Kari@ From the TBR Pile

Fifty First Times: A New Adult Anthology

8:00 pm 27 May 2014

This anthology was a hit or miss for me. Some of the stories were engaging and enjoyable, such as one of the first stories, Daylight, a very sweet romance. I mostly read the book for J. Lynn's story, Believe in Me. I liked it, but wanted more of a story for Ollie. This is definitely one to give a try. There is something in here for everyone.

Boys Like You

8:00 pm 26 May 2014

Boys Like You is an enjoyable and pretty quick read. I was able to read it in one sitting. I liked this YA because while there was a lot of teen grief, there wasn't the teen love angst that so many YA novels have today. And it's a stand alone which is also a bonus. Can you tell I'm getting burnt out on YA trilogies?

Monroe and Nathan are both teenagers who have discovered that one stupid mistake can be life altering. I know I found myself tearing up more than once as I read about their tragedies. No one should have to go through something so heartbreaking like that at such an early age. I liked their relationship. While it was instant attraction, it wasn't insta-love. They were good for each other as they learned how to look to the future and move beyond the mistakes of the past. Most importantly in how to forgive themselves.

Ms. Stone has done a wonderful job with her first foray into the YA genre. I would probably keep this to over 16 as it does deal with some adult issues (sex). I look forward to seeing what comes next from her!

Stealing the Moon & Stars

8:00 pm 21 May 2014

Stealing the Moon and Stars is the first in a new detective series. Jordan Welsh and her partner in business, Eddie Marino are private investigators. They have been hired by a large charity foundation to find out where a large sum of money has gone missing.

I thought the mystery was pretty good with a couple of twists. It was well written and plotted out. I liked both Jordan and Eddie. They worked well together. Jordan is trying to be come a very independent person and establish her own identity apart from her family's wealth. Eddie's background is a little shady and adds some mystery to him. Eddie is in love with Jordan, but she's holding back. I also liked that aspect of the story-line. The woman was the hesitant one this time around. It wasn't too angsty though, which was a bonus. I think this writing team has put out a good solid mystery. I see the potential for a great series. I look forward to the next one.

Dialogues of a Crime

8:00 pm 20 May 2014

Dialogues of a Crime was not the suspenseful thriller that I was hoping I would get. Honestly, I thought the book was very slow and not really engaging. I never got the feeling of mystery or suspense that I was hoping to get. I found myself putting it down in favor of other books. Never a good sign. The book starts in 1972 with the arrest of Michael, a quiet college kid, who happened to show an undercover cop the room of a drug dealer. In a sweep of the campus, he is taken into custody as an accessory to the dealer. His father refuses the possibility of a good lawyer in favor of a public defender who subsequently convinces Michael to plead guilty. For what? I think that is where I had a hard time buying into the story. Any two-bit lawyer would have been able to get those charges dropped, even in 1972.

The story went down hill after I read about what happened to Michael in prison. I felt so bad for him because he never should have been there in the first place. I found myself not caring if the murderers of the men who assaulted him were ever caught, even 20 years later. If you ask me, they got what they deserved. Because of this, the book really lost interest for me. I didn't like the cop or DA who tried to uncover the truth and I found myself rooting for Michael and his mob friends.

The book has gotten a lot of good reviews, so I am clearly in the minority.

The Heist

8:00 pm 19 May 2014

I am a huge fan of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, well at least up until about book 13. I also was a huge fan of the TV Show "Monk", which Lee Goldberg was a writer for. Put these two authors together and you have the potential for a hugely funny and madcap adventure. Thankfully, they pulled it off in The Heist. I thought this book was hilarious and found myself laughing out loud constantly. The in-jokes and circumstances that Kate and Nick find themselves in kept the book fresh and engaging.

I loved Kate because she is a kick-ass agent who isn't TSTL and not really afraid of doing whatever it takes to get the job done. I also loved Nick. He reminded me of Neal Caffrey from the TV show "White Collar". Very smart, sexy and always got a con up his sleeve. The chemistry between the two was just right in a not annoying way. My only hope is that as the series goes along we won't constantly get a "will they or won't they" scenario. That will get old fast. I think that is what got tiring for me with the Stephanie Plum series.

The peripheral characters added a lot of comic relief to the story. I really hope that they show up in later books. I loved Willy and her honesty. I also loved Kate's father and their relationship. The cons were fun to watch unfold, especially when things went wrong.

If you haven't given this one a shot yet, I highly recommend it.

Review will post on From the TBR Pile June 8, 2014.

The Idea of Him: A Novel

8:00 pm 18 May 2014

The Idea of Him was a much different book then I thought I was getting. I thought I was getting a book about a husband who cheats on his wife and what happened after. Instead I got a convoluted story about investment fraud with not likable characters. In the end I'm still not completely sure what all of the players had their hands in and what was really going on. I felt like the book was trying to be a thriller/mystery, but it fell short for me.

This book ended up being just an OK read. I didn't care for Allie's character at all. She was too wishy-washy. I thought it took her way too long to end it with Wade after she discovered his multiple infidelities. It was almost like she didn't really care. Instead it was the loss of their money that sent her to a lawyer. That just didn't ring true for me. In the end, I didn't get the feeling that she had changed at all and would keep looking for "male crutches" the rest of her life.

There have been mixed reviews on this book. In the end it just wasn't my cup of tea. But, give it a try, maybe you will like it.

Review posted on From the TBR PIle

We Were Liars

8:00 pm 18 May 2014

This one will be a hard one to review because talking about the plot would give stuff away. I'll just say that I felt just OK about the story after I finished it. To me, it wasn't anything totally original. I had the twist figured out after the first third of the book. I think that kind of ruined it for me. I also thought the book was a little depressing. None of the characters were very likable. I think it had great potential, but in the end just didn't work for me.

I Dream of Danger

8:00 pm 17 May 2014

I was hoping to like this book more than the first one, but instead I found that I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. It was just OK for me. The one thing that I did like about the book was that Nick and Elle's story isn't told through flashbacks. Instead, it starts 10 years in the past. We get to see how they met and how they ended up getting torn apart from each other. I liked the linear aspect of the story instead of getting their back story in pieces.

Nick and Elle were OK. I thought that they got together a little too quickly for me once Nick finds her again. Elle didn't have much will power. I'm not sure I bought Nick not being able to find her for the amount of time it took him to. With all of their technology, it should have been a piece of cake. I was also a bit disappointed that author set up the same "loss/resurrection" scenario with this couple in the end. She already did it with Mac and Catherine in the first one.

The story was a bit repetitive and went over the same material about Haven and its residents one too many times. It ended up making the book longer than it needed to be. I'm hoping that the author will tighten things up more in the next book and not go over the same ground again. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger and I do look forward to Jon's story next in Breaking Danger, which comes out later this year.

Review will be posted on From the TBR Pile on June 20, 2014

The Forgotten Seamstress

8:00 pm 16 May 2014

I was really surprised by The Forgotten Seamstress. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book. I loved it. I was totally engaged and sped through Maria and Caroline’s stories. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot because there are a few surprises in this book. But the story waffles between two stories. Through recorded interviews from the 1970s, Maria Romano tells of her time as a seamstress in Buckingham palace, a secret affair with the Prince of Wales, and her forced commitment to a mental institution for over 20 years. Maria’s story was so heartbreaking, yet very bittersweet in the end. My heart just broke for her as she told her story.

Caroline, in the present, discovers a gorgeous quilt with exquisite embroidery hidden in her grandmother’s things. She embarks on a hunt for clues to the maker of the quilt as she also navigates what she wants to do with her life and how to care for her mother as her mother’s memory fades with Alzheimer’s. Her decision in the end regarding the quilt was just so perfect and right! Being an avid embroiderer, I loved the description of the quilt. The fabrics and delicate stitches were described with such vivid detail that I had a perfect image in my mind as to what it looked like. I only wish that the quilt was real so that I could see it in real life.

I definitely recommend this wonderful story. The ending alone left me with such a good feeling. I know that this will make it into my top 10 of 2014. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Trenow.

Second Chances 101

8:00 pm 15 May 2014

As the novella series continues with Second Chances 101, we find ourselves with Francie, the owner of the box from the last novella, Lost and Found. Her son is off to college and so is she. She has lived for years being put down by her late husband and she has to work hard at believing in herself. Alex also has an ex-wife that constantly makes him question himself and never feels good enough. If two people were ever more right for each other, then it is these two.

I enjoyed this one, however, I think it would have benefited from a longer story-line. I felt like a lot of it was a bit rushed and would have liked to see more of Alex and Francie together to see them really fall in love. I just wanted more! Still, it is a sweet story about believing in yourself and giving yourself the right to start over.

The Memory Garden

8:00 pm 15 May 2014

Just could not get into it.

MacNamara's Woman: A Family Secrets Novel

8:00 pm 14 May 2014

I have to say that I really liked Macnamara's Woman much more than the first one in the series, Maggie's Man. The major reason was that neither main character annoyed me. Tamara is in Sedona to try to find the truth about the accident that killed her family and her boyfriend and left her with years of surgeries and physical therapy. The problem is that she is convinced the hit and run car was driven by a Senator. She just needs proof.

I felt for Tamara. She had no one to help her recover. She has had to rely on herself for many years. She has also never dealt with the pain of her loss or with the PTSD from being a survivor. C.J. was just the man she needed. I loved him and how he was so smitten from the beginning. I was really hoping Tamara would be able to open herself up to love.

The mystery was really good as well. The truth of what happened that night was heartbreaking. I was also surprised because I was going in a completely different direction.There are also some hints as to what Max, C.J.'s father was into before he died. I can't wait to read the final book. Brandon's Bride.

The Dirty Book Murder: A Rare Book Mystery

8:00 pm 13 May 2014

I wasn't sure what to expect with The Dirty Book Murder, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a well written and quick read. It isn't exactly the "cozy" mystery I thought I was getting. It has a bit more grit that I would have expected. I really liked Mike, the main character. He is an older man, former lawyer, widower and has flaws all over the place. But he seemed like the type of guy I'd like to know. He owns one of my favorite places to be...a used book store.

When he goes to an auction and tries to bid on a set of erotic books, he ends up entangled in a murder mystery as the number one suspect. Of course, this means he has to do some detective work himself. I liked the mystery. It had a few twists, one that I guessed. But it was well written and planned out with reveals just at the right time. It looks like this will be a series. I was also impressed that it is a debut novel. I see a bright future for Mr. Shawyer in this genre and I look forward to the next book.

A Beautiful Distraction

8:00 pm 11 May 2014

A Beautiful Distraction was a very enjoyable and pretty quick read. It is the third in Ms. Leverich's "Hard Feelings" series. I haven't read the first two, but after reading this one, I look forward to adding them to my TBR list. I felt like this one could be read as a stand alone book. I never got the feeling I was missing any back story. I'm not even sure if any of the characters in this book show up in the previous ones.

Rafe and Fallon were well matched. Fallon was rejected by her family for a teenage mistake made in the act of rebellion. A promising ballerina, she used her dancing skills and built herself into a successful business woman. She co-owns the hottest burlesque club in town. When Rafe sees her perform one of her rare dances on stage, he falls for her hard. I liked the theme running through this book. That when it is the right person, they can be not only a welcome distraction but a shoulder to lean on when you need. Someone who can make you lower your defenses and allow yourself to feel. I absolutely loved what Rafe did in the end for Fallon that proved to her he chose her over everything. I definitely recommend this one!

Posted on From the TBR Pile

Frisky Business

8:00 pm 10 May 2014

Frisky Business was a really fun book to read. I read it in a day. Will and Marley were perfect for each other. Too bad Marley was determined to date anyone other than a man with money. The characters were fun and the banter among all of them had me laughing out loud multiple times. It was hard to choose the funniest part. Between Marley's bad dates, the multiple "interruptions", and the numerous "phrases" that Will's sister comes up with for her relationship with April, I would have to say I loved it all! This is definitely a great romance that I would recommend to anyone!