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Book blog

The Cost of Love and Sanity (Zane Presents)

The Cost of Love and Sanity (Zane Presents) - Jaye Cherie Full review forthcoming at The Sweet Escape.

The Awesome Girl's Guide to Dating Extraordinary Men

The Awesome Girl's Guide to Dating Extraordinary Men - Ernessa T. Carter Excellent. I always know a book is really good when I see it played out like a movie in my head.

32 Candles: A Novel

32 Candles: A Novel - Ernessa T. Carter Loved! Sad that I waited so long to read it. And now I want to watch Sixteen Candles again. I will read her next book tomorrow.
SPOILER ALERT!

The In-Between Hour

The In-Between Hour - Barbara Claypole White Was an "okay" read for me. I think I expected a lot of the story to center around Will's son and he was more like a plot piece to throw around to make things more difficult, add some conflict and a reason for Will to have something to reveal later. There's a love story that's a bit unbelievable, an old man that I grew to love, the alluring, gorgeous, older (but doesn't look it) neighbor, the standard quirky best friend and the deeply emotional teenager. Around the middle of the book, it really started to pick up for me, which, if I hadn't have been reading it for review, I never would have made it that far.

I felt in some ways that this book was written by a 12 year old boy... rather a woman's interpretation of how a man thinks. The words 'boner' and 'staring at her butt'... I mean I know plenty of 35 year old men who don't use the word boner. It was distracting, and eye roll inducing, to me.

What was more realistic to me was Galen's depression and suicide attempts and how the author dealt with his storyline. I appreciated that his story was not pat and 'happily ever after'. There were still difficulties and challenges and we had to muddle through that with him.

This would be a great book to whittle away an afternoon but probably not a favorite read of 2013.

I received a copy of this novel for review from NetGalley.

The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It

The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It - Marcia Angell I don't even know what possessed me to read this. I don't have to read it for review or anything, it just looked interesting. Short but packed with information that I did not know about big Pharma and the drugs we put in our bodies--and more to the point how they get there. Very, very interesting.
SPOILER ALERT!

Badlands (Hqn)

Badlands - Jill Sorenson Badlands was an 'okay' read. Not the best I've ever read but certainly not the worst. It did seem to get better, the deeper into the plot and the more characters that were introduced. Learning early on that Shane was Owen's brother kept me reading when I probably would have stopped otherwise. I liked the back and forth between them, the obvious love that each brother has for the other, despite their huge differences. The story line between Owen and Penny was interesting. A little predictable but not annoyingly so.

I do like a nice romantic suspense story, and found Badlands to be entertaining and a nice easy read.

The Midwife of Venice

The Midwife of Venice - Roberta Rich Enjoyable read, always love great historical fiction.

Waking Kate

Waking Kate - Sarah Addison Allen Prequel short story + excerpt. Really excited for the new book! Ms. Allen is one of my faves. I'm especially excited about the escape from the claws of Cricket to a magical lake.

Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV

Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV - Brian Stelter An interesting read if you're into gossip about morning TV. Nice lengthy breakdown of what happened when NBC forced Ann Curry out of the Today show anchor chair. Except for the section about Robin Roberts bone marrow transplant, the GMA section was rather boring. I would love to read about CNN and how they managed to alienate Solidad O'Brien.

A Good Dose of Pleasure (The Morgan Men)

A Good Dose of Pleasure - Zuri Day Was okay. A bit corny but I've come to expect that from light hearted romance novels.

In His Arms

In His Arms - Yasmin Sullivan In which Art Imitates Life, if art is a frightened woman running from a dark past with a violent man into the arms of a steady, stable... knight with shining paintbrush.

Michelle and Rashad are artists in their own right, hoping to use a weekly art class to boost their professional work. Right away, Rashad is attracted to Michelle, but all the hints she gives out point to a family-- a husband and a child. Still, he can't shake the irresistible draw to her and after almost kissing a married woman, Rashad and Michelle finally connect and sort out the pieces-- both are single, neither are looking for anything casual. Michelle has a son who is clearly her first priority.

Michele also has a secret that she's trying hard to keep from Rashad, but when he walks in on her ex husband about to lay hands on her, he becomes heavily involved. Lucian Vaughn has determined that Michelle can run and hide but she won't get away from him and she won't take his son away from him.

There's a sweet love story here that's predictable but the ride is enjoyable. The love scenes are classy but still tantalizing and the pace of the story moves quickly, since this is a short (about 200 page) novel. I had a couple of nits (like aside from the gun and foul language, Lucian wasn't all that menacing to me. He smacks his fist into his palm a lot.... who does that???) and Michele does a lot of cowering and hiding. Overall, however, they don't stop the story from rolling on so they're inconsequential.

I'm really enjoying the releases from the Kimani imprint and I've already researched Yasmine Sullivan's other releases. Easy read, great suspenseful storyline. I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley for review.
SPOILER ALERT!

Plague

The Plague - Lisa C. Hinsley First of all I would not recommend that mamas of babies read this. Also if you're very sensitive or have a weak stomach, skim skim skim or skip this one.

That said, I guess I am morbid and perverse because I just could not stop reading. This was really short but very descriptive account of a terrifying 'what if'-- what if there was another outbreak of The Plague, but in these modern times? What if your government turned its back on you? What if they abandoned you and left you to die?

Lisa Hinsley immediately dumps her readers into this world by introducing her son, young Nathan, who has been sick for a few days. No worries though, because while there is an outbreak, it's contained to the southern part of the country.... isn't it?

Too late, the residents of this small, close-knit village find that not only has the plague spread beyond the south, but it is nowhere near contained. And there is no cure.

I saw a few other reviews that longed for more depth of character in Liz and I have to agree. We only see these characters during the worst times of their lives. They never get out of that hot, fly-infested, stinking house. Her husband Johnny is never more than a raging, angry man in severe denial until the end. Her mother is never more than a delusional screaming banshee. And Nathin is never well. Only sick.

I didn't realize this was a novella and the thing I always realize about novellas is that they're never enough. I feel like I didn't get enough of the story. I got actions and reactions and emotions but no deep digging story telling, which I would have welcomed.

That aside, this was a quick, gripping, graphic read that I really enjoyed.
SPOILER ALERT!

Lies You Wanted to Hear

Lies You Wanted to Hear - James Whitfield Thomson I have a friend whose book likes are so similar to mine that it's frightening. When she didn't enjoy this book, I was afraid to read it.

Having read it, I'm so happy that I decided to read it for myself, considering I'd agreed to read it for an honest review. I must say, I really enjoyed the story of a screw up who meets the perfect person and completely crumbles underneath the pressure.

*spoilers here!*

Matt seemed perfect when Lucy met him. A little too perfect. A little too exact opposite of Griffin, the man she shouldn't love considering he's a complete louse, but still does. I don't think Lucy was ready for a relationship when she met Matt, but she convinced herself that she was. She let herself believe that she might be enough for him.

There's an old saying that a woman should find a man who loves her more than she loves him. That rang true for Matt. He loved her a little too much, I think. His love made him blind to the faults that she presented right up front. She drank a lot, she smoked pot, she was bit of a pistol. He knew all of this before he fell in love with her and married her. Later, he would use her faults and her way of BEING against her.

Because Matt had turned into the perfect person. Perfect husband, perfect father. And how dare Lucy not rise to the occasion and be the female version of him. When she falls prey to post-partum depression, he's there to pick up the pieces.

The problem isn't that Lucy isn't perfect. Is that she didn't love him enough. She didn't show him enough that she loved him. And he knew she still pined for Griffin, so she never would be able to.

The split becomes nasty. Perfect Matt can't stand the thought of Lucy, who he deems to be a terrible mother, having custody of his children, so he does what he thinks is the right thing.

And for the next eighteen years, metes out his punishment for her, under the guise of 'doing it for the children'.

Frankly, Lucy seems like the average mother to me. Accidents happen and kids get hurt, it does happen every day. Matt took every instance of regular occurrence and blew it up in his mind as evidence that Lucy was a terrible mother. He and his perfection got on my absolute nerves... but then he told the children that their mother was dead and turned them against her. That made him a pile of absolute crap.

Inevitably the children discover the truth. Of course they aren't angry at perfect dad for keeping them away from their mother and lying about her death. I find the reunion to be anticlimactic. But when Lucy finally lays eyes on Matt again, there are words that I want her to say, but she doesn't say them. I'm disappointed in her half acquiescence to him, but as she walks away, Matt seems to have the rug pulled out from under him. He feels that Lucy is smug, and he doesn't know what she has to be smug about.

Didn't she get what she deserved?

This book has been called a stunning debut and I must agree. Truly enjoyed.

I was furnished a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Christmas with The Alexanders

Christmas with The Alexanders - M. Malone I love a good holiday read! Can't wait for the next installment.

Solid Gold Seduction

Solid Gold Seduction - Zuri Day I really enjoyed this book and I'm totally interested in reading more from Zuri Day. I like my romances simple, enjoyable and red hot and Solid Gold Seduction fit the bill. Not to mention that this book is from the Kimani imprint which features black characters, something I really don't see much of from big publishers so YAY.

Solid Gold Seduction takes place on a ranch outside San Francisco that used to be known for gold. After the first initial finding, however, Warren Blake and Charlie Reed's grandfathers were never able to uncover more. Fast forward a generation or two, and mogul Warren Drake is building a house on the land his grandfather owned and mined. Enter his neighbor, spitfire Charli Reed who is as beautiful as she is spunky.

The two initially butt heads- strong willed and both think they're right. However over the course of the story, they can't hide or run from the mutual attraction. Insert dastardly enemy set on enacting revenge on Charli and an old friend of Warren's who isn't so much an old friend and Solid Gold Seduction is well rounded story with lots to cover, not just the romance, and does it well.

Unlike other HQ romances from the Kimani line I found the storyline (though about rich people which is kind a burr in my behind, but it's nice to read about rich black people that own multiple businesses and are successful. It's sort of a literary Cosby show, so I'll allow it) to be believeable, and the dialog to be realistic.

I am definitely looking into Zuri Day's backlist and she'll be on my upcoming releases radar. Great read!
SPOILER ALERT!

Marching to Zion: A Novel

Marching to Zion: A Novel - Mary Glickman I had a difficult time with this book. The story jumps from Mags to Magnus and then Minerva, back to Mags, to Aurora then back to Minerva. Such a huge cast of characters, all needing to tell their story.

It begins interestingly enough, with a young country girl arriving in the big city with a dream. We meet Magnus, who runs a number of businesses with Fishbein, a Jew who owns, among other pursuits, a funeral home. Mags gets a job there, falls in love, has a child. Her husband is killed in a riot. Fishbein, his daughter Minnie, Mags, her child and Magnus all leave town.

What follows is what seems like an odd wandering through time and Tennessee. Magnus discoveres that Minnerva(Minnie) has fallen for him. He runs from her with a lie. She discovers the lie, is terribly hurt by it and as a result runs off to become a prostitute and runs a highly favored house of il repute.

At some point in the book Magnus realizes that he actually loves Minerva and runs off to find her, however having entrapped himself with Aurora, has to sneak around and make his way back to Minnie.

There's a lot of time building up this illicit relationship and then it is... shall we say resolved... in a mere paragraph. I often feel like authors spend so much time avoiding a sagging middle that the end is an abrupt point at which the story simply drops off a cliff. Then things get all tied up and everyone's all better.

As a point of grammatical contention, I get that some authors think the omission of quotation marks is artistic or symbolic or meaningful, but is such a distracting, horrible new trend and I really, as a book reader, would like it to stop. It pulls me right out of the story when I have to read a sentence twice to figure out if it's dialog or exposition.

I'm trying not to let that weigh my decision to rate this book as three stars. A story of unrequited love between a Jewish woman and a black man sounds perfect on paper. I didn't relish the execution.

I was furnished a copy from the publisher via Netgalley.