My Life with the Walter Boys--Ali Novak

Jackie just lost her entire family to a tragic car accident. After the accident, her uncle moved in to her New York City apartment to try and get her life back to normal. However, it wasn't really working, most of the people around her were worried that she was closing herself off to others. So what do they decide to do?! Ship her off to Colorado with a family friend, who has twelve kids! It gets better, not just twelve kids but twelve boys. (Eleven if we are being technical but the one girl is a tom boy to the extreme.)

So just from the start the premise is a bit weird. Send a girl who might be depressed away from everything she knows to people she has never met. In my opinion not smart.  She doesn’t really know where she fits in anymore, so the brothers help her find a spot in their school.

Most of the drama surrounds her and her romance (or lack thereof) with two of the brothers. Isn’t that one of the first rules in the girl code? Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT date brothers.  On top of that don’t date your roommates.  Maybe it’s just me but those seem like a really good list of things to not do. But Jackie does them ALL. Goodness woman, haven’t you learned anything in all the books you claimed to have read.

This book really irritated me, while I know it was set in high school, what parent is okay with their son having a different girl over every week and well known hook-ups.  Then there were all the shenanigans that the older kids got into. It just wasn’t plausible and really simplistic.  While I was reading it, it was okay but it was definitely not the best that I have read in a while. Disappointing since I heard good things about it.

Books a plenty, Books GALORE!

It seems that all I have wanted to do recently was read books, while there is nothing inherently wrong with that it makes doing other things difficult--like laundry and dishes. Not only have my household chores suffered my growing pile of reviews that need to be written has exploded. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of them, I read more books instead of reviewing...it's a vicious cyle. Since I am 28 (or so) books ahead of my Goodreads Challenge of 365 books this year.  I am taking a break--for as long as I can handle... it might be a few days might be a week and a half, who knows?  In that time I hope to catch up with my reviews and do a LOK  (Legend of Korra) Marathon with my husband. I am in the middle of one book now, but that will be my last for a little while.

Good Reading.

Mud Vein--Tarryn Fisher

 There hasn't been a book in a long time that while I'm reading I think "this is an amazing book". Most books I find flaws or start nit-picking at where the book will go. Tarryn Fisher kept me pulled into this book; I hung on every word she wrote.

Senna the main character is numb, numb to the world, numb to herself. But as a reader you are anything but numb. You absorb all the feelings that she neglects, that Senna pushes away.

While the book may be highly improbable, what with the dual abduction and the craziness that happens, somehow while reading it I was convinced that the story was actually happening. The charater development was amazing, Senna went from this shell of a person to someone who faces her past and rights her wrongs.  Isaac is more of a support character, he may be a huge part of the plot, but his entire role was to lead Senna to facing her life and everything had happened. I really just was enthralled by this book.

I think what Senna goes through in this book is an analogy of herself. Senna is locked inside herself projecting a cold front, refusing others care or compassion or love. In the present, she is locked in a building surrounded by ice and snow, unable to get help. One circumstance locked her up and one unlocks her.

It made me think, while Nick saw her Mud Vein, while Isaac only saw her. People can be viewed so differently by others. I just am reeling from finishing this book; I'm still running on the adrenaline and endorphins. This book to me was amazing--slightly depressing but amazing all the same.  When I say slightly depressing, I mean this book is one I probably won’t read again because it’s so depressing.
 

Wife by Wednesday-- Catherine Bybee

The Weekday Brides #1

Have you ever been running a match making service (that is more for financial gain then love) and then been propositioned by one of you r clients? No. Well neither had Sam Elliot until the fateful day when she met Blake Harrison. After the first meeting he decides to offer her a 10 MILLION dollar proposal for a year of marriage. He has to meet his father’s wishes, or he would lose his inheritance. Of course Sam thinks he is crazy but she realizes that she is even crazier if she turns down the offer especially since she needs the money for her sister.  The only probably she sees is keeping the relationship professional mainly because Blake is one hunky, hunky piece of man-cake.

She fits into his lifestyle as seamlessly as a hired bride can; she gave up most everything to follow him to Europe where his family and estate are. Fitting into his life is actually almost too easy, so cue the struggles and the jealous ex-lovers… in this case there was only one crazy ex-lover dubbed the Viper. She thinks she is heads above Sam so she will do everything in her power to undermine their relationship. Not only is the ex an issues, dearest Daddy’s lawyers are a pain in the butt as well, they stoop so low as to bug Sam’s household.

Sam who has been independent for many years has to really lean on Blake throughout this book because many of the things that are happening are beyond her control. Her growth as a character is quite realistic and enjoyable. Catherine Bybee knows how to write a captivating and fun romance story while having an overall theme of honesty and trust.

February Wrap-Up

In terms of reading new books, this was quite a productive month. However when it comes to blogging I failed epically. It was awful, I haven’t even turned on my computer since the last time I posted.  In case you couldn’t tell, I was kind of on a biker kick this entire month. Most of them were okay, enjoyable while reading them but not exceptionally written.

February 27, 2015

Damned  by Cynthia Rayne****

Hot as Hades  by Cynthia Rayne****

Sweet Perdition  by Cynthia Rayne****

Bad Boy Rockers Box Set  by Lexi Buchanan  ***

Dragon Marked  by Jaymin Eve***

Sentinel (Covenant 5)by Jennifer L. Armentrout***

Apollyon (Covenant 4)  by Jennifer L. Armentrout  ****

Deity(Covenant 3)  by Jennifer L. Armentrout  ****

Pure (Covenant 2)  by Jennifer L. Armentrout  ****

Half-Blood(Covenant 1)by Jennifer L. Armentrout****

The Bite That Binds  by Suzanne Wright***

Here Be Sexist Vampires  by Suzanne Wright****

Getting Dirty  by Erin Nichols***

Getting Worked Up  by Erin Nichols***

Getting Out of Hand  by Erin Nichols***

Under a Georgia Moon  by Cindy Roland Anderson  ***

Sprinkles on Top (Sugar Springs 3)  by Kim Law  ****

Sweet Nothings (Sugar Springs 2)  by Kim Law  ***

Sugar Springs (Sugar Springs 1)  by Kim Law  ****

Remember Me  by Honey Palomino***

The Rising Sons Motorcycle Club  by Davida Lynn  ****

The Virtues Complete Trilogy  by Davida Lynn  ****

Hunted (Dauntless MC 1)  by Suzanne Steele  *

Rough Justice  by Sarah Castille****

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles 1)by Marissa Meyer****

Prick  by Sabrina Paige  ****

What She Left Behind  by Ellen Marie Wiseman  ****

Making the Cut  by Scott Hildreth  ****

Wrapped Around Him(Moroad MC 1) by Debra Kayn**

The Librarian Principle  by Helena Hunting  ****

Devil You Know (Butcher Boys 1)  by Max Henry  ***

Torched (Iron Serpents MC 1)  by Shay Mara  ****

Caught on Camera (The Davenports 1)  by Kim Law  ***

Being Chased (CEP 1)  by Harper Bentley  ****

Fat Louise (Biker Bitches 2)  by Jamie Begley  ****

Inevitable (A Kingpin Love Affair 2)  J.L. Beck  ***

Promise Me (Defiant MC 2)  by Cora Brent  ***

Fall (Gentry Boys 4)  by Cora Brent ****

Game (Gentry Boys 3)  by Cora Brent ***

Risk (Gentry Boys 2)  by Cora Brent  ***

Ignite  by Lily Paradis  ***

Gable (The Powers That Be 1)  by Harper Bentley  ****

February 1, 2015

Ghouls Rush In-- H.P. Mallory

 

Honestly not sure what I really expected out of this book, it seemed like an interesting concept. Girl moves into house, house is haunted, ghost seduces girl and girl starts to like ghost. Not only does she has a supernatural suitor she has a very alive, very manly suitor.  OF course, he is also convinced that he will not get into relationships, especially his cute little blonde neighbor.

Well, that’s the good news. The bad news is when they start their remodel of her recently inherited, ancient plantation home, she finds article after article about a serial killer from the early 1900’s. Intrigued by the fact that her great aunt saved all these articles she started her research into the killers and his victims. The more she searched the more she was disconcerted living in her own home.  Odd things kept happening, footsteps upstairs when there was no way someone could be inside. Threatening feelings, the works, but a kindly spirit is also reaching toward her to help.

So what does the genius do?! She has a séance! A séance because when you have a spirits haunting it’s a good thing to talk to them…OR MAYBE you should just get the heck outta dodge. Does she listen to me? Nope. Not only does this séance get her in touch with her nice mystery spirit, it also unleashes a world of hurt onto, mainly herself. That’s karma for you.

While the story is entertaining in a romantic aspect, there is also the suspense and thriller side that I was not expecting.  Especially, since I was reading this at gym, by myself, at night. Yeah definitely not what I was expecting, Scared the bejeezus out of me. Overall the writing wasn’t great, the story was interesting but it didn’t draw me in enough to read the second.