Blurb
Jane isn’t entirely sure that Cinderella got such a raw deal. Sure, she had a rough start, but didn’t she eventually land a prince and a happily-ever-after? Meanwhile, Jane is busy waiting on her demanding, entitled sisters, running her cleaning business, and . . . yep, not a prince in sight. Until a party and a broken shoe incident leave Jane wondering if princes—or at least, a certain deliciously hunky billionaire—maybe do exist.

Except Brock Wellington isn’t anyone’s dream guy. Hell, a prince would never agree to be auctioned off in marriage to the highest bidder. Or act like an arrogant jerk—even if it was just a façade. Now, as Brock is waiting for the auction chopping block, he figures it’s karmic retribution that he’s tempted by a sexy, sassy woman he can’t have. But while they can’t have a fairy-tale ending, maybe they can indulge in a little bit of fantasy . .

When I think of Cinderella, I definitely think of Jane. She gives and gives and never receives. This girl can never catch a break. She works tirelessly just to make ends meet, with zero help. I just kept waiting for her prince to come. At first I was irritated with her, for taking so much from her sisters and not giving it back to them, but then I knew there would be a breaking point. I just had to hold on and be patient.

Brock is a complex guy. He has a pain deep inside that he tries to hide. He’s afraid to say no, so he finds himself in a life that wasn’t of his choosing. And now he finds himself being auctioned off like a piece of art. But what he really wants is to take his Cinderella and live happily ever after.

The tension between Brock and Jane was off the charts. I was one very happy girl. And when you toss in Brock’s brothers, this book had everything I like. It had my emotions all over the place. I was happy, then angry, then I was swooning. So many feels. A great way to start this series. I can’t wait to read the brothers’ books.

~Melpomene

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Review: The Sheriffs of Savage Wells by Sarah M. Eden

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01 aa What a fun book! This is not your usual damsel in distress story. Quite the opposite. This story is about a girl who believes a girl can do anything a man can do, and she’s out to prove it.

Cade O’Brien is done with the loud and crazy towns. He wants peace and quiet and a new start. So he sets off to Savage Wells in hopes of becoming their new sheriff. But what he doesn’t expect is a woman already doing the job, and quite well, if he must admit. This spit fire of a woman gets his blood boiling in more ways than one, so he needs to keep a clear head whenever she’s around.

Paisley Bell has been acting sheriff for quite some time now and she’s not happy that the town is determined to fill the position with a man, instead of her. But when Cade comes into town, she knows that her work is cut out for her. He knows what he’s doing, but he doesn’t know this town better than her. But she’s not giving up. She knows she can do this job just as good as anyone else.

I must admit, I fell in love with this town and all it’s quirky, but lovable characters. I wish I lived there. They care a great deal about each other. Watching Cade and Paisley both interact with them, made me smile. They knew how to help everyone in very unconventional ways. It made my heart squeeze.

Watching Cade and Paisley banter made me smile. He’s not used to a woman in this position, so he’s a little slow in accepting. They go at each other quite often and I found myself giggling. As with many relationships, once the bantering starts, it’s over. They’re sunk. They learn to help each other out and in the midst of that, they start to grow closer and soon find themselves completely smitten. When he calls her love, I swoon. Let me tell you, butterflies were fluttering in my belly. Such a sweet romance.

This story is another in the The Proper Romance family and I know you’ll love it just as much as I did.

~Melpomene

Buy The Sheriffs of Savage Wells HERE

Audible reads

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Lately I have found myself listening to books instead of rereading them. In fact, I have listened to four books this month, when normally it takes me a month to even finish just one! I’ve been getting a start on my holiday crafts, so these have given me a nice distraction and kept me focused. I usually only listen to books I’ve already read, so I don’t get sidetracked and miss something. With kids, that happens quite often. But this month I took a chance on two different books and listened even though I never read them. What an experience!

queenMy first relisten was Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas. In preparation for the release of Empire of Shadows, I needed to reread QoS in order to remember the finer points. But I’m so glad I decided to listen instead. It was so much more exciting. I was actually able to grab the Throne of Glass coloring book early and I spent a few nights coloring the pictures for the scenes I was listening to. I think I’ll do another relisten of the entire series, next year before the final book releases. Grab Queen of Shadows HERE.

fallen I read the Fallen series a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Super fun and exciting YA series. And after my QoS relisten I wanted another fantasy book to keep me motivated, so I went to my Overdrive system and starting searching for anything that fit the bill. As soon as I saw the cover, I KNEW I needed to grab it. Since it’s been a few years since I read this, I really didn’t remember any of it. I get the gist of it, but not the finer points, so it was sorta like reading it for the first time. And then when the movie trailer released, I was even happier with my decision. Such a romantic story! I highly recommend it. Grab Fallen HERE.

six Next on my listening list is Six of Crows. It’s a spin off of the Grisha series, which I read last year. It’s part of a duology and the second book, Crooked Kingdom, releases today, so I needed to read this book first. This is one I never read before, so I’ll admit I was a bit nervous listening. I was afraid I would get confused with all the many points of views, but it’s told in a way that’s easy to keep up with. In fact, it has seven different narrators! SEVEN! I was completely sucked into this book and then kicked myself for waiting so long. I have a feeling I’ll be grabbing the audible for CK also, even though the DTB is being delivered today. Grab Six of Crows HERE.

every And last but not least, Everything Everything. I actually listened to this in one day. I spent all day Sunday carrying around my phone as I did chores and some crafting. I’ve heard great things about this book and I know it’s getting made into a movie, so I asked my friends if I should read it or just wait for the movie. Well, you can imagine what they said. Lately I’m not one to read straight YA or NA books. I want fantasy. So I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as they did. Honestly. But I found myself giggling and smiling, and a few times gasping. I was hoping my daughter would read this, but there’s so much love I fear the book would get tossed in my face, so I think I’ll wait and convince her to read it when she’s older. But if you haven’t read it, I recommend it. It was really sweet. I wish there was just a wee bit more at the end, but all in all, I was happy. Grab Everything Everything HERE.

If you’ve never heard of Overdrive, I hope you look into it. All you need is a library card. In fact, I get many of my books from there and this month made me realize how many audibles they have also. I think I’ll be utilizing them more often. Check it out HERE.

~Melpomene

Series review: Maiden Lane by Elizabeth Hoyt

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maiden-lane A while back, one of my book buddies told us that she was listening to a book in the Maiden Lane series. I’ve never heard of them, but she swore it was FANTASTIC. I like historical romances, so I figured I’d give it a shot. And guess what? I loved them. LOVE. What I loved most of all was that they all intertwined. I was so very tempted to skip to the one my friend was telling me about but she forbade from doing that. She said I must read in order. So I did.

This series has a a bit of intrigue mixed in, that makes you not want to put it down. Of course I’m all about the love and this series has an overabundance of that. The best part of this is that, just when you think the secondary characters are just for fillers, they end up getting a book themselves. It’s so exciting! I start to think, “Is he going to be with her?” Or even, “Why isn’t he doing anything?” I know who I want to end up with whom, but I have to sit and be patient. In my reading I’m finding myself asking my friends if so and so will be in later books, just to keep me happy. I want all their stories!

I realize this is a horrible review, cuz I’m not being very specific, but if you like historical romances, I highly recommend this series. Also, I’ve heard that the audible are super hot. So if you have extra credits, grab a book or two and see what ya think. I’ve read the first 7 books and I’m currently reading book 8. I think this one is going to tug at my heartstrings a bit. And I can’t wait!

~Melpomene

Grab all the Maiden Lane books HERE.

Review: Torn by Carian Cole

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torn OH MY GOSH!! This book almost didn’t get read. Not that it was bad, but it was very taboo. Hang with me here. Last week I saw this picture on Facebook. It was a sponsored ad. I’ve never heard of this author. Heck, I didn’t even know what the book was about, but I thought the picture was just lovely. I posted it in one of my book clubs and then I found out what it was about. And I gotta be honest, I wasn’t going to read it after that. That was a little too taboo for me. I have certain things I won’t read about, while this wasn’t on my list, it was just something a bit too different for me.

Well, two of my friends decided to give it a shot and they loved it. They know what I like and they both told me to try it. They said it was tastefully done and quite romantic. *sigh* I love romance, and I’m a follower not a leader, so I did what they said. I bought it and read it. And let me tell you, I was sucked in from the very beginning. Here’s the picture I saw. Isn’t it beautiful? There’s something about boots and little shoes that’s just so sweet.
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This book was exactly like they said. It was beautiful. It was romantic. And it was written in a way they wasn’t creepy or gross. Even in the synopsis, it even says no underage sex. Once you read the synopsis, you’ll see why THAT was my biggest fear. I like my sexy scenes with people who are old enough to vote, thankyouverymuch.

I fell in love with all of these characters. Family was the main theme and everyone was so different, but in the end, it was all about love. The love of two people who were there for each other, all their lives. It was beautiful. And it was right.

So if you’re in the mood to try something new and different, read Torn.

~Melpomene

Buy Torn HERE