5 stars I received an ARC of this book from the author. I didn’t bother reading the description because it’s from Kate Meader (translation—I knew I would love it). I was not surprised to discover this is another five-star read from one of my favorite authors. Since anyone reading this review will have certainly read the description, I won’t try to be cagey and I won’t recap it. Suffice to say, Abby and Roman share sizzling hot chemistry, and despite real and imagined roadblocks, they figure out their HEA. One of the reasons I love Kate Meader’s writing is because of her voice. Characters are smart; they share clever banter and their internal conversations are even funnier. This story is told from alternating POVs of Abby and Roman and each speaks as if telling a story to a friend (along with muttered asides and clarifications). Here are some of my favorites: Abby is out with her two closest friends, Jude and Sam. She observes: “Several women are giving Sam come-hither looks (or come-on-my-face looks as Jude calls them).” After cleaning the latrines at the firehouse, Abby tells Roman she has learned that Satin Rules. When he questions her, she explains it’s “Satan’s spelling-challenged cousin.” While considering spending time with Abby, Roman thinks, “It was the best of ideas, the worst of ideas,” hearkening back to Dickens. Abby suggests they can be friends and he thinks: “Friends. Maybe that’s what I need. Someone I can talk to, who won’t judge. But I have a feeling I’d be crossing the line before the friendship bracelets are woven and wrapped around our wrists.” This image was wonderful. After one of the characters says something he clearly doesn’t mean, Abby thinks it “drips with so much sarcasm we’re practically wading in it.” And the imagery in another scene is even more impactful, the heartbreak palpable, when described by Roman: “I rub my mouth as if it can change the words about to leave my lips and shape them into something that won’t feel like broken glass in my throat.” One of Abby’s frequent places to visit is her aunt’s house, where her aunt prepares a feast to be shared with family and friends. One Sunday, Abby describes the scene. “Taytos are Irish potato chips. We’re in the living room, hoovering them up through our chip-holes while we wait for the roast to be done.” But Abby is self-deprecating in her internal conversations too. “I stand up, wiping crumbs from my thighs from the cookie Lena made me eat. Where ‘made me’ means ‘offered-and-was-gone-in-three-seconds.’” I’m fully aware that anyone else reading these quotes out of context won’t gain the full impact of them, but I probably write these reviews as much for myself as anyone else. In a few years, if I look back on this review, I’ll be pleasantly reminded of why I loved this book so much, and I’ll probably read it again. The fact that I’d be willing, nay happy, to reread this should be all the encouragement anyone needs to read it themselves. January 29, 2022
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5 stars Tangled Web: I love the best friends to lovers trope and this one delivers exceptionally well. Johnny and Katie have been best friends since middle school, both secretly in love with the other but unwilling to admit it for fear of ruining their friendship. As adults, Katie is a social worker in a job that is sucking the life out of her while Johnny enjoys the fame of being a founder and lead guitarist of Spawn (of Satan—they dropped this part of their name when they left Winchester, their hometown), a heavy metal band (Ms. Jamison’s favorite kind). As an aside, any author who can work the word “semaphoring” into her work without it seeming out of place wins high marks in my book. Both characters are endearing and relatable and it hurts to see them misunderstanding one another. I was surprised by the amount of time that transpired between their most significant misunderstanding and eventual resolution. Naturally, they figure things out, and then they can laugh about all the time they wasted. After a great deal of pain, for both of them, it’s eventually a fun story with a happy ending. Everything But: Riley made an appearance in the first Tangled Web story, as Johnny’s former friend and bandmate, and as Katie’s ex-boyfriend (long story). He didn’t come across as a very nice guy, so this story tells his story (and even his feelings about Katie and Johnny). In this one, he goes home to Winchester and meets Erin, a high school English teacher. Both have been hurt in past relationships and put a one-week expiration date on their fling. Of course, their hearts have different ideas. One of the things I liked most was when Erin lectured Riley's dad on why metal music was important to fans and even quoted Riley, driving home the truth of what she was saying. I read this book years ago (but Amazon deleted all of my reviews and I lost this one!), and I recognized it as soon as I began. Even though I remembered most of it and knew how it would end, I still found it engaging and sweet. AND I still cried at the end. Loved this story! Punctured, Bruised, and Barely Tattooed: The final book in the Tangled Web series (so far, anyway) is very different from the other two. It’s not until halfway through the story that the reader finds out how these characters, Kory and Stone, connect with the others. Of course, they’re in Winchester, but there’s more to it than that. This one is told from Kory’s POV and she never really knows how Stone feels about her. Her insecurities and baggage get in the way. Stone is surprisingly warm, affectionate, intuitive, and loving. And unlike most romances, in which a misunderstanding or outside forces conspire to keep the characters apart, the distance between Kory and Stone is the one she imposes, albeit unintentionally. The thing is, Kory needs to come to terms with the sexual abuse she experienced as a child, and Stone is the exact right person to help her do that. It’s never easy to read about abuse, but Jade Jamison handles it with care while being straightforward and avoiding unnecessary details. She conveys the severity of it without becoming maudlin and she tackles the themes of safety and trust in a way that conveys understanding and compassion. Both Stone and Kory hide secrets and as they grow in trust for one another, their sense of safety grows and they share the things they cannot share with anyone else. The book actually made me laugh a few times. First, when describing where the counselor’s office was located, the narrator said it was “next to a bank and in the same building the driver’s license people were in.” I think most people call that the DMV (Dept of Motor Vehicles). Ha! The other part that made me laugh was when Kory was admiring Stone’s many tattoos and felt thankful his dick was not also tattooed. This led her down the path of wondering…do guys need to be hard when they get tattoos and how does the tattoo artist feel about that? Then, because Stone was a tattoo artist, she wondered if he could tattoo his own dick. She didn’t voice any of this aloud but I found it hysterical, probably because I’d never given it any thought myself. The story eventually ends happily, and although it wasn’t as long-time-coming as Katie and Johnny’s or as romantically sappy as Erin and Riley’s, it was still a satisfying ending and I enjoyed it. January 27, 2022 5 stars This book starts shortly after the ending of book one. Nicki, once again, finds herself in the midst of a potential crime. She and Sean are still pretending not to have romantic feelings for one another. At this point, I think it’s safe to say that Sean shares her feelings because there’s no way he doesn’t suspect how she feels about him (unless he is blinded by his own insecurities), and if he does know how she feels and continues to flaunt his “girlfriends” in front of her, he’s not much of a friend. If I find out at some point in the future that he doesn’t see her the way she sees him, I will be disgusted with him for being so selfish and self-absorbed. Meanwhile, Nicki hooks up with another stranger in this book, has the time of her life, and moves on. By the end of the book, she’s reconsidering Sean’s other best friend, Jessie, as a potential love interest. Sean seems to be okay with that, for now. Nicki finds herself in the crosshairs of another criminal, this time, a homicidal one. And because Sean rescued her the last time, I fully expected him to be the hero again, but this time, it’s Jessie (who had just procured Nicki’s number from Sean) who claims the role. I get the sense that Sean is disappointed that Nicki didn’t call on him for help, again indicating his deep connection to her. I have enjoyed the two Nicki Sosebee books, but I’m going to take a break from the series now to read something different. I recommend this series for anyone interested in following an intrepid reporter/waitress/makeup saleswoman as she navigates learning to be a better journalist and potentially encountering deadly situations, while screwing around with various men in an effort to forget about the man she really loves. January 22, 2022 5 stars This is a fun introduction to Nick Sosebee and her circle of friends, most specifically, her best friend Sean. She secretly has a serious crush on her best friend, but their romantic relationship is doomed because of a misunderstanding eight years ago. There are hints that Sean might feel the same about Nicki, but it is frustratingly opaque, and even by the end, we still don’t know how he really feels. I’m not sure if there’s a classification for this type of book. It’s not quite a cozy mystery because Nicki’s life is way too sexually explicit for that, but the mystery involved is not super high stakes. I’m not suggesting that the threat of death is not high stakes, but the feel of it is not because the reader never really thinks something bad will happen to the leading characters. There’s no sinister villain stalking Nicki and plotting his/her attack. Nicki is likable, although there's something tragic about her too. In love with Sean, she fills her life with meaningless flings with men she may never see again. She swears she is against marriage and children, but there’s a certain element of “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” I get the sense that it’s really more about what she thinks she deserves. For now, she thinks she deserves to have hot sex with a variety of men, but even she admits it is to distract her from her feelings about Sean. I found it frustrating and hope this doesn’t go on for too long. January 17, 2022 5 stars I received an ARC of this book from the author. I think this may be my favorite Silver Brothers Securities story yet. Tristan is irresistible and Allie is presented as his perfect mate; he seems to be aware of it, while she denies it to herself for fear of being hurt. Allie was initially introduced in Billionaire Trifecta, when her partner and best friend Laura met James Silver. That will come up later in this story. Allie is driven by a desire for vengeance toward someone she witnessed (as a child) hurting her mother, and as a result, destroying their lives. Silver Securities has access to all kinds of information so Tristan knows what happened before she ever tells him. He presents her with the opportunity to slake her need for vengeance, while gently guiding her toward making the moral choice. He gives her the option of exacting her revenge or trusting him to achieve justice through legal means, all the while doing so in a non-judgmental manner. He understands how it feels to be driven by a desire for revenge and says, “I know what revenge feels like. It starts tight in your chest and squeezes until nothing else matters except changing that trajectory. You don’t experience vengeance’s wrath until it’s too late because it’s choking you. And all this time, all you needed was a change, Allie. Let me be that change for you. Revenge will come on its own.” It’s just another reason for Allie (and the reader) to fall for Tristan. To be perfectly honest, I had to stop reading at one point because the subject matter became too disturbing for me. It’s not that it was described gratuitously, but it definitely took the reader into the world of people like Jeffrey Epstein. In fact, the lead villain is named Jeff and there was talk of his private island where he transported some of the girls. The “auction” really creeped me out. I suppose this is a testament to the writing because it seemed so real to me. The story ends on a cliffhanger. Ugh! I wasn’t expecting that. On the one hand, I was furious, but on the other, I felt excited that there will be another book focused on Tristan and Allie because I’d be happy to read about their relationship indefinitely. I can’t wait for the next book in the series! January 16, 2022 5 stars I received an ARC of this book from the author. I’m a big fan of Leslie George and have read the other books in this series; I'm looking forward to the next. But since it hasn't come out yet, I’ll rate this one. Lev and Dom are twins, and early on, Lev describes their personalities as balancing each other out. He specifically states: “I guess that made me a bad influence on him, while he was a good influence on me. So, yeah, we balanced each other out.” In this story, Lev meets his soulmate, Siena. Unfortunately, Siena is married to his arch rival, Sal Romano, an evil, sociopathic killer who is looking for any excuse to torture him. Of course, Sal forced Siena to marry him and maimed her younger brother to force her hand. Now, she has a baby who Sal uses as a device to manipulate her to do whatever he wants. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t also beat her and use rape and humiliation as a tool of control. And then Siena meets Lev, on one of the few occasions Sal allows her to go out with her friend (for her birthday). Because he would never let her leave unsupervised, he has a few of his goons follow her and report her whereabouts, and that’s how he finds her talking to Lev. By then, Lev and Siena have already formed a connection and when she asks him for help to escape from Sal, he cannot refuse her. This leads to major problems because Sal knows that Lev assisted Siena, and Lev is faced with an impossible choice. There is really no other way for this book to end than with someone (or more than simply some one) dying, and the ensuing war is brutal and heartbreaking and changes things forever. The emotions expressed by each of the characters (not just Lev and Siena) are realistic and will pluck your heartstrings. It’s tough to get through this book without feeling the losses almost as keenly as anyone in the story. In fact, it’s uncertain there will even be a happy ending, but of course, eventually, there is. Zeke and Mia and Sacha and Willow make appearances. I can’t help but wonder how many more people can leave the Popov “crime” family before they lose all of their members. Perhaps, as they transition to more lawful activities, it won’t be such an issue. “Thief” is the next book in the series and this one will feature Dom. I'll be sure to read that one also. January 14, 2022 5 stars Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. Nine times out of ten, I love books from this author. This is one of those times. The plot is unusual and filled with surprises. Characters are relatable and elicit sympathy. I had requested this ARC several months ago and since I know I'm more likely to enjoy one of Ms. Barnes' books than not, I didn't feel it necessary to read the overview before starting. As a result, I really wasn't sure what to expect. Reading a book like this one is a reminder of just how far women have come, and a warning against allowing anyone to infringe upon our rights. Mina and George, best friends since childhood, are married, but their marriage is one of convenience and contains no passion. From the beginning, it's clear George married Mina to save her daughter from illegitimacy. Now, Mina wants to repay the favor by divorcing him and allowing him to marry the woman he loves, who is now pregnant. Initially, George refuses, but eventually, he succumbs to her insistence. I hadn't realized just how harrowing an experience it would be for Mina. Divorce was illegal and the only way to obtain one was to have witnesses in court swear that Mina had been unfaithful to George. This harrowing and humiliating public ordeal drags on for more than two years, during which time James Dale watches the proceedings and develops a disgust for Mina commensurate with the initial attraction he had felt for her the first time they were introduced. Fate intervenes in an unexpected manner to force them to spend time together, during which time James comes to realize he completely misjudged Mina. The only problem is, her reputation is so shredded, it seems beyond repair. **POTENTIAL SPOILER (but only a little one)** After the initial challenge of James broadening his mind to see Mina in a new light, and Mina's hesitancy to trust James because he is a barrister and she fears going to jail for perjury, they now face what may be an even bigger obstacle--changing the minds of the ton. Here, James' skill as a barrister works to persuade most of their peers of the unfairness of condemning Mina for her (assumed) behavior, when her husband was guilty of much more. But the key is that James is willing to walk away and experience life as an outcast if it means being with her. Mina learns to trust and value her own happiness (instead of putting everyone else first), while James also learns to trust (that not all women are like his deceased wife) and to recognize how unimportant the acceptance of others actually is when it conflicts with your own happiness. It's a sweet story with multiple happy endings for multiple characters, including George and his new wife Fiona (and their children), and Cynthia (Mina's daughter) and Michael (James' son). In fact, there's enough here to create additional stories following each of these characters. I would certainly enjoy them. January 13, 2022 5 stars I received an ARC of this book from the author and I’m so thankful. I got sucked into this story in a way I didn’t with Crave. There was something about the pacing and the intensity of it that kept pulling me forward, uncontrollably. It was amazing. As usual, there are some great quotes from this book. Harrison King and Raegan make an appearance and Harrison tells Sawyer: “The right woman doesn’t only soften your rough edges. She files a few of them into blades.” Olivia describes Sawyer as a “dark god who casually brings mortals to their knees, benevolent enough to make sure they delight in their submission.” Later, she observes: “Sawyer’s going to kill Adam. He’ll rip him in half and hide the body parts in the gardens. Scratch that. The way he looks, he’s not going to bother hiding the body.” And the banter between Sawyer and Olivia is priceless: “Tell you what. Next Thursday night, I’ll find us a place. You’re mine all night long. You need to catch up on my lessons.” “It’s midterms, Professor. Girl’s got to study.” “I’ll drill you.” I cock my head. “On my flashcards?” “Anywhere you want, Cherry.” Without spoiling anything, I feel like I have to point out a couple of things that bothered me. If I received a specific amount of money and was relying upon that money for something important, I wouldn’t offer the full amount immediately to get something else slightly less important. I’d negotiate something much smaller and work my way up, if necessary. It made me mad when Olivia just blurted out the entire amount. What if the other person had tried to negotiate for more? It was dumb. I also found the foreshadowing for the cliffhanger ending a bit heavy-handed and unbelievable. Olivia actually has the audacity to think: “There’s no way Sawyer’s going to let me down.” Since she has been so worried about this all along and has only recently started to allow herself to trust him, I just shook my head in disbelief. I know there’s a cliffhanger, and I’m fairly certain it involves Sawyer letting her down. The closer to the end I read, the more I felt the lurking presence of something that was going to crush me. I was getting uptight just thinking about it. Sometimes, I cannot handle the stress of a cliffhanger, especially one of Piper Lawson’s making. She is an evil genius in that regard. So, at the end of Chapter 26, when there was a point of calmness, I stopped. It’s a cheat, a hack, if you will. By stopping before the end, I’m avoiding the cliffhanger. Stupid as it sounds, I think it’s working for me. I feel unusually peaceful. And when book three is released, I’ll read the end of this one. :) Meanwhile, I’m going to go ahead and recommend the entire series. January 9, 2022 5 stars Sidney Bristol is a great storyteller, but I wish she’d get a better editor. I’ve certainly encountered worse editing, but because she is a great writer, I expect great editing, and unfortunately, we don’t get that. The story is told in third-person past-tense, which is perfect for this particular story. The narrator easily jumps from one POV to the other, realistically relating their doubts, while also getting into the heads of a few villains. The third-person voice allows her to give an overhead view of all that is transpiring because the main characters cannot know about it. It was very well done. As usual, the plot itself is gripping and original with lots of tension and action. And even though she writes stories set in a particular world, focusing on a variety of previously peripheral characters, every book ends with its own happy ending. This is the story of Erin Lopez and Riley Smith of Aegis Group, Lepta Team. Riley has been a side character in previous Lepta Team books. Also, he’s the brother of Casey Smith, the cop in Ransom (another series of hers). That was pretty cool. Some of their banter was amusing and this is one example that made me laugh: “Oh, God.” She dropped her forehead to the cushion. “Put in a good word for me?” Despite the humorous question, his voice was strained. And I loved this description when Riley was hit by a bullet. It’s described as “...a freight train the size of a peanut…” In summary, I’d recommend reading this book. January 7, 2022 5 stars I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Based on the writing, I can honestly say I would be thrilled to read another book from this author. The characters of Max and Lydia are wonderful, with Max continually surprising me with his observational skills, his kindness, and his wordsmithing. Lydia is resourceful, intelligent, confident, yet hesitant to allow herself to love. Both are realistically described and relatable. Both have alter-egos, which I thought was a clever point of similarity. Both are surprisingly open and fluid in their sexuality, which would have been considered shocking during this time period. It still is, if I'm being honest. The plot is unusual and I loved some of the descriptions, especially how the theatre lights work and Lydia's skill at "fortune-telling." Max's father is the perfect real-life villain, totally self-absorbed and irredeemable. It would be difficult not to root for his demise. Overall, I found this to be a story well-told and well-written, with likable and relatable characters (mostly). One of the things I appreciated most was there was nary a sign of the nobility. I truly enjoy historical fiction, but why must almost every one of them revolve around finding a Duke? This story was about regular people who were exceptional for who they were, not what they were. I definitely recommend reading it. January 6, 2022 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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