Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman -DNF

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman


DNF
I tried and tried... I tried reading it, listening to it... it's just not for me. I got up to chapter 23 and I have decided that me and Eleanor are just not meant to be:)

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January Reads

 

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Beach Read by Emily Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"You can keep your purse stocked with wine" lol
twits and turns
This is not a typical read for me. The rom-com books always get on my nerves because everything seems overly dramatic and silly instead of funny. BUT I really enjoyed "Beach Read" by Emily Henry.
I really enjoyed January and Gus. I liked their banter and their back story. Also, there are deep topics that are dealt with in this book: adulatory, cancer, death of a parent, divorce, abuse. The author manages to give depth the the characters and at the same time helps the hero and heroine develop a deep friendship and mutual respect for one another. I laughed- out -loud with " You can keep your purse stocked with wine" that was so funny. The only reason that I didn't give a five was because the last 70% seemed very drawn out and overly dramatic. January became very clingy and needy and it was basically her falling into tears for the last part of the book. I loved her sentimentality and can see how she was experiencing a lot. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, I highly recommended and will read more by the author. The audiobook was very good
narrated by Julia Whelan. She was enjoyable to listen to. Personally, I would have liked a male to read for Gus but its just my opinion.

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Beach Read by Emily Henry

 

Reading and really and enjoying! 

Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown

Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm a big Sandra Brown fan but this book just blew me away. I loved the suspense! I loved the hero and heroine! Sandra Brown always makes the evilest characters who we just HATE-I'm looking at you Rusty! The twist and turns were really well played out and planned and I was surprised by one twist but not the other:) One of the things I really enjoy about SB is that her secondary characters do not weigh the story down. I was so caught up in the story I borrowed the audio and also the print version so I could continue to listen and read as my day would allow. The narrator, Kyf Brewer, was perfection! I really enjoyed this adventure!

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Up in Smoke by Kate Meader

 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VwKKkw
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3FYRHNF
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3JDOO7r
Nook: https://bit.ly/3JLleN5

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3qNf5Y3

Lives are on the line at Engine 6 … and so are hearts.

Running an engine crew in the Chicago Fire Department is my dream job, and between that, my awesome kid, and my nosey sister, I lead a pretty great life. Bruised and burned by my marriage, I don’t have time for dating or drama, but I always have time for pie. And when I share a slice of cherry with a sweet redhead, followed by the hottest, dirtiest, most pulse-pounding kiss of my life, I start to rethink the possibilities.

Until that woman walks into my firehouse and upends my well-ordered world.

Abby Sullivan is now a rookie firefighter on my crew and a threat to my self-control more dangerous than a five-alarm blaze. My job is to watch her six when all I want is to watch her fall into my bed. Lust has no place in the firehouse, and a distraction like Abby with her electric blue eyes, waves of flame-red hair, and freckles I want to map with my tongue, is one I can ill afford. 

Because one wrong move … and it could all go up in smoke.

Up in Smoke is the first in the brand new Hot in Chicago Rookies series about firefighters navigating the trials of new jobs and sizzling romances as they find their place in the world and the love of a lifetime.

When Things Fall Apart:Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pem Chödrön

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I checked this out at my library and I LOVED IT. I love it so much that I want to get my own copy and keep it near my nightstand because there are so many parts that are great reflections. This book to me is like Gary Zukov's "Seat of the Soul" and Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment". You read these books but they really are guides and life long lessons. I heard to audio and loved it because the narrator really set the perfect tone to the lessons in the book. One of my favorite lessons is self-compassion. Learning to be kinder and more accepting of ourselves. Also, I loved the idea of victor vs victim. How we usually play these two in our minds. There were so many beautiful lessons that just helped me and that I will continue to practice. Highly recommend.

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The Perfect Fake Date by Naima Simone

The Perfect Fake Date: A best friends to lovers romance by Naima Simone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Naima Simone has been on my to-read list for awhile. When I received an ARC I quickly jumped on the opportunity to read it.
Overall, it was cute. I really like the chemistry between Eve and Kenan.
I loved the friends to lover tope. The friendship between Eve and Kenan was so sweet and beautiful.
I have to say that the overly dramatic sub-story lines were a little too much.
First, there is the main friends to lover storyline. Then the Eve is in love with Kenan's half -brother. Then the father that abandoned these brothers storyline, then the tension between Kenan and his adoptive parents. Then the not accepted into society storyline. Eve has tension with her mother because she doesn't agree with Eve's friendship with Kenan.
It was overly dramatic. But it was still enjoyable because I could understand why Kenan didn't want to ruin his friendship with Eve.




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Will by Will Smith

Will by Will Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

this audiobook is a Virtual experience! Everything is so engaging! I really enjoyed the music and the depth. I wanted to hear what he would say and how his story would unfold. I loved his honesty: we are all struggling.
AMAZING experience. Once I started I was in Will Smith Universe.

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HOW TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR by

 A frothy, effervescent romantic comedy from the author of Ten Rules for Faking It, Sophie Sullivan delivers a slow-burn romance that will have you delighted from start to finish:A frothy, effervescent romantic comedy from the author of Ten Rules for Faking It, Sophie Sullivan delivers a slow-burn romance that will have you delighted from start to finish: HOW TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR (St. Martin’s Griffin, January 18, 2022, $16.99).

 

Interior Design School? Check. Cute house to fix up? Check.

Sexy, grumpy neighbor who is going to get in the way of your plans? Check. Unfortunately.

Grace Travis has it all figured out. In between finishing school and working a million odd jobs, she’ll get her degree and her dream job. Most importantly, she’ll have a place to belong, something her harsh mother could never make. When an opportunity to fix up—and live in—a little house on the beach comes along, Grace is all in. Until her biggest roadblock moves in next door.

Noah Jansen knows how to make a deal. As a real estate developer, he knows when he's found something special. Something he could even call home. Provided he can expand by taking over the house next door--the house with the combative and beautiful woman living in it.

With the rules for being neighborly going out the window, Grace and Noah are in an all-out feud. But sometimes, your nemesis can show you that home is always where the heart is.(St. Martin’s Griffin, January 18, 2022, $16.99).

 

Interior Design School? Check. Cute house to fix up? Check.

Sexy, grumpy neighbor who is going to get in the way of your plans? Check. Unfortunately.

Grace Travis has it all figured out. In between finishing school and working a million odd jobs, she’ll get her degree and her dream job. Most importantly, she’ll have a place to belong, something her harsh mother could never make. When an opportunity to fix up—and live in—a little house on the beach comes along, Grace is all in. Until her biggest roadblock moves in next door.

Noah Jansen knows how to make a deal. As a real estate developer, he knows when he's found something special. Something he could even call home. Provided he can expand by taking over the house next door--the house with the combative and beautiful woman living in it.

With the rules for being neighborly going out the window, Grace and Noah are in an all-out feud. But sometimes, your nemesis can show you that home is always where the heart is.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

SOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. Ten Rules For Faking It is her romcom debut novel, but she's had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford.

Baden by Sawyer Bennett

 ★★ NEW RELEASE ★★

The Pittsburgh Titans organization suffered a devastating loss when their team plane crashed, killing all forty-two passengers aboard. This January, the team gets one step closer to getting back on the ice when Baden Oulett joins the coaching staff.

Baden (Pittsburgh Titans, Book 1) by Sawyer Bennett is a standalone hockey romance about second chances, fresh starts, and finding love where we least expect it.

Read Baden now:

► Amazon: https://amzn.to/3A1f85x

► Nook: https://bit.ly/2RJnpuA

► Apple: https://apple.co/3wjSC6z

► Kobo: https://bit.ly/3wfxDSx

► Google: https://bit.ly/3wdLKrh

► Print: https://amzn.to/3Fb6HHf

Hear Baden now (narrated by Aiden Snow and Lessa Lamb):

► Audible: https://adbl.co/3nemv5C

► Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tdmNhb

► Apple: https://apple.co/3HUJkDr

The Rake Gets Ravished by Sophie Jordan

The Rake Gets Ravished by Sophie Jordan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sophie Jordan is a must-read for me. I really enjoy how she can always create chemistry between her h/h. She never disappoints.

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The Fugitive Colours by Nancy Bilyeau

 Happy New Year!

We're in our first week of 2022, and I have something new to share: the cover of my next novel, The Fugitive Colours, to be published May 12th.
 

I love how this cover continues the visual style of The Blue. While this is a sequel to The Blue, with the same protagonist, Genevieve Planché, I also wrote it so that someone could come to this book and understand it on its own.

Here's my publisher's description of the novel:

The Fugitive Colours reunites readers with Genevieve Planché and again reveals the dazzling world of glamour and treachery in Georgian England. 

Now living and working in Spitalfields, Genevieve is struggling to keep her silk business afloat. When she one day receives a surprise invitation from an important artist, Genevieve grasps at the promise of a better life. 

But she soon begins to suspect that her own secret past has more to do with her entrée into London society than her talent. One wrong move could cost her not just her artistic dreams but the love of those she holds dear. And watching from the shadows are ruthless spies who wish harm to all of England.

A sequel to Nancy Bilyeau’s The Blue, The Fugitive Colours again reveals a dazzling world of glamour and treachery in Georgian England, when beauty held more value than human life. She immerses readers in a fictionalized account of real lives and events whilst staying faithful to the historical and social context.

The novel will be published in ebook and paperback in the United States, the UK, Canada and Australia. 

It would be super helpful if you could take a few seconds and click "Want to Read" on Goodreads here.

The Duke is Back by Valerie Bowman- SQUEELLLL

COVER REVEAL I'm thrilled to share with you the GORGEOUS cover of book 6 in the Footmen's Club series! The Duke is Back will be released on April 25, 2022 and you can pre-order it now! Yes, it will be available in print also, when it's released. Do you love it as much as I do?

Here's the cover. A wedding is in her future Miss Sophie Payton might be engaged, but she’s not in love. The only man who ever captured her heart was Phillip Grayson—a soldier who was slain a year ago. But when her stepmother decrees that Sophie will marry Phillip’s cousin, the new Duke of Harlowe, Sophie’s in no position to refuse. A funeral is in his past The ton thinks Phillip Grayson died a hero on the battlefields of Europe, but he’s very much alive. While he spent the last year recuperating from his grave injuries in secret at his friend’s estate, his brother was murdered, his cousin took over the title of duke, and the woman he loved—the one he dreamed of every night—apparently moved on without him. But the duke is back Phillip has returned to London intent on reclaiming his brother’s title and making the people who killed him pay. He doesn’t understand how Sophie could have betrayed him; she can’t forgive him for letting her believe he was dead. And yet neither can deny that the attraction between them burns hotter than ever. Nothing is as it seems, but perhaps the truth can save them…if it doesn’t kill them first. Pre-order The DUKE IS BACK now! The Duke is Back can be read as a standalone, but if you haven't read the others yet, they're available too! The Footmen's Club Series The Footman and I (Book 1) Duke Looks Like a Groomsman (Book 2) The Valet Who Loved Me (Book 3) Save a Horse, Ride a Viscount (Book 4) Earl Lessons (Book 5)

The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh (Audiobook)

The Man Ban by Nicola Marsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

good story. I really liked both Manny and Harper.
They are a good couple and both are really likeable.
My only complaint is that at times it was a little slow.
For me, I thought that the secondary characters really drive the plot.
Candice Moll & Dushan Philips do a fantastic job on the audiobook. Both are very enjoyable to listen to and really drive the story with their understanding of the characters.
But overall, I enjoyed it.

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