That One Day (That One Series 1.5) by Josie Wright

Photo Credit: Goodreads

4 Stars

One day.
One letter.
That’s all it took for my life to fall apart. Now all that’s left is deception and betrayal. I don’t know who I am anymore. I don’t know who to trust.

So I leave, searching for the truth hidden behind a web of lies.

The only thing I take with me, besides a bag of clothes, is the memory of one night. That one night with Frankie, my best friend’s little sister. The woman I have loved as long as I can remember.

The memory is what keeps me going when I learn the truth. It’s what keeps me sane when I feel like I’m losing my mind. And, it's what drives me back to a life I ran from eighteen months ago.

Yet, nothing is the way it used to be. Frankie has a secret. One that changes everything. Changes who I am. Letting her go is not an option. I have to make her trust me. I need to make her mine.

But I have a secret of my own. One that keeps me awake at night. A secret that could make me lose Frankie forever. It’s not a chance I can take.

Not suitable for under 18's due to strong language, violence and sexual content
*Though this book can be read as a standalone, it's recommended to read 'That One Night' first to get the full picture.
 

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My Thoughts: I give this book a very strong four stars.
   I had the opportunity to 'Beta Read' this book. It was my first experience as a beta reader and I look forward to doing it again someday. Josie is a delight to work with. As a blogger, I have had some authors that are not at all receptive to any sort of critique, but Josie not only welcomed my questions after reading book one of this series, she appreciated them and came back to ask me to beta for her. I was completely honored.

   Now for the book review-- as an avid reader I often find myself reading the POV flips of books I have read and loved. Some authors hit the mark and some are so so far off. Josie definitely hit the mark. I enjoyed this story from Frankie's POV, the ups and downs, her heartbreak and her falling in love with Ben all over again. But I felt Ben had a much deeper story to tell. There was so much going on in the background that we didn't know anything about while reading 'That One Night' and I am so glad that Josie took the opportunity to write Ben's side of the story. Good luck with you new release Josie!

Also available from this series

That One Night (That One Series Book 1)

See my review for That One Night by clicking HERE

Review: The Bourbon Kings by JR Ward

Credit: Goodreads

5 Stars

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal.... 

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.


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Now is the time when I try and write a coherent review. Which will then be followed by loquaciousness via ~I 

   My thoughts: I think I had set my expectations really high for this series. I probably shouldn't have, because that usually only ends in disaster, but this book not only met them but surpassed them.
   I will start by saying that the first (maybe) 20% of this book is a little slow going. You are meeting new characters and getting familiar with the settings etc. But once the initial "introduction" is out of the way- BAM off we go.
   This book was amazing. It was unputdownable for me.

• Drama
• Scandal
• Backstabbing
• Snobbery
• Intrigue
• Did I mention scandal

   But more than that, at the heart of this is a cast of some really great characters. The ones you love, the ones you know you will love to hate, the ones that you hope are killed off by the end of each chapter.

   I cried while reading this book. Hell, I sobbed while reading this book. I felt real hate while reading this book. I also felt unconditional love while reading this book. I talked out loud to these characters, I gasp, I held my breath and I realized there is a fine line between "Fangirl" and "Psychotic" and then..... I rejected that line. 

   I NEED book two, like, physically, NEED it. I have so many thoughts and theories and things going on in my head. I honestly can not remember the last time I have been this way over a new series. The speculations are endless. I want to keep this review spoiler free so I will bring it to an end. 

   But first I want to say this..... If you were reluctant to get this book because it's not her usual Paranormal, or even something as simple as the higher eBook price, I would strongly advise you go ahead an get it. The book is worth the price and you will not miss the paranormal aspect. It is fantastic.

Happy Reading!!

~S

And now for the review that actually covers the story (FACE PALM) unlike some people ^^.

 Thoughts by ~I: It’s safe to say that most of you know that we are J.R. Ward’s super fans… As such I waited for this book with much hope and a little trepidation. I mean I am accustomed to extreme vampire sexiness.. could she hold my attention by writing a story about mere mortals??? UMMM Hello! This is J.R. Ward….. ABSOLUTELY…

I will not lie. The beginning of this book was slow going but expected I mean we are being introduced to everyone. It’s also a little misleading.. The main character, Lane is presented as the epitome of a rich bachelor. Poker, booze, and women seem like the norm for him until he gets the phone call that he is needed at home… Enter DRAMA…

We are introduced to Lizzie, (Lane’s HEA) the horticulturist … I laughed at this… of course she’s the gardener LOL  and his family which includes his childhood nanny (who he considers his mother) and GASP his wife.. yeah you HEARD me.. WIFE…. Insert MAJOR side eye on this one…. Internally I was like… this CAN NOT BE.. I never root for the homewrecker *picture my palm on my forehead and me shaking my head…* but I pressed on and immediately felt better.

The drama, lies, backstory and character development made this book amazing! Ten minutes in I was crying because you could feel the love and loyalty between certain characters followed by anger and despair towards the manipulative and deceitful ones… I’m looking at you Chantal AND CREW….

These characters are flawed and some seem damaged beyond repair but there is a glimmer of hope and resilience within them that I am dying to see develop.


~I

Hashtags by ~I
#hotsammie
#wheresmaxwell
#shoveltotheface
#haveseveralseats

#preciousboy

Review: Eternally North by Tillie Cole

Credit: Goodreads

3 Stars

Natasha Munro is your typical twenty eight year old girl, well, your typical twenty eight year old Geordie: curvy, fun and a whole load of fab-u-lous. Her life is all going to plan — good job, great friends, close family and a loving boyfriend — until an unexpected event turns everything on its head.

Nursing a broken heart and decked head to toe in tasselled chaps and rhinestones, Natasha and her flamboyant fairy of a gay best friend, Tink, uproot from their Northern nest, throw caution to the wind and embark on a new life together in Canada — the land of Rocky mountains, Maple Syrup, oh, and an ‘in-between movies’ Hollywood mega-star.

Enter infamous bad-boy of the big screen, Tudor North.

Bonafide hunk and actor-extraordinaire.

Tudor is big, brooding and gorgeous and is harbouring a deep secret. Tudor’s cold and intimidating demeanour successfully keeps everyone at bay, that is everyone but a certain Ms Munro. It soon becomes clear, what with her smart mouth and lusciously ample arse, that Natasha proves more than a match for the emotionally distant star.

Will Natasha and Tink settle into their new life abroad?

Will Natasha ever find her fairytale happy ending?

Can a movie star and an ordinary girl ever really make it work?

Or will the secrets lurking in Tudor`s past threaten her chance at happiness?

Addictive, hilarious and heart warming. A fast paced comedic journey of self discovery, unyielding friendship and of course, a suitable dose of slap and tickle.

Warning: contains a foul-mouthed voluptuous Brit, a self-named 'Friggin' Fantastic Fairy’ and an abundance of bulging muscles and tattoos.

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My thoughts; I enjoyed this story but I was now WOW'd by it. At some points I felt like I had read it before and at others I was really into it and loving the characters. 

This book was recommended to me as 'hilariously funny', but I found it mildly amusing at certain parts and actual out loud giggle worthy at others. I think it is a matter of your own personality. I think the main issue I had was the believe-ability at certain parts. Would this person say this or react this way? Is it plausible for these people to come together this quickly with barely having had a real conversation? Does it make sense that I just read 50% of the book before there is any mention of the heroine having a pretty significant medical condition? I think the concept of the story was spot on but the author was lacking with the PUNCH. 

I really did enjoy the story and I read it quite quickly. It kept me entertained even when I was having the "snobby reader" moments from the previous paragraph. I did see that this book is listed as Book One. but I see no mention of a book two. The way this book ends I feel that it could be left to stand on its own. However, the author did leave an opening to write more if she chooses. I am on the fence as to whether I would continue with the series if/when she chooses to write another book.

~S

Review: Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire

Credit: Goodreads

4 Stars

If A Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever. But what if he didn't love you, first?

No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case.

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI.

Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all.

In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.


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My Thoughts; Let me begin by saying how happy I am that this book (unlike the others) was not set in the exact same time and place as Beautiful Disaster/Walking Disaster/Beautiful Oblivion. I mean you can only tell the same story so many time before people lose interest. That doesn't mean that I didn't love the aforementioned books, but I was ready for a change of scenery. Cue Thomas Maddox *eyebrow wiggle*.

In true Maddox fashion he came along and stole my heart. I love him more than Trent, but not even close to as much as Travis. I do miss the 'stay up all night and devour the story' feeling I got when I first read Beautiful Disaster, but I am completely infatuated with the other Maddox boys. I look forward to reading Book 3, Beautiful Sacrifice, said to be about Taylor Maddox. There is not a synopsis at this time.

Review: Bound by Flames (Night Prince 3) by Jeaniene Frost

Credit: Goodreads

5 Stars

Play with fire, pay the price.

Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin…

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does…for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both…








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My Thoughts; I am absolutely in love with this series and characters. I don't even know how to write out how I feel. 

  I have been reading Jeaniene Frost for a few years now; beginning with the Night Huntress series, where I eventually met Vlad Tepesh (swoon). I have sat on ready for every single one of the books in this series. This one, however, is by far my favorite to date. This series (and its companions) are also my introduction into the world of audio books. My very first Audible book ever was This Side of the Grave, narrated by Tavia Gilbert. I have to say that she is fantastic, and her narration brings a completely new level to the books themselves. Try them, you will not be disappointed.

  I have cried and laughed and gasped and held my breath. They are never boring and always keep you on the edge of your seat. And did I mention.... VLAD TEPESH??

If you are a fan of vampires, or just paranormal in general, I highly recommend this series of books.  It is intertwined with another series so there could be a spoiler here and there. If you are interested in discovering this multi-series experience from the beginning check out the reading order listed... *HERE.

*Author recommended reading order for Night Huntress universe: (copied from Author's website linked above)

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE

AT GRAVE’S END

DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE

FIRST DROP OF CRIMSON

ETERNAL KISS OF DARKNESS

THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE

ONE GRAVE AT A TIME

ONCE BURNED

TWICE TEMPTED

UP FROM THE GRAVE

BOUND BY FLAMES 

~S

Review: Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Credit: Goodreads

5 Stars

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

THIS IS A STAND-ALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY SAGITTARIUS. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

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My thoughts; This is going to go straight into my highly recommended category. When I finished this book I held my iPad to my chest and just loved it a little longer. I wish I had a million well written words as to why you should read this book but all I have is.....

thoughts

feels

reasons

more thoughts

 all of the feels 

and

so many reasons

Please read this book and love it the way I love it. I showered love onto my book group friends who recommended to me and I am paying it forward by recommending it to everyone. 

I know this review is vague and I am sorry but the truth is, I want you all to experience it the way I did, going in blind and coming out in love. I had never before read one of Sheridan's books, and this will not be the last.

~S

Review: A Hidden Fire (Elemental Mysteries, Book 1) by Elizabeth Hunter

Credit: Goodreads

4 Stars

"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers. It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.

Please not at the time of posting this link the book was free on Amazon. 

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My Thoughts; I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. A friend recommended it to me (Thanks Janne!), she was reading the series and said that it was going on the list of her favorite vampire series. Well, that immediately had me intrigued. I added to Goodreads so I wouldn't forget and swore I would come back to it. 

*ahem* I forgot. 

So, Janne sent me a message one day and told me the book was available for FREE on Amazon, I immediately grabbed it so I would have it in front of my face each time I opened my Kindle. I was between books and had vowed that I would not buy another until the next book I was waiting on released. So, I picked this one up instead.

I will admit that the beginning was a little slow getting into it, maybe three chapters before I was hooked. I once again found myself enjoying the different take on the vampires and the added touch of elemental magic. I was almost leery at first because it was a tiny bit like House of Night (PC Cast), where each vampire has an affinity for an element but it was also completely different. I will also go ahead and throw this out there aqs well.... there is one scene that is EXTREMELY Twilight ("I know what you are...," you know the one!) Even though this scene is almost identical in some respects I will say that if you have read twilight, and you are giving it the same "look" I was, please just read it and let it be forgotten. This book is well worth the read. I look forward to reading the rest of the series sooner rather than later.

~S