Showing posts with label Book of the Month. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book of the Month. Show all posts

October 6, 2015

Diana's Shelf: Book of the Month featuring Amy Harmon, Kim Holden & Jojo Moyes


Hi there! I’m a bit late, but here’s my top 3 for the month of September :)

On the 3rd place is Me Before You by Jojo Moyes



Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.


What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Drama

My Thoughts: I don’t think I have ever read something like Me Before You. 

With perfectly contoured characters, it follows Lou Clark and her family’s lives. Looking for a new job, she encounters Will Traynor. 

After a tragic accident, the man full of life is no longer who he used to be. 

Will is the one who helps Lou discover herself and what she likes, and who proves her that her life shouldn’t resume to a poor routine, teaching her to live it as fully as possible. 

A powerful message and a unique storyline, written in the most realistic way. I highly recommend. 

“All I can say is that you make me... you make me into someone I couldn't even imagine. You make me happy, even when you're awful. I would rather be with you - even the you that you seem to think is diminished - than with anyone else in the world.”


On the 2nd place is Bright Side by Kim Holden


Secrets. 


Everyone has one. 

Some are bigger than others. 

And when secrets are revealed, 

Some will heal you ... 

And some will end you. 

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks. 

They both feel it. 

But they each have a reason to fight it. 

They each have a secret. 

And when secrets are revealed, 

Some will heal you … 

And some will end you. 

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary

My Thoughts: Bright Side is one of those books that make you ‘feel it’ in the most literal sense. It has perfectly-pictured characters and a story that broke my heart. 

I took it lightly, but soon it became obvious that it had to offer so much more. Every scene was like it took place in front of my eyes. With every page, I love it more and more. 

Beautifully written, with a heroine who is impossible not to fall in love with – or at least to want to be like her – Bight Side is a story about hope, love, loss, forgiveness and friendship.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t pursue dreams and goals. Just don’t forsake the present for the unknowns of the future. A lot of happiness is bypassed, overlooked, postponed to a time years from now that may never come. Don’t bide your time and miss out on this moment for a tomorrow with no guarantee.” 

***
“I've always been pretty good at accepting the whole of someone, the good with the bad. I see it all, but try not to let it cloud my judgement. People are complicated. Life is complicated.”



On the 1st place is The Song of David by Amy Harmon


This is David 'Tag' Taggert's book, a supporting character introduced in The Law of Moses. This is a stand-alone story, but it is highly recommended that The Law of Moses be read first to avoid spoilers. 


She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.

I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood. 

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult,

My Thoughts: I have been a fan of Amy Harmon’s ever since I read Making Faces, which I immediately fell in love with. But, in my opinion, of all the outstanding books she has written, The Song of David is, by far, the most beautiful of all. It’s simply flawless. 

With lovable characters and Amy’s beautiful writing style, The Song of David is a story about friendship, sacrifice, pain, strength, hope and love.


“You can’t see a song. You feel a song, you hear a song, you move to it. Just like I can’t see you, but I feel you, and I move toward you. When you’re with me, I feel like I glimpse a David nobody else knows is there. It’s the Song of David, and nobody else can hear it but me.” 


***
“Millie told me once that the ability to devastate is what makes a song beautiful. Maybe that’s what makes life beautiful too. The ability to devastate. Maybe that’s how we know we’ve lived. How we know we’ve truly loved.”



August 2, 2015

Diana's Shelf: Book of the Month - June & July - featuring Juliet Braddock, Jessica Park, Jettie Woodruff, Rachel Van Dyken, David Levithan & Belle Aurora


Hi there! :) Here are my recommendations for June and July, along with some of my favorite quotes. 

~June~

On the 3rd place is Willing Captive by Belle Aurora

(Author note: This is NOT a dark romance.)

Delilah “Lily” Flynn is used to her drab existence. Lily’s been living it for twenty two years. 
Her boring life is suddenly turned on its head when she’s rudely kidnapped from her bedroom.
Or so she thinks.

Nox Taylor is far too high up in his field to be assigned a babysitting job. 
There’s nothing more he wants than to complete his mission so he can be rid of the smartass tomboy, Lily.

Day after day, Nox watches Lily and her strange ways. She’s unlike any woman he’s ever met. 
Getting close to the girl is purely for her own protection…right?

Lily never imagined she’d make her first real friends in captivity. 
What lengths would she go through to keep them?

**This is a stand alone novel and is unrelated to Friend-Zoned**

Genre: Romance, Adult, Contemporary

My Thoughts: Willing Captive is the kind of book that leaves you wanting more of it. 

Delilah has always been living a boring life – not being able to go out or have a social life because her father’s job might put her and her family to harm taught her that it’s safer not to take any risks. 

However, when she’s kidnapped by some strangers from her own bedroom, she begins to seriously question her safety. Soon, she learns that she’s been sent away because of the threats her father has been receiving and she’s being protected by a specialized team who will ensure her well-being. All of this would be a child’s play if the leader, Nox, wouldn’t be so bossy and soo good-looking. For Nox, Lilly isn’t like any woman he has ever encountered. 

This book has everything I was looking for: it is very well written, it has an original plot, lovable characters and plenty of humor to keep anyone entertained.

“Do you love me?”
Without hesitation, he answers, “More than anything in my life.”


On the 2nd place is Black Rain by Jettie Woodruff

This is a story about me, about who I am, about how I got to be me, and about the people who helped mold me in to Makayla Carlie. 
There comes a time when life’s disappointments start to add up. When you can’t cry one more tear. When you can’t feel that surge of panic one more time, or when you can’t pray for one more day. You wonder, are we humans having a spiritual experience, or are we spirits having a human experience? What does it all mean? Do we all have a purpose? People said I was a hero—that I could persevere through anything I put my mind to. How could I be a hero when I never got a choice? Nobody asked me. 
I did what I hope anyone reading this would do. While one life was taken too soon, another needed to live, really live. She needed to be the center of somebody’s universe. I was that universe. Just like the Pea under the mattress, I felt her. 

Genre: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Drama

My Thoughts: Makayla is a teenager who just lost her mother, the only real family she had so, with nothing to keep her there anymore, she decides she would leave for another city as soon as the opportunity arrives. 

Luckily, she stumbles upon Blake, a rich, stubborn man, who’s desperately looking for a babysitter for his little girl, London. Pea has been neglected since she has been born and needs unconditional love and, while Mikki had the perfect childhood, she no longer has somebody to care for. Both of them find in each other that missing piece, the one who'll be able to understand without judgement.
Such an emotional story about finding a reason to go on. The story of a girl who, emotionally, is not a child anymore. I highly recommend it!

"Mikki?"
"Yeah, baby?" 
"I think she gave you up so you could find me." 
That right there was why I did everything that I did. My heart filled with pride. Maybe she was right. Maybe Pea needed me more than I needed my mother. Maybe my mom knew that.




For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.

Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.

Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love.

Genre: Romance, Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary



My Thoughts: Flat-Out Celeste is the second installment in the Flat-Out Love series, and it tells the story of Celeste, who now struggles with being a ‘normal’ teenager, having a social life and making friends. For her, these things are far more complicated than one can expect. 


While deciding on which university to go to, she meets Justin, a sweet, curious boy who wants to know absolutely everything and who’s exactly what Celeste needs in order to gain confidence in herself. For once, she has finally found someone who understands her and who is willing to show her that the world isn’t as complicated as she thought. 

The dynamic in their relationship was perfectly written. This is the perfect book for those who want something different, a sweet and, both, funny and emotional story.

“You have taught me that I am allowed to like myself as I am, at whatever stage I am in. I can change, I can stay the same, or I can be whoever it is that is right for me; but I can be satisfied. No, more than that. I can be proud. I can celebrate. That is what I am going to do.” 


~July~

On the 3rd place is Every Day by David Levithan


Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day. 




Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy

My Thoughts: David Levithan’s Every Day is a fascinating and emotional story that addresses the readers the following question: is it possible to fall in love and stay in love with someone's soul? 


A has never had a life that he could call his own; ever since he can remember, he had lived different lives which he took great care in leaving undisturbed. 

Everything changes when, one day, he wakes up in Justin’s body and meets his girlfriend, Rhiannon. For the first time, A has found a good reason to wish to stay. But is a relationship between them possible when absolutely nothing is certain? 

The author’s idea was truly brilliant and his words touched my soul deeply. I highly recommend it! 

“When first love ends, most people eventually know there will be more to come. They are not through with love. Love is not through with them. It will never be the same as the first, but it will be better in different ways.”



My name is Milo Caro and I have a confession to make.

I’ve been in love with Colton Mathews since I was five. He should have known that sharing a cookie with a sugar obsessed little monster would do the trick–it sealed his fate. So really, the fact that he’s sporting a black eye, a limp, almost got ran over by a car, and was nearly responsible for another person’s death? Right. HIs fault. Not mine. 

I made a pact with myself–this weekend would be different. I’d come home for my brothers wedding, smile, and Colton would naturally melt into my arms, we’d get married have five kids, live in a house by the river, and get a dog named scratch (clearly I’ve thought this through).

What really happened? I punched my brother in the face, Colton kissed me and apologized, I lied about having a boyfriend, oh and everyone wants to meet the mystery man. 

They say laughter always comes before insanity–ha, ha. All I wanted was my brother’s best friend…instead I’m sitting in prison. 

Let this be a lesson to you all…life rarely happens the way you want it to. 

Damn cookie.

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult,

My Thoughts: I don’t think I have ever laughed so much as I did while reading The Consequence of Loving Colton.


Milo has been in love with her brother’s best friend, Colton, since she was 5. Over the years, though, they became distant. 

The weekend her older brother is getting married, Milo can’t avoid Colton anymore and she makes up her mind – she will seduce him, helped by her best friend, Max.

While the plan is supposed to be simple, it takes many twists and turns and the other characters make it even more hilarious. One thing that I appreciated was that every character had its own role in the story and no one was left on the outside. 

This is another great book written by the talented Rachel Van Dyken and I am so glad I had the chance to read it. I cannot wait for the next volume!


“Milo bought a goldfish once,” Max felt the need to pipe up. “She was drunk. She loved that fish,” He snorted. “I ate it.”


On the 1st place is Weakened by Juliet Braddock


Against the glittering backdrop of New York City, budding theatrical publicist Maxine Kirk, fresh off the bus from a small Pennsylvania town, stumbles into the arms of her beloved teenage crush, unleashing desires that she never imagined. 

Enter Drew McKenzie, a rising star on Broadway with dashing looks and talent to match, who masquerades behind the characters he portrays. 

Instantly, Maxine finds herself lured into Drew’s high society world only to uncover a complicated man beneath the glitz and glamour of his public persona. As soon as the curtain falls, Drew sheds his stage costumes to reveal a daring Dominant side. 

Titillated by his enigmatic life, Maxine clamors to discover a surreptitious and possibly perilous affair with Drew, all the while questioning her own preconceived notions on romance. 

Secrets surface, revealing haunting truths that test both Maxine and Drew of their own intentions. But in this high-stakes game of trust, only the strongest survive. 

Genre:  Romance, Erotica, BDSM, Adult

My Thoughts: Weakened is the first book in the amazing Manhattan Bound Series and tells the story of Maxine Kirk, who moves to New York to work as a publicist. 

Shortly after she moves in with her best friend, Ben, she finally gets to meet her biggest crush, the enigmatic Drew McKenzie. Granted, that meeting is not exactly what Maxine had envisioned, but the strong connection between them cannot be denied or ignored.

Caught up in a whole new world, Maxine discovers Drew’s darker but definitely sexy side and realizes there's a side of herself she never knew existed. But, in order to build a relationship, both of them have to conquer their pasts and trust each other. 


Juliet Braddock’s writing style is SO GOOD that I couldn’t get enough, even after I finished the second book. It has met all my expectations and the story she’s created has made it among my all time favorites. There aren’t many books that I can describe as ‘flawless’, but this one was just that. 



Aaand I found my new book boyfriend *wink, wink*

Check our reviews HERE and see Mikky's blog post to find out more about Wrapped, the second installment in the Manhattan Bound Series.


“There’s something about you, Maxine,” he said. “Something sweet… something pure… but something complex that I haven’t yet figured out. And I like you.”


August 1, 2015

Mikky's Shelf: Book of the Month - June & July - featuring Juliet Braddock, Posy Roberts, Sage Marlowe, A.E. Via & Ada Maria Soto


Hello lovers! I am late again but I am doing my best in trying to catch up. Here are my recommendations for the month of June and July. Enjoy!



~June~


Neither James nor Gabe has ever had a real relationship. They might make a connection if they can get past their differences—and their fears.

At age fourteen, James Maron decided to prove he wasn’t gay despite vast evidence to the contrary. Now at thirty-two, he’s getting ready to send his son to college and wondering what he’s supposed to do next. Outside his son, his life consists of an IT job he hates and watching telenovelas with the women in his apartment building.

Gabriel Juarez is the CFO of a technology giant. He has looks, charm, fantastic wealth, a workaholic personality, and a string of boyfriends who only stick around because he’s too busy to tell them to leave. 

A bad laptop/projector interface causes James and Gabe’s paths to cross. Friends, family, and coworkers jump to match Gabe with a nice guy, and James with anyone. But are they too different? Everyone will have to tread very carefully to keep things from ending before they start.

Genre: Contemporary, M/M Romance, New Adult

My Thoughts:  A sweet story about finding that special someone for whom every wall will crumble and for whom every risk is worth taking. I loved it and cannot wait to read the sequel. I recommend.

You can read my review HERE.



When bestselling author Chester Banning requires inside information on the life of a forensic pathologist, he comes across an enticing, yet unwilling study subject in the shape of sinfully attractive Dr Nicolas Sheridan.
After a hot and slightly unsettling one-night stand, Sheridan turns out to be as inapproachable as he is intriguing and clearly not interested in intensifying their liaison. Chester, however, is already falling head over heels in love and doesn’t rest until he’s succeeded in cracking Sheridan’s icy shell. What he discovers underneath is a man well capable of love and affection but caught up in a web of lies and domestic abuse that makes him seek punishment in self-harm.
Refusing to watch Sheridan go farther down the road to self-destruction, Chester gives him all the love and support he is capable of—but then he discovers the horrifying truth about Sheridan’s past.

Reader advisory: Suitable for adult readers only. Contains scenes of and references to domestic violence / abuse, self-harm and dubious consent in a non-erotic context.
This book was previously published with the title Knives & Feathers. This edition has been re-edited and extended.

Genre: Contemporary, Adult, M/M Romance, Erotica, BDSM

My Thoughts: I haven't manage to write the review for this book. I loved it. It was my first Sage Marlowe novel but I can assure you it won't be my last. It's beautifully written, the characters are fascinating and you'll fall in love with them in the blink of an eye. The story is captivating, heartbreaking and you won't be able to put it down. A must read. This book has earned it's place on my "Favorites" list. I highly recommend. 


On the 1st place: Silver Scars by Posy Roberts


You need people to love you, especially when you shove them away.

A bomb destroyed high-powered lawyer Gil Lemieux’s seemingly perfect life, and PTSD has ruled every decision since the explosion that left him scarred inside and outside. Moving home with his mom is meant to be a temporary measure, just like proofreading for a medical editorial firm is meant to be a stopgap. But two years after taking on the wrong court case, he’s still living in fear.

Keith Kramer might be based 1,500 miles away from Gil, but their shared work brings them together—a chance meeting that’s life-changing. Gil is drawn to Keith’s good looks and intelligence, but it’s his innate understanding that Gil is more than the scars on his skin that is truly attractive. He’s everything Gil used to be and more. It blows Gil’s mind that his attraction might be returned.

Only doubt could widen the distance between them. Keith’s hopefulness, borne out of surviving some tough challenges of his own, isn’t enough to bridge the distance alone. Gil will need to believe he has as much to offer as Keith if they’re to build a life together.

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Adult, Drama, 

My Thoughts: This was one of those rare books that pulled me in from the beginning, shredded my heart into tiny, tiny pieces leaving me an emotional mess just to put it back together later. It doesn't happen often for me to be so affected by a story to the point of being completely unable to function properly when I'm done but that's exactly what happened after reading Silver Scars. Words fail me. You HAVE TO read this book.

You'll find my review HERE.


~JULY~

For July I have only two books and both are a first place, in my opinion. Both are a part of two of my favorites series and definitely must reads. I hope you'll love them just as much as I did.



Sweeping through the glitz and glamour of New York’s high society and the drama unfolding in the dressing rooms of Broadway, Wrapped, by Juliet Braddock, continues the journey of a young theatrical publicist’s foray into submission under the tutelage of a dashingly dark star of the stage. Wrapped—the much anticipated sequel to Braddock’s critically acclaimed erotic romance Weakened—is the second book in the Manhattan Bound series.

When Drew McKenzie presents Maxine Kirk with an ultimatum, challenging her to engage in his wanton brand of desire, she readily embraces her awakening hunger for a lifestyle that defies her perceptions of romance.

Entranced by Drew’s charming appeal and by his sensual assault to her senses, Maxine clamors to discover every nuance of this new relationship, ravenous to explore verboten fantasies that seem possible to fulfill only with Drew.

Along the way, he introduces her to his glamorous world of wealth and celebrity—where lavish galas and luxurious gifts are the norm—and entices her into his realm of control with his tender mode of domination.

All the while, however, they both grapple with painful emotions brought about by the extenuating circumstances of their separate pasts.

While Drew remains both confident and conscientious in his parlay of power over Maxine, his own tragic secret lurks in every shadow upon his path in life. Behind the façade of his stage persona and the origin of old Manhattan society, he struggles to hide the unforgiving reality he faced as a child.

Just as Maxine finds the strength to conquer her own torment with Drew’s patience and guidance leading her toward closure, terrifying truths begin to chip away at the surface of his composure.

As the nightmarish details of Drew’s unimaginable life emerge, he fears that this new world he’d begun to build with Maxine will crumble around him.

As Maxine finds herself embroiled in the battle to save Drew’s tortured soul from the atrocities that continue to stalk his every move, two lost souls struggling to find comfort and completion converge.

However, as Drew opens his heart to Maxine’s unwavering support, he questions his own bravery, wondering if she’ll take a bow and make her exit…or if she’ll stick around for the encore?

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Adult, BDSM, Erotica

My Thoughts: I'm in love! *grin* There are so many wonderful things I could say about this series. Juliet is a debut author but, damn, the woman can write. I haven't touched an M/F novel in a long time since all follow more or less the same pattern but she managed to pull me out of my funk effortlessly. I LOVED it! This is one series I highly recommend. I know the Book of the Month column is made for this purpose but some of the books held a really special place in my heart. Manhattan Bound is definitely one. Go for it! No hesitation. I promise, you won't be able to put it down. 
I have only highlighted the second book because Diana chose to highlight the first. Make sure you check both of them and our reviews HERE then come back and tell us what you think. Enjoy!!

!!P.S. - Ben is MINE!!




AN ENEMIES TO LOVERS STORY 

Detective Austin Michaels didn’t think life could get any better after he was accepted into the most notorious narcotics task force on the East Coast, headed up by two of the baddest’ Lieutenants with the Atlanta Police Department - Cashel Godfrey and Leonidis Day. 

Michaels knew he would fit right in as the team’s sniper, having received his fair share of commendations for marksmanship. He was just as badass as the rest of the twenty brothers that made up their team. But when Michaels lets their prime suspect get away from a huge bust with over a quarter of a million dollars in drugs, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it right. 

Left with no other options, God chooses to bring in outside help, calling on his long-time friend and bounty hunter, Judge Josephson. 

Judge was considered one of the best trackers during his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps. After retiring, he used those skills to become one of the most sought out fugitive trackers in the country. When Judge gets a call from his old friend needing his help, he quickly tells God, yes. 

Still embarrassed, and intent to prove himself, Michaels immediately volunteers to partner up with Judge to get their suspect back quickly and quietly. Neither man wanted or needed a partner. But, after Judge and Michaels get on the road, the hate/lust relationship they quickly develop between them will either make them heroes… Or get them killed. 

Genre: M/M Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Action, Suspense

My Thoughts: THIS.SERIES. I've lost the count on how many times I've re-read each and every book. Bloody brilliant! So many interesting and ... quite unique characters (you'll see what I mean by that), insanely hilarious situations, the most odd and mismatched team ever created, action and suspense, lots of hot monkey sex and love. So much love and not only between the couples. You'll see. This is what you'll find in the Nothing Special books.
If you're not familiar with Adrienne's work, let me tell you - she writes beautifully. You'll find yourself so caught up in the books that you won't even realize when the time has passed. Another must read I highly recommend. You can find my review of Don't Judge HERE.


*~ This was all for the months of June and July. Like I said, I hope you'll love these novels as much as I did. Make sure you come back and share your thoughts with us. Happy Reading!! ~*


July 20, 2015

Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway! The Minder by Catherine L. Byrne



When down-on-his-luck minder Chase takes on a job for a fading gangster, the job and his charge both turn out to be very different to what he expected. Someone is trying to sabotage the mobster’s business and doesn’t care who they hurt in the process. Soon Chase finds himself on the run with his charge, trying to carry out a friend’s last wishes before their pursuers catch up with them.


They sneaked down the stairs and along the corridor like ghosts, the voices of the killers shouting in the distance. Chase went first and they reached the long, white kitchen. The spare sets of car keys were in a box by the back door so people could take or return them on the way out. He had just grabbed one when Jody clutched his arm.

“I have to go back for my phone,” he hissed.

“Really? You little—” But Jody had a point. They needed phones to communicate. “I’ll come with you. Just a sec.” He pointed the key through the window blinds at the parked cars lining the driveway by the garage and the red Ferrari 458 flashed its lights. “Nice.”

“Come on.” Jody pulled his arm again and they crept out of the kitchen towards the stairs and Jody’s bedroom. 

They reached Jody’s room and it only took him a few minutes to locate the phone and shove it in his pocket. Then Chase remembered something.

“Quick, come with me.” He steered Jody into Tony’s office, unlocked the safe, took out stacks of notes and put them in his rucksack.

“What are you doing?” Jody glared at him. “Stealing?”

Chase pushed him against the wall—no time for pleasantries. “Listen, we’ve got to go or they’ll kill us too,” he snarled in Jody’s face. “Understand? Come with me or I’ll leave you to them.”

Jody gulped and nodded, his brown eyes wide.


“Good.” Chase let him go and dragged him out of the office and down the stairs.



What talent do you wish you had but don't?

I’d like to be able to sing beautifully or dance well. And any kind of sporting or physical talent would be good, because I’m a confirmed bookworm who lives in my head all the time and can’t do anything practical.

Will technology save society or destroy it?

Probably destroy it. Stephen Hawking reckons that Artificial Intelligent will quickly kill off all humans, like in the Terminator story. I think it’s crazy to invent machines which can think for themselves and create themselves—I’m sure they’ll soon see humans as pests. So we better make the most of what time we’ve got left…

Catherine L Byrne writes stories about relationships which push buttons and provoke reactions from readers. She writes about both gay and straight relationships, depending on which characters in her books shout the loudest to have their stories told. 

An inquisitive author, she prefers writing about different situations in each book rather than writing a series about the same one—her stories range from 10th century Viking Britain, to modern educational settings and from mystery to romance. 

As she was born and bred in England and lives there with her family, this infuses her books with a distinctly English tone. She has been writing since as long as she can remember and Extasy Books have published her novels since 2014.





June 7, 2015

Mikky's Shelf: Book of the Month & Review featuring Carol Pavliska, Kindle Alexander and Andrew Grey


Hello!!

Unfortunately, this time we're a little bit late in posting our Book of the Month Recap. Sometimes, life happens and one thing leads to another so fast. But, we're back on track (hopefully) and here are our recommendations. 
Enjoy!


Carter Schunk is a dedicated police officer with a difficult past and a big heart. When he’s called to a domestic disturbance, he finds a fatally injured woman, and a child, Alex, who is in desperate need of care. Child Services is called, and the last man on earth Carter wants to see walks through the door. Carter had a fling with Donald a year ago and found him as cold as ice since it ended. 



Donald (Ice) Ickle has had a hard life he shares with no one, and he’s closed his heart to all. It’s partly to keep himself from getting hurt and partly the way he deals with a job he’s good at, because he does what needs to be done without getting emotionally involved. When he meets Carter again, he maintains his usual distance, but Carter gets under his skin, and against his better judgment, Donald lets Carter guilt him into taking Alex when there isn’t other foster care available. Carter even offers to help care for the boy. 



Donald has a past he doesn’t want to discuss with anyone, least of all Carter, who has his own past he’d just as soon keep to himself. But it’s Alex’s secrets that could either pull them together or rip them apart—secrets the boy isn’t able to tell them and yet could be the key to happiness for all of them.




Wow. Just, wow, Mr. Grey. I stand in awe.

I don’t know how to tell you how much I loved this story.

Donald has seen too much and been through so much that his heart is closed off to any kind of feelings. Everyone calls him Ice and he knows it, but he’s fine with that because it’s true. He is cold and rejects anyone who might want to get close to him since opening up his heart means giving someone the power to hurt him and he’s had enough of that. Until he meets one stubborn man.

Carter comes from a big, loud and not at all perfect family. He loves his job as a police officer but, he wants something more. He wants to be out there, with the others, patrolling the streets instead of being forever segregated behind a computer. His wish is granted but his first shift on patrol ends up badly.

Now Carter has to deal with a scared, broken child and an equally scared and broken man with whom he spent one weekend of passion, just to be frozen by his attitude and his rejection right after that.

Let me tell you this – I loved these two men from the beginning, which doesn’t always happen where I’m concerned.

Even when Donald acted as a jerk, I couldn’t help but like him.

And Carter. Oh, God. He’s so strong and fierce when it comes to doing his job but so patient and sweet when he’s around Alex and Donald. 

The tenderness he shows the other man … breathtaking. There were times when I had tears in my eyes while reading because the moment was so full of emotion. 

The intimate moments are so perfectly described that you’ll feel like you’ve been transported into the book and you’re living the scene yourself. I have chills running down my spine just thinking about it.

Alex. That poor boy broke my heart over and over again. As a mother of a young child myself I wanted to wrap him in my arms, hold him and protect him from everything and everyone that might harm him.

It’s sad and scary to think that there are so many children in that exact situation and they’re completely helpless. 

We live in a messed up world.

This being said, if you liked Fire and Water, you are going to love this one. The series get’s better and better with every book. And now, the waiting begins for volume three.

Happy Reading!



Gage Synclair, international, hard-hitting investigative photojournalist, is preparing for the final special report of his career…a story of deception and murder six long years in the making. And after ten years in some of the worst parts of the world, he’s ready to settle life down and open an art gallery in his hometown of Chicago. The only thing getting in his way, he needs to find a competent electrician to finish the job before his grand opening.

Trent Cooper, electrical contractor, is surprised by the last minute request for a fast-paced electrical remodel, wanting nothing more than to get his foot in the door with Layne Construction. Being gay in the construction industry isn’t easy, nor is being father to his two young adopted children. Trent keeps his life in separate zones to avoid a short circuit. But when the gallery owner propositions him on the first day, Trent can’t help but think his worlds are a little too close for comfort.

Will their high-voltage passion spark everlasting love or will their lives break the circuit between them forever?

My Thoughts - I love Kindle. Or should I say, the Kindle team. These two ladies manage to create magic together. 
I know there are authors out there that partner in writing books but none of the novels I've read came out as good as what Kindle creates.
I've read all of their books but The Current Between Us will forever be my favorite. Gage and Trent have a special place in my heart. 
This is one of my comfort reads, one of the books I read with the same pleasure over and over again when nothing else is good enough.
I highly recommend it to anyone. Just one thing - I'm calling dibs and these two gentlemen. They're MINE! 
You can find my review HERE!
***This was a re-read for me but it was worth mentioning***


And the 1st prize in May goes to Color Me Crazy by Carol Pavliska


Never fall for a rockstar...

Julian Wheaton views the world through a kaleidoscope of synesthesia, seeing the colors of every sound he hears. His life as an iconic rock guitarist was a stressful psychedelic trip that nearly destroyed him. Now he’s abandoned the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle for the peaceful sanctity of his recording studio, but when fiery Cleo Compton comes to work for him, she brings chaos with her.

Cleo Compton has had her flings with rockstars—and it’s left her wary and bruised. Julian may have those sexy bedroom eyes and drool-worthy tattoos, but Cleo is determined to keep things strictly professional—until Julian turns out to be every dream she’s ever chased. When he risks it all to hit the road with a band again, Cleo fears he’ll return as the one thing she can no longer abide—a rockstar.

My Thoughts - The one word that perfectly describes this book is MINDBLOWING! I loved every single minute of it. The characters are funny, smart, charming and so easy to fall in love with.
A rockstar with a trouble past and a unique ability. 
A girl who seems to attract trouble at every step.
When their worlds collide more than a few sparks will fly. 
This is one book you do not want to miss. It's hard to believe that it is Carol's debut novel. She did an amazing job and I can't wait to get my hands on her next novel.
You can read my review HERE
Oh, and since you're here,you might want to join Carol's Facebook Group - Ladies Who Rock.
There's a lot of fun to be had and there's always the chance to win some prize. Oh, let's not forget the eye candy *wink*



~*~ And that was all for the month of May. I really hope you'll give these authors and novels a chance and, please, share your thoughts with us. See you next month with more recommendations! Happy Reading!! ~*~