Top Ten Tuesday: The Books I Loved But Never Reviewed

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


This Week's Top Ten Tuesday topic:

Books I Loved But Never Reviewed



As soon as I saw this week's topic, I knew I wouldn't have a problem with it. Because I have a big issue with not reviewing books that I love. Actually there are two reasons why a book I've read is not reviewed. One is pretty basic and I'm sure everyone can relate: I have every intention of reviewing it but it just hasn't happened yet. I mean, that's pretty universal, right? But then there's reason number two: the books I loved but have never reviewed. There are those books that I loved so much, that made such an impact on me, or were just generally that good, that I feel completely inadequate when it comes to writing a review. Sometimes I attempt it, but I freeze up and can't find the words. I feel unable to do the book justice. It's almost as if I'd be doing such a special book a disservice by not delivering a stellar review.


Five Books I Loved But Haven't Reviewed... Just Because I'm Super Busy Lazy

    
 

The Kingmaker - Kennedy Ryan

Boyfriend Material - Alexis Hall

The Family Upstairs - Lisa Jewell

Regretting You - Colleen Hoover

King - T.M. Frazier


Five Books I Loved But Haven't Reviewed... and Possibly Never Will (because I loved them immensely and cannot speak coherently about them)

    

Long Shot - Kennedy Ryan

Some Kind of Perfect - Krista & Becca Ritchie

It Ends With Us - Colleen Hoover

Archer's Voice

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things - Bryn Greenwood


Have you read any of these books?

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The Sunday Post #220

 

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. 
I've been in total hockey mode all week and it's been awesome. The playoff qualifying rounds have been exciting and both my teams (Tampa Lightning and St. Louis Blues) are doing well. The Blues play in the last qualifying game this afternoon so no calls after 3 pm, okay? ;)

Hurricane Isaias missed us completely and the northeast ended up getting the brunt of it. If you were in its path, I hope you fared okay! We had some severe thunderstorms roll through this week and those ended up impacting us more than the hurricane. Go figure.

I had a meeting (FaceTime) with my boss this week and it looks like I might not be back back in the office until October. The company is waiting until after the start of school to see what impact that is going to have on the number of positive cases. If that's the deciding factor, I'm betting it will be well past October before I see the office again. I do not foresee the return to school being successful.

I had my first haircut since February yesterday. And it was ridiculous how over-the-top happy it made me. LOL I haven't been comfortable going to the salon but I was also ready to start hacking my hair off myself. I talked to my stylist about the safety measures they had in place and felt good about it. It was nice to have even that small taste of normalcy.

I'm taking part in the August of Books Giveaway so if you haven't entered yet you can do that HERE. You could win a book of your choice and who wouldn't want that? :)

Today's 80's music fix is You Spin Me Round  (1984) by Dead or Alive. For no other reason that just because it was a fun song.


Monday, August 3

Tuesday, August 4

Wednesday, August 5

Friday, August 7

WHAT I COMPLETED IN THE LAST WEEK

     


WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING



PHYSICAL BOOKS


Virgin River - Robyn Carr

KINDLE BOOKS

     



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





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Review: Broken Hollywood by Lora Richardson (#YA #NewRelease)

BROKEN HOLLYWOOD
Lora Richardson
Publication date: August 13, 2020
Series: Sparrow Sisters Book 1
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Author
4 Stars


You all know how highly I think of Lora Richardson and her refreshingly sweet and authentic YA contemporaries. I love how she stays true to her brand of YA, which always features small town settings, genuine characters, loving families and supportive friends, and sweet romance. With Broken Hollywood, Richardson shifts into upper YA with characters that are a little older, but still with a coming of age theme. Broken Hollywood is the first in a trilogy with each book focusing on one of the Sparrow sisters. I highly recommend grabbing this one when it releases on August 13th!

S Y N O P S I S

He’s a movie star who needs a break from fame. Lucky for him, she has no idea who he is.

Catherine Sparrow is obsessed with caves. She spends nearly every day at Alden Caverns with Otto, her eighty-year-old best friend. Known to most of the boys in town as Cave Girl, Cat long ago decided to leave dating to her sisters. But then Otto’s gorgeous grandson Jesse arrives.

Jesse Relic, the hottest movie star in Hollywood, needs to get out of LA. Burdened by guilt and weighed down by sorrow, he runs to the only person who can possibly help him get his life in order, his grandfather Otto. Hoping to hide from the world in his grandfather’s caves, he does not expect to find a beautiful, intriguing woman working there. The best part? She doesn’t recognize him.

While hiking a passage of the cave together, Jesse and Cat are trapped inside when she injures her knee. The intensity of their predicament ignites sparks in the tiny cavern. As they grow closer, Jesse knows he has to tell Cat he’s an actor. But she loves her simple, quiet life, and his life as a celebrity is louder than most. If he tells her the truth, will he lose her forever?

Broken Hollywood is the first book in the Sparrow Sisters Series. If you want an intense slow-burn romance that will make your heart race, you’ll enjoy this celebrity meets ordinary girl love story!

M Y   T H O U G H T S

At nineteen years old, Cat was right where she wanted to be. Deciding that college wasn't for her, and having no desire to leave her small town, Cat was happiest when she was at the caverns, the local attraction where she worked. The owner, Otto, was a combination of boss, best friend, and surrogate grandfather. When Otto's grandson Jesse arrived unexpectedly at the start of the summer, Cat was initially wary but they soon formed a friendship that seemed to have the potential for so much more. When Jesse's secret is revealed, Cat has to decide between the safety of her small town and taking a leap into in a world that is totally unfamiliar. 

Cat was such a sweet girl and so easy to like. My favorite thing about her was how well she knew herself and what she wanted. She had the courage to go against what was expected of her (heading to college right after high school) and forge her own path instead. Having spent nearly ever day at the caverns since she was eleven years old, they were both her passion and where she felt most at home. 
At twenty-four, Jesse had become a household name as an actor but a tragic accident left him reeling and feeling unmoored. He retreated to the small town of Alden, Indiana and the grandfather he hadn't seen in years. He found a place where he could grieve in peace and just be himself. Meeting Cat was just what he needed and her forthright nature pushed him to open up. 

Jesse and Cat balanced each other so well. She was practical and liked to have a plan; he was more spontaneous and willing to go with the flow. They became such a great support system for one another and I loved their talks and they way they truly listened to one another. When Cat realized that being a part of Jesse's life meant leaving her comfort zone, he never pushed her but instead promised to be by her side and support her when she was feeling unsure.

Lora Richardson has a real gift at creating characters who are genuine and earnest and completely without artifice. They come from small towns and care about family and friends. It's a refreshing change from the jaded, hipster, mature-beyond-their-years characters in so many contemporary YA novels. Broken Hollywood delivered a coming of age story with a side of sweet romance. And, as always, Richardson has me coming back for more.

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.

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WWW Wednesday #99 | August 5, 2020



We had a big storm roll through last night and so much rain came down so quickly that flood warnings were issued. Thankfully there was no flooding in my immediate area but the power did flicker several times. Losing power would have been lame because no A/C would be so miserable, even for a short time. It is *so* hot here this week - 95 degrees every day with almost 100% humidity. Ugh!

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

     


Currently reading: I'm about three-quarters through Blood to Dust and it's been pretty entertaining. It's pretty over-the-top but I'm rolling with it. These two main characters are both pretty messed up but they seem to be finding what they need in each other. This is definitely dark and the violence is crazy but overall I'm enjoying it.
Current progress: 77%

Currently listening: First, this is one long audio book! At 12 hours and 30 minutes it's taking me a long time to get through it (especially since I no longer have a daily commute). But I really am enjoying it and I'm knee-deep in the complicated relationships of these characters. I'm not sure audio was the way to go with this one since the narrator's voice has a breathy, girlish quality that just doesn't seem to fit, but I'm able to get past it for the most part. I might switch to Kindle, though, when I continue the trilogy.
Current progress: 79%

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
Want You to Want Me was just what I needed after a couple of dark and angsty reads. It was fun to get lost in Nolan and Gabi's story and I loved their banter. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?
  
      

No idea what's up next. I might continue with the New Camelot trilogy and pick up American Prince. I might shift back to the King series and read All the Rage. Or I might decide I need a break from intense reads and go for something lighter. I'll have to search my shelves for that, though, because "lighter" is not my go-to kind of read and it'll take some time to find one. LOL

What are you currently reading?
I wanna know! :)
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Top Ten Tuesday: Rainbow Edition (Books with Colors in the Title)

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


This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 
Rainbow Edition: Books with Colors in the Titles

For some reason I assumed this week's topic would be a breeze. So color me  (see what I did there?) surprised when I had to dig deep into my GoodReads shelf to find ten books I've read with a color in the title. We're talking very deep... like, I had gone through so many pages in my Read shelf that I was all the back to 2008. But I did find 10 of them so I win. :)



Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - Judith Kerr

Twice in a Blue Moon - Christina Lauren

Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L. James

Red at Night - Katie McGarry

Black Dawn - Rachel Caine

Beige - Cecil Castalucci

White Hot Kiss - Jennifer L. Armentrout

Sugar & Gold - Emma Scott

Written in Red - Anne Bishop


Have you read any of these books?
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