I’m behind. Yes, again. I know, it sucks, but what can you do? Actually I tried to spend as little time as possible on the computer this weekend. Since I work at a computer practically all day every day I tend to have issues with my right arm – especially when I’m on the mouse for extended periods. The last time it kicked into high gear I had problems even moving my right arm and had a long stint in Physical Therapy. Let’s just say as nice as they are, I don’t want to go back! lol So I’ve been trying to stay off the computer during weekends and last night I just couldn’t get myself to type this out. I’m sure you were wondering how you could possibly start your week without the info but I hope you managed somehow. 🙂
Not much excitement this past week at the homestead. My youngest getting her yellow belt was cool. She loved it when I read all of your comments to her. Her birthday is on Wednesday and she’s been looking forward to getting her ears pierced which I said she could do when she was 7, just like my oldest. Well, I took her yesterday to get them done and she totally changed her mind. She wanted it so badly I was completely shocked. It wasn’t even when she saw the needle! I have no idea what happened but she just said, you know, maybe when I’m 8 or 9. Well ok then. 🙂 My oldest kept trying to talk her into it and finally my oldest told her that the only way she was doing it was if my oldest paid her $500.00!!! lmao. That got my oldest to pipe down pretty darned fast!
Oh and I posted my reads for June on my sidebar if you’re interested.
Ok – so on to what I read last week:
First up was Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra. This was a book that Katiebabs sent me a while back and I finally picked it up. After discussin the book with her she asked that I do a review for her blog so I’ll do that and when it posts I’ll let you all know. 🙂
Next up was Twisted Creek by Jodi Thomas. I really, really liked this book. It had such a great sense of family and the romance in it was so subtle it made it that much better. I also loved the heroine in this one so much. Allie was just a girl I would love to call friend. I would definitely recommend this one. 4.5 out of 5
My Tracy’s TBR Challenge read for this month was Carnal Gift by Pamela Clare. A while back I read the first book in this trilogy and really liked it. This was good, but not as good imo. I liked Jamie and Brighid (pronounced Breed) together but they were both so stubborn at times I wanted to conk them over the head with a blunt object. lol I think what didn’t do it for me in this book was the fact that there was a lot of the h or h getting sick, or stabbed, or kidnapped and it was all a little too much. 3.75 out of 5
My next read was Touched by Light by Catherine Spangler. This is the 3rd book in the series and I can say I’m probably done reading them. I read this for The Book Binge so I’ll be sure and let you know when the review posts.
This cover? The hero of the book is a suit wearing, tie donning, brand name dresser who has short hair that is always meticulously combed. The guy on the cover has a mullet. I know that the covers don’t always match up but come on! A mullet??? lmao! (nice abs though)
The Treasure Keeper (book 4 in the Drakon series) by Shana Abe was my next choice. I had to finish the series! While I enjoyed this book very much and of course still love Abe’s writing I just couldn’t believe in the heroine’s love at the end of the book. This book was about Rhys and his longtime love Zoe. I think Zoe had had feelings for Rhys when she was younger and as she got older cared about him but when it came to the end of the book I just didn’t believe it. Now Rhys, I loved. He was an arrogant ass but he did it in such a way that I couldn’t help but be drawn to him. I really am looking forward to the next book and I don’t even think it’s been decided when that will be since this one just came out in April. Oh well, patience is a virtue, or so they tell me. I’m really on the shelf about a rating on this one. It’s a 4.25 to 4.5 out of 5
Next was a novella called Playing With Fyre by Mina Carter. I read it for The Book Binge and will let you know when the review posts.
Dragon’s Kiss by Ally Blue was an m/m short story that I read next. This was my first read of Ally’s and I thought it was pretty good. It was very short and had a touching story but because of the length there wasn’t much time to get to know the characters. Bear and Lynx are out on patrol when they come across Dragon who is nekkid and jacking off. Bear is drawn to this man and as they make their way back to their pack Bear and Dragon talk and find that they have similar thought of life and how things should be run in the pack when it pertains to earth as it was approx. 15 generations prior. I think it must be part of a series (which I’ll check out today) and if so I’d be interested in reading more of the series because I liked Ally’s writing. 3 out of 5
My last read for the week was Tied Up, Tied Down by Lorelei James. This is book 4 in the Rough Riders series and definitely one of my favorites of the series so far. This one was with Kade and Skylar. Kade had been dating Skylar but she thought that he was actually his twin, Kane. Unfortunately when she found out about the duplicity in book 3 she broke things off. Kade was heartbroken and moved away for a year with basically no means of communication. The poor guy had his heart broken. When book 4 opens we find that Skylar is pregnant from the one encounter she had with Kade. She does try to contact him but when she finds he’s gone for a year really doesn’t try any harder to get a message to him. When Kade returns he finds out about the baby and is 100% in for taking care of little Eliza. Kade wants not only to be a great dad to the baby but he wants Skylar back. I really loved Kade. He was just truly a kind, good-hearted person. Skylar had issues from past problems with men and humankind in general but she came around. It was a good read. 4 out of 5
Happy Reading!
Hi Tracy!
I'm a big fan of Shana Abe but I have some catching up to with regards to her Drakon series.
I'm very interested to see what you rate the Virginia Kantra book. I have this series as well but alas, there's been no time to read it yet.
Congrats to your daughter on her yellow belt. Very impressive!
😉 VFG
I also read Dragon's Kiss. I wasn't really sure what to think of it. It was just way too short. Everything seemed to move so fast and so much unexplored with the world building.
I thought about the Catherine Spangler books, but I guess not.
Happy bleated birthday to your daughter!! LOL about the getting the ears pierced 🙂
Sooo glad you loved Twisted Creek!! Wasn't it an amazing book?!?! 🙂 I loved it to pieces as well!
Hope your arm will get better!! me, it's my shoulder that starts to hurt 🙁
Hey Tracy! Shana Abe's cover is so pretty! I've seen it a few times before. Congrats again to your daughter 😉 Hope you had a great 4th.
I'm going to pretend that list is for the whole month of June. And then it's still longer than my list! LOL
I've only read the first two Drakon books by Abe and as you know… they are favorites of mine. I can't wait to catch up in the series! I think I'll wait for Treasure Keeper to come out in paperback.
I do look forward to your weekly rundowns, Tracy! You always have such and interesting collection or read books!
omg, I so agree with you about Zoe from Treasure Keeper. I loved Rhys, though. How I felt about Zoe, since she was "on" so much more than Rhys, really affected how I felt about the book as a whole. I really like this series, but this one just didn't work for me. 🙁
I like Ally Blue's Bay City Paranormal Investigations series. Sort of an m/m ghostbusters. lol
The Jodi Thomas sounds really good! I'll have to add it to the ole tbb list! 🙂
I've read some Ally Blue before. I can't remember which (not the Bay City Paranormal series, but I keep saying I need to start that). Anyway, I've liked what I've read.
Finally got a Jodi Thomas. I forget which one, but I picked it up at the UBS w/Renee.
I do love the Pamela Clares. Just yummy.
And Lorelei James rocks. Nuff said.
Happy BD to your baby. I love it when the little ones can outsmart their older siblings. It happens so rarely around here that I always applaud it elsewhere.
Good God Girl I can never keep up with your reading. LOL
And every week I have a list of new books to check out my TBR pile moans everytime I hop over here.
VFG – Abe really is a great writer. I just love her stuff and now that I've read as much as I can with this series I'll have to check out the rest of her work.
Thanks for the congrats – I'll tell my daughter!
Amy – DK was a little odd but not bad. It was very short and it's so hard to get a good handle on the story in so few pages.
Spangler…I liked her first two books if that gives you a clue. 🙂
Nath – actually her birthday is tomorrow we were just piercing the ears early since it was a weekend. 🙂
Twisted Creek was great…and I didn't realize until after I read the book that there was no sex in it! I love that!
Yep – the arm goes wonky on me. I think that my shoulder, neck and arm are all effected by it but it hurts most in my arm. Oh well, that's the price I pay for my job. 🙂
Barbara – thanks honey I hope you had a great 4th as well.
I've really been enjoying the Abe Drakon series. And yes, her covers are great.
Christine – thank heavens for my local library – which is where I checked out all 4 Abe's books. HC's are just too pricey…and that way I didn't have to wait for PB!
Renee – Thank you! You're sweet.
Yes, I really liked Zoe to begin with and with her diary and all and when she was in Paris but after Rhys came back (trying not to give too much away) she was just too wishy washy for me.
Oh I'll have to look into that other series by Ally Blue – thanks for the heads up!
I've really liked the 2 contemps by Jodi Thomas that I've read. Rewriting Monday and Twisted Creek. Good stuff.
Lori – I'm really liking James' Rough Riders. How can I not have the cowboy love, I ask you?
Find the JT and tell me which one it is. I have another by her of her Texan series but I haven't read it yet.
I'll tell my little one HB from you. 🙂 Thanks.
Sarai – oh honey mine moans when I walk in the room that's why I feel guilty and read! lol Just kidding. It only moans when I add to it. 🙂
Just read Dragon's Kiss and liked it much. It was super cute and srsly sexy.
Your first Ally Blue? I quite enjoyed that one and liked the world building but left me wanting more. I really like reading her stuff and have quite a few although I haven't tackled the Bay City Paranormals yet.
Do you mean the sex was not descriptive or the characters didn't have sex at all? I can't remember, but I remember it got kind of busy when Allie went to Luke's cabin. Ah well, I like the fact that Jodi Thomas is never very descriptive when it comes to sex. Proof that what readers want foremost is a good story and good characters.
Sarah & Tam – Ally did do a fair bit of world building in the story…I guess I just wanted MORE – of everything! lol I'll definitely read more though!
Nath – There was some scorching hot kisses, a little feeling up under the shirt, but other than that – no sex.
Hmmm, more than a couple on this list look interesting. Thanks.
I'm reading Twisted Creek right now and I can tell you that I'm really enjoying it. It's the perfect balm I needed to smooth away all of the "meh" reads that I've been reading lately.