Review: Mind Virus by Charles Kowalski

Mind Virus

by Charles Kowalski

Publisher: Literary Wanderlust

Pages: 338

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Robin Fox, peace-loving professor of world religions, wants only to leave his dark past as a military interrogator behind him. But when an unknown suspect tries to disperse a deadly virus in downtown Washington, Fox is unwillingly drawn back into the shadowy world of intelligence.

The FBI and CIA automatically suspect Islamic terrorists, but Fox digs deeper to discover the far more frightening truth: a global conspiracy to eradicate all religion from the face of the earth.

From Washington to Jerusalem, from Rome to London, Fox must use all his skills to stop devastating attacks on the world's holiest sites on their holiest days.

Kritters Thoughts:  With the world that we live in now and religious zealots doing all sorts of things, this book fits in right here and right now.  Robin Fox is the head of an institute that strives each day to move the world to a more peaceful state, no matter what religion you adhere to or even if you don't, Fox wants peace for everyone.  With an attack in the states trying to discredit religion, Fox is brought in to try to get to the bottom of it.

Let me start by saying, I was a religious studies major in college, so the study of religion and society is my jam and add a little political intrigue and no matter what side of the political fence you are on you can admit that the entire world is a little nutty right now.  

I loved the character of Robin Fox.  I love his continual pursuit of finding the truth, but with the least violent means necessary.  I loved how he walked the reader through his steps and I felt was though I was completely in his mind and thoughts and wasn't left out of the dark for any reason.  I knew what was happening as he encountered it - I like being kept in the loop!

I would compare this book to a Dan Brown book.  In both books, you are on a quest to find clues and they both have linked the clues to religious texts and such.  I felt as though the pacing was similar in that once I start a Dan Brown it is hard to put down and the same was for this one, I read this book in two sittings because once I started down a path I wanted to find out where it would end.  

I am a fan of Charles Kowalski and could see myself reading more of his, especially if they are like this one!


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2017 Challenge: 20 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Another quiet week at work and a weekend full of pool time and read time!
A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

Monticello by Sally Cabot Gunning
Mind Virus by Charles Kowalski
I  Need a Lifeguard Everywhere But the Pool
by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Newsmakers by Lis Wiehl
The Candidate by Lisa Wiehl

Currently Reading:

The Separatists by Lis Wiehl

Next on the TBR pile:

The Bookshop at Water's End by Patti Callahan Henry

Review: The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

The Cafe by the Sea

by Jenny Colgan

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 416

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Years ago, Flora fled the quiet Scottish island where she grew up -- and she hasn't looked back. What would she have done on Mure? It's a place where everyone has known her all her life, where no one will let her forget the past. In bright, bustling London, she can be anonymous, ambitious... and hopelessly in love with her boss.

But when fate brings Flora back to the island, she's suddenly swept once more into life with her brothers -- all strapping, loud, and seemingly incapable of basic housework -- and her father. Yet even amid the chaos of their reunion, Flora discovers a passion for cooking -- and find herself restoring dusty little pink-fronted shop on the harbour: a café by the sea.

But with the seasons changing, Flora must come to terms with past mistakes -- and work out exactly where her future lies...


Kritters Thoughts:  Let me start by saying that I have read quite a few of Jenny Colgan's books and have loved all of them, for a few reasons this one didn't leave up to the rest and I just didn't love it.  

Flora fled her home town like a lot of young people do to get an education and then a job.  Funny enough, her job has taken her back to her small hometown on a Scottish island and she must help a client get some things settled for their latest venture.  She is returning home with her head low because she has thoughts that she departed abruptly and everyone in this small town is upset about it - are they?

Don't get me wrong, I love a small town girl returning home story any day, but there were some problems that made me not fall in love with this one.  I didn't love the love triangle at all.  I won't spoil as to who is in the triangle with her, but I just didn't care for that part of the plot, I could have done without it completely.  I would have liked her to go home and get the job done and maybe love didn't need to throw in there.

Flora the character herself wasn't completely on point for me either.  At times she was fierce and authoritative and on point and then you turn the page and she is wishy washy and all over the place, I know that a person can be both, but she was too all over the place for me.  

This won't keep me from reading Jenny Colgan's next book because I have definitely loved her others and looking at her writing as a whole I more often like than dislike.  


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Until it Fades by KA Tucker

Until it Fades

by KA Tucker

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.

And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.

For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.

Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades?


Kritters Thoughts:  I am completely surprised to write this, but this is my first KA Tucker book and I now regret the truth of that statement because let me spoil my review - I loved it!

A young single mom is a waitress just trying to make it paycheck to paycheck and after a disastrous blind date she comes upon an accident and makes a big decision to risk her life to help a stranger and this one act will change the course of her life.  

What a great book.  I loved the characters - they felt so real.  I loved the story/plot - it was sweet but not sappy.  I loved the setting - how fun to read about hockey based in a big hockey town.  I loved it all.  This was such a fun read in a great chair sitting by the pool during a summer weekend.  

Let me warn you that there are a few sexy time moments, but they work in this book and fit completely in that particular moment in the story.  If you tend to shy away from romance reads, try this one out - it has way more story and isn't completely predictable like most in that genre, but this one does have a few bedroom scenes!

After reading this book, I must get to reading some more KA Tucker, do you know where I should go next?


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2017 Challenge: 18 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Happy Fourth of July!

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Happy Fourth of July to you all.  

I hope that each of you are enjoying this holiday with family and friends.

Review: Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani

Kiss Carlo

by Adriana Trigiani

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 544

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: HarperCollins

Goodreads:  It’s 1949 and South Philadelphia bursts with opportunity during the post-war boom. The Palazzini Cab Company & Western Union Telegraph Office, owned and operated by Dominic Palazzini and his three sons, is flourishing: business is good, they’re surrounded by sympathetic wives and daughters-in-law, with grandchildren on the way. But a decades-long feud that split Dominic and his brother Mike and their once-close families sets the stage for a re-match. 

Amidst the hoopla, the arrival of an urgent telegram from Italy upends the life of Nicky Castone (Dominic and his wife’s orphaned nephew) who lives and works with his Uncle Dom and his family. Nicky decides, at 30, that he wants more—more than just a job driving Car #4 and more than his longtime fiancée Peachy DePino, a bookkeeper, can offer. When he admits to his fiancée that he’s been secretly moonlighting at the local Shakespeare theater company, Nicky finds himself drawn to the stage, its colorful players and to the determined Calla Borelli, who inherited the enterprise from her father, Nicky must choose between the conventional life his family expects of him or chart a new course and risk losing everything he cherishes.


Kritters Thoughts:  Let me start by saying that I am HUGE Adriana Trigiani fan and I love her depiction of Italians and The Shoemaker's Wife may be one of my top 10 favorite books of all time, so when I heard that she was doing another epic Italian family story my heart soared, but to put it short and sweet - I didn't love this one anywhere close to my love for The Shoemaker's Wife.

Set in Philadelphia in a neighborhood where many Italians have settled, two brothers are in the midst of a feud and each are operating a cab company.  The story mostly focuses on a nephew of the brothers who has been engaged to a young woman for awhile and isn't quite ready for the next phase of life.  I loved Nicky as a character and enjoyed reading his journey, but there were a few things that just didn't work for me.

So yes, I loved Nicky as a character, but the beginning to get to Nicky just took awhile.  There was quite a bit of set up and I was ready for the story to start.  The rest of the story itself just moved a little slow for me, I wanted the pace and the story to pick up and go and it just never did.  

There also seemed like a lot packed into this book, yes it all connected to Nicky, but some of the plot points seemed extra and maybe could have been left unsaid.  There were a few moments where I wanted to just cut a bit here and there and keep it all concentrating on Nicky and his great story.  

I say all this and want to express that I am still excited for her next book and will be ready to read it when it arrives.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Another week of time spent by the pool and curled up with books.  It was actually kind of fun to read a Christmas novella in the last week of June!
A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan
Until it Fades by KA Tucker
The Night Before Christmas by Mary McNear
Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani

Currently Reading:

Monticello by Sally Cabot Gunning

Next on the TBR pile:

Mind Virus by Charles Kowalski

June - the start of summer and summer reading!

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June was a great reading month. From time by the pool to a few days away from the office, June ended up being one of the best months I have had in a while and made me remember that my favorite and best season of reading is SUMMER! How did you summer reading go? Do you read more or less during the summer?


1. The Scent of Rain by Anne Montgomery
2. Sweet Tea Tuesdays by Ashley Farley
3. The Beach at Painter's Cove by Shelley Noble
4. Secrets of Southern Girls by Haley Harrigan
5. Siracusa by Delia Ephron
6. Presidential Intentions by Douglas J Wood
7. Presidential Declarations by Douglas J Wood
8. Presidential Conclusions by Douglas J Wood
9. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
10. One Wrong Turn by Deanna Lynn Sletten
11. The One That Got Away by Leigh Himes
12. The Light in Summer by Mary McNear
13. Size Matters by Allison Bliss
14. On the Plus Side by Allison Bliss
15. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
16. The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan
17. Until it Fades by KA Tucker
18. The Night Before Christmas by Mary McNear

Total pages read, clicked and flipped:  6,058

Where having I been Reading?:
Colorado City, AZ
Connecticut
Charleston, SC
Mississippi
Italy
Washington, DC (3)
New York City, NY
California
Philadelphia, PA (2)
Minnesota (2)
Texas (2)
France
Scotland

Review: The Light in Summer by Mary McNear

The Light in Summer

by Mary McNear

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 384

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  It’s summertime on Butternut Lake, where the heat of noon is soothed by the cool breezes of the evening, where the pace grows slower, and sometimes, just sometimes, the summer light makes everything clearer...

For the lovely Billy Harper, Butternut Lake is the place she feels most at home, even though lately she feels the only one listening to her is Murphy...her faithful Labrador Retriever. Her teenage son, Luke, has gone from precious to precocious practically overnight. Her friends are wrapped up in their own lives, and Luke’s father, Wesley, disappeared before his son was even born. No wonder she prefers to spend time with a good book, especially ones where everything ends in perfection.

But Billy is about to learn that anything is possible during the heady days of summer. Coming to terms with her past—the death of her father, the arrival of Cal Cooper, a complicated man with a definite interest in Billy, even the return of Wesley, will force her to have a little bit of faith in herself and others...and realize that happiness doesn’t always mean perfection.


Kritters Thoughts:  I adore this series.  This is a part of the Butternut Lake series and yes it is a series, but this is one of those series that you can read out of order, you can start wherever you like and enjoy.  

This is the 5th in the series and it centers around Billy Harper (a female, I know I had a hard time the whole book with a female named Billy!) and she is the local librarian and a single mom and has been splitting her time between these two important parts of her life.  She hasn't pursued love because being a good mom has been her number one priority for thirteen years.  In walks Cal Cooper who is moving back closer to his sister and her family and is having reprioritize his life as things have changed.

I would describe these books as a combination of women's fiction with a side of romance.  There is a fantastic plot for all the fans of women's fiction, but there are definitely some spicy scenes for those who like a little romance.  

I absolutely adore this series and would keep reading one each summer, but I wouldn't mind if Mary McNear wrote something new also.  I would love to see what she could do in a new series, new town and new place.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Alice Network

by Kate Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 528

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: HarperCollins

Goodreads:  1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth ...no matter where it leads.


Kritters Thoughts:  If you have been following me for a bit, you know that I love me some historical fiction and the big reason I love this is because I get to learn something without feeling like learning something.  

Two storylines going on in this story, but this one felt different as neither of the two are present day, one is 1915 and Eve Gardiner is the main character as she is trying to survive a war and finds a purpose for her life working in an interesting spot in the war and the other storyline is 1947 and Eve Gardiner is present, but the main character is Charlie St. Clair and she is trying to find her lost cousin as the war has ended.  

Unlike other two storyline books, the reader knows from the beginning that there is a connection and can assume sort of where the connection lies and I liked that.  I don't mind knowing where the connection is along as there is still some mystery to unfold.  

I feel like I knew ahead of this book that there was a collection of ladies who were spies and helped on both sides of the fence, but to get a story that focused on them and their story was so interesting.  I love reading all the stories that highlight how women were helping with any and all of the wars in any capacity that they were able to.  

I definitely loved this one and was excited to be a part of a live Q&A with the author and found it interesting to see what motivated her to take a step away from what she usually writes and see if she plans on doing more like this.  

Here is the link to a recording of the Q&A:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK4C04ZOQbs



Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: On the Plus Side by Allison Bliss

On the Plus Side

by Allison Bliss

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Big girls don't cry. They go after what they want.

Thanks to her bangin' curves, Valerie Carmichael has always turned heads-with the exception of seriously sexy Logan Mathis. Just Valerie's luck that the object of her lust-filled affection is also best friends with her overprotective brother. But Valerie's determined to get Logan's attention . . . even if it means telling a teeny little lie to get a job at his new bar. 

Logan can't remember a time when Valerie didn't secretly fuel all his hottest fantasies. Now the curvaceous she-devil is working behind his bar, tempting him every damn night. It's only when he finds Valerie's naughty things-to-do list that Logan decides to break every rule in the book-by making each red-hot deed a reality. 

No one warned them that they were going to fall this hard. And no one warned them that sometimes the smallest secrets can have the biggest consequences.


Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series that centers around Leah's best friend.  If you haven't read book one or my review yesterday, Leah is the center of the first book and her best friend Valerie is the star.  She works in Leah's bakery and has always had an older brother to watch her back and defend her in everything.  Things may get turned upside down when her brother's best friend Logan returns to town for many reasons.

Another romance novel that of course was predictable, but as I always say its ok that you know the destination, the journey is still enjoyable.  Romance books are notoriously made with a formula, but as most romance readers know we are ok with the formula its almost nice to know that we will end with smiles on our face and a happy ending!

I liked this second book better than the first.  As I said yesterday the first focused so much on size and made me uncomfortable, instead Valerie had confidence and was excited to be able to love someone that she had wanted to love for so long.  I loved the ups and downs of the book, the flow was just spot on.  With a smidge less sexy chatter, I felt like this book had a smidge more content, not as much as some romance authors and made me pause, but enough to work better than the first book.

I am on the fence about continuing this series, but thinking I just might to see where it could go.  The second book absolutely saved this one for me, so I hope you will start at book one, but quickly move to book two. 


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2017 Challenge: 19 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Grand Central Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Size Matters by Allison Bliss

Size Matters

by Allison Bliss

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 294

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The rules of (fake) engagement . . .

Leah Martin has spent her life trying to avoid temptation. But she's sick of low-fat snacks, counting calories, and her hyper-critical mom. Fortunately, her popular new bakery keeps her good and distracted. But there aren't enough éclairs in the world to distract Leah from the hotness that is Sam Cooper - or the fact that he just told her mother that they're engaged . . . which is a big, fat lie.

Sam sometime speaks before he thinks. So what started out as defending Leah's date-ability to her judgmental mother soon turned into having a fiancee! Now the plan is to keep up the fake engagement, stay "just friends," and make Leah's family loathe him enough to just call the whole thing off . But Sam has an insatiable sweet tooth, not only for Leah's decadent desserts but her decadent curves. Her full lips. Her bright green eyes. Yep, things aren't going quite according to plan. Now Sam has to convince Leah that he's for real . . . before their little lie turns into one big, sweet disaster.

Kritters Thoughts:  The first in a new romance series that I was excited to try.  Not only a new series, but also a new author and by the time I started I was even excited that there were two books to get me into the series.  

I will start by saying the first book was hard for me - from almost the first page I was uncomfortable and not a good uncomfortable by the main character.  Leah the star of this story was the complete opposite of self confident and instead the most self deprecating character I may have ever read and she made me cringe often.  It was weird, it seemed as though she dressed confident about her weight and size but all the words coming out of her mouth were the opposite and I wasn't enjoying her.  There were a few times where I hesitated continuing, but I did.  In the end, the book was fine, but I can say I really enjoyed it because it was the springboard for book two.  (review live tomorrow on book two)

Let me continue to say, I am not a skinny minny lady.  I am average if a little above and a gym goer and working on my own confidence, but the way Leah spoke was hard to read, to be honestly frank if I had read this last summer when I wasn't on the fit journey (not there yet) that I am on, I probably would have put it down faster because I couldn't have handled it.  I want a series about larger main characters to exist, but I am not sure I would have started the series with this character, if she had been book two, I actually think I would have liked her better.  

So start here because there is some back story that will help with book two, but beware you may want to nudge Leah a few times during the book and just quietly roll your eyes at her!  

Side note - the amount of sexy times and sexy talk were above what I usually enjoy in romance.  I am not naive that romance obviously includes romance, but compared to other romance readers that I read often, this one was a little over the top.


Rating:  enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2017 Challenge: 18 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Grand Central Publishing.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.