Earworm - Braaaains edition: Stephanie Mabey - The Zombie Song

Here’s my current ear worm…

Happy Halloween! 

This song & video are too cute!

Stephanie Mabey - The Zombie Song

Review: A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev

Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years—not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be—if her husband would just come and claim her.

Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life—cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie.

Heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly engaging, Sonali Dev’s debut is both a vivid exploration of modern India and a deeply honest story of love, in all its diversity.

Goodreads | Source: e-arc provided by Kensington in exchange for an honest review

Review:

There were a lot of over-the-top rom-com type elements to A Bollywood Affair, but the characters were so wonderful that I was completely absorbed in their journey and anxious about the outcome for this unlikely couple. They had so much to overcome but did so with grace, growth and love. Very sweet, unusual love story.

I only wish she had a backlist to read while I wait for the authors next book.

Review: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late.

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

BLACK ICE is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous.

Goodreads | Source: Finished copy provided in exchange for an honest review

Review:
I had zero intention of reading Black Ice until it showed up at my door for review (unsolicited). Right on the cover is the tagline “ DANGER IS TO HARD TO RESIST’'. The back cover copy promises the MC’s attraction to her captor. This kind of thing does NOT make me want to read a book. It makes me want to run screaming.

But…several of my blogger friends who feel the same actually enjoyed this one so I thought I would give it a try and was pleasantly surprised. I had issues with a few things but this is a really suspenseful stand alone novel.

This is a tightly woven story that leads one way then abruptly turns you around in a new direction. I did figure out the key mystery early on but it’s not quite so simple. The survival aspect of being stuck in the mountains, during a snow storm, where no one can reach you and not being sure who you can trust was creepy. Danger is all around and not just from one person.

I really wish Black Ice stuck to that because it felt like Fitzpatrick was trying to hit several points and it didn’t quite gel for me. It was part thriller, part coming of age with a romance/love triangle plot thrown in for good measure. 

The captor romance wasn’t as horrifying as I thought it would be. It evolves at a slower pace and isn’t all – OMG look how hot you are, let’s hit the sheets! Britt has reason to be conflicted to both possibly trust her captor or remain loyal to someone else (I’m staying cryptic because the less you know about it going in the better) – but it didn’t fit with the very real danger going on around them either. Britt relies a lot on her “gut” and for the most part she’s always wrong so there’s a lot of back & forth that got annoying after a while.  While I could have bought into the romance and even the triangle (it’s very mild) it does enter that he hurt me so now I don’t like this guy – no he’s bad/rude too so now I like the other guy territory at times. It was very distracting from this otherwise riveting novel. How about option C Britt? ALL the guys are awful, I shouldn’t trust any of them and I need to rely on myself?

Britt starts off 100% unlikable. She expects men to do everything for her. Her dad, brother, her ex, the guy at 7-Eleven. She kind of treats people like crap. I was ok with that though because I think that's the point and there’s a parallel between Britt and the serial killers victims. Also, the story is about Britt’s growth to not be that shallow person anymore - to rely more on herself. The problem for me was – I don’t think she ever truly got there. Right until the end most of her actions are made in the hopes of getting a reaction front he men in her life. She wants to be taken seriously, approved of or lusted after etc. I sort of get it and in a different story it would work better but again – it feels odd in the context of a kidnapping/serial killer plot. But to be fair she’s a resourceful, smart girl. I liked her. I just wish she didn’t need to hear it from everyone around her and need to be validated all the time.

The most disturbing thing in Black Ice though is the friendship between Britt and BFF Korbie. It’s awful. Just awful. Their friendship and initial foray into the woods is like watching a bad horror movie with two hot mean girls giggling as they stumble upon a cabin with hot boys. It’s so stereotypically bad that I was disappointed. They are only BFF’s because they kept saying it. Not because I saw any evidence of it.

And Korbie becomes a complete toss off as a character. There’s also a bit of victim blaming going around.   You can go out for a drink and not expect to be murdered ya know? But we need to make the hero feel less guilty so blame the girl for drinking - then add the line - but she didn't deserve to die and it's all good.

The end was just bizarre and kind of unbelievable to me with a really strange epilogue tacked on. I suppose it would make fans happy but what a switch in tone and filled with plot holes.

I guess that all makes it sound like I hated Black Ice and I didn’t at all. I was actually quite enthralled with the mystery which was done SO well. I just really wish that a few things were revealed earlier to make the romance work better or that the romance wasn’t the main goal. I think it would have eliminated some of the ick factor I experienced.

Mini’s: Talk This Way by Dakota Cassidy & Fanning the Flames by Victoria Dahl

Both these authors are favorites of mine. Their books always feature smart, sassy heroines and swoony (nice) guys with lots of humor. The following two reviews are for novellas that introduce the reader to the author’s series – Dahl’s Jackson: Girls’ Night Out and Cassidy’s Plum Orchard.

***

In her sexy new series, bestselling author Dakota Cassidy introduces the Call Girls, a spirited group of friends ready to take on lust, love and everything in between…. Find out where it all began in this delicious novella!

If life is like a box of chocolates, Cat Butler has tasted them all—and decided on none. It's no wonder she can't keep a job, even though her mother's health depends on it. Just when she finds herself up a creek without a paddle—again—a benevolent friend throws her a lifeline. In the form of a job at, of all places, a phone sex hotline. Not exactly what she had in mind, but if it pays the bills for her mom's expensive nursing home, what's the harm?

Successful entrepreneur Flynn McGrady knows a thing or two about responsibility. So when his mother has a stroke, he knows the right thing to do is relocate to Atlanta to be near her while she recovers. He's got a plan for everything—except for feisty Cat, who finally gets his mama to talk again. Talk dirty, that is, and he's not pleased. Cat is gorgeous and sassy to boot…too bad she's not the type to settle down.

Cat and Flynn may have bigger fish to fry, but the sparks between them are hotter than hell. And when they finally give in to temptation, the results are explosive. Can a girl who follows her heart and a guy who follows his head find their way to forever? ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: I was a little confused at first when there was more written about a male friend of the heroine rather than the love interest but it all comes together and I can see how he becomes a catalyst for the whole series.

ZOMG the swoon over Flynn. His mom had a stroke and he’s struggling to find something to help him connect with her. When he realizes she is into romance novels, he gets down to reading them so they can have a book club to discuss and thereby help her speech problems. He also takes up knitting to help her hand eye coordination. He’s just so awesome I can’t stand it!

Also, the book/series is about a phone sex service and the girls are hilarious. The characters are unconventional to say the least. I can’t wait to read more.

***

Burning for you

Some men are off-limits. Close friends of your ex-husband, for instance. Or firefighters who work in the same building as you. Yet despite her best judgment, librarian Lauren Foster can't help noticing fire captain Jake Davis whenever he jogs by…shirtless. They've always been friends, but all it takes is one not-so-chance meeting at a local bar and one not-quite-innocent walk home to ignite a fierce, uncontrollable desire between them.

Widower Jake Davis has tried to ignore the spark he feels whenever Lauren's around, but once he sees her curves in a little black dress, there's no turning back. No matter how often she says she's all wrong for him, the sexy, outspoken divorcée is driving him wild in the best possible way. Maybe she's just blowing off steam. Or maybe he can convince her to fan these flames into something deeper, hotter and truer than they ever expected… ~ Goodreads

My thoughts: This is a really short novella and I wish this couple got a full novel because they’re so fantastic. Fanning the Flames had plenty of awkward, sweet and sexy moments and was a nice intro the new series.

Earworm: Bleachers - Roller Coaster

Here’s my current ear worm…

Bleachers - Roller Coaster

Review: Batter Up by Robyn Neeley

She mixes more than flour and sugar into her cake batter, and he’s about to find out if a little bit of magic is to his taste…

Bakeshop owner Emma Stevens has a secret — a delicious, slightly unorthodox secret. Each Monday, she mixes up a premonition to share with the bachelors of Buttermilk Falls, and sets one lucky man on the path to true love.

When reporter Jason Levine finds himself mixed up in a Las Vegas bachelorette party, he hears the strangest rumour: the marriage is happening thanks to magic cake batter. Seriously sceptical, and sick of frauds, Jason journeys to the backwater town of Buttermilk Falls to expose the baker and release the townspeople from her evil clutches.

But when Jason meets Emma, tempers flare and sparks fly. Will Jason cling to his logic at the expense of a future, or will he let himself fall under Emma’s spell?

Goodreads | Source: Purchased

Review:

Batter Up is super sweet – almost toooo sweet at times. For some reason I had a hard time with all the pink clothes and Buttermilk Falls, Buttermilk Tavern etc, – everything is just so gosh darn cute! but this is a really nice story and romance.

Gently mix a friendly small town, a cautious couple, with a dash of (minimal) drama – top with a dollop of magic and you have Batter Up!

I’m hoping this is a series and we get to see some of the other “batter predicted” romances.

Review: Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

Goodreads | Source: ARC provided by Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review

Review:
I think the initial response is going to be to compare Stitching Snow to Cinder/The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. It’s not totally unfounded. There are similarities. A mechanic, hidden princess, heroine and a few other bits that I don’t want to spoil. But the writing style is completely different. For one there’s only one pov. That could be a plus or minus depending on your own preferences but for me it was welcome. The one thing I don’t like about Meyer’s Lunar Chronicle series is how much it spins out of control with all the different pov’s. It also can be read as a stand alone. I have no idea if Lewis plans on writing another retelling but Stitching Snow is a complete stand alone story.

So now onto the actual retelling part. I liked but didn’t love it. Essie has escaped her home planet and spends her days working by coding & repairing (stitching) the seven drones that help workers in the coal mines. On her off time she fights the men in cage matches to earn money for spare parts. Essie is pretty kick ass and I liked her a lot but this book plunges you right into the world without any preamble. It took me about 70+ pages to get a handle on what was going on and the slang.

The seven drones are supposed to be the seven dwarfs but they are drones – therefore lacking in the personality department. They do add some humor and they do have a certain loyalty to Essie but they feel more like – oh we need seven of something to be like the seven dwarfs in the book. Fun idea, but they don’t ever feel like true friends, and we only find out the name and personalities of a few. Kind of a let down.

The romance is enemies to friends which I enjoyed. Dane is kind of an ass at first but has really good reason to be. It’s slow brewing and cute but then rushes to “I love you” and I felt like I missed a step. The story takes a modernized retelling route for most of the book then tacks on a throwback, rushed fairytale ending. I believed in it but it seemed forced.

Now there’s one thing that really bothered me about this book and I’m not sure how to deal with it without spoiling. Snow has to deal with her father and evil step mother. This takes a turn into something rather serious and sinister that is merely hinted at a few times before the big battle. It was so subtle that I had to go back and re-read to see if what I thought happened really happened. Then when I thought back to earlier in the book & things that happened to Essie it angered me even more. More on that below under the spoiler button. To be fair – most people on Goodreads don’t even mention it and only two were upset so maybe I am (once again) being over sensitive. Wouldn’t be the first time.

I just couldn’t be on board with the fact hat Essie had been sexually abused, have her back near the abuser and then just tack on some easy resolution and HEA. I also didn’t like how so many guys had sexual intentions towards her. It makes sense with her being the only girl among hardened men but there was so much potential rape with no real exploration of the topic that it bugged me. I don’t know – I  think all of that could have been handled better or not put in there at all. It had an odd subtlety to it. Maybe that was authors intention and it just didn’t work for me. I don’t mind the topic when handled correctly but I didn't feel like it was in this case.

So overall – I LOVED Essie. The romance was sweet, a little rushed, but cute in a fairytale kind of way. I didn’t think it did a great job incorporating the Snow White elements from the original but the world Lewis created was interesting anyway. The villains are mostly off page and so damn evil that it deserved more page time. That is some seriously f*cked up sh*t and shouldn’t just be glossed over imo. But I also had friends that didn’t even notice anything happened or weren’t bothered so everyone reads a book differently. Ya know?

DVD review: Yoga Therapy for Back Pain and Stress Relief with Kanta Barrios

amazon – Free if you have Amazon Prime, $1.99 rent | $14.99 to purchase

I’ve suffered from lower back pain for over a year. I’ve been to Dr.’s, massage therapy, swimming, physical therapy exercises, pain meds and nothing helped. Or it was just a temporary fix.

If you have Amazon Prime you also have Amazon Instant Video (free streaming of certain videos). I knew there were movies/TV shows of course but I hadn’t realized there were exercise/yoga videos available. So I set out to try a few. For the most part they are older, cheesetastic workout videos that I could barely get through but I found this yoga DVD that helped my back after just one session so I thought I would share it with you guys.

It’s long (1 hour) and Barrios tends to hold the stretches for longer than the usual (& there's the typical flowers and zen background music). I mention this for people who struggle with patience doing yoga but I also believe it’s the reason why this routine worked for me when so many others didn’t. Trying to force my body (& back) into positions it wasn’t ready for did more harm than good – even when the advice came from professionals. The simplest of stretches would still hurt my back because I wasn't getting to the source of the problem.

What I like about this video is that she pays attention to form and easing into a stretch rather than going straight for the deepest stretch right away. She also starts at the legs/quads/hips before getting into the lower back stretches so your body is properly warmed up and more limber. Even though your lower back may be where all your pain is located – it could be another tight area of your body that’s actually causing the problem. In my case it’s tight quads and psoas muscles.

Barrios starts with a warm up (@9 minutes)  then hip openers (@12 minutes), thigh and hamstring stretches (@12 minutes), moving on to more intense lower back work like down dog, cobra, chair pose, forward bends (19.5 minutes), then a few restorative poses like child’s pose.

I try to do the full routine once a week but once you do it a few times you can perform portions of it as needed. I find the hip opener routine to be especially helpful and do it after every regular aerobic workout.

Bonus: For more intense workouts Jillian Michaels has quite a few of her DVD’s available for free on Prime. Like I said most of what I found was old and cheesy but she has a good selection and variety – and FREE. So yeah – if you can handle her yelling at you go for it. I found the 6 Week Six-Pack and No More Trouble Zones to be particularly good.

Amazon – The first 5 on the list are free with Amazon Prime

If you want  to try a ballet style workout give Ballet Beautiful Body Blast a try I found this one to be insanely boring but man if my arms and legs weren’t killing me at the end! It was deceptively tough. lol

Review: Because I Can (Montgomery Manor #3) by Tamara Morgan

John "Monty" Montgomery is a workaholic. The oldest of the Montgomery children, he's been working by his father's side building the family hotel chain almost his entire life. His commitment to the business leaves no time for romance. But that's about to change.

Georgia Lennox has been fantasizing about Monty ever since she started her gig as handywoman at Montgomery Manor. She figures Monty is way out of her league, so she hasn't dared to act on her feelings — until he offers to help fill a volunteer shortage on her latest project, building houses for families in need.
Sparks fly as they spend time together, first on the job site, then off. But Georgia's not your typical frilly and feminine society girl. Hoping to find a way to fit in with the Montgomerys, she agrees to be made over by Monty's sister for an event. But if she lets her rough edges be smoothed away, will she be letting go of the very thing that attracted Monty in the first place?

Goodreads | Source: e-arc provided by the author for my honest review.

Review:
I was almost positive that Monty would be my least favorite hero from this series but he completely won me over with his sweet, awkward but focused ways.

I loved how this was not your typical millionaire hottie making the rapid orgasms roll out in rapid succession. Things don't go perfect for Monty and Georgia and I loved it! LOVED it! Georgia isn't beautiful, or even conventionally pretty but she's smart, determined and kind. Neither is she an ugly duckling waiting to be transformed. There is a bit of makeover plot but I like how she knows what's right for her. She's well adjusted and happy. Monty completely, unashamedly adores her for it. (& ok - maybe for her legs too :-)) They are the perfect match.

Monty is no slouch in the looks department but he’s considered a total dud when it comes to personality so he’s not often the target of lusting. It was amusing to see him realize that Georgia was attracted to him and needed help with a particular problem involving sex. Being the perfectionist and hard worker that he is – he steps up to the task. But fails. It’s hysterical.

As in every book in this series Daddy Montgomery makes things difficult for his children. I don't like him (& I don’t need to) but I softened a little towards him in book #2, When I Fall. I thought he may have learned a lesson or two but not so much. I guess the one thing that did perturb me was just how manipulative he was and then somehow excused for it because he loves his children. Everyone kind of looked at Monty as if he was the one being cruel. His sister pissed me off too. Come on kids - you've all been subject to that type of control and manipulation from your dad - stand up for each other. (like Georgie's wacky "Testosterone Trio" of brothers does for her). I think I actually got overly emotional about this because of how much I loved and grew over protective of Monty lol

The Rebound Girl still holds a special place as my favorite Tamara Morgan book, but this is a close second and my favorite of the series. This is a really sweet, funny awkward, adorable (awkdorable?) romance that's messy and felt real.

Review: Stay with Me (Wait for You #3) by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)

At 21, Calla hasn’t done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.

But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought she'd left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.

Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from the moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn’t give them her mom.

Goodreads | Source: ARC provided by the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review

Review:

Although I’m not a huge fan of the hot guys/innocent girl trope in NA, I did LOVE Wait for Me, the first book in J. Lynn’s Wait for You series. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Wait for Me – because I’m sorry – but no one can’t top Cam in my eyes – but it was good. Here’s the break down…

What I liked:

~ Despite this being the overused 21 year old virgin meets former man-whore trope it was done really well. There’s a good reason for Calla’s trepidation about getting close to men and she’s not one of those “omg –*innocent puppy eyes*  is that a magical penis? What do I do with it??” kind of girls. lol She’s reserved but still pretty confident when she decides to go for it. Her backstory was handled very well.

~ Jax realizes that Calla is a virgin and is careful with her but not in love with her because she’s a virgin, thinking that makes her a special virginal snowflake that he now possesses. She’s special to him and he’s honored that she trusts him but just likes Calla for being Calla.

~ So…I complain a lot about how sex overtakes so many stories. There’s quite a bit of sex in Stay with Me but dang! Armentrout writes good sex scenes! She could write a whole book of nothing but sex and would probably still read it. lol She writes sexy scenes that aren’t overly explicit and feel intimate rather than raunchy.

~ Both Calla and Jax have issues. Nothing new there, but I thought their pasts made them uniquely right for each other. I could see why they would fall in love.

~ Calla deals with her issues head on. She’s confused and hurt by her drug addicted mom’s actions (running off with all her college money) but she brushes herself off and takes action to resolve her problems.

~ Few can pull off alpha guys that are genuinely nice and not bossy like Jennifer Armentrout. Especially in YA/NA where a bossy overbearing guy seems dangerous to me – not romantic.

~ Could Calla’s friend Katie please have a book?! She’s Calla's childhood friend and currently a stripper. She’s hilarious and fine with her job. I think it would be really refreshing to read about a girl like that who finds a guy who loves her just how she is and doesn’t try to fix the damaged stripper. I think Armentrout could do it. But I digress….

What I didn’t love so much:

~ I loved the set up for why Calla went home and how she met Jax. Her mom is a real piece of work but I wish it just stuck to the core problem of her mom stealing her money and that relationship. By the time the book ended there were kidnappings, health scares, shootings, betrayals, ex’s. Every chapter brought a new interruption. One or two for drama –ok – but that was too much.

~ There’s a bit of a twist at the end that felt rushed, out of place and unnecessary. Again – there’s already enough going on without one more thing tacked on at the end to add  conflict for an already tested couple.

~ The Hot Guy Brigade and sequel bait. Every single guy in this series is uber hot and we hear about the “Hot Guy Brigade” almost non stop. I figure all these guys she kept introducing will have books at some point but I got sick of hearing about them.

~ Calla uses cutesy phrases a lot. Like yeppers peppers, holy poo, oh my golly God. I’m not sure if she was going for innocence or not but it didn’t fit with Calla’s personality to me. Most of the time she talked completely normal, she’s seen a lot – been through a lot - so she’s not exactly innocent in the traditional sense. It just felt…odd and inconsistent.

Overall, another cracktastic book by J. Lynn/Jennifer Armentrout. I just wish there were fewer things going on, especially near the end but I liked it.

Earworm: VÉRITÉ–Echo

Here’s my current ear worm…

VÉRITÉ- Echo

I’m watching…You’re the Worst & The Mindy Project

There have been several “how we met” sitcoms but they always miss the mark for me. Network television seems to force the laughs or make everyone a watered down stereotype. To be honest I didn’t think I would like You’re the Worst (FX). I thought it was going to try too hard to be edgy but this is one of the most refreshing tv rom-coms I’ve seen in years.

As you can tell by the title this isn’t going to be your average meet cute romance but if you can stick with it and past the initial brashness of the characters you’ll be surprised by how romantic and heartfelt this series really is.

Even better is the supporting cast. They are fully fleshed out characters that aren’t relegated to silly sidekick territory. Each one of them could carry the show.

And best of all – I just found out that FX renewed You’re the Worst for S2!

I’m going to link (instead of embed) to the uncensored trailer – it’s a bit NSFW. Don’t be put off if you think the humor is too graphic. I swear – the show is about so much more than that but it is edgy, raunchy and boundary pushing.

Watch it: Season 1 on FX on Demand | Amazon

|

What the heck took me so long to watch this show? Mindy is hilarious and like You’re the Worst – the characters are inappropriately funny. I love how Mindy takes all the conventional rom-com tropes and turns them on their head.

The finale for S2 is probably the best homage to rom-coms EVER.

Watch it: Season 3 on Fox – Tuesdays at 9:30 | Amazon

{Speed Date} Review: In the Raw by Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels

If you can't take the heat…

James Lassiter has had a crush on fellow culinary student Ethan Martin for three years, but has never had the guts to make a move. Putting himself out there is hard, especially when under the thumb–and wallet–of his overbearing parents. Now that bad boy chef Ethan–who is always vying with Jamie for best in class–is struggling with the pastry course, Jamie suddenly has a reason to reach out.

Ethan doesn't mean to be an ass–okay, so mostly he does–but even though he's secretly hot for Jamie, he sure as hell doesn't want help with pastry. Ever since his dad walked out, Ethan has been the one to hold things together and he's done fine on his own. Except that he can't get his cake to rise.

Jamie could be the answer to what Ethan's been missing his whole life–someone to depend on. But with the two competing for the same scholarship, things suddenly get too hot to handle. And if Jamie finds the strength to go for what he wants, he isn't about to settle for what he needs.

~ Goodreads

Source: Provided by Carina Press via Netgalley for review

Speed Date Review:

First Date: Wheeee! I love all the stolen glances, the awkward encounters in the supply room and the palpable longing between Jamie and Ethan. If they can just figure out if the other is gay and available we can this steamy romance off the ground!

Second date: One step forward. two steps back. Yup. They’re both gay and available but Jamies’s fear of coming out to his controlling parents and Ethan’s passive aggressive bullshit is kind of draining. But when it’s working….zomg these two are fantastic together.

And also, with all the talk of chocolate soufflés, cheesecake and omelets – I’m starving. I LOVE kitchen/chef romances. LOVE.

Third Date: Life is messy, and as their romance progresses,  I like how things are mostly good but with a dose of reality. This is more of a happy for now than a happily ever after but it rings true considering how hard they had to work to get together, the fact that they are just 22 years old, and on the brink of starting their career as professional chefs.

Jamie and Ethan could get frustrating at times (especially Ethan) but I really liked their well intentioned, fumbling romance and the culinary school setting.

In the Raw has a clear end but leaves enough room for a sequel (which I just learned comes out in November). I’m torn on that because I’m the kind of reader that NEEDS a HEA but I’m not sure if I could/want see them go through any more bad times. Ethan’s sister was hilarious and I rather she got a book and we got to visit with Ethan & Jamie. Win win!

*Speed Date reviews inspired by The Book Swarm

October reading pile!

I don’t have any requested arc’s or books for October. Yay me! I really want to cut way back on the required review reading.

***

Lies We Tell Ourselves & Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future are both BEA books. Black Ice was a surprise book that I got from the pub.



This is really a pile from September that I didn’t get to. Reader fail. Although I did get through or DNF’d 8 of that original pile. I’ll give these remaining books another shot this month!



These are a few scragglers that I bought or were given to me that I would like to finish.



Overall I’m averaging about 15+ books per month (19 for September & 145 total for the year so far). I read a book a day for several days then take a week off and watch tv or get out in the garden. That seems to be really working for me. No more reading slump!

Review: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. 

Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.  But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together…

Goodreads | Source: Copy provided by Swoon Reads for my honest review

Review: Ever since I really got into reading romance, I tend to go out in the world and see strangers as characters of a romance novel. I have a very emo local Starbucks where people are always in the parking lot crying and hugging, so it lends it itself to my romantic fairy tales that I’m writing in my head for them. Reading A Little Something Different was like one of my little stories coming to life and was so dang adorable!

Told from 14 POV’s, including an acorn obsessed squirrel and a cranky bench, we get to see Lea and Gabe’s love story unfold. I thought so many different POV’s would be annoying but it allows the reader to see Lea and Gabe through different sets of eyes, friends, teachers, schoolmates, crushes, and family, thereby getting to know them better, since we never hear from our couple directly. It just works for some reason. Even the squirrel and bench. Trust me. 

Gabe is painfully shy, as is Lea to a certain extent, so this is a really slow building romance. At times I started getting a little frustrated by their missed opportunities and crossed signals but the character POV’s telling the story express their frustration as well, so I felt like I was *in* on it with a group of friends which was a lot of fun and kept the story moving at a fast pace.

The second half dragged a tiny bit but the sheer cuteness of everyone seeing how perfect Gabe and Lea were for each other and watching their relationship spark to life overcame any of those issues.

Read A Little Something Different if you need a "palette cleanser" type of book. Pure sweetness and and fun.

And that cover is so perfect for the book! All those little details like the coffee cup, chinese food take out box, books, squirrel and bench are all part of this unique little love story.

The nuclear option…Social Bankruptcy

I think we’ve all been burned out by social media on occasion. I know I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by both overhype and negativity online lately and just wanted to quit it all.

But what if by quitting you don’t exist anymore? lol

Check out Social Bankruptcy from Portlandia (IFC - Season 4, episode 3)