travel

Review: The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

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I’ve been going through a bit of a reading funk lately. Work is busy, free time is rare, so nothing has really caught my attention for the last couple of weeks. When a recent road trip came up, though, I knew I needed something good. So I went to this one on my TBR list. Because Chris Bohjalian hasn’t disappointed me yet.

The story starts off with a bang with Cassie, aka the flight attendant, waking up in a strange hotel room in Dubai. But wait…there’s more. *See what I did there?* There’s also a very dead man next to her. She knows who he is, sure. And she even knows how she ended up in his room. Beyond that? It’s all lost in an alcohol-induced blackout. So she does what any logical person would do. She cleans up any evidence of her presence and flees back to her hotel just in time to board her next flight and get out of Dodge.

Of course the story can’t end there. Once back in the states, Cassie finds herself in deeper than she could ever have imagined. And her erratic behavior combined with a dependency on drinking make matters so much worse. She’s in trouble on all fronts. Everything is at stake-her career, her freedom, even her life.

This was definitely one of those books I just couldn’t put down. From the very beginning until the last page, I was completely hooked. It has everything. Family drama, Russian spies, suspense, a few nice little twists…

Trust me when I say this one needs to be on your summer reading list!

~Thalia

Buy It Now: The Flight Attendant

Review: Lake Como by Anita Hughes

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I loved this book so much! I just saw that NetGalley is offering another Anita Hughes novel, so be on the lookout in early August for a review of Rome in Love. ❤️

*original blog post November 2014*
Lake Como has been on my wish list for months. Yesterday I saw it was on sale for $1.40 so I scooped it up as any book lover would. It’s STILL ON SALE TODAY, and worth every penny & more!

Reading Lake Como was like sitting in the lap of luxury. You wouldn’t know Hallie was born with a silver spoon in her mouth unless you met her grandmother Constance, a well-connected part of San Francisco society. And you wouldn’t know Hallie was related to royalty unless you visited her half-siblings in Italy. She’s down-to-earth and still finding herself among families who have hidden the truth for years.

Anita Hughes introduces the reader to the worlds of cocktail dresses, gala balls, charity events and exclusive restaurants. We see that no matter what the wrappings are, people are still people underneath – with wants, needs, fears, and flaws. In Lake Como we meet Hallie’s potential love interests, her Italian family, and her loving American mother, Francesca. We see Hallie develop her professional life, connect with her half-sister Portia, and experience personal growth.

My heart broke for Hallie and Portia when they endured break-ups with men they thought they’d be with forever. And I almost cowered when the grandmothers barked their orders. But I smiled with contentment when Hughes brought me to the shores of Lake Como, with its dazzling reflections and dancing eddies.

Full of exotic romance, hyped up family dynamics, and luxurious settings, Lake Como is one of my favorite light reads of the year.

–Calliope

Buy it now Lake Como

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

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20140116-214300.jpg I’m not generally a New Adult fan because it’s hard for me to relate to characters 20 years younger than me. But I LOVED The Edge of Never. I thought it was clever, fast-paced, gritty, emotional, and real. Of course I wanted to see what Camryn and Andrew did next, so that brings me to this sequel: The Edge of Always.

Most of The Edge of Always is just as fast-paced and sexy and gritty as its predecessor. Camryn and Andrew have new obstacles to hurdle, new emotions to manage, new people in their lives to consider. I appreciate how Redmerski maintains the characters authentic selves yet allows them to grow within the story. I did wish that Camryn grew more, emotionally, but that’s just me.
The author keeps the plot fresh with new adventures, new fears, and new achievements. The Edge of Never is graphic. Language, sex, drugs, and medical issues are all described so as to evoke emotion and make the reader part of the story. Redmerski has talent!

The biggest disappointment to an otherwise 4+ star book was the ending. Redmerski wrapped up all the loose ends very neatly in 3 final chapters… so neatly that they didn’t even seem to fit in with the rest of the book. It was like sitting down for quiet tea after going on a loud, messy, crazy, fast, roller coaster ride. The ending provided perfect closure, but the approach was so much different from the rest of the book.

All in all, I had a great time reading The Edge of Always. The writing is excellent, the characters are compelling, the plot draws you in emotionally… but the ending ruined it for me a little.

–Calliope

Buy it now The Edge of Always