Casee: If anything good is coming out of this self-quarantine I’m in, it’s that I have an abundance of reading time. I’ve actually read two books in one week and am almost done with the third. I’m currently reading Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh. I don’t know why I didn’t read this book when it first came out. It’s a conundrum. I’m going to read Alpha Night next.
I’m also listening to Gunmetal Magic while working at home. Not sure how I feel about it yet. It’s about Kate’s best friend, Andrea. I’m sure it’ll come through because it’s Ilona Andrews.
Holly: I’ve been working my way through the Kate Daniels series. It’s been awhile since I read the series and Rowena has me binge-reading it. I read Magic Bleeds, Magic Slays, Magic Rises, Magic Breaks, Magic Shifts, Magic Binds and Magic Triumphs. I’m currently reading Iron and Magic.
Now that I’m working from home and things have slowed down, I hope to have more reading time. We’ll see how it goes.
Rowena: It’s been a slow reading week for me because I’m in self-quarantine and instead of reading, I’ve been kicking my family’s ass in Sequence and Five Crowns and getting my ass kicked in Take Two. There’s a lot of family board game nights and staying home and washing hands but I did manage to finish Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs and will start The Orchid Thorne by Jeffe Kennedy. That’s about it for me. I plan on finishing up some review books before jumping back into the Kate Daniels series. I already miss my Kate Daniels friends. Haha.
What are you reading this week? Any new favorites or books that drove you crazy? Share!
I’m reading Life’s Accessories by Rachel Levy Lesser. It’s a good book, I’m enjoying it.
Just finished Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs and Rise of the Magicks by Nora Roberts. Now reading Love Hard by Nalini Singh
Over the past two weeks ~
— Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds by Brandon Sanderson is a collection of three linked novellas; it was an unusual read that I enjoyed.
— 12:23 by Patrick F. Johnson was a pleasant read that had a Twilight Zone vibe.
— How to Draw without Talent by Danny Gregory was an enjoyable and approachable book.
— Mindtouch (The Dreamhealers Book 1) by M.C.A. Hogarth which I quite enjoyed. As a bonus, this book happens to be currently free for Kindle readers. I would definitely like to read on in the series. This book would be fine for teen readers as well.
— Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate which I read for my book group on Thursday; we met via Zoom. It was a sad, poignant story that is based on some true events. If you’re in the mood for a depressing/cathartic story, I can recommend this!
— Jon’s Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case by AJ Sherwood. I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I’ll be rushing to reread it.
— Trinkets by Kayleigh Sky; this had a somewhat dreamy/slightly distant feel. Incidentally, this is currently free for Kindle readers.
— Plus a boatload of samples.
The best book I read this week was Marley Valentine’s WITHOUT YOU, a beautifully-written, emotionally-nuanced m/m romance about grief and recovering from loss. A lovely book; highly recommended.
I am now reading Kate Stewart’s THE GUY IN THE MIDDLE and am liking it very much. I enjoyed THE GUY ON THE LEFT last year and this is part of that same series.
That’s so funny, THE GUY ON THE LEFT was available in Prime Lending so I grabbed it yesterday and read it today. Prior to this, it wasn’t even on my radar, but as soon as I read the sample I was hooked. Apparently I was in the mood for a solid, emotional but not too angsty NA read and it fit the bill perfectly. I also read and loved TEAM PLAYER by Julianna Keyes. I have an ARC of her next book, BENCH PLAYER that I’m planning to start this weekend.
@JenM: What I really liked about THE GUY IN THE LEFT is that it gave the hero time to nature and face up to the consequences of the lie he told (which resulted in the heroine’s pregnancy). In so many older-heroine/younger-hero books, the hero is absolutely perfect, despite being only a couple of years out of high school. That wasn’t the case in THE GUY ON THE LEFT and I appreciated that.
I’m also looking forward to BENCH PLAYER. I’m a big baseball fan (although I’m not sure we’ll have much of a season this year) and loved TEAM PLAYER. Keyes is one of my favorite writers—her TIME SERVED is one of my favorite romances and a reliable comfort reread.
Oops, the one I read was the first book, THE GUY ON THE RIGHT. I really want to read the second book though, THE GUY ON THE LEFT, for exactly the reasons you mentioned. I have no problem with heroes who screw up when they are younger, but then mature, learn from their mistakes, and try to fix them, especially when they are that young.
I read Theresa Romain’s Fortune Favors the Wicked and Passion Favors the Bold – the first 2 books in her Royal Rewards series. I also read Janna MacGregor’s The Rogue Most Wanted and Wild, Wild Rake the last 2 in her Cavensham Heiresses series. They are all excellent books!