romance

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

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

Review: The Family Gathering by Robyn Carr

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The Family Gathering is book 3 in the Sullivan’s Crossing series, where I loved book 1, but had some reservations about book 2 (quirky wanderer gave me pause). I’m feeling the love again for this installment.

Dakota needs time to decompress after serving his country, so he visits his sister and brother in Sullivan’s Crossing. Besides building a relationship with his siblings and their families, Dakota starts to build a life in town (he sees it as temporary but come on now).

I very much enjoyed Carr’s customary secondary plot lines that reference past books but don’t depend on them. I also liked that she focused so much on family — because Dakota’s family totally had some issues to resolve! And of course the romance…. well, it’s obvious Sid would be a tough nut to crack. Question is, is Dakota the guy to do it…

As for my favorite part of most books: I won’t tell the hows and whys and wherefores, but after some work, Dakota and his family experience some pretty nice happily ever afters.

-calliope

Buy THE FAMILY GATHERING

Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

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Seriously‽‽ Now what am I supposed to do‽‽ This is not how I expected this story to go at all. If you read Caraval, you know how it ended. It wasn’t cut and dry. There was still more fun to be had.

Legendary was an experience. Definitely one of a kind. Magical and mysterious with more jaw dropping scenes than I ever expected. The game has changed. This time, everything is real…or is it…

Romance played a bigger role in Legendary than in Caraval. But while it was still familial, there was way more romantic love throughout it. In fact that’s probably why I enjoyed this one more. Lots of swoony scenes that had me all twitterpated.

Dante had my heart fluttering. I know he was the typical bad boy before, and he had his moments here, but he definitely showed his true colors in this one. Pleasantly surprised by him. And then just plain, downright surprised at him.

Jacks left me with a lot of unanswered questions. There’s so much more to him that we didn’t get to see. But since he’s a master at trickery, I fell under his spell.

Many times I forgot that Tella was only 16 years old. Sometimes she can act like the flighty school girl but most of the time she made difficult decisions that would give us mature adults pause. I really liked her. I think more than her sister even. My heart felt what she felt. It raced when her was racing. It hurt when hers hurt. Part of me hopes we eventually get more from her. Even a little short story. I feel like her story isn’t done yet. She has a lot of life to live.

The conclusion was way more open ended than I was expecting. In fact, it left me reeling. I can honestly say that I’m not sure how I feel. I think I wanted a definitive ending. I wanted a choice to be made…and yet there was. Gah!! I want more!! My head is still spinning.

And I’m editing this now because the author just announced that we WILL be getting a third book! Holy moly. I am so excited now. I need more.

~Melpomene

Grab both books:
Caraval https://amzn.to/2GkC7kG
Legendary https://amzn.to/2pUnTMA

Review: The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis

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Abby, Caroline, and Lee hop on a cruise ship with their guys and their kiddos… to celebrate a 20th wedding anniversary, share some personal news, await a proposal, and straighten out some of life’s twists and turns.

I loved the cruise ship setting. So fun! For an hour or two each night I was whisked away into the land of lounge chairs and umbrella drinks — and hot sunny days. Wendy Francis did a fantastic job making the friendships real and easy. The women were like sisters with each other – just how I’d imagine this trio in real life. And although some of the plot was predictable, Francis developed it in a fresh, engaging way. I was in it for the whole cruise: laughter, tears, and mouth agape. Nicely written, very entertaining!

-calliope

Buy THE SUMMER SAIL

Review: Come Home to Me by Liz Talley

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Protagonist Summer comes home to more than just one “me” in this romantic women’s fiction by Liz Talley. She comes full circle with herself after being kind of a martyr for a while, and she has some loose ends to tie up regarding an old flame and an old grudge.

I liked the realistic aspect of this book. When there was a problem, Talley showed how it affected everyone. And when there were successes, those were shared too. Come Home to Me discusses some social issues that bounce along a journey of love. The happily ever after was too neat of closure for me- I liked the ending per se, but it didn’t seem to naturally follow all the real life problems that happened throughout out the book. However, I’m always a sucker for forgiveness and reconciliation – definitely present when Summer finally is able to honestly face those two significant men from her past.

-calliope

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Quick Review: The Thief by J.R. Ward

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Now THAT’S the way I wanted this book to go. Old friends. New adversaries. Same family feel. I love this world. Don’t mind my scatterbrained quick review. The Black Dagger Brotherhood makes me all a flutter.

In every BDB book there’s more than one storyline happening. And sometimes I don’t care and then find myself skimming through quickly. But in this book, that was not the case. I was fully invested in each story and read at a normal pace, for my speed reader self, and loved every word.

This book had all the spice but without all the emotion. Now, don’t get me wrong, there were lots of feels, but nothing overwhelming that made you wanna fall to the ground in despair.

The Thief brought back a few characters that I think will be fabulous additions to the BDB world. Plus we got a glimpse into who the next book will be about and I can’t wait for that explosive book.

I love this series so much. It’s one I reread each year. Yes, since this world is so huge, and I have the memory of a gnat, I must do that. But it’s definitely no heartache to spend time in this super sexy world.

~Melpomene

Buy The Thief https://amzn.to/2FFKLVT

Review: Miss Wilton’s Waltz by Josi S. Kilpack

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What an heartbreaking and heart healing story. Once I sat down, I couldn’t stop reading. I needed to know that Lenora ended up happy. When we first met her, in The Vicar’s Daughter, I had hoped we’d see more from her. She deserved an HEA, just like her sister, Cassie.

After stepping aside, so her sister could marry her fiance, Lenora leaves town to make a new life for herself. She decides that teaching music, at an all-girls school, is perfect thing for her. She moves in with an aunt and decides that she will no longer wait for marriage but continue on with her life in the hopes of just being happy. Her heart needs healing and she needs a break from all the stares.

But her quiet life is interrupted by a 12 year old girl with a load of attitude. It takes all her power and patience to dig deep and find the cause of it all. But as she deals with all that stress, the girl’s uncle somehow weasels his way into her heart. From a late night mishap to informal conversations about his niece’s schooling, Lenora tries to keep her feelings close to her heart, at the risk of being hurt again. But after an innocent kiss, a secret is revealed, and her life is flipped yet again. She is devastated and doesn’t know how she’ll ever face society again. Her heart can’t take any more.

My heart was shattered right along with her. I felt like crying when she did. Whether it was trying to teach an unruly child or trying to hide feelings for an unobtainable man, Lenora’s pain was pouring off the pages of this book. But you gotta stay strong, just as she did. Life isn’t without drama. But if you’re lucky, true love will find a way into your heart.

As I’ve said many times before, I love these Proper Romances. They are a palette cleanser. A nice and refreshing story filled with sweet love and enough heartache to keep you flipping those pages.

~Melpomene

Buy Miss Wilton’s Waltz https://amzn.to/2qxxGIs

Review: A Duke Like No Other by Valerie Bowman

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Y’all!! I just finished this book and now have a stupid grin on my face. What a fun story this was. It’s part of the Playful Brides series, so if that’s any indication…

Mark and Nicole haven” seen each other in 10 years. To say they had a bit of a falling out, after they got married, would be an understatement. Lots of hurt feelings and misunderstandings kept them apart. But now, they need each other. Him, for work. In order to get the promotion he’s been working for, they want a family man in the position. So he needs Nicole to come back and play the loving wife. As for her, after 10 years alone, she’ll come and help him, but only if he helps her. And what she wants is a baby. A legitimate baby.

So essentially, they’re already together, but they’re really not. This reconciliation was not without heartache and sorrow, but it had an underlying of love. It was hard, I’ll admit, watching these two circle one another. They both had past hurts, but together they can heal from them.

I’ve only read one other book from this series, but I am definitely going back and reading them. We see a few people pop in, and I’m sure they’re from the series, and I liked the way they interacted with each other. They weren’t just co-workers, they were friends. They made quite an impression on me and I look forward to reading how they found love. I bet it’ll be just has fun.

~Melpomene

Buy A Duke Like No Other https://amzn.to/2IfwkcD

Review: Rome’s Chance by Joanna Wylde

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While this is a novella, I in no way felt gypped. I’ve read this entire series and, even if I didn’t, this can be read as a standalone. Rome’s Chance gives you a glimpse into the world of the Reapers and the reason they’re a family.

Randi has come home to take care of her brother and sister, and the last thing she wants or needs is to be caught up in Rome’s web again. She has enough on her plate without getting pulled away in a romance. A romance that left her heartbroken in the past. But the more time she spends here the more time she’s presented with the possibility of Rome.

This second chance romance was sweet in all the right places. Watching Rome and Randi circle each other was right up my alley. He knew she was the forever girl in his life, but she needed a little convincing. So while we get some heartaches and some sexy times, he pulls out all the stops in making Randi realize what his heart already knows.

I love the 1,001 Dark Nights series, in that they give yo a taste and let you decide if you want to jump into a series. This book was the perfect jumping point. If you lie MC books, then give this story a chance. You can thank me later.

~Melpomene

Buy Rome’s Chance https://amzn.to/2F6MseM

Quick review: Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington

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I haven’t read a single contemporary YA in over four months. So this story was like a breath a fresh air. A nice change a pace. A second chance romance with music intertwined throughout it. In fact my heart was all a flutter.

After breaking her heart two years ago, Virginia(Vee) and Cam will be spending the summer, along with their friends, in a bus touring for a band contest/reality show. What could go wrong?

After having her heart broken two years ago, Virginia(Vee), will be spending the summer touring the country, for a rock band/reality show, in a bus filled with her friends, and Cam. Cam, the one who did the breaking of her heart. Cam, the reason she moved away, is now going to be a bed away from her for three months. What’s a girl to do?

This book alternates between the past and current while showing you what went wrong in the past and how it affected the future. Lots of secrets and heartaches. But with love at the center of it.

Since I’m an adult, most of the time, I could see what was happening before they did. I wanted to reach in and bonk their heads together. They needed to share their pain, not hold it inside. If you can’t be truthful to the one you love, you must not love them completely. Cam lived through something horrific and held on to it, not sharing, until it was too much for Vee. And without sharing that, he kept a piece of him from her and it festered.

But when these two finally were forced to confront their demons, the light shined down upon them. The heavens opened up. The angels sang the Hallelujah chorus. OK, I’m being dramatic. Channeling my inner dramatic 20-something self. All in all, when these two finally opened up, all was well in their world. They could move forward together.

~Melpomene

Grab Love Songs & Other Lies https://amzn.to/2F7CPMI