Tag: JR Ward

May 2021 Reads

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I look forward to every Black Dagger Brotherhood release each year, and I’m never disappointed. In Lover Unveiled, I really liked the new couple, Mae and Sahvage, but I felt like their story isn’t complete. I have a feeling their story is going to bleed into the next book, which JR Ward is not spilling the beans on yet.

I also am super intrigued by Balz and the detective. I have a strong feeling they are going to be the new book, and their story is going to intertwine with Mae and Sahvage.

I think the best part of this book is the HUGE reveal for Lassiter at the very end. I love Lass, and I know he’s getting a book, and I’m just so anxious for it.

5 Stars

Second First Impressions was so cute. I loved this book so much. I absolutely fell in love with Teddy. I read a lot of romance, but Teddy stood out amongst all the male love interests. He was hilarious, and cute, and just *sigh*. Not be outdone, I also loved Ruthie. I wanted to be here friend.

Their relationship just felt so organic, moving from acquaintance, to best friends, to lovers. There was not one thing I didn’t love about this book. I wish I could go back and read it a first time again.

5 Stars

There are some books that you read that will stick with you forever. The Death of Vivek Oji is one of those books. This is a powerful story about an important topic that needs to be told and read. I can’t really say much more than this, since I don’t want to spoil anything about the book. This is definitely a book that will be read for generations. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Man Enough was written for men, but it can be read and enjoyed by anyone. Justin Baldoni wrote his truth and a book that gives men to be themselves and not what society expects them to be. The book really gave a lot of insight into adolescent boys, which will be useful for me to reflect on as my son gets older.

4 Stars

A Longer Fall is the second of the Gunnie Rose books, and I actually enjoyed it better than the first. A lot less worldbuilding. A lot more character development. I love the characters of Lizbeth and Eli so much, and I love their relationship building.

This book took us to a new section of the old United States, and it was really cool to see the difference.

4 Stars

The Gunnie Rose series just gets better and better with each book. I loved The Russian Cage the most. It’s probably because I’m a huge fan of romance. But in addition to the growing romance of Eli and Lizbeth, there was a lot more action and mystery. I really enjoyed the new setting of The Holy Russian Empire.

4 Stars

Picked to read with my sisters, I really enjoyed this book. The first half was very slow, but then the haunting started and the second half flew by. I found myself sitting in my car long after arriving home just to read a little bit more. If you’re a fan of Shirley Jackson, you’ll enjoy this book.

4 stars

Ever since I knew they made this a real book, I had been looking forward to reading it. However, I was super disappointed once I read it. I know in the show they made a big deal about it being Jane’s story, but I didn’t expect it to be a complete word for word retelling of the first season of the show. I was a little annoyed with it. Not my favorite book.

3 Stars

My kids and I have started reading together every night again, and our first book was Fortunately the Milk. And it was so funny. We alternate who reads, and we couldn’t stop laughing. It’s a quick read, and I think everyone should read it, young or old.

5 Stars

This book was a very uneven read. The first 3/4 of the book was so good. I loved reading about the victims and their lives, and about queer New York. However, where the book fell flat for me was when you learned that while the killer was caught, he never confessed, they never found the place he was killing these men, and there was never a clear motive found. I know the case is very recent, but the part I love most about True Crime is learning the why and how. And this book was missing this. The book ended so abruptly, it left me me feeling like the book was incomplete.

4 stars

The second book we picked to read as a family, if you like cat puns, this is the book for you. This was a short fun graphic novel, that was the third time my son read, however, he was so excited to read it with me, his excitement rubbed off on me.

4 stars

This was a cute book. And one that was hard for me to put down. The characters were fun, the romance was believable, and I wanted to be friends with Kara. As a fellow romance author, I loved the breakdown of what makes a romance novel. A fun book to read while camping.

4 Stars

Christina Lauren are quickly becoming my favorite RomCom authors. I have read three of their books in the last six months, and I have read each of them in one day.

My favorite thing about The Souldmate Equation was how swoony the romance was. Jess and River’s chemistry was palpable. The addition of Juno took the story to the next level.

What I appreciate about Christina Lauren is that their characters fall in love doing the mundane, and they know how to write a love story.

4 Stars

December Reads

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The Twelve Dates of Christmas

This was a cute book to kick off my Christmas month of reading. An easy romance, that had everything I love about a book. It was quirky, light-hearted, and the romance didn’t seem forced. I loved the conceit of the main character trying to find love at Christmas time through twelve blind dates, and I loved the backstory between her and her best friend.

In a Holidaze

I absolutely loved this one. After a disastrous day after Christmas, Maelyn Jones makes a wish, and suddenly it’s Groundhogs Day meets Christmas! Mae needs to try and get her life together, or else she’ll be stuck reliving the same holiday for all eternity.

This book was SO GOOD. I loved Mae and Andrew and the romance that bloomed between the two. And I’m a sucker for time-loop stories. Another feel good romance for the holiday season. (BOTM)

A Warm Heart In Winter

I NEVER skip a J.R. Ward book. And this year’s December release was billed as Blay and Qhuinn’s mating ceremony. FINALLY. But the book was so much more than that. In fact, the mating ceremony is such a small part of this heartbreaking book. If you’re caught up on the series, this is definitely worth the read. It adds to Z’s story, and we get some resolution to the Lesser attack on the Glymera from early in the series. But at the heart of the book, you get to feel and see Blay and Qhuinn’s love for one another, and that is just amazing.

This Time Next Year

New Year’s Eve, 1990, two moms labor together, when they have their babies at the same time, Quinn is the New Year’s baby! Minnie, who was supposed to be named Quinn, misses out by just minutes and also loses her name in the process. What proceeds is a life believing she is cursed at New Year’s. On the Eve of her 30th Birthday, she runs into Quinn, stealer of her name and her luck, and the two form a friendship that grows over the year. A beautifully written book about love, friendship and making your own luck, this is a book that I will probably try and read annually. (BOTM)

Dune

For YEARS, my husband has been trying to get me to read Dune. It’s one of his favorite book series. Over the summer, we learned how to play the board game, and everyone who had read the book understood what was happening, those of us who didn’t, had no idea. So, I finally read the book. I got the audiobook from the library, and I was HOOKED. This book is AMAZING! It’s like Game of Thrones, in SPACE! I was drawn in by the politics between the houses. The book was 21 hours long, and I DEVOURED it. My goal in 2021 is to finish the series.

Anxious People

I had heard a lot of good things about Anxious People, and it has made a lot of the best of 2020 lists, that I was really excited to finally have it come in at the library. And I have to say, this book lives up to the hype. It starts off slow, but keep reading. The payoff at the end is just amazing. The book is beautifully written and deals with so many different topics, and it does it with humor. Seriously, I laughed out loud multiple times. This book is a great study in character and relationships. (BOTM)

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark

If you know me, you know I love True Crime. This book is amazingly written. When she wrote it, The Golden State Killer, a name she coined, was still unsolved. Responsible for 12 murders and 50 rapes up and down the California coast between 1978 and 1986, The Golden State Killer, or also known as the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker, was one of the most prolific serial killers, that no one was talking about. It wasn’t until the 1990s with the invent of more sophisticated DNA technology that all of the cases began attributing themselves to him, since he crossed jurisdictions. A collection of her research, this book puts humanity into the GSK’s victims, and turns them into people, and not just numbers. Make sure you lock your doors at night, and sleep with a light on, this book is going to make you paranoid of every sound you hear in your backyard at night.

No Time Like the Future

Michael J. Fox’s newest memoir discusses his life from about 2016 on. He talks about the back surgery he needed to remove a tumor from his spine, his recovery, his later career when he felt like he would never act again, and finally his decision to officially retire from acting. I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by the author, and you could hear the love he has for his family in his voice as he talked about all of the support they’ve given him over the years. If you are a fan of Fox, I highly recommend this book.

Ready Player Two

Definitely the most disappointing read of 2020. If I could unread a book, this would be the one. I loved the first book SO MUCH. But this one just made me hate Wade. I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you want to know specifically why I hated this book, you can find a spoiler filled review on my Goodreads page, or you can comment or send me a message and I will tell you in excruciating detail why this book is at the bottom of my list.

Love Lettering

This book was really cute. Meg is a professional at handlettering. Reid is an uptight quant on Wall Street. When Reid discovers Meg left a message in his doomed wedding programs, he comes to confront her about it. What follows is a story about finding inspiration in the most unlikely of places, and falling in love with the most unlikely of people. This book was fun, romantic, and you couldn’t help but root for Meg and Reid.

August Reads

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The Vanishing Half

This was our book club pick for the month of August, and I had it read in two days. Not having power for a week due to a land hurricane called a derecho barreling through Iowa may have been a helping factor, but the book was so good.

The Vanishing Half tells the story of two identical twin sisters who leave their small home town. The sisters are Black, but they can pass for White, which is what one sister does. The two go their separate ways, and live separate lives, until their daughters cross paths.

The story is a wonderful journey in the lives of four women, the twins and their daughters, and I love how rich the story is. I became very invested in their stories, and could only hope things would work out for the women.

I highly recommend this story to everyone. (BOTM)

You Are Not Alone

I borrowed this book from a friend, and I have to say, out of all the books I’ve read so far in 2020, this is definitely near the bottom of my list.

Billed as a thriller, I never really felt like the main character was in any danger. Throughout the book the authors made it feel as if the socialites had some big secret society thing going on, and when everything is revealed, it felt like a bit of a let down.

If you’re going to try to read one book a month for the rest of the year, skip this one, it’s not worth trying to fit in. (BOTM)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I really wanted to like this one. I really did. And It was okay. I liked parts of it. However, there are a few things that made me frustrated, and things that I would have wanted to change.

The story is basically President Snow’s origin story, so it is expected to show how he became the sadistic man we met in The Hunger Games Trilogy. However, because we knew he would become evil, there really wasn’t anything too shocking.

The things I felt were interesting in the book were the 10th Hunger Games which helped show us how the games had evolved, and President Snow’s ties to District 12, which allowed us insight into why Snow did the things he did with Katniss.

Things I felt could have been better: I really, really, really wanted there to be an LGBTQ+ relationship between Snow and his rival. I wanted there to be some tragic story of loss and class difference between the two of them, and I wanted that to propel Snow into the man he became in the Trilogy.

That said, I think everyone should read it, especially if you’re a fan of the Trilogy, and I’m actually looking forward to the film.

The Jackal

I don’t have much to say about this one. I love basically everything J.R. Ward publishes. If you’re a fan, I recommend this book. I loved the love story, I loved the characters, and I’m interested to see where the story goes, since this is touted as Prison Camp Book 1, and seeing how this book ended, I wonder how there will be more.

March Reads

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Red, White, and Royal Blue

Red, White and Royal Blue is easily my favorite book I’ve read in 2020, so far. I went into it skeptically, like I do most books that have been overhyped, and then read it all in one day.

The book follows Alex, the son of the first female President of the United States, and Henry, a literal Prince of England. They start off at odds with one another, a feud if you will. But then it becomes very obvious that they are in love, and the book quickly becomes one of the most realistic, love stories I have read.

The book is achingly romantic, and I found myself rooting for the success of Alex and Henry’s relationship. I borrowed this book from the library, but I will probably end up purchasing it so I can re-read it over and over again. (BOTM)

The Alice Network

This month’s book club pick was The Alice Network. I listened to this book on audio, and I ended up strapping the blue tooth speaker to the waist belt of the baby carrier and spending four hours one day listening to the book while I cleaned. For perspective I normally just listen to audiobooks in the car. This book was that good.

The book follows two different women in two different times. Eve, a British spy in France during World War I, and Charlie, a pregnant nineteen year old American, who seeks out Eve to search for her missing French cousin, post World War II.

The book flips between both timelines and you get to see how strong both women are as they face different obstacles, while also watching the two form an amazing relationship with one another. Along for the ride in post WWII is Finn, Eve’s Scottish driver.

Each story has heartbreaking revelations, and the author really shines a light on PTSD following fighting in a war.

If you enjoy historical fiction, definitely check this one out.

Things in Jars

For Christmas this year, my sisters gifted me with three months of a Book of the Month Club subscription. Things in Jars was my pick for January.

This book was, different. I don’t know if I would have chosen it if it hadn’t been offered up to me in a curated pick of five choices, but it was right up my alley. Victorian London, supernatural aspects. Maybe? Ever since finishing the book, I’ve had a hard time figuring out if everything that happened was real, or if it was in Bridie’s head.

The book follows Bridie, a private investigator as she tries to solve the case of a missing child. She is joined by a handsome ghost, Ruby. As they solve the case, it becomes more and more surreal. I’m about a week out from finishing the book, and I’m still trying to figure out the ending. I will be passing the book to a friend so I can talk to someone about what it was exactly that we just read. (BOTM)

Time of Contempt

At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this installment of The Witcher Series. The first half of the book is a lot of explaining about politics and movement in the universe. A lot. It’s pretty tedious.

And then about half way through the book, everyone converges together for the first time, and everyone is happy! And then everything happens. There is an epic battle, and for the first time the tide has turned against our heroes, and the book ends sort of on the morose note.

I currently have the next book on hold. It’ll be available in a month. It’s going to be a long month.

The Huntress

After reading The Alice Network I had high hopes for The Huntress, and I was not disappointed. The book had engaging characters and a plot that caused me to not want to put the book down.

The book follows three people: Jordan, an aspiring photograph, Ian, a former war reporter turned Nazi hunter, and Nina, a Russian fighter pilot. They are all affected by a woman who is known as The Huntress, and when you find out how each one is affected, really is the heart of the story.

Like in The Alice Network the second the storylines of these people converge, the story becomes even more interesting, and the plot moves even quicker.

If you enjoy World War II stories, or just historical fiction in general, I highly suggest you pick this book up.

The Sinner

The eighteenth installment of The Blackdagger Brotherhood series. While I didn’t completely fall in love with Syn like I normally do with any of the Brothers who is featured, I loved Jo, who we have been following for several books now. That and the conclusion of the Dhestroyer prophecy really made the book nearly impossible to set down.

Butch has always been one of my favorite Brothers, and his relationship with Vishous has been one of my favorites of the series. The focus on Butch and Vishous and their role in the war against the lessers, was touching and enthralling all at once.

Syn is flawed, and it took me a while to feel any sympathy for him. I was more in love with Jo, a half-breed waiting for her transition, even though she didn’t know she was a half breed. Once Jo was brought into the secret world, the book got infinitely better and I started enjoying her and Syn together. Maybe it’s because the last two romances of the series were so intense, but Syn is definitely no Muhrder.