Review: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: January 2022

Gemma's life is just about perfect. She has a great job she loves, she has a supportive, meddling family, and she has just started to date a nice guy. But there is one thing she wants, that she may never be able to have, a baby. For medical reasons, she is unable to conceive and is finally ready to find out if motherhood is a possibility or not. Se doesn't want a random sperm donor, so she decides on her brother's best friend Josh Lewenthal. She doesn't want or need a relationship with him, she just wants his sperm.

Thanks to Swift & Lewis and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review this book.

This was a good Rom-Com. I could totally see this as a movie. Taking place in NYC and the suburbs, this book has everything you could want. The overly supportive mother, the long standing crush on the brother's best friend., the "perfect" older sister, friends in the same boat, an asshole boss, and the nosy coworker.

Overall this was a good book. This is the first I've read by this author, but I think I will read another. This one made me laugh and cry a bit as well. If you're a rom-com fan, you will definitely enjoy this book.

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Review: The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: April 2021

Norman is a 12-year-old boy who has a five-year plan with his best friend Jax, to do their comedy routine at the Edinburgh Fringe. When Jax dies unexpectedly, Norman has to forge his own way without Jax. He revises the five-year plan to go to the festival this year. With the help of his mother, Sadie, and family friend, Leonard, he is on a quest to find his father and perform a comedy routine. The journey will not be easy for any involved, but hopefully, it will bring them something that they all need.

Thank you to Mira/Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Norman is covered in psoriasis and keeps mostly to himself. But he and Jax are "the bloody Rolls-bloody-Royce of bloody best friends." They look out for each other. Jax's death is not only hard on Norman, but also on Sadie. She's not used to having to entertain Norman and Jax always kept her up to date of what was going on with them when Norman would forget his phone.

Norman is a loveable character. You instantly feel for him and want to take him under your wing. Leonard is another loveable character. He's the grandpa we all wish we had. Sadie has a lot going on in her head which doesn't help with her mothering. She has her own hangups with her father which has transferred to fear for her son.

Will they be able to accomplish the goal of finding Norman's father and having Norman perform at the Fringe?

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Review: Silence Is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar

Silence Is a Sense by Layla AlAmmar

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: March 2021

As a Syrian refugee now living in Englan, The Voiceless observes the world around her and writes about it. She can see the neighbors in other flats and has names for them all. When the violence that took her from her home erupts in her new neighborhood, she has to make a stand somehow. But how can she do that without a voice?

Thank you to Algonquin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have no idea what it would be like to be forced from your home because of violence. Having to travel by any means necessary, go through unthinkable trials, just to land in a place where you don't know anyone. You don't know what has become of your family and friends and really don't have a way to find out. Maybe this is why she became voiceless.

“A fierce novel… Layla AlAmmar has skillfully woven a narrative of memory and grief with an illuminating social critique of the position of asylum seekers within contemporary British society. It is daring and devastating.” —Fiona Mozley, Booker-finalist author of Elmet and Hot Stew 

 “Kuwaiti writer AlAmmar explores trauma and voicelessness through fragmented narrative form and a mute protagonist who has survived the war in Syria and is now living in isolation in the UK.” —The Millions 

 “With a powerful prose, AlAmmar pens a story about a young woman traumatized into muteness after a dangerous trip from war-torn Syria to the UK.” — Palm Beach Daily News 

 “Evocative… The conflicts over immigration and racism are brilliantly distilled, and they dovetail seamlessly with the narrator’s lyrical, increasingly defiant narration. Patient readers will find much to ponder.” —Publishers Weekly

Even leaving Syria didn't keep her from the violence against her people. Others want her to write more about these experiences, but she doesn't want to reveal who she really is. While this story takes place in England, this could have taken place anywhere in the world. With the news in our country at this time about Asian-Americans being targeted for violence. Whenever something bad happens in our country, those who are associated with the country, faith, race, that the incident stemmed from, tend to get all of the rage against the injustice. Even though it has nothing to do with them.

Here is a quote from this book, that I think is important for us all(taken from uncorrected proof): "We are one being. All of us. You are not made any differently than I am. And these religions of ours are nothing but languages. You speak English, I speak Punjabi, he speaks French, she speaks Japanese or Chinese, but we all say the same thing. These religions, they are words, only a language. Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, we are all saying the same thing. Your humanity and my humanity are the same. We are of one being, one value. All of us equal, all of us the same."

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Review: To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan

To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: March 2021

For her entire life, Evie Ross has felt alone. Her mother was a wanderer, leaving her and her sister Suda Kaye with their grandfather, Toko, on the reservation. Her father was in the military and didn't spend too much time at home when he was off of deployment. Her sister was much like their mother and had just decided to settle down after 10 years of wandering around herself after the death of their mother. Now all Evie has left are a stack of letters from her mother and her thoughts of always being left behind. When her childhood crush makes a declaration that he wants to be hers, it makes Evie even more confused about the state of her life right now. Will she be able to put the past behind her and make room in her lonely life for Milo or will she continue to be alone.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I wasn't expecting this to be a mostly romance story when I started reading it, so I wasn't prepared for that being the main focus of the story. I was disappointed that the parts I was looking forward to, mother/daughter relationships, were not prevalent, instead, it was quite repetitive. Overall I enjoyed the story and may have given it more stars if I knew it was romanced centered. The description talks about a secret the mother had been hiding, but that isn’t even mentioned until the last part of the book.

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Review: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Published: December 2019

Meg has just been named, The Planner of New York City, for her custom planners. She writes out the lives and plans of the rich and famous in lettering and colors that are perfect for them. She also does this in their homes and stationary. But she has decided that she is done with weddings ever since the last one where she hid a message in the program. No one would have noticed the message, except for her. Except, someone did notice, the groom and now he's back in the store to confront her about it.

I read this as part of #TogetherWeRead

At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book. I wasn't sure where the story was going to go. There was a part at the end that had a twist that I really didn't see coming. I was really drawn to the character of Reid (the groom that found the hidden message in the program) because he was very quirky and for a while, I thought he may have Autism. He was very invested in his job that dealt with numbers. Numbers were his thing while letters were Megs. I liked the way their relationship develops and the twists and turns that came about to see if they were going to actually end up together.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I will read others by this author.

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Review: You Have a Match by Emma Lord

You Have a Match by Emma Lord
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Published: January 2021

When Abby takes a DNA test to be supportive of her best friend, Leo, she is shocked by the results. She has a full-blooded sister out there that she knew nothing about. With the help of her friends, she finds her sister, Savannah, and makes plans for them to get together over the summer. They are determined to find out what happened since they are so close in age. Will they be able to find out the secrets of the past? Will they be able to be friends and sisters in the future?

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What would you do if you found out you had a full-blooded sibling that you knew nothing about. You're almost an adult and there is another person out there who shares your DNA. Abby is shocked and determined to find out the truth of what is going on. Why did her parents give Savannah up for adoption? Why didn't they tell her? How will they feel when they find out she knows? What about Savannah's parents, will they allow them to have a relationship?

This book has a little bit of everything, but at the core is getting to know a sister. Learning more about yourself and your family. There is also teenage love and LGQBT+ relationships. There are friendships that are tested and familiar relationships that are drawn closer. This is the second book I have read by Emma Lord and I have enjoyed them all. I hope you will give them a try, I'm sure you will as well.

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Review: Forgiven by Garrett Leigh

Forgiven by Garrett Leigh

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: Jan. 2021

Mia has just returned to her hometown of Rushmere to open her own flower shop. She'll be living with her brother Gus. Little does she know, Luke, the man who broke her heart 10 years ago is also back in town. Her brother works for him. Will they be able to rekindle their romance, or will the pain of heartbreak be too much to overcome.

Thank you to Carina & Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

We all have that one lover who broke our hearts without an explanation. What would you do if you saw them again? Would old sparks reignite or would the pain remain? For Mia and Luke, they were both broken hearted and confused by the other's actions. Luke fled to the Navy, and Mia to France. Unfortunately, being apart didn't make the hurt go away. No one they dated or married could compare either.

I like second chance romances, but this one just missed the mark for me. I'm not sure if it was because of the repetition or what. Mia and Luke would see each other around town and with just a look there was an attitude issue. Neither one of them can say what is on their mind and admit how much they have feelings for each other now and how much they loved each other in the past.

This is the first book in a series and the first book I have read by this author. The next book in the series, Unforgotten will be released next month (Feb.2021).

EXCERPT

Mia Amour. Her name had haunted me so much my bunkmate had once found me sleep-scrawling it on our cabin wall. He thought it had meant something—that I was writing a message from another dimension in a language he didn’t understand—but the reality had been far more simple: even on the other side of the world, I couldn’t get her out of my head.

Somehow, though, over time, I’d forgotten what her eyes did to me. How they could root me to the spot with a single glance and empty my mind of anything but her. Mia. I counted my heartbeats as they thundered in my ears. One, two, three, four. And then she tore her stormy blue gaze away from mine and walked out of the chip shop.

I reached for the empty space she left behind, and my faculties slowly returned to me as her footsteps echoed in my shell-shocked brain. As drawn to her as I’d always been, I drifted after her, but when I got outside, she was gone.

A thousand emotions warred in my gut, but the age-old frustration was so familiar I felt sick. Fucking Mia Amour. Deep down, I’d always hated her as much as I’d loved her, because there was no one else on earth who could make my heart pound like she did, my palms sweat, and my fingers tremble.

Cursing, I hauled myself back into the van. Gus followed a moment later, an open bag of chips in each hand. “Where’d you get to? It was your turn to buy tea.”

I tossed him a crumpled-up fiver. “Why didn’t you tell me your sister was in town?”

“Oh fuck.” Gus held out a bag of chips, then set it on the dashboard when I made no move to claim it. “Are we really doing this?”

I gave him a flat look.

He sighed. “Fuck’s sake. Why would I tell you? You two aren’t exactly friends, and you haven’t been a couple since I was fourteen and nicking Mayfair Lights from her school bag.”

Shit, had it been that long? Why was it that just a glimpse of her face could set me back a decade? The weight in my chest increased and I started the van, gunning the rickety diesel engine with a roar. “Either way, a fucking heads-up would’ve been nice.”

“But why, though?” Gus pointed a chip at me. “You want her number so you can catch up on old times?”

I wondered if he’d actually give it to me. Then pictured myself calling Mia and her reaction to hearing my voice for the first time in ten long years.

A legit shudder passed through me. I was done torturing myself for putting my family first, for giving up my entire life to keep a roof over my mum’s head, but that didn’t make the obvious anger in Mia’s eyes easier to bear. Her temper had fascinated seventeen-year-old me—sometimes I’d wound her up on purpose, just to revel in her flushed skin and sharp tongue—but I didn’t have the stones to take it now. My Mia angst tolerance was at an all-time complacent low.

“Luke?”

I spared Gus another glare. “What?”

“Can I eat your chips?”

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Review: Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks

Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks

My Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Published: August 2020
 

Daisy and Simon tried for years to conceive a child. When Millie comes along, it's nothing short of a miracle. When Millie is six, Simon is ready to have another child, but Daisy isn't interested. She agrees, though, to go to the fertility clinic with Simon to see what their chances are of conceiving. Simon meets with the fertility doctor and learns some news that sends him into a downward spiral. When an unforgivable accident occurs, will it destroy their little family forever or will the lies that have been hidden for years do it?

Thank you to MIRA/Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is another book that was good in spurts. It starts with a quote that gives you an idea of how the book is going to go. "He'd never admit as much, but we've been together seventeen years and I know him better than he knows himself." Usually when I read something like that, my first thought it, "No you don't ..." What I thought was going to happen in this book, did not happen at all. I was surprised by every lie that was revealed. Getting to those lies though was a tough road. If you are reading this book and struggling, I urge you to keep with it as it is totally worth it in the end.

You always think it's going to be the husband who is going to be the bad guy in a book like this. Simon does a lot of awful things, most of which he doesn't remember because of his drinking. I don't want to give too much of the story away, you will just have to read it to find out who is holding all the Lies, Lies, Lies.

**Trigger Warnings: Alcoholism, abuse, rape, harm to children**

EXCERPT

Prologue

May 1976

Simon was six years old when he first tasted beer.

He was bathed and ready for bed wearing soft pyjamas, even though it was light outside; still early. Other kids were in the street, playing on their bikes, kicking a football. He could hear them through the open window, although he couldn’t see them because the blinds were closed. His daddy didn’t like the evening light glaring on the TV screen, his mummy didn’t like the neighbours looking in; keeping the room dark was something they agreed on.

His mummy didn’t like a lot of things: wasted food, messy bedrooms, Daddy driving too fast, his sister throwing a tantrum in public. Mummy liked ‘having standards’. He didn’t know what that meant, exactly. There was a standard-bearer at Cubs; he was a big boy and got to wave the flag at the front of the parade, but his mummy didn’t have a flag, so it was unclear. What was clear was that she didn’t like him to be in the street after six o’clock. She thought it was common. He wasn’t sure what common was either, something to do with having fun. She bathed him straight after tea and made him put on pyjamas, so that he couldn’t sneak outside.

He didn’t know what his daddy didn’t like, just what he did like. His daddy was always thirsty and liked a drink. When he was thirsty he was grumpy and when he had a drink, he laughed a lot. His daddy was an accountant and like to count in lots of different ways: “a swift one’, “a cold one’, and ‘one more for the road’. Sometimes Simon though his daddy was lying when he said he was an accountant; most likely, he was a pirate or a wizard. He said to people, “Pick your poison’, which sounded like something pirates might say, and he liked to drink, “the hair of a dog’ in the morning at the weekends, which was definitely a spell. Simon asked his mummy about it once and she told him to stop being silly and never to say those silly things outside the house.

He had been playing with his Etch A Sketch, which was only two months old and was a birthday present. Having seen it advertised on TV, Simon had begged for it, but it was disappointing. Just two silly knobs making lines that went up and down, side to side. Limited. Boring. He was bored. The furniture in the room was organised so all of it was pointing at the TV which was blaring but not interesting. The news. His parents liked watching the news, but he didn’t. His father was nursing a can of the grown ups’ pop that Simon was never allowed. The pop that smelt like nothing else, fruity and dark and tempting.

“Can I have a sip?” he asked.

“Don’t be silly, Simon,” his mother interjected. “You’re far too young. Beer is for daddies.” He thought she said ‘daddies’, but she might have said ‘baddies’.

His father put the can to his lips, glared at his mother, cold. A look that said, “Shut up woman, this is man’s business.” His mother had blushed, looked away as though she couldn’t stand to watch, but she held her tongue. Perhaps she thought the bitterness wouldn’t be to his taste, that one sip would put him off. He didn’t like the taste. But he enjoyed the collusion. He didn’t know that word then, but he instinctively understood the thrill. He and his daddy drinking grown ups’ pop! His father had looked satisfied when he swallowed back the first mouthful, then pushed for a second. He looked almost proud. Simon tasted the aluminium can, the snappy biting bitter bubbles and it lit a fuse.

After that, in the mornings, Simon would sometimes get up early, before Mummy or Daddy or his little sister, and he’d dash around the house before school, tidying up. He’d open the curtains, empty the ashtrays, clear away the discarded cans. Invariably his mother went to bed before his father. Perhaps she didn’t want to have to watch him drink himself into a stupor every night, perhaps she hoped denying him an audience might take away some of the fun for him, some of the need. She never saw just how bad the place looked by the time his father staggered upstairs to bed. Simon knew it was important that she didn’t see that particular brand of chaos.

Occasionally there would be a small amount of beer left in one of the cans. Simon would slurp it back. He found he liked the flat, forbidden, taste just as much as the fizzy hit of fresh beer. He’d throw open a window, so the cigarette smoke and the secrets could drift away. When his mother came downstairs, she would smile at him and thank him for tidying up.

“You’re a good boy, Simon,” she’d say with some relief. And no idea.

When there weren’t dregs to be slugged, he sometimes opened a new can. Threw half of it down his throat before eating his breakfast. His father never kept count.

Some people say their favourite smell is freshly baked bread, others say coffee or a campfire. From a very young age, few scents could pop Simon’s nerve endings like the scent of beer.

The promise of it.

Excerpted from Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks, Copyright © 2020 by Adele Parks. 

Published by MIRA Books

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Audio Book Review: One Good Deed by David Baldacci

One Good Deed by David Baldacci
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: July 2019

Aloysius Archer has just been released from prison for a crime he didn't commit. When he has to do his probation in Poca City, he's in for a lot more than he bargained for. Rules, a job, women, the list is endless. When the guy he took a job from ends up dead, Archer is the number one suspect. He'll do whatever he can not to go back to prison an innocent man. Set in 1949, Archer is a veteran of World War II and he is just trying to find his way in this world. Will Poca City be a stepping stone or a stopping point?

I really enjoy listening to David Baldacci's books. Even though historical fiction isn't one of my favorite genres, this book drew me in from the beginning. I had to see what was going to happen with Archer and how he was going to get himself out of the situations he got in to.

Women is what always seems to get Archer in trouble and Poca City has a couple of women who will leave him on his toes.


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Blog Tour Review: Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee

Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: Feb. 2020


Book description TEMPORARY WIFE TEMPTATION:
Much more than he bargained for…
“You want me to find you a wife?”
“No. I want you to be my wife.”
Garrett Song is this close to taking the reins of his family’s LA fashion empire…until the Song matriarch insists he marry her handpicked bride first. To block her matchmaking, he recruits Natalie Sobol to pose as his wife. She needs a fake spouse as badly as he does. But when passion burns down their chaste agreement, the flames could destroy them all…
 

Natalie Sobol has just become the temporary Vice President of Human Resources at the Hansol Company, a fashion company run by the Song family. She would really like to make this her permanent position as it will help her to secure the future of her niece who she is trying to adopt. One of her first duties of the job is to have the soon-to-be CEO, Garrett Song to sign his transfer paperwork. Even though they have communicated with each other via email and over the phone, they have never met each other in person and she is not disappointed when she does. The feeling is mutual on Garrett's side as well. When Garrett finds that marrying through an arranged marriage is a condition of him becoming CEO, he tells his grandmother that he has already found a wife. Marrying Natalie could help them both, but will they be able to just pretend to be married, or will it lead to something more?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book I read in 24 hours. I had to see what was going to happen with Natalie and Garrett. Even though they are initially attracted to each other, being married, but secretly not really wanting to be is proving harder than they anticipated. They spend a lot of time at home, so that they aren't seen together, but that doesn't work all the time. When they are together, people can see their chemistry.

This was a cute couple who liked to live by their own rules. Garrett is used to having a different woman in his bed, but with Natalie, he is not longer interested. There is something about her that is nothing like other women he knows. I really enjoyed this love story and I am looking forward to reading more books by Jayci Lee.



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About the author JAYCI LEE: Jayci Lee writes poignant, funny, and sexy romance. She lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction. She is semi-retired from her 15-year career as a defense litigator, and writes full-time now. She loves food, wine, and travelling, just like her characters. Books have always helped her grow, dream, and heal. She hopes her books will do the same for you.

EXCERPT:

Garrett resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder to check on her. Natalie was a grown woman and he didn’t need to protect her from being swarmed by admirers. Besides, she was the one who had proposed they refrain from other relationships, so she wouldn’t do anything to hurt his reputation or hers.

Earlier, at her apartment, he’d caught fire at the sight of her in her little black dress. It was demure compared to the one she’d worn at Le Rêve, but it hugged her hourglass figure and highlighted the curves underneath just enough to tease his imagination.

He walked to the bar for his Scotch and grabbed a flute of champagne from a server on his way back. As he’d anticipated, Natalie was now surrounded by a group of men and he lengthened his strides to reach her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, sweetheart.” He pressed a light kiss on her lips and handed her the champagne.

“Thank you.” She leaned her head against his shoulder when he pulled her to his side, playing her part like a pro.

“Natalie was just taking us to task about USC’s new head coach. It seems neither he nor I truly understand college football,” said one of Mike’s college friends.

“Is that so?” Garrett raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged.

“Taking you to task is a bit harsh.” She hid her grin against the rim of her champagne flute as she took a long sip. “It’s just that I have a better understanding than you guys.”

The audience winced and guffawed at her cheekiness. As Natalie continued with her lecture, all the men listened intently, as did Garrett. She was funny and down-to-earth, and her mind was quicker than lightning. Lost in her words, Garrett belatedly noticed the crowd had grown. Her champagne glass was depleted and her smile was becoming strained.

He leaned down close to her ear. “Tired?”

“And hungry.”

“All right, gentlemen. I’m whisking away my date now. I’m tired of sharing her.”

When the crowd finally dispersed, Natalie slumped against him with a groan. “I need food, champagne and somewhere to sit.”

A server walked over with a tray of bacon-wrapped shrimp and Natalie snatched a couple of them. She popped one in her mouth and mumbled around her food, “Not necessarily in that order.”

Garrett laughed and guided her toward the French doors leading out to the garden. Natalie ate every single hors d’oeuvre she met along the way and finished another glass of champagne.

“Holy cow. Is everything really, really delicious, or am I just famished? I would totally go back for that crab cake if my feet weren’t screaming at me to get my butt on a chair.”

He glanced down at her zebra-print high heels. They did amazing things for her legs but didn’t look remotely comfortable. “There’s a bench around the corner.” 

“Oh, thank God.” She kicked off her shoes as soon as she plopped onto the seat.

Garrett shrugged out of his jacket and draped it around her shoulders before sitting next to her.

“Thank you,” she murmured, gazing at the garden. “It’s so beautiful out here.”

“Is it?” He and Mike had grown up tearing apart that very garden, but Garrett had never sat still and taken it all in, like they were doing now. “I guess you’re right.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

He studied her profile, her high, regal cheekbone and the graceful curve of her neck. Half of her hair had escaped the loose knot behind her head and fell down her back and shoulders. He wanted to sweep aside her hair and feel the softness of her skin, which he absolutely should not do.

“So how do you know so much about college football?” He tore his gaze away from her and stared at an old maple tree ahead of him, hard enough to make his eyes water.

“Long story.”

“We’ve got time.” He made a show of checking his watch. “I’ll give you ten minutes.”

Her laughter filled the garden, then ended on a wistful sigh. “My dad and I, we weren’t very close. The only time he didn’t mind my company was when we watched college football together. He was a huge fan. I don’t think he even noticed I was sitting there half the time.”

Garrett understood what that felt like. As soon as he finished graduate school, he’d thrown himself into his work. It was satisfying in its predictability and it created a common ground for him and his father. His dad had stepped down from the CEO position when his mom died, but returned to Hansol a few years later as an executive VP.

“I thought if I learned enough about the sport, he’d like me a little better.” Her shrug told him it hadn’t worked, but Natalie told her story without an ounce of self-pity—like she owned her past, hurt and all. His respect for her deepened. “But soon I noticed I wasn’t faking my enthusiasm anymore. I’d grown to love the sport. Who knew it’d come in handy at an intimate birthday party for a hundred people?”

“You certainly won over quite a few of them.”

“I did?” Her eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise.

He huffed out a laugh. “Why did you think that crowd was hanging on to your every word?”

“Watch yourself, Garrett Song.” Natalie narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at him. “I know where you live.”

He snatched her hand and tugged her to her feet. “Yes, and you’ll be living there with me starting Sunday.”

“Ugh.” She hooked an index finger in each of her shoes, not bothering to put them back on. “Do you ever stop thinking about work?”

“Yes.” He cocked his head and pretended to consider her question. “But only when I’m thoroughly distracted.”

Her lashes fluttered and color saturated her cheeks, and his gut clenched with heat. She could definitely become his most dangerous distraction.

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Audio Book Review: Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: April 2019
 

On the first day of law school, Kailyn runs, literally, into her crush, Daxton Hughes. They spend the next few years trying to one up each other for the best in class. There was always a bit of tension between them that never went anywhere, but by the end of law school, Kailyn was no longer crushing on Daxton. Now five years after law school has ended, they are both working for successful law firms. Daxton doesn't even recognize Kailyn when he and his parents walk into her office to do a trust for his younger sister. Seeing him stirs up all kinds of emotions in Kailyn she's not sure how to respond to. When a few months later, Daxton's parents die in a tragic car accident and Kailyn become curator for his sister, they will start spending more and more time together and their feelings for each other are definitely going to change.


Helena Hunting is becoming on of my favorite romance authors. This book wasn't quite as good as the others I have read, but I enjoyed it all the same. I had picked up the book at the library a few weeks ago. My son had a class at the library and I thought it was only an hour long and had planned to spend that hour browsing the library bookstore, which I did. Then I found out the class was 2 hours long and I was there with nothing but my phone which I really don't like to read on. So I picked this up and read for an hour while I waited. I really got invested in the story, but then didn't pick it back up since I had other books I was already reading. When it became available on audio, I quickly picked it up.

What I liked about the book is the story as a whole. It's a cute romance book that will leave you with a smile on your face. A lot of the plot is predictable, but it reminded me of a Hallmark or Lifetime movie that you would watch.

What would you do if your arch enemy walked into your office, and his face was on your desk? You see Daxton Hughes was a child TV star of Kailyn's favorite show. And she has t-shirts, mugs and posters with his face all over them. Then the theme song to his show starts to play and then ... you seem like an obsessed fan girl instead of the competent lawyer you are. But Kailyn isn't ashamed of her fan girl title and it's one of the things Daxton grows to love about her. When he is forced to raise his 13 year old sister following their parents death, it's Kailyn that helps them both through the tough time, since it was something she had also experienced in her past.

Another enjoyable book.

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Review: Before We Were Wicked by Eric Jerome Dickey

Before We Were Wicked by Eric Jerome Dickey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: April 2019
Ken Swift Series #2
 

Ken Swift is a young college kid, just trying to pay his way through school and life without having enormous debt. His job isn't exactly on the legal side, but it helps him to survive and once he's done with school, this job will be done too. When he is working one night at Club Fetish, reminding the owner that he still owes for his thriving club, he meets Jimi Lee. Jimi Lee is a beautiful Ethiopian woman who he can't keep his eyes off of. She feels the connection too and before long they are at his apartment dancing in other ways. Even though Ken is forbidden fruit in the eyes of Jimi's strick Ethiopian family, she can't stay away from him and soon enough, she'll be joined to him forever.

Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is Book 2 in the Ken Swift series by Eric Jerome Dickey, but it's a prequel to Book 1, so I think it's fine to read this one before. It's been a while since I've read an EJD book, but I was looking forward to this one. I will soon be reading the first book because I'm very curious to know what is going to happen next.

I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture in this book and talking with those in my community, I can see that what I read is accurate. I also learned about colorism within the black community. This is something I wasn't expecting. I was taught to love all people regardless of the color of their skin.

There were several times in this book where I wanted to jump in and smack Jimi Lee. She was really an evil woman. While Ken's job wasn't the most upstanding, he himself was a very good man and in my opinion he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was treated by Jimi Lee.

I look forward to reading book 1 and any other books in this series.

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Review: Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer

Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Published: April 2019
 

Meghan Gerard is sick. There is no rational explanation for why she keeps getting sick. She has seen countless doctors and she has no diagnosis. Is she making herself sick, is her mother making her sick? What is going on in this girl's life that is making her body shut down. After finding a doctor that may have finally found out what is wrong with Meghan, other doctors are convinced that it's all in her head or her mother is experiencing Munchausen by proxy. What is real and what is psychosomatic?

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was really looking forward to this book. For me it started off a little slow. Building up the the point of interest. Can you imagine what you would do if your child was sick and there was nothing you could do make them better? What if YOU were accused of being the reason why your child was sick? For the Gerard family, Meghan's health is at the focus of everything. Her parents, Becky and Carl, blame each other for Meghan's problems as well.

Even though the first part of this book started off slowly, it did pick up toward the end. Then I devoured the rest of it, staying up late to finish. I had no idea how this story was going to end up and for that it boosted the star rating.

Who is to blame for Meghan's health?  Is it Becky, her mother, who was forced as a child to lie and cheat the system saying that her mother was ill in order to continue to receive disability checks.  Is it Carl, the father who thinks that Becky is just too smothering and needs to give Meghan a break from all the doctor visits.  Or is is Meghan herself, finding ways to keep the attention on herself?  The reality is very shocking.


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