I’m just a couple of days late this week in getting this post written. Sorry about that. We were at yet another dance competition this past Saturday and my youngest had a stomach bug but wanted to do it anyway. She did well again and her team got another 1st. Yay. 🙂 Just a recital on Saturday and then we’re done. Thank. God. lol

This is the last week of school for my oldest. She’s taking finals today, tomorrow and Friday and then she’s done. (I’m liking the done word today, aren’t I?) My youngest doesn’t get out of school for another week and a half – which she hates, but she did get more time off during the year so it makes sense. I still haven’t figured out what to do with them over the summer. Any suggestions?

On to what I read this past week: 

First up for the week was A Little Night Mischief by Emily Greenwood. This is about a woman, Felicity, who is righteously upset that her uncle gambled off their family home. The uncle dies but now Felicity and her father are in the dowager house (that belonged to her mother, I think so it couldn’t be given away). She wants to new owner gone, gone, gone but James is determined to flip the home and make some much needed money. This was a very sweet book and the romance was well done. Felicity did drive me batty with her completely hair-brained schemes to get James to go away but it all worked out in the end. 3.75 out of 5 

Next up was Connected by Kim Karr. The story follows Dahlia as she goes through college and beyond. She is with Ben and has been for years but one night she meets a guy, River, who rocks her world and they share a connection that is darned near magical in its intensity. They just talk at a bar and she doesn’t stick around because she’s with Ben. Years go by and Ben gets killed right in front of Dahlia. A couple of years after Ben’s death she meets River again and the connection is still alive. They become darned near inseparable but they have their issues – as well as Dahlia having her house broken in to and she’s attacked. I liked the book and the premise of the story but there was too much gratuitous sex for my liking. The middle of the book was a great big love-in between River and Dahlia and it just didn’t further the story, imho. It was definitely not a fast read and the end is a cliffhanger – just fyi. 🙂 3 out of 5 (My review for this is posting on The Book Binge tomorrow 5/30 if you want to read more info.) 

Next up was Wedding Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories by Lisa Scott. I liked her Flirts! short stories so I thought I’d try her Wedding Flirts. I liked a couple more than the others but overall it was pretty cute. 3.5 out of 5 

The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall by Tam Ames is the story of 6 ft something Spence who faints at the sight of blood but wants a tattoo so badly. He finally ventures into a tattoo parlor and ends up meeting Vander who lets him watch him get a tattoo…that doesn’t end so well for Spence but going out with Vander does. Very cute short story! 3.5 out of 5 

How the Other Half Lives by Clare London is the story of an uptight, OCD clean freak who decides to join the apartment building’s flat sitting co-op just to get his friend off his back. Russ is a guy who can’t be bothered to unpack boxes cuz he already knows what’s in there and joins the same co-op to get HIS friend off his back. Russ and Martin “meet” through their apartments and start to like each other despite their differences. When they meet in person it’s not love at first sight, but close. I really liked how Clare showed us the two men prior to meeting and exactly how they thought of themselves. The transformations they make after “meeting” the other man was slow, but just lovely. Well done. 4 out of 5

Agave Kiss by Ann Aguirre is the last book in the Corine Solomon series and it was a good one. She’s trying to go on after losing her man but is determined to find a way to bring him back from the dead. She also helps her friend Booke in England – a man she’s never met and might be dying a quick death. The book is more or less a complete wrap up but well done. 4 out of 5 You can read my review on The Book Binge here.

Ethan by Grace Burrowes is book 3 in the Lonely Lords series. I didn’t read books 1 & 2 but it didn’t seem to have too much effect on this book. The story is about Ethan who is the bastard son of an Earl. The earl was raising him with his half siblings until he was 14 and then sent him away. His life after that was one tragedy after another and doesn’t improve until he hires Alice Portman to be governess to his two sons. They each have their issues but find peace together. A slower read but well done. 3.75 out of 5 

Last for the week was a novella called A Longtime (and at one point illegal) Crush by Janette Rallison. The story is about a girl who has been in love with her brother’s best friend since she was 8 years old. He’s older and at one point becomes her teacher. She feels rejected and just wants to stay away. Now she’s in college and back in town for her brother’s wedding and gets stuck on his property. The story is told mostly in flashback. As cute as it was the girl, Elsie, was a bit annoying in her self pity when she thought Kye was rejecting her. I guess it was typical high school drama but that didn’t mean I liked it. lol 3 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
crickets 

Happy Reading!