Coming Soon from Sarina Bowen: ROOMMATE

 

Any new release from Sarina Bowen is cause for celebration and this one is no exception!
I am all kinds of excited for Sarina's upcoming release, ROOMMATE!
The synopsis gives me all the forced proximity romance vibes and I'm there for it.

COMING JANUARY 2021!

ROOMMATE BY SARINA BOWEN

PURCHASE LINKS



Wanted: One roommate to share a 3-bedroom house, split the rent, and ideally not be the guy I can’t stop thinking about.  

I’m a man with too many secrets, so the last thing I need is a new roommate with a sexy smile and blue eyes that see right through me. Eight years ago, Roderick left town after high school. We’re not friends. I owe him nothing. But back then, I let one of my secrets slip, and he’s the only one who noticed. 

Part of me knows I should run far, far away. But the other part wants him to come upstairs and spend the night. But if I let him in, I could lose everything.

Seeking: a room to rent in town. I’m tidy, have no pets, and I will feed you homemade bread. 

I should probably add: Gay AF, and has no filter. It’s no wonder my new landlord is so wary of me. 

A smarter man would ignore those hot glances from the broody lumberjack. He may want more from me than another fresh-baked pretzel. But if I push my luck, I’ll end up back on the street.

Too bad I’ve never been smart with my heart…

 

PURCHASE LINKS


I'M PRE-ORDERING MY COPY NOW... HOW ABOUT YOU?


The Sunday Post #227 | October 25, 2020

    

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's a chance to share news: a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books,
 and share what's coming up on your blog in the week ahead. 
Last Monday my company started a voluntary return to the office. I went in Monday thru Thursday and then worked from home on Friday. From what I could tell very few chose to return. The company is stating that if employees can perform their job from home they can continue to do so. But if someone feels they can work better in the office (too many distractions at home, for example) they can now go back. I imagine I'll do a hybrid schedule for now - part of the week in the office, part at home. Working from home feels so normal now that it's pretty bizarre being in the office.

Nine days until the election. Is everyone else just ready for it to be over? It's been a long, ugly campaign year and I am so ready to move forward.

Book Bub shared some epic book nooks that are simply breathtaking. Here are a few of my favorites - and you can go here to see them all.

      

This week's 80's music fix is Church of the Poison Mind (1983) by Culture Club. Boy George had such a gorgeous, distinctive voice.

 
Wednesday, October 21

Friday, October 23

WHAT I COMPLETED IN THE LAST WEEK

   

e-ARC:

Audio Book:


WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING

   

Reading:

Listening to:

 PHYSICAL BOOKS
     

My pre-order of The Brightest Night arrived Thursday. While I'm bummed that they chose to change the cover for the third book (totally different from books one and two), I did receive a signed copy so that was pretty cool.

Love the synopsis, love the cover. :)

KINDLE BOOKS






How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share?
I'd love to hear about it!

Review: Broken Outsider by Lora Richardson #NewRelease

BROKEN OUTSIDER
by Lora Richardson
Series: Sparrow Sisters #3
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: October 22, 2020
Source: Author

Valerie Sparrow loves boys. She likes looking at them, talking about them, dating them, and most of all, kissing them. The one thing she refuses to do is have relationships with them. She can’t count the number of times she’s come across a girl crying over a boy. She wants the fun parts, not the crying parts, so she doesn’t let her heart get involved. But when a gorgeous new guy moves to town, she begins to think things she doesn’t want to think and feel things she’s afraid to feel.

Wes Callahan wants a fresh start. He left his troubles behind in Chicago, but his heart is still bruised. He’s not sure he can trust anyone again, especially not in this town where he’s an outsider and everyone else has known each other their whole lives. Hoping to get through the year without opening his heart, he meets Valerie, a candid, fascinating girl who makes him rethink this plan.

When Wes’s father gets called into service with the National Guard, the Sparrow family invites him to live with them for two months. The only condition is that Wes is off-limits. That’s no problem for Valerie, because she doesn’t do relationships. Right?


In this third and final book in the Sparrow Sisters series, it felt like the small town of Alden and its residents were welcoming me back with open arms. The familiar faces and places helped make this another heartwarming read from Lora Richardson.

Valerie was the Sparrow sister that was outgoing and carefree and bounced from boy to boy, never interested in more than casual dates and kisses. She’d seen too many heartbroken girls crying over boys to risk her own heart. That started to change when Wes moved to town. Still reeling from his parent’s recent divorce, Wes was feeling guarded and reluctant to trust anyone. But Valerie’s vivacious charm and openness had him willing to take a chance. But how did a boy who didn’t do casual have a future with a girl who didn’t do serious?

Valerie did a lot of changing and growing over the course of the story and I appreciated her willingness to let go of old habits and beliefs and consider new ideas. Seeing her open up to someone who was worth the risk made me want to cheer for her. And Wes was definitely a boy worthy of the chance. Having moved to Alden from Chicago, he was not only experiencing a bit of culture shock, but also feeling pretty raw after his parent’s divorce and being treated badly by those he considered friends. I really liked how even though he was hesitant to trust again, he was still willing to put his heart on the line when it came to Valerie. While there was very little conflict, it was refreshing to just let the story flow without any drama and angst.

Valerie’s sisters and parents played a significant role and it was great to see the focus on such strong family connections. Add to that a slow-burn romance (very much on the sweet side), a coming-of-age theme, and a small-town setting, and you have a heartfelt story that felt like a Hallmark movie for the young adult set.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.

Review: Wham!, George Michael, and Me by Andrew Ridgeley

WHAM!, George Michael, and Me
Andrew Ridgeley
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Music
Released: October 8, 2019
Source: Overdrive
Rating: 3.5 stars

For the first time, Andrew Ridgeley - one half of one of the most famous bands in the world - tells the inside story of Wham!, his life-long friendship with George Michael and the formation of a band that changed the shape of the music scene in the early eighties.

In 1975 Andrew took a shy new boy at school under his wing. They instantly hit it off and their boyhood escapades at Bushey Meads School built a bond that was never broken. The duo found themselves riding an astonishing rollercoaster of success, taking them all over the world. They made and broke iconic records, they were treated like gods, but they stayed true to their friendship and ultimately to themselves. It was a party that seemed as if it would never end. And then it did, in front of tens of thousands of tearful fans at Wembley Stadium in 1986.

Andrew's memoir covers in wonderful detail those years, up until that last iconic concert: the scrapes, the laughs, the relationships, the good and the bad. It's a unique and one-and-only time to remember that era, that band and those boys.

Back in the day I was a big Wham! fan. Within the realm of my rabid teenage devotion, they came second only to Duran Duran. Their infectious pop music was a balm to the angsty teen years and my crush on George Michael was strong. So learning that surviving Wham! member Andrew Ridgeley had written a book about his years with George had me gladly taking a trip down memory lane.

Ridgeley’s memoir focused heavily on the early years of his friendship with George – pre-Wham!, pre-success. From their meeting at age 12, the forming of their first band, and the highs and lows of seeking stardom, the emphasis was always on the close bond and enduring friendship he shared with George. While he was quick to acknowledge George’s incredible talent – his voice, his songwriting – he also seemed to be seeking validation. He was obviously the driving force behind the band in the early years – he pushed to start the band, he was constantly working for greater recognition and a record deal – but once success came he seemed to relinquish almost all creative control to George. He didn’t seem resentful exactly, but it was hard to reconcile his feelings of not having a more dynamic role in the band after he was the one who had chosen that route.  

There was quite a gap of time that was a bit glossed over from George’s solo success just after the break-up of Wham! to his death in 2016. I guess that was to be expected, though, since they were no longer living in each other’s pockets at that point.

I listened to the audiobook and also had the Kindle version and it was the perfect way to read this one. I enjoyed listening to Andrew narrate the book himself, telling his story in his own words. And seeing all the photos in the Kindle version, many of them candid snapshots not seen before, was a lot of fun. Overall, Ridgeley delivered a book that was a wonderful tribute to his friend George, someone with whom he shared a remarkable experience. Filled with warmth and humor and admiration, Wham!, George Michael & Me was a good dose of nostalgia and definitely worth reading.


DO YOU REMEMBER WHAM? WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE WHAM! SONG?

The Sunday Post #226 | October 18, 2020

   

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's a chance to share news: a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books,
 and share what's coming up on your blog in the week ahead. 
It's been a fairly quiet week. I continued to work from home The Husband had some meetings for a couple Board positions he holds. Otherwise it was business as usual.

Yesterday I got to see my sister (the older one that lives at the beach) and that was such a treat. It had been so long since I'd seen her. I took her birthday present to drop off and we ended up having a great visit (standing outside on her driveway, staying apart). Even though we text all the time it was so good to actually see her live and in-person. :)

While there, we discussed the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving is basically a wash. Typically me and The Husband host but that won't be happening this year. Everyone will just have to do their own thing. As for Christmas, we always get together at my mom's house on Christmas Eve, but again, not comfortable with that. So we talked about having a together-but-distanced gathering on Christmas Eve. Like a tailgate party. Each family/group will bring their own food (no sharing/passing around dishes) and each family will stay at their own table/tailgate, but we'll still all be together and able to talk and visit and spend time together. We'll have to work out logistics, but it's a good feeling to think we might actually be able to see the whole family at Christmas. :)

This week's 80's music fix is Breakout (1986) by Swingout Sister. This is one that always lifts my mood.

 
Tuesday, October 13

Thursday, October 15

WHAT I COMPLETED IN THE LAST WEEK

   

Physical Book:

Audio Book:

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING

   

Reading:

Listening to:


How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share?
I'd love to hear about it!