Short Take Reviews: The Queen of Nothing, We Own Tonight, Malice


I'm covering all bases today with a contemporary romance, a YA fantasy, and a YA contemporary with a sci-fi twist. While one missed the mark, the other two were big hits. 

    

WE OWN TONIGHT by Corinne Michaels | 4.5 STARS
Corinne Michaels was one of those authors that I’d been meaning to read for years. And after I finished We Own Tonight all I could think was, What took me so long?” Because I fell hard for this sexy/swoony story. Heather had a mind-blowing encounter with Eli, her teenage crush, after his concert. Her life was complicated and she had no room for a relationship but apparently Eli didn’t get the memo. I loved the way Eli pursued Heather – not in an overbearing, creepy way but with persistent charm and humor. What started as attraction and infatuation turned into something deeper and I loved watching these two get to know each other, trust each other, and make room for each other in their lives. I appreciated Heather’s selflessness and her devotion to her sister and Eli was an absolute sweetheart who understood Heather’s situation and did everything he could to make her life easier. Both of them were dealing with serious matters in their personal lives and those led to some truly emotional moments that had me tearing up more than once. There’s no doubt I’ll be reading more from Corinne Michaels after this gem.

The Queen of Nothing gave me more of what I loved about The Folk of the Air trilogy – the scheming, the plotting, the machinations – and then amped it up a notch by delivering more of what I wanted: more Jude + Cardan. The changes in them both over the course of the series were so subtle and so well done. These two had danced around each other for so long and the payoff here of finally – finally! – seeing them open up to one another and come together was epic. They truly came into their own here. But it’s not like Holly Black dropped the action in order to focus on the characters. There was still all the danger, the trickery, the twists, the situations I thought for sure there was no way out of. The pacing was nonstop and I enjoyed every minute of the ride. (Side note: Kudos to Black for creating some of the best morally gray (and downright villainous) characters ever and not feel the need to redeem them. *fist bump to Holly*) 

MALICE by Pintip Dunn | 2.75-3 STARS
I’ll start by saying that Malice wasn’t a good fit for me from the start. But Entangled sent me a shiny, new hardcover in a pretty PR box so I felt obligated to read it. So there’s that. While the premise is interesting – girl hears voice of her older self, telling her that a classmate will wipe out two-thirds of a population with a virus and enlists her help to stop him – the execution left me wanting. Main character Alice was way too willing to believe the voice in her head and was prepared to go to extreme lengths without ever really exploring other options. Plus, there were just too many events that were so unrealistic (even outside the time travel aspect) and outlandish that it lost any shred of believability. The reveal of the virus maker was a dud since it was glaringly obvious from early on. Side character Bandit was the bright spot. 


Have you read any of these books?


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Top Ten Tuesday: The Pastel Edition

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 
The Pastel Edition

This week's actual topic is about authors on social media but that's just not going to work for me. Because when it comes to social media I'm basically MIA. #1) It's a time thing. There are only so many hours in a day for me to spend on the fun stuff. Spending time with The Husband, reading, blogging (and all that entails). And social media just doesn't come close to making that list. It's a total time suck that I don't have time for. 


And #2) basically, I just can't be bothered. LOL The fact is, I don't want to spend my time on social media. I'm sure there are benefits galore but at the risk of sounding completely out of touch, I really don't care about social media. And other than the odd tweet here and there, or an even less frequent pic on Instagram, I'm oblivious to it all. And I like it that way. :) 


Sooo, all that to say I'm switching up this week's topic. Ha! And since spring is right around the corner (technically anyway, because it's definitely already spring here in Florida) I'm sharing my favorite pastel book covers. Very springy, no?

Have you read any of these books?


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The Sunday Post #198


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 things we have received, and share news about what is
coming up on your blog in the week ahead. You can find the info here:
Sunday Post Meme

  • It felt like all I heard about all week was Coronavirus. It even eclipsed election news which is saying something.
  • The Husband surprised me with AirPods recently. I'd been wanting them but, in typical fashion, wouldn't spend the money and instead bought a cheap (like $20 cheap) imitation. At Home Depot of all places. LOL They worked about as well as you would expect for $20. But now I am loving my AirPods so... thank you, Robert! ♥ 
  • We went to see comedian John Caparulo last night and had a great time. My mom, my younger sister and her husband went, too, so that made it more fun. This clip is an old one but it has some of my favorite bits in it.
  • Hopefully everyone remembered to turn their clocks forward last night/this morning. I am so not a fan of Daylight Savings Time. First, it's just not supposed to be daylight at 9 PM. That's just wrong. And secondly, why do we even have DST anymore? I mean, really, what's the point? Can't we just ditch it? I know there's been talk for years about doing away with it but it never seems to go anywhere. I'd be all for it. 

WHAT I COMPLETED IN THE LAST WEEK:
WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING: 
    

The Honey-Don't List - Christina Lauren

KINDLE BOOKS:
    

Nine - T.M. Frazier 
Perfect Love Story - Natasha Madison 
Forever Mine - Kennedy Fox





How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share? 
I'd love to hear about it!
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Review: STILL (Grip #2) by Kennedy Ryan

STILL
Kennedy Ryan
Publication date: September 24, 2017
Series: Grip #2
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: Audio book
Source: Hoopla
5 Stars

GOODREADS  







S Y N O P S I S

**STILL is the conclusion of Grip & Bristol's emotional journey. You must read FLOW, the prequel, and GRIP, book 1 before beginning STILL**
I'll be there.
Through thick and thin.
Ride or die.
You can count on me.

The promises people make.
The vows we take.
Assumptions of the heart.
Emotion tells us how we feel, but life...life has a way of plunging us in boiling water, burning away our illusions, testing our faith, trying our convictions.
Love floating is a butterfly, but love tested is an anchor.

For Grip and Bristol,
Love started at the top of the world
On a Ferris wheel under the stars
But when that love is tested, will they fly or fall?

M Y   T H O U G H T S

Still is one of those books that, when I finished it, I knew I would never be able to come up with words that would do it justice. It was jaw-droppingly good. Kennedy Ryan is amazingly gifted and has a talent for story telling that is, for me, almost unrivaled. Emotional, gripping, and utterly realistic. She creates characters that are so fully realized, so flawed, and so passionate. Combined with her powerful writing, her poetry, and her attention to detail, it all culminates in a one of a kind reading experience.

Grip and Bristol faced new challenges in Still. Grip’s career was skyrocketing, Bristol continued to represent the latest and greatest at Prodigy, and Grip’s focus was pulled more and more to the issues of social injustice that were his passion. Forced to confront those who would condemn their relationship, they found themselves continually looking inward and counting on their deep commitment to see them through. They loved deeper, they fought harder, and they faced challenges that tested the very fabric of their connection.


If I thought I loved Flow and Grip (the prequel and the first book), Still took it all to the next level. The characters I loved cemented themselves in my heart and I loved with them, struggled with them, and cried with them. Bristol’s never-ending compassion continued to be both her strength and her weakness. Again and again, she was willing to overlook petty jealousies and cruelties, to rise above, and extend an open hand and build bridges. I loved and admired this about her. And her unconditional love for Grip, her iron will when it came to loving him and defending him, was her strength.

When I thought of my husband, I didn’t dream in color, I dreamt in character.

And then there was Grip. He owned me. A musician, a rapper, a poet. A man of conviction, who saw hard truths and was willing to not only speak them but work to change them. His desire to do more, be more, to keep learning, to effect change. His openness, his patience, his utter devotion to Bristol – he was the best kind of man.

I’ll never forget this moment when, through the abject fear and despair and exhaustion saturating her eyes, I glimpse her trust in me. It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever received.

There were moments during Still that my heart beat quicker at the passion between Bristol and Grip. Moments that I practically melted from the way Grip expressed his love for Bristol. Moments when I fumed over the small-minded hatred they encountered. And moments when I had tears running down my face for the unbelievable heartache they endured. Still delivered it all.

My eyes will never stray.
My heart will never wander,
gladly leashed to you all my days.
I am fixed on you.

Kennedy Ryan writes more than just a love story. She manages to interweave social issues, poetry, humor and heart and combines it all to make a story that is vast and rich and relevant. Still was smart and thought-provoking, beautiful and gritty - and completely unforgettable.


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Monthly Wrap Up | February 2020


WHAT HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY
  • January was the longest month ever and then February passed in the blink of an eye. Time is trippy.
  • We got a brief taste of winter in February - and by brief I mean like, two days - but otherwise Florida decided to skip winter this year and move right on to spring. And, on a few days, even summer. This is not good. I am not ready. 
  • Things at the office felt unusually busy all month. Not bad, just busy. As the EA, there are at times some interesting things that fall within my purview. Last month one of those things was coordinating tickets for The Players Championship, an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It's a huge event that takes place locally and they switched to all mobile ticketing this year. So a lot of my workdays were actually taken up with working on the distribution of golf tournament tickets. LOL Never a dull moment. :)
  • I enjoyed the three day weekend mid-month but the downside is that there's now a long drought in holidays until late May. (Thankfully a week of R&R will happen before then.)
  • Lastly, we had an unexpected visit from family in North Carolina at the tail end of the month. It made for a hectic weekend, but it was also great to see them and we had a good time together.

WHAT I READ IN FEBRUARY


I read nine books in February and, considering that I was finally coming out of a months-long reading slump, and it was a short month, it felt like a huge success. There were a couple duds but overall I had some awesome reads and continued to feel like I wanted to just dive into all my books and read everything I own. :)

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black | 4.25 stars
Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas | 4.25 stars
Come Back for Me* by Corinne Michaels | 4 stars
Great and Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros | 4.25 stars
The Music of What Happens* by Bill Konigsberg | 4 stars
Epic by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy | 4.5 stars
Malice by Pintip Dunn | 3 stars
The Dark Light of Day* by T.M. Frazier | 4 stars
Scandalous Billionaire* by Sierra Cartwright | 2 stars
(* denotes an audio book)

FORMATS
Total Read: 9
4 physical books
4 audiobooks
1 e-book
(1 ARC: Great and Precious Things)

TOP OF THE HEAP
Epic and The Queen of Nothing
It was kind of a foregone conclusion that I would love Epic. I mean, it's Wes and Jamie. It's #Wesmie! I adored this visit with two of my favorite guys. My only issue: it was too short and I wanted more. The Queen of Nothing gave me just what I wanted after two books of slow burn: more Jude + Cardan. The scheming and plotting continued but I also got all the feels that I wanted.

THE ONE THAT MADE ME WANT TO HUG A CHARACTER
The Music of What Happens
I picked up the audio version of The Music of What Happens after reading Sam's review. It was equal parts sweet and funny and heartbreaking. Max and Jordan were so different but brought out the best in each other. They were also both struggling with issues that hurt my heart and made me want to just hug them and make it all better. 

THE ONE THAT WAS JUST WHAT I WANTED
The Dark Light of Day
Toward the end of the month I found myself craving something dark and twisted. Just some really messed up characters doing really messed up stuff. Oh, hello, T.M. Frazier, and thank for for totally delivering. The Dark Light of Day was exactly what I was looking for. I was totally sucked into Abby's world and the more twisted things got the happier I was. It definitely had me itching to read more from Frazier.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE BLOG
I had 15 blog posts in January and shared eight reviews: 
I shared some of my five star predictions, the fictional characters I would follow on social media, and the books that gave me a serious book hangover. I also took part in the Favorite Things giveaway and was happy to gift several winners with signed copies of books. 

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING




WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ IN FEBRUARY?

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