Penguin

Review: Ocean Light by Nalini Singh

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I have read all of the Psy-Changelings books, including the first in the spin off Trinity series, Silver Silence. These books have so many characters and side stories going on, I love it. Since I have the memory of a gnat, I was worried, since I couldn’t remember who Bo was exactly. I have a vague memory of him, but I can’t remember specifics. But that did not deter me from reading or enjoying this story. In fact, I couldn’t put it down. There was something about Bo and Kaia that grabbed me. I couldn’t look away.

After being injured Bo is taken in by the BlackSea for his recovery. Unfortunately there are some that don’t want him there, because of his relationship with the Human Alliance. But there is more to him than people know. Because of the chip inside his head, he may only have two weeks to show them this.

Kaia has lost everyone she’s ever loved. The BlackSea has given her a place of comfort and safety after all that’s lost. She is content here and doesn’t like the fact that she feels a connection to this human. But changelings can’t stop the bond when it finds it’s mate. So while she’s trying to keep Bo alive, she discovers that her heart is willing to take another chance, even if it means she has to face her greatest fear.

I loved how Bo reacted to Kaia and her clanmates. He’s in security, so he’s used to keeping people safe, but this time, since he’s human, he’s limited in what he can do, both in time and body. Since he’s human, he can’t protect her from the sea and all it’s dangers. But he’ll do anything in his power, even if it means opening himself up to his personal nightmares and allowing someone inside his head.

I like the way Nalini writes these books as if they’re interconnected standalones. There is no cliffhanger, but there is an aspect that will keep you wanting more. In fact, I can’t wait to see where the next one will go. To be honest, after reading this one, I’m dying to start the series over. I miss all the characters. Perhaps during Christmas Break will be the perfect time to dive back into the Psy-Changelings world.

~Melpomene

Grab
Silver Silence~ https://amzn.to/2sqmjDt
Ocean Light~ https://amzn.to/2slzIMK

Review: The Lives of Desperate Girls by MacKenzie Common

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Two girls.  About the same age.  Both missing.  And then one is found dead.

Nobody seems to pay that much attention to Helen’s death, except those people hoping it may somehow be related to Chloe’s disappearance.  Because, after all, Chloe’s the important one.  Helen’s just a poor girl from the reservation.  Chloe’s rich, white, and popular.  So of course people are going to be more concerned about her.  At least that’s the way Jenny sees it.  And it bothers her.

It bothers her so much that she begins to dig deeper, hoping to uncover the truth about what happened to Helen.  At the same time, she has to face the truth about what happened to Chloe and the part she played in it.

This was a good, solid story for me.  The suspense is there, but it also has a very humanistic approach.  The author delves deeply into societal divides, across races and classes and even high school cliques.  A good read!

~Thalia

Buy It Now:  The Lives of Desperate Girls

Teen/YA books

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Have you noticed lately that the YA books seem to be creeping into the NA realm?? Well, as a parent of a couple of tweens, I sure have. And let me tell you, I am not one bit happy.

I don’t want to shelter my kids too much, but I would like them to remain innocent for as long as possible. There is no reason for YA books to have excessive language or sex in them, whether or not it’s a closed door scene. I’m not trying to be a prude, but I have a real problem with this. It seems that all the books geared toward girls, have a heavy dose of romance and many go a bit overboard. Since my almost 13 yr old daughter wants to read “more YA and less ‘kids’ books” (her words), I wish there were more teen books out there. I have been reading a few with her lately and here are a couple that I think are absolutely perfect tween/YA books.

Now, a couple of these are christian romances, but they’re teen romances. These kids don’t need to read about adult feelings and emotions. They need to be kids and be silly, not be subjected to books about things they can’t possibly understand yet.

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Edenbrooke, by Julianne Donaldson

This is one of my daughter’s absolute favorite books. I had to go out and order a signed copy for Christmas last year, because she had to hold in her hands. She was in love with this book.

To quote my review, “This book was so full of sweet romance that my eyes were prickling the whole entire time. I fell in love all over again. I feel like twirling with my eyes closed.”

I think I may need a reread of this one soon. Go HERE to read my full review.

Up next is another by Julianne. This one is my favorite of hers.

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Blackmoore, by Julianne Donaldson

Is it possible to have too much love?? Well, this story surely did.

For the last 20% of the book I don’t think my tears stopped falling. This story was about love, love, and more love. Love that hurts. Love that rips you up. Love that puts you back together.

I loved the emotional turmoil and the gut retching feeling I had. Although I almost had to stop, it was too much for me.

I think my daughter even shed a couple of tears. I love books like this.

Go HERE for Clio’s full review.

Up next is my daughter’s all time favorite. She even read it twice in two days. If I’d let her, she’d keep reading this one over and over again.
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Eyes of the Woods, by Eden Fierce

This is a paranormal YA romance that was written by a 14 yr old!! So I knew it would be perfect for daughter. ANd I was right.

“The action was fantastic! My nerves did get the better of me a few times. I was so very curious to what happening, I couldn’t put it down. There were a couple of sad parts that may be hard to read. But as I thought about what these kids watch on TV or video games, they would be used to things much worse.”

Go HERE for my full review.

This is our current read.
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Matched, by Ally Condie

I read this series a few years back. So I don’t remember much of of it. I know that it’s romance, but I don’t remember any sex. So far we are up to chapter 10 and so far, she is dying to read faster. I’m pretty sure this is a safe read, but I’m not taking any chances. So as I read for myself, I am sneaking in 5-7 chapters of this each day.

It’s a dystopian book, so there isn’t any language I have to deal with. I love most dystopians, for that very reason.

I’m hoping to review this, when I am done. Meanwhile go HERE to grab a copy for yourself.

Well, I am off to read. I’ll keep you posted, if I discover any more. And if you find any, please let me know!

~Melpomene

Buy:
Edenbrooke: A Proper Romance

Blackmoore (Proper Romances)

Eyes of the Woods

Matched

Review: Reaper’s Stand, by Joanna Wylde

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01rea I gotta be honest, sometimes I didn’t like Picnic. His wife died 6 years ago and seemed to be shooting for the title of world’s biggest manwhore. Seriously. In all of the other books, he is seen screwing everything in sight. Women who were his daughters’s age all the way up to his own age. He didn’t discriminate. But, on the flip side, he loved his daughters and his MC chapter fiercely. He would protect all of them, with his life.

“We like taking care of our women. You don’t let me help you, the other boys’ll make fun of me and then I’ll have to cry. Are you trying to make me cry, London?”

By the time I got to the end of Devil’s Game, I was totally on Team Picnic. I needed his book like yesterday. I so wanted him to find his love.

London is the cleaning lady who catches Picnic’s eye. She is busy raising her cousin’s special needs daughter and hasn’t had time for dating in six years. But when Picnic sets his eyes on her, she is caught. At first she tries to stay far from him, but the chemistry is undeniable and she’s sucked in. Honestly, I totally forgot they were older characters half the time. Some of the scenes were super saucy. But I loved them.

“Take something off, because otherwise I’m going to start ripping things.”

*fans face*

Exerpt:
I heard voices as I approached the door, which was open a crack. (The frame had swollen up last winter and never quite gone back to normal, so you really had to fight to close it all the way. It was sand- wiched on the repair list between fixing the car and replacing the oven.)

“Your cousin deserves better than this,” I heard Hayes saying, and I couldn’t help but smile. Glad someone noticed my efforts. “If she’s smart, she’ll kick you out.”

“She’ll never kick me out,” Jess declared, and her voice sounded a little smug. A little slurred, too . . . Had she been drinking? Probably. “She’d feel guilty. She’ll always take care of me because she has to—you don’t know shit about us.”

He snorted.

“You think she takes care of you out of guilt?” he asked. “Nope— she loves you, although I can’t quite decide why. You need to figure out what you want to do with your life, because you can’t just drain her dry forever. Sooner or later she’ll be done with you.”

His words sounded so close to my own thoughts it was almost creepy. It also made me feel guilty, because the statement was so cold and hard. Not to mention true.

“It’s none of your business.”

“London is my business, little girl,” he said, and his tone was anything but nice. “I have plans for her, and they don’t include her crying over your bullshit. Don’t piss me off.”

And right there is when I knew Picnic was going to be one of my favorite MC guys. I mean, c’mon, he’s a no nonsense, straight talker type of guy. If he wants you, you better just hold on for the ride.

We even catch a few glimpses of past characters and one of the main stories is quite sad. It totally broke my heart. This book also seems to set us up for a couple of future books as well. I am seriously addicted to these MC guys!! Bring on the next one!!

~Melpomene

Buy Reaper’s Stand (Reapers Motorcycle Club Book 4)

Get caught up with the rest of the guys.
Reaper’s Property (Reapers Motorcycle Club Book 1)

Reaper’s Legacy (Reapers Motorcycle Club Book 2)

Devil’s Game (Reapers Motorcycle Club Book 3)

Listen to this!!!

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Do you listen to books?? I must admit, up til a year ago, the only audible books I listened to were Hank the Cowdog, with my kids. I’m dead serious. They’re funny as heck, but when you find yourself listening, in your car, ALONE, it’s time to be a grown up and listen to grown up books.

Around this time last year, I grabbed a ton of the classics, which were free at the time. But have I listened to them?? That would be a big fat NO. However, around this past March, a friend gifted me Maybe Someday, by Colleen Hoover. Since I already read the book, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it. But, I stinking loved it!! I fell in love with Zachary Webber, during this book. Seriously. That kid can read me the phone book and I would sit and listen to it.

Since then, I’ve found myself buying more and actually wanting to walk my dog and go grocery shopping alone, just so I can listen to some books. So far this year, I’ve listened to Flat-Out Love, by Jessica Park, Red Hill, by Jamie McGuire, Hopeless, by Colleen Hoover, and Divergent, by Veronica Roth. I started The Fault in Our Stars, but never finished and I’m currently listening to Outlander: A Novel.

But by far, the BEST BEST BEST audible I’ve listened to is The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. I’ve read the book a couple times and it’s in my top 5, but when I listened to it, I lived it. The guy who does the guy’s voice, Kirby Heyborne, did an amazing job!! He had such emotions I seriously thought he was crying. He sounded so believable. If anyone asks what audible they should try, I always tell them this one. Talking about it now, kinda makes me wanna go and listen again.

Sometimes the book is read by a single person, which can be good or bad. I’ve tried to listen to a few and found them quite annoying, but some I find, very enjoyable. My first experience was with Flat-Out Love. At first I wasn’t so sure I was going to like it, but after a little bit, I actually forgot it was only one person. That book was so sweet and funny, I actually startled a few people, in the grocery store, when I was listening to it.

Some books are read my numerous people. Red Hill, for example, was read by three different voices. Zachary Webber *sigh* was one of them. I actually had my hubby listen to this one, on our way to Chicago, in June. The story was so well written, that I was on the edge of my seat listening. My poor hubby kept getting shushed, even though I read the book before. I just wanted to listen to them, not him. The voices were so smooth I felt like I was in a trance.

So far I’ve only listened to books that I’ve already read. I think I enjoy the story more that way. For me, if I never knew the story, I think it would be hard to pay attention. I know I would miss things. My life isn’t always silent and I get distracted easily. So I think I’ll keep to previously read books. Up next, on my audible list, Ugly Love, by Colleen Hoover.

If you’ve never tried audible, I encourage you to do so. They’re always running deals. In fact, if you’re a new subscriber, I think you get 2 free books. That’s great!! And even paying monthly, is sometimes half of what an audible costs. It’s so worth it. And if you do try, let me know which ones you get.

~Melpomene

Buy Flat-Out Love

The Sea of Tranquility: A Novel

Red Hill

Maybe Someday

Hopeless

Divergent

The Fault in Our Stars

Outlander: A Novel

Ugly Love: A Novel

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog

Review: Fast Track by Julie Garwood

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When you’re already laughing and crying in the first quarter of a book, you know it’s a good one. Once I got through my tears, Garwood had me on the edge of my seat. Fast Track was fast-moving through to the end, I’ll tell ya.

The complex plot included terrific friendships, happy couples, an impending romance, secret agents (well, two special agents and one guy who couldn’t be pigeonholed) and a family driven so deeply by greed that it colored black the relationships with their own blood! I loved every minute of the suspense.

The friendship among the women was good – they were real with each other. The guys related to each other pretty realistically, too. I didn’t love the hero… he had some personality quirks that just weren’t for me… but in the end his redeeming qualities shone through. The heroine was a strong woman who became a bit submissive when interacting with the love of her life – an annoying but understandable part of the story.

I struggled a bit with a few rambly parts … wordy pages here and there and some lengthy descriptions that I glossed over. I also noticed quite a bit of telling instead of showing. Besides that, the beautifully thought-out plot overwhelmed any shortcomings in the writing.

-calliope

buy FAST TRACK

Review and Signed GIVEAWAY!!! If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

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01if I remember reading this book two years ago and being positively devastated. I remember my family members walking in wondering why I was sobbing, but I was too consumed in my emotions to even speak. After I finished it, I thought to myself, “This would be a great movie.” So when I found out that they were making it into a movie, I was thrilled! The thought of reliving Mia’s past and her decision to stay or go, gives me chills. I can’t wait to cry!!

One snowy morning, Mia goes for a drive with her family and next thing you know her life has changed and she must decide whether or not to stay or go.

The book shows glimpses of her past, in order for her to choose. We see her loving family, her boyfriend, Adam, and what leads up to the hardest decision she’ll ever have to make. What would you do?? What would you choose??

Would you stay??

I have read this book three times, and every time I am overwhelmed with emotions. Watching her loved ones fall apart and keep each other together. Watching some tell her it’s okay to go, while others beg her to stay. Whew!!

“There are like twenty people in that waiting room right now. Some of them are related to you. Some of them are not. But we’re all your family.”

“You still have a family.”

*wipes eyes*

~Melpomene

Buy If I Stay

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Watch this trailer, and if you’ve never read this book, go and get it right now. You NEED to read it before the movie comes out, in August.

Review: Devil’s Game(Reapers MC #3) by Joanna Wylde

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“‘Love’ is a word that doesn’t mean a damned thing to me. ‘Em,’ though? That’s a word that means everything to me.”

Synopsis
Liam “Hunter” Blake hates the Reapers MC. Born and raised a Devil’s Jack, he knows his duty. He’ll defend his club from their oldest enemies—the Reapers—using whatever weapons he can find. But why use force when the Reapers’ president has a daughter who’s alone and vulnerable? Hunter has wanted her from the minute he saw her, and now he has an excuse to take her.

Em has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Reapers. Her overprotective father, Picnic, is the club’s president. The last time she had a boyfriend, Picnic shot him. Now the men in her life are far more interested in keeping her daddy happy than showing her a good time. Then she meets a handsome stranger—a man who isn’t afraid to treat her like a real woman. One who isn’t afraid of her father. His name is Liam, and he’s The One.

Or so she thinks.

I don’t know what it is, but MC books are becoming my new favorite. They have a great deal of excitement and things you’d normally not see in every day life. Some things will make you cringe. Some things would make you smile. Heck, some things will make you blush! They have their own set of rules and you don’t go against those rules or people could get killed. But one rule you should try and follow is never falling for an opposing MC. Life will become a bit more crazy and you may be forced to choose.

Em is so sick of being looked upon as the little sister, needing protection 24/7. She wants to be her own person and if that means leaving, then she would do it.

When Em meets Liam, she thought he was perfect. He was sweet and listened to her vent about her “family”. He was always there for her. But she had no idea who the real Liam was. But once she finds out, her life will never be the same.

Liam knew he wanted Em, from the first time he saw her. He was determined to make her his. But life doesn’t always go that smooth. But he tried and tried to make it smoother for her. He was really sweet when he wanted to be. ANd on the flip side, he could make her blush with just a few words.

Talk about Chemistry. Wowzers. Hot, hot, hot, with a splash of dirty. Just the way like our bad boys. A few scenes in here had me blushing!! It was a very saucy book.

And the last glimpse we get, in the book?? Yeah, now I want to read it NOW!!! I am totally sucked in.

~Melpomene

Buy Reaper’s Property

Buy Reaper’s Legacy (Reapers Motorcycle Club)

Buy Devil’s Game (Reapers Motorcycle Club)

Preorder Reaper’s Stand (Reapers Motorcycle Club)

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Review: Hope Ignites(Hope#2), by Jaci Burton

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01hope I remember when I read Hope Flames and met Logan. I knew he was going to have a good story to tell. And I was right!!

Logan is a rancher who just wants peace and to be left alone. When he decides to let a film crew invade his land, he thought he would just make some money and never see any of them. He wants nothing to do with glitz and glamour. He is a simple man, with simple needs and doesn’t want to be bothered with any Hollywood superstars. Especially not Desiree Jenkins. One the outside, she is a beautiful young star with the world in her hand, and movie roles pouring in. But what she really is a down to earth simple girl, who wants the quiet life.

When Des meets Logan, she is intrigued. She is fascinated with the simple ranch life, and with him. She basically lays it out on the table, as to her intentions for him. It was so funny to see him trip over himself, when he was around her.

I knew I was going to like Logan. Poor guy never knew what hit him, when he met Des. After growing up with a horrible mother, who complained about ranch life, and left when he was younger, he was fine living on his own. He never thought he’d find a ranch wife. And when he met Des, he figured she was the farthest thing, so there was no harm in having a bit of fun. Well, the heart wants what the heart wants, and it wanted her.

It was perfect seeing him fall and then realize that he was holding on to the past hurts and not looking at Des as a potential partner.

I am really enjoying this series! I loved seeing Luke and Emma make an appearance in the story. I can’t wait till we get Molly’s story next.

~Melpomene

Buy Hope Ignites (A Hope Novel)

Buy the first book, Hope Flames (A Hope Novel)

Review: Dazed(Connections 2.5), by Kim Karr

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Yum!! I wasn’t sure if reading this would ruin the fact that I still haven’t read Torn, but it totally didn’t. I’ll eventually get to it, but this was a novella, so I decided to read this one first.

Meeting Jagger is just what Aerie needed to get her trust back. He was willing to do anything for her and she realized that not all men were like Levi. I wish I could punch that jerk.

I loved seeing the sweet side of this cupcake thief. He really gave his cousin, River, a run for his money, in the sexy department. He knew just how to make Aerie feel special and loved.

I was thrilled to see River and Dahlia in this story. I loved the way they were so perfect for each other. And also seeing the joking side of River, made me love him even more.

In the end of this little novella, Aerie and Jagger got their HEA, even if they had a bit of a detour first. 🙂

I can’t to finally read Torn and then onto Mended. 🙂

~Melpomene

Buy Dazed: A Connections Novella