Giveaway: Widows by Lynda La Plante

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Review: Note to Self by Andrew Milner

Title: Note to Self

Author: Andrew Milner

Publisher: Andrew Milner Books
Publication Date: March 4, 2018
Pages: 258 pages

Where to buy: Amazon

Stars: 3

Summary: Emily is rapidly approaching fifty and thinks her life is just plain sailing. 

When her husband leaves her for a twenty five year old and her dad dies, it leaves her facing an uncertain and lonely future. She has two friends, Sally who is a gold digger yet hopeless in love and the pretty but dippy Dawn a police officer, who each have their own issues for Emily to deal with. On top of that her mum who is easily confused, and refers to cappuccino as Al Pacino, needs her full attention. 

Just when things start to hit rock bottom she meets an Italian stallion who turns her head so far she cricks her neck. In actual fact he’s called Kevin and has probably never been to Italy, but with lessons learnt she decides that maybe the devil that she already knows isn’t so bad after all.

Review:
When I read the summary for the book I was kind of excited about it. Although the book doesn't particularly hit my age demographic I thought in some ways I could connect. Before I meet my current boyfriend I was with a serial cheater. This book was a bit difficult to go through. It was a real slow start. I tried to get into the characters mindset especially as I had been in her shoes in some aspects. It was a little difficult honestly. She was very negative. Although her "self notes" were cute. She seemed very self destructive. Rather than she was trying to build herself up. She didn't seem to have many supportive people around her. Her relationship with her father was the only supportive relationship and she lost it. Her focuses were not seeming to be in the right place. She did marry a real a**hole. That is one thing I can say for sure. Personally for this book I had to go to another book so I did not get behind on my reviews. It is not because this book is unreadable. It is because this book is very slow moving. I don't know if it is the age demographic or just the pace of this book. Maybe it is because this character has a really poor support system around her a very little love for herself but I found it, it relate-able in the fact of the cheating lovers (which were in the past) and that was about the extent. Yes, I have family I have to take care of but. I couldn't finish this book maybe at another point in life I will give it another shot but right now... I just don't think it is going to happen. If you find that the summary jumps out at you please give it a shot. Maybe it is for you, unfortunately it is not for me at this time. 

What am I reading?

What am I reading?

Finished:

Low Chicago by George R.R. Martin 
Mae by Gene Ha Vol. 1

Currently reading:
The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Hanger by Hirotaka Kisaragi Vol. 1

Bench warmers:

Life Happens to us by Ashta-deb

Up to bat:

The Art of Healing by Jeanne Felfe
M.F. By Lisa Mackay
The Break up by Erin McCarthy
One Day Like This by Laura Briggs
Overdrive by Juanita Kees

Won:

Review: Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill

Title: Wild Hunger

Author: Chloe Neill 

Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: August 14, 2018
Pages: 352 pages
Series: An Heirs of Chicagoland Novel (Book 1)

Where to buy: Amazon

Stars: 5 stars

Summary: In the first thrilling installment of Chloe Neill's spinoff to the New York Times bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series, a new vampire will find out just how deep blood ties run.

As the only vampire child ever born, some believed Elisa Sullivan had all the luck. But the magic that helped bring her into the world left her with a dark secret. Shifter Connor Keene, the only son of North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, is the only one she trusts with it. But she's a vampire and the daughter of a Master and a Sentinel, and he's prince of the Pack and its future king.

When the assassination of a diplomat brings old feuds to the fore again, Elisa and Connor must choose between love and family, between honor and obligation, before Chicago disappears forever.

Review:
I was beyond excited when I was approved to review this book. I absolutely loved so many of Chloe's books. When I first started this blog her books were spread across my reviews. When I started this I will be honest I was terrified that I didn't enjoy her writing any more as it had been a couple years since I've read her writing. But the further I got into the book the more I fell in love. I was back to being overwhelmed with excitement that I was able to read this book before it was published and to be able to review another of her titles. The further into this book I got the more of a feel I got for the other series Chicagoland which is what made me fall in love with Chloe's writing. This book is fantastic. I found myself staying up at night reading, having a hard time going into work to find out what was going to happen next. Would everything get resolved? Would there really be peace among the vampires? Honestly once I got past my teen years I thought I was past all that vampire, werewolves, stuff. But I guess Chloe just captures my soul. I am ready for the next book in the series.. Is it here yet? I am also ready to pick up where I left off on the Chicagoland series as well because I know I never finished that either. I may have loved that but my TBR pile was bigger than my love of my love of that series unfortunately. I totally recommend this book.

Review: Hidden by Kelli Clare

Title: Hidden

Author: Kelli Clare

Publisher: SparkPress
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Pages: 328 pages

Where to buy: Amazon

Stars: 5 stars

Summary: Small-town Connecticut art teacher Ellie James finds the intense connection she’s longing for when she meets Will Hastings, a seductive Englishman with an alluring darkness. But just days later, her sister and grandmother are murdered and she must confront the unthinkable: is Will a man she can trust, a killer―or both?

After surviving a near-fatal attempt on her life, Ellie makes a desperate move: she takes her young niece Lissie and runs to England with Will. There, fiery passion becomes possession, London paparazzi call her by another name, and assassins of a secret society close in after the stunning truth about Ellie’s family is exposed. When Will suddenly disappears after putting a ring on her finger, Ellie must find the strength to elude assassins, disentangle herself from the haunting lies she’s lived for twenty-seven 

Review:
This cover kind of makes you think it is a YA novel... As the saying goes do not judge a book by it's cover. I was very excited to read. OH MY GOSH. The start of this book, the description the just. WOW. I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book because at the beginning so much had already happened. It had its grips in nice and firmly. There were it's moments of cheesiness. But by goodness I wish I could have dedicated a whole day to just reading this book. Every moment in-between calls I just took my time soaking up the words of this books and enjoying every moment. I love a lot of this book there is very few things I don't love about this book. I love the primal love between the two. I find the construct of the story line to be very interesting and something I've never heard of before. Some of it seems a bit... unbelievable but at the same time you want it to be real, not in the sense of someone's whole family being murdered. I have unfortunately been on the end of that where I never want someone to suffer through that but the romance they have. The immediate draw, the ability to protect those the love. I don't like in the synopsis how it says Will disappears.. at no point does he disappear his brothers know where he is the whole time. That's just misleading. Honestly the synopsis is meh but the book is amazing. The synopsis should have written better. I don't think it fits the book well at all. I think that's my biggest complaint about the book. 

What am I reading?

What am I reading?

Finished:

Currently reading:
Low Chicago by George R.R. Martin 

Bench warmers:

Life Happens to us by Ashta-deb
The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

Up to bat:

Zero Sum Game by S.L. Huang
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (gift)
Guess Who by Chris McGeorge
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
A Wolf Apart by Maria Vale
Unstolen: You can steal, but you can't hide by Tony Batton

Won:
Devices by Kenna Jefferies
Thief in Law by Michael Dirubo

Review: A Wedding on Bluebird Way by Lori Wilde, Janet Dailey, Allyson Charles, Stacey Keith

Title: A Wedding on Bluebird Way

Author: Lori Wilde, Janet Dailey, Allyson Charles, Stacey Keith

Publisher: Zebra
Publication Date: May 29, 2018
Pages: 336 pages

Where to buy: Amazon

Stars: stars are listed by each story 5+

Summary: The sun is shining, the garden’s in bloom and every detail is perfect as the wedding of the year gets underway at the charming Bluebird Inn. But when the Big Day becomes an even bigger fiasco, the surprises unfold in four entwined tales featuring the unforgettable Loving family . . .
 
The moment for “I do” has arrived, and all eyes are on the bride . . . until she turns heel, hijacks a Ducati, and speeds out of town! Now everyone entangled in the wedding that wasn’t takes off on an unexpected adventure of the heart: A down-on-her-luck B&B owner who needs a little help finding her own bluebird of happiness. . . . A big city cop with small-town roots who pulls over the girl he could never have. . . . A jilted groom and a Type A wedding planner with mischievous twins who discover a little chaos can make life—and love—wonderfully exciting. And of course, the caterer—a hometown girl who risks getting burned when she reconnects with an old flame.
 
That loving feeling is sweeping through tiny Serendipity, Texas, and second chances are turning into happy endings as sweet as the bluebirds coming home to nest . . . 

Review:
All together I absolutely love how the stories come together. It is kind of a beautiful thing how authors can work together like that. This is absolutely an amazingly beautiful story and I love how it all works together in one small town. Just like the gossip in a small town. Each story has their own ups and downs to go through. They are short yet quick and you kind of fall in love with each of their stories quickly. Honestly I really want this book in physical form.

The Wedding that Wasn't by Lori Wilde:
This quick short story is beautiful and I am absolutely in love. Honestly I want more. Felicity believes she is cursed and everything in life ends up being against her but it doesn't always have to end that way. It peaks my interest into looking into more of Lori Wilde's books. I want to know what happens in that cute little B&B, with their romance and lives. I am happy that the story went beyond just the romance even in the short time it also focused on the Lovings and the brothers relationship. For anyone who says that relationships like this don't happen this quickly have never been struck by that lightning. 5 stars.

There Goes the Bride by Allyson Charles:
I absolutely love the relationship that becomes between the runaway bride and the man that comes home after running away from his past. It is unexpected yet so meant to be. They knew each other from when they were younger all the elements were there. It was quick and beautiful. I wish I had been able to see how this builds and continues. 5 stars.

Loving Hailey by Stacey Keith:
When love falls apart because someone thinks it shouldn't be there in the first place and then it prevails because it always belongs is always the best love story of all time. This one may be my least favorite out of the four stories in this book. Not to say it is bad in anyway but the best part about it is the end. The ending is beautiful and heartfelt. But the rest of it is a little bit struggle. 4 stars.

Bachelor Honeymoon by Janet Dailey:
This story was honestly the quickest read I wanted to hate this doctor. I really really did. In honesty this comes together so beautifully and so well you can't hate any of it I think the thing I hate is how much she pushes him away but being in her place at one or three times in my life I 100% get it so my struggle to love hate both of them was real. I cannot pick a favorite story out of all of these. But I absolutely loved the way this one ended. 5 stars.