Friday, April 30, 2021

April Rereads

As always, all opinions are my own.

Summer Hill 1
Four stars
This book came out May 3rd, 2018
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary







True Love by Jude Deveraux
Nantucket #1
Three stars
This book came out July 9th, 2013
On a re-read, I did not forgive Jared as fast as I did the first time. And I made my brain go numb trying to do the math from previous books in M/T timeline. Believe me, it's better to let it go.

A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase



A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase
Difficult Dukes #1
Four stars
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary




Difficult Dukes #2
Four stars
This book came out August 22nd, 2017
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary

Three stars
This book came out September 29th, 2015
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary




Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Thompson #1
Three stars
Followed by Blood Bound
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
This book came out January 31st, 2006


Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Thompson #3
Three stars
This book came out January 2nd, 2008
Follows Blood Bound
Followed by Bone Crossed
Borrowed as ebook from Libby







Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Thompson #4
Four stars
This book came out February 3rd, 2009
Follows Iron Kissed
Followed by Silver Borne
Borrowed as ebook from Libby




Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Thompson #5
Three stars
This book came out March 30th, 2010
Follows Bone Crossed
Followed by River Marked
Borrowed from CloudLibrary



River Marked by Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Thompson #6
Three stars
This book came out March 1st, 2011
Follows Silver Borne
Followed by Frost Burned
Borrowed from library


Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
Alpha & Omega #2
Four stars
Follows Cry Wolf
Followed by Fair Game
This book came out August 25th, 2009
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary

America's Geekheart (Bro Code, #2)




America's Geekheart by Pippa Grant
Bro Code #2
Four stars
Follows Flirting with the Frenemy
Followed by Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own


Liar Liar Hearts on Fire by Pippa Grant
Bro Code #3Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire by Pippa Grant
Three stars
Followed by Master Baker
This book came out March 24th, 2020
Borrowed this as a Kindle Unlimited book
Opinions are my own

Jock Blocked by Pippa Grant
Copper Valley Fireballs #1
Three stars
Followed by Real Fake Love
This book came out May 19th, 2020
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own



Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant
Three and a half stars
This book came out September 3rd, 2020
Opinions are my own








Thursday, April 29, 2021

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

Lila Macapagal has moved home to help out at her aunt's Filipino restaurant. Well, and to get over a bad breakup. Too bad another of her exes, Derek, is such a jerk. Not only does Derek come in and continually give her aunt's restaurant bad reviews, his stepfather, Edward Long, owns the building her aunt's restaurant is in and he seems to be trying to kick her out. It's just rotten luck that Derek falls over dead while eating there. And Edward is quick to point the finger at her family. So now Lila has a a shady ex, her family restaurant is under an aura of suspicion, and they can't even try to earn enough money to make the next rent because the police had shut them down
This was a really fun story immersed in the Filipino culture. We get a glimpse of Lila's past and know that she's picking herself back up which will be fun to watch. I'm really hoping that the potential love triangle is wrapped up quickly because most series pull it out for far too long.

Four stars
This book comes out May 4th, 2021
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own


Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Anna and Charles were introduced in a short story and it would definitely help to have read it to understand a lot of this book but I don't think it's entirely necessary (edited: I have since read the short story and it helps a little but not necessary). There is some world building in this book as well, setting up the same rules we read in that story (how werewolves function, their packs work, etc.)
Anna has only been a werewolf for three years but her previous pack kept much of the knowledge of being a werewolf from her. Charles, on the other hand, has been a werewolf for almost two hundred years and his father is the Alpha of all Alphas. The book opens when Charles, having determined that Anna is his mate, has brought her to Montana. She is immediately soaked in pack politics as they are dealing with the funeral of a beloved townsperson. Plus, there appears to be a rogue wolf killing people in the nearby wilderness and Charles is the person who is best suited to figuring out what is going on, even though he is healing from being shot with silver bullets.
I generally enjoyed this story and am liking where Charles and Anna are going (no love triangles! Woot!).

Four stars
Followed by Hunting Ground
This book came out July 29th, 2008
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary
Opinions are my own


Alpha & Omega by Patricia Briggs

For three years, Anna Latham has been a part of a living nightmare. At the bottom of a werewolf pack in Chicago, she is a monster who is trapped by circumstance. But she works up the nerve to call the Marrok, the head of all werewolves, and tell him that things are wrong where she is. 
The Marrok, Bram, has known that there is something wrong in Chicago so he sends his enforcer, his son Charles, to figure out what is going on. Bram directs Anna to pick up Charles.
It's immediately up on seeing Anna that Charles realizes that she is his mate. He also realizes that she is not a submissive wolf as she has been told, rather, she is an Omega. Omegas are a rare type of wolf who can bring peace to other wolves. And that is exactly the reason Anna has been treated the way she has... something is rotten in the state of Denmark and it will take both Anna and Charles to solve it.
For a short story, this is really good at introducing two strong characters as well as building a complete world.

Four stars
Followed by Cry Wolf
Published in On the Prowl, August 7th, 2007
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary
Opinions are my own


Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Three Fates by Nora Roberts

I reread this book every so often and enjoy it every time. Some aspects haven't aged well as technology is changing but other parts, like the women kicking butt and taking names, have fared better. 
Malachi Sullivan is on a mission. A valuable heirloom has been stolen from him by the unscrupulous Anita and he believes that historian and author Tia Marsh can help him figure out how to get it back. She's quiet, shy, and sort of bland-looking so he figures he can seduce her into giving him information. Unfortunately, the person who wangled the heirloom, a small statue of one of the Fates, from him is keeping an eye on him because they trash Tia's hotel room causing her to retreat. Malachi goes back to Cobh, his hometown in Ireland, to retrench with his family. They decide to split up with his brother Gideon following the trail of a descendant of the man who owned another of the Fates. He ends up in a strip club in Prague trying to get Cleo Toliver to turn over the second Fate. She just wants a trip back to New York and is willing to use Gideon to get there. 
Meanwhile, Anita is working on security expert Jack Burdett, trying to get him on her side. He, being fairly canny, does some research and ends up in Cobh, meeting the Sullivan sister, Rebecca. And thus  several ties that started at the sinking of the Lusitania are closed. 

Four stars
This book came out 2002
Hard copy I own
Opinions are my own



Northern Lights by Nora Roberts

Sometimes a move can be good for the soul. Ignatius "Nate" Burke is hoping that this will be true for him. After being shot, he's leaving most of his worldly means behind and moving from Boston to Alaska. He is weary and beaten down, not up for the no-nonsense attitude of Mayor Hopp much less the overt flirtation of Charlene Hidel, the owner of the local bar and his new landlord. The only thing he barely notices a red parka disappearing down the street as he is looking out the window.  
The red parka turns out to belong to bush pilot Meg Galloway, Charlene's daughter. Her quiet pragmatism is a balm to Nate's soul. He is also starting to get into the rhythm of living in a small town, both the good and the bad parts. Dealing with drunks and small thievery is right about what he wants to deal with right now. A mountain rescue is not something he is expecting. Nor is he expecting that the climbers will have taken refuge in a cave where a body had been hidden for decades.

Four stars
This book came out September 27th, 2005
Hard copy I didn't keep
Opinions are my own


Monday, April 26, 2021

Ever After by Jude Deveraux

I'm pretty sure I had said that I would stop reading Deveraux's books but this one was available to borrow immediately, so I did. Of course, the characters are treacly sweet. Even the so-called evil step-sister wasn't as bad as she appeared. Was it a book I would read again? Maybe. It's mostly the time travel ones that drive me over the top. And the fact that this was Jamie, one of Cale's sons (one of my fave short story romances) made it a little easier to swallow.
So, Hallie finds out that her step-sister has been posing as Hallie and is about to claim her inheritance AND take over physical therapy on a wounded trustifarian. But Hallie finds out and jumps on the private jet instead of her sister and ends up falling in lust, then love, with wounded soldier/Doctor Jamie Montgomery.
I did end up reading it again and wonder why I didn't mention at all that there are two ghosts working to ensure the HEA. AND this is the first book that I think I know of Deveraux's that actually mentions condoms! It's a really stupid reason (OMG, the Taggert's are so fertile, you HAVE to use condoms... but don't worry about disease) but it's mentioned!

Three stars
Follows For All Time
This book came out June 23rd, 2015
Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary
Opinions are my own