I’m gonna start off by saying…how the HELL did it get to be the last week in June already? Seriously – this month has flown by and I didn’t get half done what I wanted to. I just need another week, please? No? Damn.
Well it was a pretty quiet week at the old homestead. The girls went for their annual dental appts. and my oldest had a couple of cavities. Boo. Luckily the teeth were baby teeth (yes, she’s 14 and still has baby teeth!) so he pulled them out as they were about to fall out anyway. Now she’s got 6 teeth (on the top) and then nothing on either side as they haven’t grown in yet. She was calling herself Bucky Beaver – thank God she’s got a sense of humor about it! lol
DFRAT 2012 – This is the last week of the Digital First Read-A-Thon and we still have lots of great authors and giveaways on all the blogs. I personally read 6 digital first books last week – how many did you read? Tell all!
Current giveaways still open (on Tracy’s Place) as of today:
(open til 7:00pm on 6/25)
(open til 7:00pm on 6/26)
(open til 7:00pm on 6/27)
(open til 7:00pm on 6/28)
(open til 7:00pm 6/29)
(All giveaway times are Pacific)
This weeks DFRAT Schedule:
Monday, June 25th
Elizabeth Hoyt and Larissa Ione Book Binge
Alice Gaines RR@H Novel Thoughts
Zoe Archer The Book Reading Gals
Tuesday, June 26th
Kaylea Cross Book Binge
Janis Susan May Patterson RR@H Novel Thoughts
Lindsay Townsend The Book Reading Gals
Lynda Bailey Tracy’s Place
Wednesday, June 27th
Elisabeth Barrett Book Binge
Wendy Soliman RR@H Novel Thoughts
John R. Lindermuth The Book Reading Gals
Cathryn Cade Tracy’s Place
Thursday, June 28th
Lila DiPasqua Book Binge
Susan Schreyer RR@H Novel Thoughts
Heidi Cullinan The Book Reading Gals
Leslie Dicken Tracy’s Place
Friday, June 29th
Mk Chester Book Binge
Rhian Cahill Book Binge
Rebecca York (Ruth Glick) RR@H Novel Thoughts
Louise Cusack The Book Reading Gals
Nathan Farrugia Tracy’s Place
Saturday, June 30th
Kris Kennedy Book Binge
Yolanda Sfetsos Tracy’s Place
On to what I read last week:
I started off the week with…get this title…Jimmie Joe Johnson: Manwhore by Lindsey Brookes. I saw it on NetGalley and had to get it. It was a fun book that was definitely “hick lit” with rednecks abounding. I’ll post my review for this next Sunday. 3.75 out of 5
Next was Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase. Oh I like this Dressmakers series so very much. I loved Sophy and Longmore together. I’ll post my review for this one tomorrow.
Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey is a novella about high strung OCD Anna who lost her job and is at her grandparents’ camp trying to unwind and be calm while she looks for another job. The next door neighbor is Cam – a guy she used to hang with until she was 10 when she was visiting her grandparents. Anna annoys the crap outta Cam but he promised her grandparents he’d look after her. Anna may be annoying but that doesn’t stop Cam from lusting after her. This little love story was so very sweet and funny. I just love Stacey’s writing as it is so realistic and adds her great sense of humor in with it. Good stuff. 4.5 out of 5
Wolf Line by Vivian Arend (book 5 in the Granite Lake Wolves series) is the story of Jared who is running from the relatives of his current lover and ends up taking refuge on a cruise ship. The ship sets sail before he can get off and he ends up impersonating one of the maintenance guys. Keri is on board helping her friend whose family owns the ship and the minute she sees Jared she knows that he’s her mate – but Jared makes no indication that he’s figured that out. On top of the mate thing there are all the secrets that Jared is keeping and Keri and Jared solving crimes of theft on the ship. Good story – very sexy and fun. I do wish that the Big Mis wasn’t in there but I didn’t hate it too too much. 4 out of 5
Townie and the Twink by Daisy Harris was about Gabe who falls in love with Nick but Nick believes himself a straight arrow…even while he’s fooling around with Gabe. You can read my full review here. 4 out of 5
Next up was The Incident by Xavier Axelson. This was a novella that I SO wish would have been a full length novel. The story is about Michael is a cop trying to deal with an incident that caused the death of a child. He is depressed and finding no relief in a bottle. His partner Bertram Angel aka Angel tries to help him both on the job and off by being there for him. Angel and Michael eventually get together which is wonderful. My issues dealt with the seemingly miraculous recovery Michael experienced once he was with Angel. Yes, having the love of a good man goes a long way but I wanted to delve further into Michael and his struggles after he and Angel got together. Still, a very well written story that at times just made my heart ache. 3.75/4 out of 5
Shane and Trey by Anyta Sunday was the story of Shane who just a few months before college realizes/comes to terms with the fact that he’s gay. Trey is Shane’s twin sisters boyfriend and he caused Shane some pain and humiliation some years before and Shane had always been a bit scared of the guy since then. They end up being roommates in college and Shane has a huge crush on Trey – despite his fear. Trey ends up coming out and Shane and Trey get together. The story was about the guys not only dealing with the sister, June, and her feelings about the relationship but also Trey’s past issues with his family and Shane’s relationship with his father. It was a really good story but I wish it would have been expanded in certain places. 4 out of 5
Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis is book 3 in the Lucky Harbor series. The story is about the last sister running the inn, Chloe, and her relationship with Sawyer, the town Sheriff. Sawyer has closed himself off and Chloe’s afraid that no one can love and appreciate her for herself – being the nut that she is. The story is really great and I loved seeing these two great characters come together. 4 out of 5
Last on the list for the week was The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar by Susanna Carr. Not my usual read but a good one nonetheless. This one was about an American woman whose Jazaari relatives used her as a slave and then whose tribe used her a a bride for a Sheikh. I’ll post my review closer to the release date in August. 3.75 out of 5
My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
Happy Reading!
I'm intrigued by Shane & Trey…
I hope your daughter's teeth come in fast so she doesn't get grief at school in the fall!!
Yes – can't believe nearly half the year is over. It feels like it should still be April or at least May. I'm not ready for this hot weather.
I've got to try the Chase series. Have read many good reviews for this one and the first book. Oh, I still need to get the Stacey. Really liked her Kowalski series.
Chris – I'm hoping the same thing about her teeth. Starting high school with no teeth is tough.
Shane and Trey was good!
Leslie – I'm not ready for the hot weather either. Of course we hardly had a spring this year since it was so hot – I should be used to it by now.
I really like the Chase series so far.
The Kowalski's were great. This is definitely different but still has the great writing and sense of humor.
Hey Tracy!
Glad to hear our daughter has a good sense of humor about it! And lucky it was her baby teeth! She's been giving a second chance!! Hope she cherishes it!
As usual, awesome reading week. How would you compare Slow Summer Kisses with the rest of the series?
Nath – I didn't think she would have a good sense of humor about it so she definitely surprised me on that one. 🙂
Slow Summer Kisses is just a stand alone contemporary that has nothing to do with the Kowalski series. It's a great book though and one I'd definitely recommend. 🙂