Title: Late Bloomer Author: Suzy McKee Charnas In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one) My Bookshelves:Paranormal fantasy, Vampires Dates read: 26th July 2021 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Harper Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: Writing verses (what was he thinking? Now he was really going to be killed in the boys’ bathroom) – with Freaky Frye!
Josh is from a family of artists and creators. He’s spent his whole seventeen years trying to figure out what his “talent” is. The moment he finally discovers it… well, it might just be too late.
I found Josh to be a bit of a whiney fool throughout this. So wrapped up in his ideas of being “great” that he didn’t stop and smell the roses. But, he kind of got his poetic justice / karmic justice in the end. That made me happy.
I did enjoy the idea of brain chemistry being unchanging when turned into a vampire. Particularly the fact that as a teenager, the brain is not fully formed. And being turned as a teenager? It means that you’ll be forever not fully formed. It’s a bit disturbing when you truly think about the consequences… but it was a very cool and dark idea. One I seriously enjoyed.
All in all, I pleasantly enjoyed this story. It may not have been a ground-shaking, earth-quaking tale that I’ll necessarily read again. But it was fun and unique. Which, honestly is all I want in a short story some days.
Title: Harvest Moon Author: Robyn Carr Series: Virgin River #13 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 21st – 26th July 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Mira Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: She’s right outside.
Return to VIRGIN RIVER with the books that started it all…
The recipe for happiness: making it up as you go along
Rising sous-chef Kelly Matlock’s sudden collapse at work is a wake-up call. Disillusioned and burned out, she’s retreated to her sister Jillian’s house in Virgin River to rest and reevaluate.
Puttering in Jill’s garden and cooking with her heirloom vegetables is wonderful, but Virgin River is a far cry from San Francisco. Kelly’s starting to feel a little too unmotivated… until she meets Lief Holbrook. The handsome widower looks more like a lumberjack than a sophisticated screenwriter – a combination Kelly finds irresistible. But less appealing is Lief’s rebellious stepdaughter, Courtney. She’s the reason they moved from LA, but Courtney’s finding plenty of trouble even in Virgin River.
Kelly’s never fallen for a guy with such serious baggage, but some things are worth fighting for. Besides, a bratty teenager can’t be any worse than a histrionic chef… right?
One of the things that I love about the Virgin River series is that there is always a bit of a brief hint or introduction to the romance in the next story. It just makes you want to pick up the next book so much more – because you’ve already begun to feel partly invested within the relationship in the first place. You knew that Kelly and Lief were going to be a match at some point – they had their little stunning moment of realisation in Wild Man Creek. It was subtle, but it was enough to draw me in and leave me feeling somewhat intrigued.
Pulling in a struggling teenage daughter and the death of a mother really helped to raise the stakes in this story. In fact, I found it a little hard at moments to read this. I seriously felt for Courtenay and Lief – they’d not only lost someone, but were struggling to find their new way in the world. I loved that Carr was able to write from both perspectives – you understand why Lief is so confused and hurt by Courtenay’s decisions and actions. But you also get why she’s acting the way that she is. And, ultimately, she’s a teenager – they’re not exactly the most well balanced of people.
Reading this story honestly made me hungry. Food was such a centre point of Kelly’s life that every moment made you want to… well, eat. It was filled with so much delicious morish-ness that I honestly needed a snack for most of the reading of this. And, I kind of need one now that I’m writing my review the morning after finishing this…
I probably didn’t quite connect to Lief and Kelly as much as some of the other Virgin River couples (hence the fact that it lost 0.5 stars for me). But I did still love and enjoy them. I liked how their challenges were totally unique to the others within this series. normally by the thirteenth book in a series, it starts to feel a little same, same, but that isn’t the case with the Virgin River series. Every relationship, every romance, every challenge feels new and fresh.
Eve is stuck between two brothers – a fact that makes her a constant political pawn. But, what she doesn’t realise is that the stakes are about to be drastically raised, and not only her life, but also her heart is about to be placed on the line.
I’m getting a little “eh” about Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel stories. They seem to be popping up a little bit in my reading lately. This one wasn’t a bad one…. and I’d probably enjoy reading a bit more from this series (if it’s part of one), but I wasn’t over the moon happy about it.
There was a lot of really fun and intriguing world building going on in this story. The history, the lore and the established relationships were wonderful. It created a fabric that pulled me in and had me constantly wondering what was going to happen next. I also loved how much of this information was filled into such a short story.
All in all, I enjoyed Eve and Alec as lead characters. They were fun and had great characterisation. If it wasn’t for the overwhelming backdrop of the Cain and Abel story, I probably would have loved this. But the constant references felt a little grating after a while.
Title: Moonlight Cove Author: Sherryl Woods Series: Chesapeake Shores #6 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 18th – 21st July 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Mira Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: There’s nothing to indicate that you’re about to be fired.
Welcome to Chesapeake Shores, where New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods weaves a world with compelling characters and heartfelt emotion
Jess O’Brien has overcome a lot – the challenges of attention deficit disorder, the near bankruptcy of her beloved Inn at Eagle Point and her self-perception as a screwup in a family of overachievers. Now she’s ready to share the future with a man. Her friends persuade her to join a dating service – but she gets no takers! Which is fine with her childhood friend, psychologist Will Lincoln, who’s already chosen the perfect man for Jess: himself.
Will has loved Jess practically forever. He knows her faults and her strengths. But for all Will’s sincerity and charm, Jess fears he views her as some psychological case study. With her family and the town of Chesapeake Shores behind him, Will finally makes his case. But is it enough to convince Jess to take the risk of a lifetime?
Jess is most definitely the most damaged and vulnerable of the O’Brien siblings. This just made her story all that much more heart wrenching and sweet. I mean, she has a whole lot more abandonment issues than her other siblings, and she also has some huge insecurities. It doesn’t help that the whole town seems to kind of reinforce these ideas.
I loved that Will is able to look at Jess’ insecurities from the beginning and just… support her. He sees all of her flaws and loves her in spite of them. To me, this is what true love entails – knowing someone’s flaws and loving them in spite of it. It does make this a bit of a one-sided relationship for much of the story. Bu a lot of relationships do start like this. I also love that Will’s support makes Jess finally choose to let go of her crap and take the plunge into trust.
This book may have the best proposal scene in it of the many romances I’ve been reading thus far. It wasn’t necessarily all flowery words and epic sentiments, but it most definitely did have that feeling of love and thought. The idea of snow, bonfires, candles and the beach is just… way too picturesque for me to even deal with. I would love to spend an evening with light snowfall and a bonfire on the beach. Although, I do tend to struggle in the cold… so that may not work perfectly.
I thought that Moonlight Covewas the perfect way to round out the first of the O’Brien batches. It also had a great romance with Uncle Thomas, brining him back into the fold. This novel also helped to really introduce Mack and Susie, the next O’Brien (albeit from a different branch) to take centre stage. I’m both excited and terrified to read Beach Lane, because it mentions a bit of bad news (which I automatically associate with cancer). But I also can’t wait to meet the next batch of insane O’Briens to steal my heart away.
Title: Driftwood Cottage Author: Sherryl Woods Series: Chesapeake Shores #5 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 14th – 18th July 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Mira Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: A tap on the front door had her glancing up to spot Connor with their son in his arms.
New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods again brings her signature heartwarming style to the community of Chesapeake Shores
Single mom Heather Donovan’s dreams of home an dfamily are tantalizingly within reach when she settles in Chesapeake Shores. The welcoming arms of the boisterous, loving O’Brien clan embrace her and her son. But accepting their support seems to further alienate her son’s father, Connor O’Brien. His parents’ divorce and his career as a high-powered divorce attorney have left him jaded about marriage.
Then everything changes. Will the possibility of a future without Heather make Connor look at love and his career differently? Heather’s just about given up on her old dreams – of love, of family and especially of Driftwood Cottage, the home she secretly wishes were hers. It’s going to take a lot of persuasion – and some help from the O’Brien family – to make Heather believe that some dreams are worth fighting for.
Connor seemed like a bone head from the very beginning of A Chesapeake Shores Christmas. And, as you find out that he has a secret missus and a kid that he doesn’t tell his family about… even more of a bonehead. But, as the story unfolded, you could understand Heather’s love for him. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t really change my bonehead opinion at all. But I did enjoy the story overall.
As someone who is pregnant and with a man that never plans to have a wedding, I found this story really intriguing. The premise that marriage is so important is always in the romances that I read. It’s not necessarily something that I feel myself, but I do kind of like reading these stories which feature this kind of conflict. Our ever-changing social dynamics make it more acceptable (and less) to be unmarried and living together. Although this story ultimately ends in marriage, it was interesting.
Although I really and thoroughly enjoyed this story and like that it offered up some different opinions on marriage, it is also very much pro-marriage. In some ways, I did feel a little uncomfortable with the strength of conviction of the social world throughout it, I did like that it bought up an issue I often deal with. I mean, people aren’t actually as understanding as you would hope about being unmarried – when they’ve found out that we’re expecting after ten years together, the first comment is generally about a ring.
All in all, I think this Chesapeake Shores story hits me the closest as far as my own story. There were a number of moments throughout that I connected with quite strongly. Ones that made me sit back and go “huh”. It was probably the book that’s made me look at my own happiness in a relationship in such a long time. One that actually made me feel incredibly happy and content in my own relationship and life. And grateful that I have a man who isn’t quite as boneheaded as Connor O’Brien.
Title: Wild Man Creek Author: Robyn Carr Series: Virgin River #12 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 10th – 13th July 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Mira Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: Of course she had no idea how authentic the seeds were or how the finished fruit or vegetables would taste, but this was the first step – seeds were available.
Welcome back to VIRGIN RIVER with the books that started it all…
Sometimes love takes root in unexpected places – if you’ll only let it grow
Colin Riordan came to Virgin River to recuperate from a horrific helicopter crash, the scars of which he bears inside and out. His family is wonderfully supportive, but it’s his art that truly soothes his troubled soul.
Stung personally and professionally by an ill-advised affair, PR guru Jillian Matlock has rented an old Victorian with a promising garden in Virgin River. She’s looking forward to cultivating something other than a corporate brand.
Both are looking to simplify, not complicate, their lives, but when Jillian finds Colin at his easel in her yard, there’s an instant connection. And in Virgin River, sometimes love is the simplest choice of all…
There is something about the Riordan brothers that you honestly can’t help but love. They’re such a wild bunch of Irish lads, but they all have this amazing, honest core that makes you fall head over heels from them from the very beginning. Colin is one of the brothers that is barely mentioned (until you get to Promise Canyon), and I loved finding out a whole lot more about him. Now, there’s only one left… and I can’t wait to get to his story later either!
Jill’s brief appearance in Promise Canyon, along with her sister and two friends definitely drew me in and intrigued me. The more that I found out about Jill, and her impulsive tendencies, the more I fell in love with her. There was just something so lively and filled with gumption about her that made me unable to look away and stop diving further and further into her story. plus, who doesn’t like the idea of leaving behind your life and starting a whole new one? And one farming? I tell you, I have frequent daydreams about it.
I love that Colin and Jill’s story is kind of unique in that there are no outer influences who are trying to make them reunite. Rather, it is Colin’s own realisation and maturity that helps him to realise what is right and good. There were no huge dramas, and I kind of needed that. After all, I read this while on holidays and pregnant – I didn’t want anything that could make me cry. I just wanted easy and happy. This is exactly that kind of story.
As with all of the other Virgin River stories, there are a number of cast members and side stories that help to draw you in. You get to visit with the other Riordan’s again and again. The rest of the town and just fall in love with everyone again and again. There is always something so peaceful about revisiting this well-loved place. And it doesn’t make me want to quit my job and live off the land in the country at all…
Title: Geekerella Author: Ashley Poston Series: Once Upon a Con #1 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Retellings Dates read: 28th June – 12th July 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Quirk Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: Mark looks between me and my doom with this proud grin on his face.
Geek girl Ellie Wittimer lies and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new II Starfield II movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle is determined to win… unless her stepsisters get there first.
Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons – before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the Starfield fandom has written him off as just another incompetent heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake – until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.
Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, GEEKERELLA is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.
This was just too cute for words. Cinderella, cosplay, cons… not only was this a fantastic retelling. But it was also a great love story to all of the fandoms and geekdoms out there. There was even a great point in this about the fact that you should NOT judge another fan or their level of fan hood. A fan is a fan, and we get to do it in anyway we want. Something I’m perpetually happy about.
I had to keep pausing in my reading of this story. Mostly, because knowing Cinderella like I do… I kept feeling that point when things were about to be horrible. And I just loved Elle so much from the very beginning. I didn’t want the horrible things to happen to her… even though I knew that they would. But, as with all good stories…. it ended okay.
This was a wonderful teen story. It was one that captured all of that teen angst of finding oneself. That feeling of not belonging and being a bit incomplete. And just… figuring it out. We all do it throughout our lives, but it’s so much more intense in our teen years… I like that this story had characters that were ACTUALLY teenagers. Not characters that were that age… but seem so much more mature. It was fantastic. But yet, not too teen angsty that as an adult you’d want to put it down.
I absolutely adored this story and I can’t wait to get into The Princess and the Fangirl… its looking like another cute and adorable book. One that I know will hit all the same emotional ticks that I love.
Title: Promise Canyon Author: Robyn Carr Series: Virgin River #11 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 6th – 10th July 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Mira Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: But they ran to him when he arrived.
Welcome back to Virgin River with the books that started it all…
After years spent on ranches around Los Angeles, Clay Tahoma is delighted to be Virgin River’s new veterinary assistant. The secluded community’s wild beauty tugs at his Navajo roots, and he’s been welcomed with open arms by everyone in town – everyone II except II Lilly Yazhi.
Lilly has encountered her share of strong, silent, II traditional II mean within her own aboriginal community, and she’s not interested in coming back for more. In her eyes, Clay’s earthy, sexy appeal is just an act used to charm wealthy women like his ex-wife. Lilly can’t deny his gift for gentling horses, but she’s not about to let him control her. There’s just one small problem – II she II can’t control her attraction to Clay.
But in Virgin River, faith in new beginnings and the power of love has doors opening everywhere…
It’d been a little while since I’ve had the chance to return to the beautiful world of Virgin River. And, honestly, it was about damn time. I’ve been hanging to throw myself back into this beautiful series. And for the first time in a long time, I actually stayed up past my bedtime reading. I mean, it was a weekend, but still it ft wonderfully indulgent.
I was honestly surprised that this story featured two Native Americans. Pleasantly so, but most of the Virgin River books so far haven’t really had culture and tradition as a huge part of the characters’ background. I really enjoyed this idea! I mean, I’m completely ignorant if these Peoples. But I enjoyed the glimpses I found in Lilly and Clay of how their background constructed their identities.
The bonding over horses for Lilly and Clay really hit my happy spot. I love any story staring animals, and, although I’m not really a horse person…. I appreciated their presence. Plus, it was more than just a story about moving on from the past and falling in love. It was one about falling in love with an animal and all of the comforts that brings.
What I like to think of as the “core cast” was very much present in this story as always. Whilst it was Lilly and Clay’s tale, I was also the town’s… just as it should be. Having all the familiar faces and some teasing hints of new ones really felt like coming home… and luckily I have the next novel, Wild Man Creek, all ready to go in my hot little hand…
Title: Happy Trail Author: Daisy Prescott Series: Park Ranger #1, SmartyPants Romance Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 30th June – 7th July 2021 Pace: Medium Format: eBook, Novel Publisher: SmartyPants Romance Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: ‘”Ed wants you to return as soon as possible.”
A man of few words, Ranger Jay Daniels values the calm, quiet solitude of the Great Smoky Mountains. Never quite fitting in with either side of his family, he prefers the company of birds and trees to people.
Yeah, he’d most definitely prefer a bird—any bird, any bird at all, take a vulture for instance—to the human-tornado hybrid that just blew onto his peaceful stretch of the Appalachian Trail.
The path of true love never has run smooth for Olive Perry. After getting dumped and promptly abandoned in the middle of her multi-month hike, Olive swears off men. Determined to finish the long trek by herself, she doesn’t need a prince—or broody and taciturn ranger—to save her.
Yet, when an early snowstorm threatens the mountains, and Ranger Daniels is charged with getting hikers to safety, that includes hot-tempered Olive Perry. Snowed in and forced to share an abandoned cabin, can Olive’s heated intensity melt Jay’s cool reserve?
And if so, will this happy trail lead to true love? Or will their time together be just another bump in the road?
For someone who has been loving the Penny Reid books, I have taken a while to dive into the rest of her SmartyPants Romance world. And as the very first furrow into this journey and world…. I think I picked a good one with Happy Trail. This was fun, light and had just enough connection to the Winston Brothers whilst also being an amazing and independent journey on its own.
I really enjoyed how Prescott was able to weave cultural identity and that feeling of being split throughout this story. Jay’s crisis of personhood, being centred around his half Japanese heritage was so well written. And it also highlighted the ways in which we make assumptions about “belonging” based on a person’s looks.
I really enjoyed Olive’s character arc throughout this story. She is fun and quirky and has zero filter (something I too tend to have issues with). Yet, she does a lot of maturing throughout this story. At the beginning of the hike she is another spoilt girl with no clue as to who she is. But, as she hikes and learns how to feel comfortable with herself… she really becomes her own, wonderful strong person. One that I continuously fell in love with.
Even though this story had a bit of an insta love feeling, the relationship is ultimately based on getting to know one another. Alright, it happens in a very short amount of time. But its built on a foundation of conversations, not lust. I also love that although Olive feels the pull of her feelings for Jay, she does hesitate and refuses to just dive right into his life and an identity as his girlfriend. She even finishes her goals before taking that final step. Which all made me very, very happy.
I loved this book. And although I got a free eBook version, within chapters I went online and ordered not only the paperback version, but also the next book in the series… Stranger Ranger. Now I just have to be patient and wait for them to arrive…
Title: The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy: Or Everything Your Doctor Won’t Tell You Author: Vicki Iovine Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Humour, Non-fiction, Pregnancy Dates read: 17th June – 3rd July 2021 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Pocket Books Year: 1995 5th sentence, 74th page: Second, save the home births, midwives, and underwater deliveries for second, third, and fourth babies.
YOUR DOCTOR GIVES YOU MEDICAL ADVICE. YOUR MOTHER BUYS YOU BABY CLOTHES. BUT WHO CAN GIVE YOU THE REAL SKINNY WHEN YOU’RE PREGNANT?
Your Girlfriends, of course – at least, the ones who’ve been through the exhilaration and exhaustion, the agony and ecstasy of pregnancy. Four-time delivery room veteran Vicki Iovine, “the Carrie Bradshaw of pregnancy” (Wall Street Journal), talks to you the way only a best friend can – in the book that will go the whole nine months for every mother-to-be. Now, in this newly revised and updated edition, get the lowdown on all those little things that are too strange or embarrassing to ask, practical tips, and hilarious takes on everything pregnant.
What Really Happens to Your Body – from morning sickness and gas to eating everything in sight – and what it’s like to go from being a babe to having one.
The Many Moods of Pregnancy – why you’re so irritable / distracted / tired / light-headed (or at least more than usual).
Plus, the latest scoop on…
Staying Stylish – You may be pregnant, but you can still be the fashionista you’ve always been (or at least you don’t have to look like a walking beach ball) – wearing the hippest designers and proudly showing off your bump.
Pregnancy Is Down to a Science – from in vitro fertilization to a scheduled C-section, the latest technology provides so many options, alternatives, and tests, it can all be downright confusing.
… and much more! For a reassuring voice or just a few good belly laughs, turn to this straight-talking guide on what to really expect when you’re expecting.
So obviously I read this because I’m pregnant and, me being me, I need to know everything I possibly can about what what expect. But, I also didn’t want to read something that was preachy. This book was the perfect fit. It was funny and light in places, serious in others. And, it highlights the fact that we all experience pregnancy differently, there is no right or wrong way and it’s about getting through it sane!!
Unlike some of my other books, this isn’t split into the different times in pregnancy (week, trimester, etc). Instead, it’s split by topics. I particularly liked the section on exercise since I’ve been feeling guilty for not exercising as much as I used to. Iovine helped me to feel so much less guilty about it all.
I love that whilst you get Iovine’s own experiences. You also got those of her friends. She CONSTANTLY points out that everyone has a different experience. I think its something seriously important, and she also points out that you get to be a little selfish and insane at times…
All in all, I loved this book. And will probably refer to it multiple times throughout my pregnancy. It’s that comfort of having a friend say nope, you’re not nuts… but at any time of day or night whenever you need it… and it would be inappropriate to ACTUALLY call your girlfriends.
Earth and Skye 