Month: February 2018

Ghosts (The Accidental Turn: Book 0.5) by J.M. Frey

On By JolieIn book review, Non ARC, REUTS Publications5 Comments

Ghosts (The Accidental Turn, #0.5)

5 Stars

Publisher: REUTS Publication

Date of Publication: April 4th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Accidental Turn

Ghosts – Book 0.5

The Untold Tale – Book 1-review here

The Forgotten Tale – Book 2-review here

Arrivals – Book 2.5

The Silenced Tale – Book 3

Where you can find Ghosts: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

For seventeen years, Bevel Dom has been the author of his own story. Or, rather, he’s been the author of The Tales of Kintyre Turn, the illustrated scrolls chronicling his adventures as first the squire, then the colleague, and then finally the friend of legendary hero Kintyre Turn. But there are some stories that Bevel doesn’t write down, doesn’t tell to eager audiences of bright-eyed boys and sighing bar wenches in taverns. Some he simply folds into his heart and keeps. This is one of those tales.

In this prequel novella, fans of The Accidental Turn Series are offered a glimpse into the lives of Bevel Dom and Kintyre Turn shortly before their arrival at Turn Hall and the events that follow, further expanding upon the world and characters seen in The Untold Tale and the the upcoming sequel, The Forgotten Tale, coming Summer 2016.

Trigger Warning: None

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Long Shot (Last Shot: Book 3) by Kelly Jamieson

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, Loveswept, NetGalley, Random House Publishing GroupLeave a comment

Long Shot (Last Shot, #3)

3.5 Stars (rounded up to 4 for Amazon, Barnes and Noble, NetGalley and Goodreads)

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: February 27th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Series: Last Shot

Body Shot – Book 1

Hot Shot – Book 2 (review here)

Long Shot – Book 3

Where you can find Long Shot: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A haunted beauty inspires a Navy SEAL turned playboy bar owner to change his ways in this tender and sensual novel from the bestselling author of Hot Shot and the Heller Brothers series.

Waitressing at a tequila bar on the beach in sunny San Diego may not be what Reece Kirkwell wants to do forever, but for now it’s perfect—other than the flashbacks to the tragedy she caused in Boston. And the fact that one of her bosses is a domineering, first-class manwhore who’s as stubborn as he is sexy. If he’d just listen to her, she could double his business. But it would also mean getting close to someone, and that’s a risk she can’t afford.
 
Cade Hardy’s partners at Conquistadors are like his brothers, but he’s the money man trying to keep them all afloat. To blow off steam, he’s been sleeping around a little. The last thing he needs is business advice from their crazy-hot new waitress. Cade can’t figure Reece out. She’s smarter than she lets on, and she doesn’t hide her disgust for his active sex life. But after he recognizes her PTSD symptoms, Cade is determined to save her . . . unless she saves him first.

Trigger Warning: references to a mass shooting, PTSD

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Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, NetGalley, Random House Books for Young Readers, Random House Children's3 Comments

Tess of the Road

2 Stars

Publisher: Random House Children’s, Random House Books for Young Readers

Date of publication: February 27th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Where you can find Tess of the Road: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can’t make a scene at your sister’s wedding and break a relative’s nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.

Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it’s a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl–a subspecies of dragon–who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she’s tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.

Trigger Warning: death of a child, child abuse, talk of rape

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Boys Keep Swinging: A Memoir by Jake Shears

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Boys Keep Swinging: A Memoir

4 Stars

Publisher: Atria Books

Date of publication: February 20th, 2018

Genre: Biography, Memoirs, LGBTQIA

Where you can find Boys Keep Swinging: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

In the bestselling tradition of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, Patti Smith’s Just Kids, and Carrie Brownstein’s Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, the lead singer of the multiplatinum-selling band Scissor Sisters explores his evolution as a young artist: coming of age in the Pacific Northwest and Arizona, his entry into New York City’s electrifying, ever-changing music scene, and the Scissor Sisters’ rise as they reached international fame in the early 2000s.

Before hitting the stage as the lead singer of the iconic glam rock band Scissor Sisters, Jake Shears was Jason Sellards, a teenage boy in Arizona living a double life and unable to hide it any longer, resulting in a confusing and confining time in high school as his classmates bullied him and teachers showed little sympathy.

It wasn’t until years later, during a trip to visit a childhood friend in New York City, that Jake met a talented musician nicknamed Babydaddy—the stage name of Scott Hoffman. Jake had found a kindred spirit, someone thirsting for stardom and freedom. Their instant bond led them to form Scissor Sisters. First performing in the smoky gay nightclubs of New York City, then finding massive success in the United Kingdom, Scissor Sisters would become revered by the LGBTQ community, reach platinum status, and also win multiple accolades with hits like “Take Your Mama” and “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’,” as well as their cult-favorite cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.”

Candid and courageous, Shears’s writing sings with the same powerful, spirited presence that he brings to his live performances. Following his development from a misfit boy who grew to a dazzling rock star, this entertaining and evocative memoir will be an inspiration to anyone with determination and a dream.

Trigger Warning: Drug use

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The One by John Marrs

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, Hanover Square, Harlequin, NetGalley3 Comments

The One

4 Stars

Publisher: Harlequin (U.S. & Canada), Hanover Square

Date of publication: February 20th, 2018

Genre: Adult Fiction, mystery, thriller

Where you can find The One: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):

How far would you go to find The One?

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner—the one you’re genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance, and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

A word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences.

Trigger Warning: stalking 

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Watch Me by Jody Gehrman

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, St. Martin's Griffin, St. Martin's Paperbacks4 Comments
Watch Me

2 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: January 23rd, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Where you can find Watch Me: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):

“Riveting, chilling, and page-turning. Be prepared to stay up all night.” — New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline

For fans of dark and twisty psychological thrillers, Watch Me is a riveting novel of suspense about how far obsession can go.

Kate Youngblood is disappearing. Muddling through her late 30s as a creative writing professor at Blackwood college, she’s dangerously close to never being noticed again. The follow-up novel to her successful debut tanked. Her husband left her for a woman ten years younger. She’s always been bright, beautiful, independent and a little wild, but now her glow is starting to vanish. She’s heading into an age where her eyes are less blue, her charm worn out, and soon no one will ever truly look at her, want to know her, again.

Except one.

Sam Grist is Kate’s most promising student. An unflinching writer with razor-sharp clarity who gravitates towards dark themes and twisted plots, his raw talent is something Kate wants to nurture into literary success. But he’s not there solely to be the best writer. He’s been watching her. Wanting her. Working his way to her for years.

As Sam slowly makes his way into Kate’s life, they enter a deadly web of dangerous lies and forbidden desire. But how far will his fixation go? And how far will she allow it?

A gripping novel exploring intense obsession and illicit attraction, Jody Gehrman introduces a world where what you desire most may be the most dangerous thing of all.

Trigger Warning: Stalking, School shooting

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Bought by the Boss by Stacey Kennedy

On By JolieIn ARC, Loveswept, NetGalley, Random House Publishing GroupLeave a comment

Bought by the Boss

3.5 Stars (rounded down to 3 for Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes and Noble and Amazon)

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: February 13th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Erotica

Number of pages: 200

Where you can find Bought by the Boss: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

What’s better than one bad-boy boss? How about two?

In a duet of naughty novellas, a charity date auction turns into all-out war when a pair of powerful corporate lawyers each buy the other’s assistant for a weekend of seduction.

HIS PRICE
I’ve wanted Aria Finley from the moment I met her.
We flirt, we laugh, we connect. It could be perfect.
She’s even best friends with my assistant.
Problem is, she works for my archnemesis—Jackson Keller—and she’s the kind of girl who stays loyal unless you give her a reason not to.
Besides my hard-on, there’s something hot between us, and I won’t rest until I put my finger on it.
So when I get the chance to buy Aria for the weekend at a charity auction, there’s no limit.
I’m going to take her home and take what I want because I’ll make her want it too.
And by Monday, she’ll know she’s mine.

DIRTY MONEY
Liam Maxwell thinks he can get to me through my assistant, Aria.
Well, two can play that game.
Now Mallory Beckett—Liam’s assistant and Aria’s best friend—is mine for the weekend.
Only she has no idea who bought her at the charity auction.
This is going to be worth every penny.
But soon I realize that Mallory has been waiting for my touch all along.
What starts as a fling turns into something more.
From the beginning, I was so focused on stealing her away. 
I never thought about the fact that I’d drown if I lost her. 
Now the game has changed. And she needs to know that she belongs to me.

Trigger Warning: None

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Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, NetGalley, The Dial Press3 Comments

Surprise Me

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Random House, The Dial Press

Date of publication: February 13th, 2018

Genre: General Fiction, Romance

Where you can find Surprise Me: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have all the trimmings of a happy life and marriage; they have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other’s sentences. However, a trip to the doctor projects they will live another 68 years together and panic sets in. They never expected “until death do us part” to mean seven decades.

In the name of marriage survival, they quickly concoct a plan to keep their relationship fresh and exciting: they will create little surprises for each other so that their (extended) years together will never become boring. But in their pursuit to execute Project Surprise Me, mishaps arise and secrets are uncovered that start to threaten the very foundation of their unshakable bond. When a scandal from the past is revealed that question some important untold truths, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all.

Trigger Warning: None

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A Bloodline’s Echo (The Avadi Series: Book 1) by M.R. Pilot

On By JolieIn book review, Non ARCLeave a comment

A Bloodline's Echo (The Avadi Series Book 1)

4 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: December 29th, 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Series: The Avadi Series

A Bloodline’s Echo – Book 1

Where you can find A Bloodline’s Echo: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Cori discovers she has a strange ability. An unpredictable stranger lets her know she’s not the only one.

When her will is tested in the face of the unexpected: romance, friendships, betrayal, and a mysterious connection to an equally mysterious ancestor, how will she prevail? 

Join Cori on her journey of finding out who she really is.

Eighteen-year-old Cori has been tucked into a corner of Verbena her entire life. With no memory of a father and an abusive mother, her escape came in the form of living and working in her town’s inn, a place that happens to be owned by her best friend. Cori was all but resigned to the uneventful and dutiful life as a barkeep. That is until a hooded stranger showed up – just in time to witness an incident Cori herself cannot believe – and changed everything. Now Cori must leave Sagebrush, the only place she has ever known, setting off to discover love, adventure, heartbreak, and more about herself and the world she lives in than she could have ever imagined.

Trigger Warning: Child Abuse memories, Domestic violence memories

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Gilchrist: A Novel by Christian Galacar

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4 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: October 17th, 2017

Genre: Horror

Where you can find Gilchrist: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Bag of Bones meets Stranger Things. . .

Gilchrist is as beautiful as it is terrifying—a novel of mounting suspense, with an unsettlingly human heart at its core. . . black as it may be.

Two years after losing their infant son to a tragic accident, Peter Martell, a novelist with a peculiar knack for finding lost things, and his wife, Sylvia, are devastated to learn they may no longer be able to have children. In need of a fresh start, and compelled by strange dreams, the couple decide to rent a lake house in the idyllic town of Gilchrist, Massachusetts, a place where bad things might just happen for a reason. As bizarre events begin to unfold around them—a chance encounter with a gifted six-year-old boy, a series of violent deaths, and repeated sightings of a strange creature with a terrifying nature—Peter and Sylvia find themselves drawn into the chaos and soon discover that coming to Gilchrist may not have been their decision at all.

Set against a small New England town in the summer of 1966, Gilchrist is a sinister tale about the haunting origins of violence, evil, and the undying power of memory.

Trigger Warning: suicide, child death, spousal abuse, talk of rape

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