It's Monday, What are you Reading?

I feel like a broken record, but it was a crazy week of work - its the retreat time of the year and with 325 attendees, organization is ridiculous!  But after a crazy week of work, I checked out over the weekend and just read!  I was inspired to read with all of the booktubeathon things on twitter, it was fun to be on the sidelines for it.

Do you have a booktube channel?  I started one but life got crazy and that is what I had to drop.

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
What Strange Creatures by Emily Arsenault
Brunette Ambition by Lea Michele
Serenade by Emily Kiebel
The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin

Currently Reading:

Flight of the Sparrow by Amy Belding Brown

Next on the TBR pile:

Best Supporting Role by Sue Margolis
Gravel on the Side of the Road by Kris Raddish

Review: Isolation by Denise R. Stephenson

Isolation

by Denise R. Stephenson

Publisher: Mill City Press

Pages: 396

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  "Isolation" depicts a bleak but recognizable future in which the fear of contagion reaches a fever pitch as a bacterial epidemic catapults the US into an apocalyptic crisis. Touch is outlawed. Mothers like Maggie bind their infants' hands, terrified they might slip fingers into mouths. Gary, a Sterilizer, uses robots to scour the infected, avoiding all contact with human flesh. Trevor, the Chief Enforcer, watches, eager to report any and all infractions. One inadvertent touch will change all of their lives.


Kritters Thoughts:  A medical and political thriller all rolled up in one tight book.  Broken into three different sections with the first being the onset of the "disease", the second being the government trying to figure out the plan to control the "disease" and the final part is the community living with the actions that were taken.  I loved the clear distinctions in the book and the feel were each unique and added to that part in time in this world.  

I am not a huge medical fan, but the dystopian esque feel of the book combined with politics and humanity were spot on.  The medical/disease wasn't so scientific which helped!  I appreciated the author swirling all the elements together and she made quite the book.  

The one thing that made me giggle when I was reading this book was their focus on how germs were passed by touching the face - I found myself touching myself very very often while reading this one!

This book left in a good spot for a follow-up, but I can't seem to find it, anyone know if we have another one coming?


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 Premier Virtual 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: Elly in Love by Colleen Oakes

Elly in Love

by Colleen Oakes

Publisher: SparkPress

Pages: 285

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Curvy wedding florist Elly Jordan has had quite a year. First, she had to design her ex-husband’s wedding to the mistress who split them up, and then she broke up with the hottest musician this side of St. Louis. Three months have passed since then, and now Elly is primed for what promises to be the best wedding season of her life.

Helped by her loyal friends, Elly is on the verge of opening a chic flower boutique uptown when BlissBride, a popular wedding reality show, asks her to design the wedding of a famous—make that infamous--celebrity. Elly is about to get everything she’s ever wanted, when a stranger shows up at her store with a request that changes every aspect of her life--including her budding relationship with deli owner Keith. As she struggles to stay calm in the midst of growing chaos, Elly will learn the true meaning of love and sacrifice. 


Kritters Thoughts:  The second in the Elly series and I loved this one even more!  Elly is a successful florist in the St Louis area and after the drama from the first book that was solely focused on her business, this book split the focus between her business and her personal life.  She is in the beginning dating stages with the deli guy next door, but a person from her past that she doesn't even know about will show up on her front door and turn her life upside down!

I sailed through this book!  It was sweet and fun and I love Elly's quirkiness.  She is such a fun main character, I could read glimpses into her life for so much longer.  I love her ups and downs.  The secondary characters don't overshadow, but they also don't fade in the background - they are perfectly intermixed into the story.  I felt that since we saw a little more of Elly's life outside of her business that the reader got to know her a little more personally in this book - it was great!

This is definitely a second book where I would strongly advised to pause and read the first book first.  If I am correct, this will not be the last we hear from Elly!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Booksparks PR.  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: All I Love and Know

All I Love and Know

by Judith Frank

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 432

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  For years, Matthew Greene and Daniel Rosen have enjoyed a quiet domestic life together in Northampton, Massachusetts. Opposites in many ways, they have grown together and made their relationship work. But when they learn that Daniel's twin brother and sister-in-law have been killed in a bombing in Jerusalem, their lives are suddenly, utterly transformed.

In dealing with their families and the need to make a decision about who will raise the deceased couple's two children, both Matthew and Daniel are confronted with challenges that strike at the very heart of their relationship. What is Matthew's place in an extended family that does not completely accept him or the commitment he and Daniel have made? How do Daniel's questions about his identity as a Jewish man affect his life as a gay American? Tensions only intensify when they learn that the deceased parents wanted Matthew and Daniel to adopt the children-six year old Gal, and baby Noam.

The impact this instant new family has on Matthew, Daniel, and their relationship is subtle and heartbreaking, yet not without glimmers of hope. They must learn to reinvent and redefine their bond in profound, sometimes painful ways. What kind of parents can these two men really be? How does a family become strong enough to stay together and endure? And are there limits to honesty or commitment-or love?


Kritters Thoughts:  More than the typical family drama book.  With political, religious and same sex discussions, I loved how all these controversial topics were woven into this one family and their tragic story.  Matthew and Daniel are monogamous partners living in Northern United States in a town that is very accepting of the lifestyle they have chosen to live.  When one of them loses their brother in a terrorist bombing in a controversial place and time - Israel shortly after 9/11; they are now thrust into the middle of tragedy and drama.  

I think no matter where you as a reader fall on the spectrum with each of the issues that are presented in this book, you can appreciate the family in the middle and enjoy how each of them are mourning and moving on with their lives.  It is a little on the heftier book side, but that gave the author plenty of pages to delve into how long mourning can take and the ups and downs of a year after a family tragedy occurs.  I also loved how none of these characters were perfect, instead they were so real and honest and I almost felt like I was sneaking a glance into someone's home - AND I loved it!

I am a Judith Frank and will definitely be watching out for her.  I love her characters, her story and the truth behind it all.

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.

Review: The Line Between Here and Gone

The Line Between Here and Gone

by Andrea Kane

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Pages: 400

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The man she loved is gone forever. The child she lives for could be next.

Each day is a struggle for Amanda Gleason's newborn son as he battles a rare immune deficiency. Justin's best chance for a cure lies with his father, who was brutally murdered before Amanda even realized she carried his child.

Or was he?

One emailed photo changes everything, planting a seed of doubt that Amanda latches on to for dear life: a recent photo of a man who looks exactly like Paul. Could Justin's father be alive? The mother in her is desperate to find out. But tracking down a ghost when every second counts is not for amateurs.

Forensic Instincts is the one team up for the challenge.

The manhunt is on for the elusive father. Yet the further FI digs into his past, the more questions are raised about whether the man Amanda fell in love with ever really existed at all.

Dark secrets. Carefully crafted lies. From the congressional halls of Washington, D.C., to exclusive Hamptons manors, there are ruthless people who would stop at nothing to make Forensic Instincts forget about the man Amanda desperately needs to find.


Kritters Thoughts:  The second in the series, and unfortunately I read this series out of order, so I suggest stopping where you are at and going and finding the first and the third and read this one in order!

So the team was assembled in the first book and in this book, they get to take on a new case and it has fantastic twists and turns.  I loved how the case is solved by using each of the member's unique skills and without each of them it wouldn't come together as easily.  It was interesting to see the interactions from this private firm and the police and FBI.  

I am officially a fan of Andrea Kane and this series and hope that these three are just the beginning! 

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel (or another!)

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Another good weekend of reading!  I am enjoying some outdoor reading with the dogs and hoping to to keep up the speed!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:

All I Love and Know by Judith Frank
Elly in Love by Colleen Oakes
Isolation by Denise R. Stephenson
The Sea Garden by Deborah Lawrenson

Currently Reading:

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Next on the TBR pile:

What Strange Creatures by Emily Arsenault

Review: Don't Try to Find Me

Don't Try to Find Me

by Holly Brown

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 384

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When a 14-year-old runs away, her parents turn to social media to find her-launching a public campaign that will expose their darkest secrets and change their family forever, in this suspenseful and gripping debut for fans of Reconstructing Amelia and Gone Girl

Don't try to find me. Though the message on the kitchen white board is written in Marley's hand, her mother Rachel knows there has to be some other explanation. Marley would never run away.

As the days pass and it sinks in that the impossible has occurred, Rachel and her husband Paul are informed that the police have "limited resources." If they want their 14-year-old daughter back, they will have to find her themselves. Desperation becomes determination when Paul turns to Facebook and Twitter, and launches FindMarley.com.

But Marley isn't the only one with secrets.

With public exposure comes scrutiny, and when Rachel blows a television interview, the dirty speculation begins. Now, the blogosphere is convinced Rachel is hiding something. It's not what they think; Rachel would never hurt Marley. Not intentionally, anyway. But when it's discovered that she's lied, even to the police, the devoted mother becomes a suspect in Marley's disappearance.

Is Marley out there somewhere, watching it all happen, or is the truth something far worse?


Kritters Thoughts:  Told from Day One of Marley's disappearance and each day both mother and daughter are given the opportunity to tell their side of the story - a new inventive way to tell the story of a runaway.  

At the point when the reader thinks they know everything behind Marley's reasons for running and the mother's issues - the author gives just a bit more and the reader really gets the full picture.  I loved not having all the details thrown in all at once and instead getting them just as a real unfolding story would.  The ups and the downs and the twists and turns were perfectly timed in the story and I think the author put the story together very well.

I also enjoyed how this book ended - no spoiler.  But not everything is tied up nice with a bow.  I am glad that the author kept the trueness of the story to the very end and it didn't just all end nicely.

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.

Review: The House on Mermaid Point

The House on Mermaid Point

by Wendy Wax

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Pages: 416

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Maddie, Avery, and Nikki first got to know one another—perhaps all too well—while desperately restoring a beachfront mansion to its former grandeur. Now they’re putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn’t have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies—although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie’s wildest fantasy once . . .

Rock-and-roll legend “William the Wild” Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he’s still worshiped by fans—which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys. He’s not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece of paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show . . . though he is intrigued by Maddie. Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool.

But whether it’s an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together. The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom . . .

Kritters Thoughts:  A third in a series and before you read on in the review - know that I had no clue this was #3 until a few chapters in and went looking thinking that I was missing some backstory!  So with that said, I wish I had read Ten Beach Road and Ocean Beach before I read this one.  I was missing out on the "inside" jokes and would probably have loved it even more after reading the first two, so they are officially on my TBR.

Onto my review of this book.  With women of my generation and my mother's, I think this book could appeal to a wide audience of readers.  Each woman has their own baggage that they are trying to handle while also living on a private island and renovating a former rockers home.  The antics are fantastic.  The book had a perfect rhythm that kept me flipping pages with ease.  

But this one ends on a cliff, so I am assuming there will be another?  

I am passing this one onto my mom at Ope's Opinions and am excited to see if she enjoys it like I did.  

I would say you could pack all three in your beach bag and maybe even make it thru the whole series with a good week at the beach!

Rating: perfect beach read

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Penguin.  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: A Triple Knot by Emma Campion

A Triple Knot

by Emma Campion

Publisher: Broadway Books

Pages: 480

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Joan of Kent, renowned beauty and cousin to King Edward III, is destined for a politically strategic marriage. As the king begins a long dynastic struggle to claim the crown of France, plunging England into the Hundred Years’ War, he negotiates her betrothal to a potential ally and heir of a powerful lordship.

But Joan, haunted by nightmares of her father’s execution at the hands of her treacherous royal kin, fears the king’s selection and is not resigned to her fate. She secretly pledges herself to one of the king’s own knights, one who has become a trusted friend and protector. Now she must defend her vow as the king—furious at Joan’s defiance—prepares to marry her off to another man. 


Kritters Thoughts:  An epic historical fiction that doesn't center completely around the King or Queen, but instead a cousin of his who is under his guardianship as her father has been murdered.  Joan the cousin of the King is caught between three men - some love her, some need her, but all have to have her for a place in court.

Quite the hunk of a book, but perfect to curl up with on a holiday weekend and just get swept into the past where the rules are very different.  The characters were pulled from history and I loved looking up to find out where the truth met fiction and trying to guess what was completely true and what came from the author's imagination of the time and place.  My favorite part of historical fiction is the basis of truth with an element of story added in.

If you are a fan of Philippa Gregory or Kate Emerson, than this would be a great book to add to your shelf.  

As a side note - I had an Advanced Reader's copy and the blurp on the back was horrible and gave away the complete ending of the book.  The blurp above is much better and I hope that is changed before the final printing.  So BEWARE you may not want to read the back of this book before diving in!


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.

Review: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

One Plus One

by Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 384

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.


Kritters Thoughts:  A very wealthy man, recently divorced and being investigated for insider trading plus a single mom who is trying to raise two kids with no help from the father that left these kids in her care end up in his car on a road trip - obviously drama ensues!  Jojo Moyes gives each of these characters, the wealthy man, the single mom and each child chapters of their own to tell their parts of the story and I loved that even the kids were given the opportunity to move the story along.

This book was a great family drama combined with something that most people love to read - a road trip. Each character felt complete and full without loosing authenticity.  There may have been a few cheesy moments that felt cinematic, but I still enjoyed it as a whole.  There were some moments that could have been a little predictable - but the family stayed in the center of the book grounding the story the whole time. 

The thing I love about Jojo Moyes is that each book of hers that I have read is completely on its own.  She doesn't follow a pattern and writes in each genre.  So if you become a fan of her work, each time you read a new one it is a different experience and I kind of like it!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Penguin.  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?

The craziest week at work - the week I book all the flights for our corporate retreat!  But I almost finished!  I was booking them into the night each night, so I was very thankful for the holiday weekend that I spent reading.  

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:

The House at Mermaid Point by Wendy Wax
A Triple Knot by Emma Campion
Don't Try To Find Me by Holly Brown

Currently Reading:

All I Love and Know by Judith Frank

Next on the TBR pile:

Elly in Love by Colleen Oakes

Review: Sweet Memories AND Sweet Dreams by Steena Holmes

Sweet Memories

by Steena Holmes

Pages: 47

Format: ebook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Happily-ever-after only happens once in a lifetime, right? But what if Prince Charming runs for the hills at the first sign of trouble and leaves you to pick up the pieces?

Thinking her marriage was over, Tessa was more than a little shocked to fall into the arms of her husband (literally) at a party she’d planned through her new company, Decadent Events. When he asks her out for coffee, she assumes it’s to sign the divorce papers he’d seen.

What’s a girl to do when her heart still goes pitter-patter for a man who ran out on her six months after they made their forever vows but comes back asking for another chance?

Kritters Thoughts:  The first in what will hopefully be a long series.  I am combining the first two that are currently out in this one post.  The first book is centered around an event planner whose husband left suddenly and hasn't called in months.  She is planning a party for her in laws when he shows up back in town.  In a short novella, she must decide whether to forgive and forget or just forgive or just forget.  

A sweet novella that centered on a professional that I love to read about.  Event planning is a secret passion of mine, so I love to read books where people make a living out of it!  The author didn't waste any pages in the beginning setting up the plot and getting it moving, I am glad with novella length she didn't fluff up the front.

On that note - I know the author had to cram in a lot in a novella, but I wish I had a few more pages on the end because I felt a little whiplash in how her feelings waffled and then she suddenly had a decision.  Sorry to be vague, just don't want to ruin it!


Sweet Dreams
by Steena Holmes

Pages: 57
Format: eARC 
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Since chocolate couldn’t cure her broken heart, creating the finest croissants this side of Paris would have to do. Who needed love anyways? 

Opening up Sweet Treats could have been the answer to all her problems - except all the problems she’d ran away from in Paris followed after her, via a first class ticket and wore rugged jeans. It didn’t help he made the best chocolates she’d ever tasted, either. 

What’s a girl to do when the only man she’d ever loved was willing to give their love another try - even when she’d been the one to betray any hope they'd had at a happily-ever-after. She knew she'd made a horrible mistake keeping her past a secret, but now that it was out in the open, could they move past it? 

Kritters Thoughts:  The second book, continued the story, but can also be called a companion as a different character took the lead in the plotline.  Lexie is the younger sister of the partner of the first book, confusing I know, but not when you have already read book one!  She is returning from Paris to help out with a side business that will go alongside the event planning business - a bakery of sorts.

She also has an issue that must be resolved in under 60 pages, but with the extra ten pages, I think Steena Holmes did such a better job of avoiding whiplash and creating a full story.  This book sealed my love for the series and I hope to see more!  


Rating: absolutely loved them both and hope there is more to come!


Ebook 2014 Challenge: 39 and 40 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  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.