WWW Wednesday #125 | May 10, 2023

 

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

Just share your answers to three questions:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you'll read next?

What are you currently reading?

     

Kindle: Smokeshow by Abbi Glines

Audio: You Can't Kiss the Nanny, Brady Banks by Piper Rayne

Currently reading: I swore I was done with Abbi Glines a few years ago, and

haven't read anything from her since. Then Smokeshow comes along and my interest 

was piqued. Hopefully this doesn't turn into a hate read (as they last couple I read from 

Glines did). I just started it this morning so I'll see how it goes.

Current progress: 12%

Currently listening: Piper Rayne is my go-to when I want something lighter. This 

second book in the Kingsmen Football series is already shaping up to be a good time.

Current progress: 14%

What did you recently finish reading?

      

Audio: Echoes of You by Catherine Cowles - ★★★★

Kindle: Declaration of Courtship by Nalini Singh - ★★★★.5

Recently listened to: Echoes of You was a great continuation of the Lost & Found series. 

I loved getting Nash and Maddie's story. I've gotta say, though, it's a good thing that 

the small town of Cedar Ridge is fictional, because all the crazy killers seem to gather 

there. LOL

Recently read: Declaration of Courtship may not be a full length novel, but it's one 

of my favorite entries in the Psy-Changeling series yet! I could not love Cooper and 

Grace more and their dynamic was *chef's kiss.* 

What do you think you'll read next?

      

I'm feeling the itch to head back into the Hades Hangmen world, so 

Deep Redemption will likely be my next read.

What are you reading today?

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Recent Additions To My TBR

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This Week's Top Ten Tuesday Topic:

10 Most Recent Additions To My TBR

 

This week's prompt is actually the books I recommend most to others, but I don't really make recommendations that often. I mean, if I review a book and enjoyed it, I guess it goes without saying that I would recommend it. But specifically recommending books to others? Very rare. So instead, I'm sharing the most recent additions to my TBR. 

 

1. Ravensong - T.J. Klune

2. Bad Mother - Mia Sheridan

3. None of This Is True - Lisa Jewell

4. Forbidden Hearts - Corinne Michaels

5. Coach - Devney Perry

6. Here With Me - Brooke Montgomery

7. The Breakaway - Jennifer Weiner

8. Strange Sally Diamond - Liz Nugent

9. Into the Tide - Laura Pavlov

10. Meet Me at the Lake - Carley Fortune

Have you read any of these books?

Are any of these of your TBR?

The Sunday Post #335 | May 7, 2023

 

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.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

When I swung by Chick-fil-A Monday morning their card reader wasn't working so I ended up with a free breakfast. Nice way to start the work week. :) 

Since we didn't have a trip planned for our anniversary last week (highly unusual), we got serious about nailing down some dates and getting a getaway booked. Come early June I'll be enjoying some downtime. I'm already counting the days...

This video put a smile on my face. The interaction between Noah and Keanu is just priceless. 😊

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Good News Movement (@goodnews_movement)

This week's 80's throwback is Faith (1987) by George Michael. Enjoy!

ON THE BLOG

Tuesday May 2

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Random Books From My Shelves

Friday, May 5

Short Take Reviews: Love on the Brain & You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows

WHAT I READ

      

Audio: Say You Want Me (Hennington Brothers #2) by Corinne Michaels - 4.25★

eARC: The Sweetheart List by Jill Shalvis - 4.25★

CURRENTLY READING

Audio: Echoes of You (Lost & Found #2) by Catherine Cowles

NEW ADDITIONS

      

It's rare that I purchase hardcover books, but I actually bought two this week. This special edition of It Ends With Us was too gorgeous to pass up. And Fourth Wing, with those painted edges... be still my heart! 😍

TOTALLY RANDOM

HOW WAS YOUR WEEK?

Short Take Reviews: Love on the Brain | You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows

 

You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows

by Piper Rayne

Series: Kingsmen Football Stars #1

Tropes: second chance, enemies to lovers, professional athlete

Piper Rayne is my go-to for when I want romance without the drama and angst. You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows kicks off the Kingsmen Football Stars series (there was also a prequel novella, False Start). Lee broke Shayna's heart in college but that won't stop her from accepting her dream job as a sports therapist for a professional team, even if Lee is the star quarterback. It's been eight years and she's no longer a shy, naïve college girl. Shayna has every intention of keeping her distance but Lee has other plans.

One of my favorite aspects of a Piper Rayne book is that their characters are always so likable. Down to earth, relatable - and their actions and reactions feel completely realistic and believable. Shayna was a great example of that. Having had her heart broken (and still a little bruised) years ago by Lee, it was easy to understand why she tried to give him a wide berth and protect herself from more heartache. But Lee was determined to get back in Shayna's good graces and make amends. Even though it sometimes felt like Lee wanted forgiveness because he felt badly, and not because he genuinely understood the pain he'd caused Shayna, I still couldn't help but pull for him. I appreciated that he was willing to meet Shayna where she was, realizing that he was in no position to push for more. Shayna was smart, professional and had a good head on her shoulders. And I loved that when her job was in jeopardy, she called Lee out on his privilege and gave him a realty check. Go Shayna! Lee's teammates were a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to getting their stories. 4 stars

Love on the Brain

by Ali Hazelwood

Tropes: enemies to lovers, pining hero, STEMinist heroine

I have such mixed feelings about this one that I'm going to break out what I liked and what I didn't.

What I Liked:

* Levi! - What sweetheart. Sure he came off as grumpy and aloof (or I suppose he was meant to come off as grumpy and aloof), but it was obvious this was a seriously pining hero. And a total cinnamon roll hero. 

* Bee the quirky heroine - Bee's family background and former relationship drama made her instantly sympathetic. 

* Rocio the even quirkier sidekick - I got such a laugh from basically every scene with Rocio. And the unlikely relationship that developed? Priceless.

* The banter - I’m a sucker for good banter and Hazelwood obviously has a gift for it. The back and forth banter between Levi and Bee kept a smile on my face. 

But Not So Much: 

* Miscommunication - Least. Favorite. Trope. Ever.

* A heroine so obtuse it defied belief - For a brainy neuroscientist, Bee was unbelievably oblivious to Levi's true nature, even when his every action was in direct contradiction to her assumptions. And the longer the cluelessness continued, the less it made sense.

* Lack of subtlety - I don't claim to be a particularly observant reader who picks up on every nuance, but there wasn't a single surprise here. Every plot point felt obvious from the start (Levi's true feelings, the identity of Bee's Twitter friend, the "villain" at work).

* The 11th hour drama - So over the top and out of place. It was like, did we just step into a soap opera and I'm supposed to just go with this nonsense? That was just... no. 3.5 stars 

Note: I switched back and forth between the paperback and the audio version of Love on the Brain. Thanks again to Rachel (Waves of Fiction) for the physical copy she sent me!

Have you read either of these books?

Top Ten Tuesday: How Very Random | 10 Random Books From My Shelves

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This Week's Top Ten Tuesday Topic:

10 Random Books From My Shelves

 

Gotta love a topic that requires little to no thought. No wracking my brain on how best to interpret the prompt. This was easy-peasy and pretty fun. I have 1,710 books on my Goodreads "Read" shelf which equates to 35 pages (50 books per page). So I used a random number generator, found the corresponding page (since the actually titles cannot be numbered on the Read shelf), and chose a book at random from that page. And that means these are some truly random picks, many I haven't thought about in years. Here's my random sampling...

Note: The gif has absolutely nothing to do with today's prompt. Or books in general. But it was an easy opportunity to use a Clueless gif and that's enough for me. 😉

10 Random Books From My Shelves

 

1. The Truth About Melody Browne by Lisa Jewell - read in 2012

From way back when, before Jewell veered into domestic dramas/thrillers. And one of my super rare 5-star reads.

2. We Own Tonight by Corinne Michaels - read in 2020

The first book in Corinne's Second Time Around series, and my favorite from the series.

3. Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino - read in 2017

Loved this one. I'm sad that Carlino hasn't released anything since 2019. 

4. Once We Were Starlight by Mia Sheridan - read in 2022

Mia Sheridan always, always delivers a beautiful, emotional story. 

5. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - read in 2013

The second book I read from Rowell, and still one of my favorites from her.

6. Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty - read in 2006

I have major nostalgia for this book and the whole series.

7. Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry - read in 2016

Loved this book (and series). McGarry is about the only author that would have me pick up a YA novel these days. Unfortunately, she hasn't released a YA contemporary since 2020.

8. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - read in 1999

I remember very little about this one. And it's probably not something I would pick up now.

9. Bookends by Jane Green - read in 2003

In 2003 British chick lit was huge (just a few years post-Bridget Jones) and it was my genre of choice. This was one of my early favorites by Jane Green.

10. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine - read in 2011

The first book in the Morganville Vampire series. I loved this series and always wondered why it didn't get more attention. 

Have you read any of these books?