romance

Review: The Edge of Always, by J.A.Redmerski

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Since I LOVED The Edge of Never, I just HAD to read this one. And when I received an ARC, I was super duper excited to start it. But sadly, I didn’t love is as much as the first. I honestly think The Edge of Never was fine all by itself. But I can appreciate the need for some closer in these characters, since the ending of Never destroyed us.

I liked the duel POVs. It made the struggles more real. But some of the scenes made me so mad. I was disgusted and sick, at one particular. I felt so mad for Cam and Andrew.

I loved that we were able to see more of their families and friends. Since this book spans over many years, we get to see them all grow up to be adults. We get a glimpse of their happily ever afters and their not so happily ever afters.

Cam’s struggles were heart breaking. She didn’t know how to keep it together. I knew it was gonna be hard for her to move on, from her struggles. Even though she loves Andrew, I knew things were going to come up and devastate her. But Andrew’s love for her was so strong, he’d do anything for her. Even take her on another life altering journey.

“Camryn, you are the other half of my soul, and I will love you today and every day for the rest of our lives. I promise that if you ever forget me, I’ll read to you like Noah read to Allie.”

I may have teared up at that scene. Just a li’l bit. 🙂

All in all, I was very happy with the story. I liked the way she ended it, and yet it leaves it open for a side story. But I’m hoping not. Leave it alone. 🙂

I received this ARC for an honest review.

~Melpomene

Release date: November 4, 2013
Forever Romance
Buy it now The Edge of Always

New Releases for Oct 29, 2013

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Today is a crazy day for new releases. There are a ton, and there is no way I can list them all. So I’m gonna list a few of what we’re most excited for.

15808767Archangel’s Legion (Guild Hunter)I know there are a few of us that have been waiting anxiously for this one to come out. I plan on starting it as soon as I wake and the family will have to fend for themselves. 😉

16158558Dark Witch: Book One of The Cousins O’Dwyer TrilogyWhat a perfect book to read on Halloween. If you’re a fan of witches, this is right up your alley.

16108870Midnight’s Promise (Dark Warriors)It seems like I have been waiting for years for this story, but I just started these this year. I’m dying to know what’s going to happen to Malcolm!!!

17264459Forgiving LiesMolly McAdams killed us with Taking Chances, so I’m almost scared to read this one. 🙂 But, we all know my name means tragedy, so you know I’ll read it.

10596724Horde (Enclave Series)This is another book that is perfect for the Halloween season. Monsters and dystopia are the perfect combo. This is the conclusion in the Razorland trilogy. I’ve read the first one, but haven’t made it to the second yet. *sigh* Story of my life. But now I have motivation, since the 3rd is out. No excuse not to read them.

15811405The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey)I loved this book!! Here is our review

20131026-144145.jpgThe Perfect Match (The Blue Heron Series)Another very cute book. Here is the link to our review.

17738203Take Me Home for Christmas (Whiskey Creek)I love Christmas books, Even though this is Halloween week, many Christmas books come out today. Here is our review.

After all of these, I hope you have a GC ready.

~Melpomene

Review: The Christmas Wish by Katy Regnery

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20131026-223743.jpg Just Released!

In a dive-y diner in a small Montana town, Katy Regnery serves up a Christmastime romance full of hope. Tess is the townie with a bad reputation – and it’s all true. Lucas is an ex-con whose only crime was protecting the ones he loved. They work together, befriend each other, and learn to trust one another. Tess and Lucas dream bigger than their small town, and together they know they can make their Christmas wishes – and their dreams – come true.

The Christmas Wish is a clever, sadness-to-gladness romance told in about 40 pages. The brevity works because Katy Regnery keeps the focus on just the two main characters. By the end, my heart was full and my faith in humanity restored. And she’s got me thinking about what my own Christmas wish will be. 🙂

–Calliope

Buy it now The Christmas Wish

Review: The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins

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5 stars for this October 29 release!

I’m a romance junkie, and after reading so many, I’m hard to impress. The Perfect Match totally impressed me. This novel has it all – sweetness, complications, misunderstandings, true love, misgivings, honesty, and family loyalty. Higgins writes a complex, well-thought-out story with multi-layered characters and relevant subplots. I’m telling you, this is one of my favorite romances of 2013!

So now that you know the writing is awesome, here’s a little bit about the story line and characters:

Honor is a hard-working woman who takes care of her immediate family’s needs before her own. She also has had a 15-year crush on an old friend that she hooks up with once in a while. When he rebuffs taking the relationship seriously, Honor shifts her focus to finding pretty much anyone to marry – so she can settle down and have a family of her own.

Enter the meddling grandparents setting up a date for Honor and a visiting Brit named Tom. Unbeknownst to the matchmakers, Honor and Tom have already, embarrassingly, met. They do end up in a relationship, albeit an unconventional one. And then the reader is on the journey with Honor and Tom to see if love will grow and thrive.

Higgins masterfully weaves Honor’s low self-confidence into the story without making her seem pitiful. She writes Tom’s character as sweetly, appealingly arrogant in some ways, and sad and lonely in others. The brothers, sisters, friends and children are all real – whether we see jealousy, sullenness, anger, reluctance or joy.

When I opened The Perfect Match, I expected a typical, light, enjoyable romance. What I got was so much more. The Perfect Match is brilliantly written, complex, and emotional. And the bits of Brit-speak were lots of fun, too.
Love, love, love it!

-Calliope

Buy it now (preorder before 29Oct) The Perfect Match

Review: Candlelight Christmas by Susan Wiggs

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20131022-173802.jpg Release date October 29. 4 stars!

Want to feel the magic of Christmas? Complete with snowy mountains, a house full of loved ones, peppermint hot chocolate, and walks in a winter wonderland? Susan Wiggs delivers all that and more in Candlelight Christmas.

Darcy meets her best friend India’s brother Logan and it’s Like At First Sight. When she sees him again at Thanksgiving, sparks are flying. By Christmastime, they know they have to decide whether or not to pursue a relationship.

Between Darcy’s ex and her demanding family, and Logan’s hard-to-please dad and beautiful son Charlie, the pair have many outside influences. Together they figure out how to overcome the family challenges so their relationship can grow. As Darcy and Logan find out, the spirit of Santa Claus doesn’t only touch children at Christmas. The magic is alive and well in romance too.

I love this book for the Christmas romance, but I appreciate it even more for the family dynamics. Wiggs achieves realistic holiday scenes, positive and negative. We see arguments, hugs, dumb moves, apologies, honesty, bluntness and forgiveness.

I bawled my eyes out during the scenes with Logan’s son Charlie, and sighed with a bursting heart more than a dozen times. Candlelight Christmas is joyous, real, and touching. I’d read another Susan Wiggs novel in a New York minute.

-Calliope

Pre-order and it will appear on your kindle October 29.
Buy it now Candlelight Christmas

Review: Jagged, by Kristen Ashley

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15817361“…love is a show, it’s not a tell”

Ham Reece was always moving around. But he always came back to Zara Cinders. If she called him, he was there. If she was hurt, he’d fly to be with her. But when she found someone more stable, he walked away.

But three years later she finds herself alone and barely scraping by.

By some near death experience, they are brought together. And when he discovers how little she has and what she has gone through, Ham decides to help her. But she doesn’t want to get sucked into Ham again. It’s hard enough being near him, without all her feeling bubbling up to the top.

Ham wants her. He’s always wanted her. He waited til she was ready and now he’s going to show her how ready he is.

“I’m here, Zara, as in I intend to stay here…I like the people, I like the work…But this is mostly where I wanna be because your’re here.”

Ham gets her a job and takes care of her. But she tries really hard not to fall for him, but, of course, she does. How can you not. The man was sex on legs. HOT. The way he bosses her and talks to her, very hot. No nonsense kinda guy. Needed to fan myself a few times.

Of course there’s a HEA. This is a Kristen Ashley book. And we love her rough and sexy men who practically throw their women over their shoulders and make them listen. I’ll probably grab the first four books in the series, just for more sexy alphas.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

~Melpomene

Release date November 5, 2013
Forever(Grand Central Publishing)
Buy it now Jagged

Review: Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis

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20131021-222044.jpg Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor line of romance novels win my heart every time, and Always on My Mind doesn’t disappoint. As a matter of fact, Shalvis threw in some crime/suspense as a bonus, and I loved it!

Leah and Jack have had a thing for each other FOR-EVER. Due to guilt and work issues and being too chicken to “risk their friendship,” they’re not honest with each other about their true feelings. Enter the “let’s pretend” concept that eventually morphs into a very real happily ever after.

I liked Shalvis’ authentic “guy” scenes where the firefighters are busting chops and being competitive — but always having each others’ backs when needed. The scenes with female friends having girl talk didn’t seem as natural, but were still fun to read.

Jack is of course the hero in this novel, but before he can save Leah from herself, they both have to figure out who is committing some local crimes. Jack and Leah have the help of some local amateur sleuths, and I was entertained by their capers.

Shalvis gives us enjoyable subplots – a grandmother and a middle-aged mom each embark on budding romances, a bakery and other small-town businesses evolve, and Jack and Leah’s friends are set up for what I hope will be the next installment of a Lucky Harbor love story.

Always light and fun, Lucky Harbor romances include likable characters and loyal friendships. Four big shiny stars for Always on My Mind!

–Calliope

Buy it now Always on My Mind

Pre-order the next Lucky Harbor book, coming in February Once in a Lifetime
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Review: Stripped, by Jasinda Wilder

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What can I say, the premise of this book intrigued me. A virgin stripper and a movie playboy. Doesn’t that intrigue you?

Grey grew up in a very sheltered household. I mean, VERY sheltered. I could relate to that part, the most. I was completely clueless all through high school, but never to this extent. This was downright scary, how she could do nothing remotely worldly, according to her father. All she wants to do is dance and make movies. Both are of the devil, so her pastor father doesn’t allow this kind of activities.

“You must break free, in yourself.”

But when her life is completely turned upside down, she makes the decision to leave and do what she needs to do to follow her dreams. Even if that entails becoming a stripper, just to get through college.

This is the hardest thing she’s ever had to do. She is barely making it and the dancing is taking a piece of her away, every time.

But then she sees him. Dawson Kellor. Super sexy movie star is watching her dance. She can’t turn away. He can’t turn away. She knows something is happening.

…I’ll never return from this place, for I know the taste of temptation. I’ve sinned; I’ve fallen.

He wants her. She wants him, but she doesn’t want to want him. He is famous and can have anyone. Why would he want a stripper?

“I’ve always been entitled, you know? I’m that horribly obnoxious kind of person who’s always had everything and owns the fucking world, okay? But I’m not entitled to you. I have to earn you.”

The torment she goes through, while trying to figure out how to survive, is gut wrenching. She was not meant for this world. But he won’t let her go. No matter what she does, there is no escaping this man. He is her jail.

“His arms are like prison bars, but it’s a cell I have no desire of escaping.”

Throughout the entire book, you see what this super sheltered life has done to her. She can barely function. She struggles with what she believes is wrong and evil, but her heart doesn’t doesn’t give up. She breaks through those barriers and you rejoice with her.

“I don’t know what to believe.”

“Believe in me.”

This is the second book I’ve read by Jasinda Wilder, and I like her style. I can’t wait to see what’s next on her agenda.

~Melpomene

Buy it now Stripped

Review: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

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Never Let Me Go, is one of those books that doesn’t fall into a neat little genre.  It’s like life; it isn’t perfect, not everyone is going to like it along the way, but boy, it is fascinating! Now, I realize that this has been sitting on the shelves since 2005, however, I believe that it is nice to pick up an older book now and then and rediscover, or, indeed discover, the epitome of a multi-faceted work of genius.

Like I said above, Ishiguro’s novel cannot be defined in one genre; romance, dystopian, drama, all play their respective hands throughout. I think this is why I loved it so much.  I tend to not be a fan of romance or dystopia, but in little bits, they definitely work, and even complement one another.  With merging these genres, Ishiguro actually presents an almost deconstructed version of each one:  In a typical (and I say typical because I’m aware it’s not always the case) dystopian novel, the reader is presented with a world that is at its knees; it is often harsh, grey, and survival instincts are at an all-time high.  In Ishiguro’s novel, the reader is presented with a dystopian world in the form of an upper middle class British boarding school.  Now, we all know that there must be some kind of untowardness when the Brits are involved (after all, this isn’t a Sophie Kinsella novel, or a Merchant-Ivory production!), and the assumption would be correct.  I won’t spoil the surprise of what makes this novel have its dystopian theme, but suffice to say, Ishiguro was writing ahead of his time, as we are ever so slowly seeing this topic become ever more prevalent.

It could be argued that the romance aspect to the novel is slightly more conventional.  We are presented with a classic love triangle, where boy loves girl (or girl loves boy) boy/girl can’t verbalise said feelings and ends up seeing another person as a rebound.  However, those of you that know me, KNOW that I wouldn’t read a book with such a simple theme.  Ishiguro presents this theme and turns it on its head by making the reader love and hate each individual character.  Not one of them can claim the moral high ground all throughout the novel.

Overall, this is a novel that will infuriate you, make you smile, make you think, make you gasp, and may even make you cry.  It’s an unflinching look at a controversial topic, whilst employing classic themes and presenting them in a unique way.  Even if you don’t like it, Never Let Me Go, is worth picking up simply for the above mentioned points.  Take a leap of faith and have your opinions and comfort zone challenged.

Pegasus.

Buy it now – Never Let Me Go

Review: Holding Out for a Hero by Amy Andrews

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20131014-151939.jpg Ella remembered her school years with tears and a hard heart. Her mother was an outcast and she was treated like one too.

Jake had similar bad memories – a drunk, neglectful father gave kids fodder to tease Jake – and a reason for Jake to be sullen and rebellious.

Fast forward 20 years when Ella is the principal for a low income school, and former rugby player Jake is a philanthropist under the guise of the local pub owner. Ella needs Jake’s help to save the school … and while they’re working that out, they’re also working out some romantic tension.

I loved that Jake was a humble, honest guy who felt protective of Ella and her brother. He was an appealing alpha hero who stood up to idiots who disrespected women.

Ella might appear as somewhat of a crybaby to some readers, but I saw her as a strong woman who had shouldered so much in her life, accomplished so much, and finally felt safe enough with someone (Jake) to grieve for her childhood and her mother.

The truly beautiful thing about this book was the exploration of appealing subplots: Rosie the goth chick dates Simon the straight laced politician. Rosie’s aunts try to save their house from developer’s greed. Rosie and Ella celebrate their friendship on a daily basis.

The facets of Holding Out felt real. I felt like I was Ella, crying my eyes out to my man one minute, trying to straighten out a teenager the next, having a cocktail with my best friend later on, and finally looking for solace with my aunties across the table.

Holding Out for a Hero is a romance, but it’s also a commentary on friendship, staying true to yourself, and not letting your perception of the past color your future. Amy Andrews gives us all that, plus a hot rugby player hero and a happily ever after.

–Calliope

Buy it now Holding Out For a Hero