Casee: I am no longer glomming Rebecca Zanetti. I am taking a break. I just finished Total Surrender, which is the fourth book in her Sin Brothers series. It was the best book so far. I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure if I’m going to read First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips or an Elle Kennedy book. Recommendations?
Holly: I’ve been busy and haven’t had time to contribute to this feature. so today I’m including books I read the last couple weeks. I read Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews, which was fabulous. Just when I didn’t think Kate Daniels could get more badass…! Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley is the final installment in the Fantasyland series. While I enjoyed returning to that world and seeing past characters, I found the story a bit slow. Archangel’s Heart by Nalini Singh was fabulous, too. I can’t get enough of Elena, Raphael, the Seven and all the rest from that world. I started both Guardian’s Mate by Jennifer Ashley and Down Shift by K. Bromberg, but set them aside. Guardian’s Mate because the hero kept calling the heroine Little Wolf and I just couldn’t take it anymore, and Down Shift because it wasn’t holding my attention. I don’t think this is a reflection of either book, however, and has more to do with my mood at the time. I’ll try both again later.
Right now I’m in the middle of Heat Exchange by Shannon Stacey. So far it’s really good.
Rowena: It’s been a slow reading week for me. I finished Bedmates by Nichole Chase and thought I would jump right into a new book but nope. It’s been almost a week since I finished Bedmates and I’ve finished my binge watch of The Last Ship, caught up on Suits and still…I’m not reading. Send help!
What are you reading this week? Any new favorites or books that drove you crazy? Share!
Casee, I don’t want to restart your Zanetti glom but her Sin Bros spinoff series is coming out in Oct and I just read the first one, Deadly Silence! I really liked it, maybe not as much as I loved Total Surrender but it’s still great. Jory is my favorite and he is my Sin Bros boyfriend, and he makes an appearance in this book!
Thank goodness Deadly Silence was good because it was the only book I had time to read this week. Boo. School and work sure cut into my reading time. 🙂
So I take it Zanetti is good, huh? Must add her to my list!
I am not reading as much as I would like too, you know how real life tends to get in the way…. but I recently read my first Rebecca Zanetti, Mercury Strikes (post apocalyptic) and I really enjoyed it. I liked her writing and need to check out other stuff by her. I have been on a Jill Shalvis kick. I don’t know what it is, but I love her books these days. I am reading Sweet Little Lies currently, the first in her new series.
I’m liking Shalvis’ new series. It reminds me so much of Lucky Harbor, so good.
You’ve been traveling a lot and I’m so jealous! Happy reading, Jill!
Books I’ve read lately ~
— the historical romance Luck Is No Lady (Fallen Ladies) by Amy Sandas; it was a pleasant read but not a book I’ll soon re-read.
— Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox. This was a book about which I’d heard good things, and I enjoyed it very much. It’s a story of two enemies coming to love one another during the Dark Ages. The main characters are a monk and a Viking. Religion and mysticism are part of the story and there is even the odd bit of Latin. This is definitely a book I will re-read.
— I re-read the contemporary romance Act Like It by Lucy Parker; it had me laughing aloud several times.
— One recent book provided a good physical workout as I picked it up, put it down, picked it up, put it down, …. It was oddly repellent yet intriguing. It was a fantasy which felt like a young adult book (I actually checked the spine label at one point) but definitely wasn’t. I’m not sure I’d recommend it, but I’ll probably look for the next volume in the series. Can you say conflicted? The Queen of All that Dies (The Fallen World Book 1) by Laura Thalassa
— I read a short romance novella which was a quick pleasant read; it also happens to be currently free to Kindle readers. Second Chance by Audra North
— the quite enjoyable contemporary Suddenly in Love (A Lake Haven Novel) by Julia London.
— Love On My Mind by Tracey Livesay. The hero of this contemporary romance has Asperger Syndrome, so I was reminded of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie whose hero is similarly afflicted.
— Currently reading Before the Fall: Noah Hawley (a thriller) as well as Bear, Otter, and the Kid by TJ Klune which is a contemporary male/male romance.
You read a great variety of books, good on you. I seem to read the same kind of books all the time and as much as I want to read a more varied collection of books, I tend to stick to what I know and like. I’m a big scaredy cat but keep up the good work, kareni!
I’ve been sick the last couple of days so I haven’t read anything since Thursday, but I read quite a bit before then. Here’s my list:
Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen- My favorite historical in a long time. The heroine fixes scandal and the hero has recently returned from captaining a ship at sea. They meet when he comes home and finds the heroine has been hired by his aunt to cover up the fact that there’s a dead earl tied to his 18 year-old sister’s bed and she’s missing. I loved the writing and the characters. When I am able to concentrate on reading again, the second book in the series, A Duke to Remember is up next.
My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas- I enjoyed this one, but would’ve have liked to see a little more romance in the present day setting between the hero and heroine. Nowhere near the top of the rankings of my favorite books by Thomas.
The One in My Heart by Sherry Thomas- This is a contemporary romance and I liked it overall, but I wonder what my reaction would have been if it hadn’t been a Thomas book. I had a little bit of a hard time getting into and I think it’s because the voice just seemed different from what I’m used to from Thomas. It had some great dialogue and I liked the characters, but I feel the development of the hero was hampered by the fact that the book was told in first person.
Party Lines by Emma Barry- This was the only Emma Barry book I didn’t own when I glommed her books a few weeks back. I told myself I would not buy this book until my TBR list was more under control, but then Carina Press had a 40% off sale and I caved. I really enjoyed this one. It was especially interesting to read a romance where the hero and heroine were staffers for rival presidential candidates during this presidential race.
Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis- I won an audiobook version of this one and listened to it while doing some major decluttering. I liked it. It had interesting characters, a good reason for conflict, the witty dialogue you expect from Shalvis yet I didn’t love it. It was a fun, light read (or listen), but not one that will stick with me.
Ooh, great reading week celineb! I’ve been wanting to read more Sherry Thomas but haven’t gotten around to it. I enjoyed the Shalvis too so I’m glad to see that you did. Happy reading!
I hadn’t known that Sherry Thomas had written a contemporary romance, so thanks for that piece of new.