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Getting the Goods by Elizabeth Perry – Review by Maura Harper

Getting the GoodsGetting the Goods by Elizabeth Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was supposed to go to the gym yesterday but I skipped it because I didn’t want to put this funny rom-com down.

I have so many funny quotes highlighted that I feel like I would just be quoting the book by putting them here. Oh ok, here are a few of my favorites:

(When talking about going to jail) “First of all, you’d be just fine as someone’s (b word). You were in a sorority in college, after all. It’s probably the same thing, just with less booze.”

“I haven’t had sex in so long that I’m pretty sure my vagina is dryer than the Sahara Desert. It’s quite sad, actually.”

“…I would rather get gang banged by a group of chickens than to have to touch David in that way. A girl has to have standards.”

See??? Funny Stuff!!!!

Gabriella and her bestie, Maria, are so funny together and the way they talk to each other had me laughing out loud. The heat between Gabriella and Conner was scorching. Their banter back and forth was as funny as the girls’. It’s a romantic comedy in the classic sense of the word.

This was a fun book to read and although it had a few grammatical errors, it was never enough to take me out of the story. The characters are quickly developed, we are able to know their motivation so there is never any doubt as to what is going on and it flows well from beginning to end.

I am hopeful that the best friend and brother get their stories told also.

5 stars.

Reviewed by @mauraharper

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Guilty Pleasures Volume 2: Guilty Pleasures by Joyce McCarthy – Review by Maura Harper

Guilty Pleasures Volume 2Guilty Pleasures Volume 2 by Joyce McCarthy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a collection of 5 short stories about Brad and his sexual conquests.

Each short features Brad with a new partner. Each short is sexually explicit and is like a scene out of his memoirs. It specifically surrounds that specific woman/event.

There were times when I was thoroughly confused because of sentence structure. At one point Brad says he “should have called her Aunt Rachel” which made absolutely no sense and I went back several times to see what I missed. There are other examples of this throughout each of the stories. They are small in nature and I was able to move past it.

If you like short erotica, this might be the collection for you.

Review by @mauraharper

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Truly Unfortunate (Welcome To Knollville Book 1) by C.A. King – Review by Maura Harper

Truly Unfortunate (Welcome To Knollville Book 1)Truly Unfortunate by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It would be TRULY UNFORTUNATE if you did not read this book!!!!

Confession: I love love love this author and she is an auto one-click for me. I think this might be the best book yet (and yes, I’m aware I’ve said that about all of her books).

I’m not going to tell you anything about this story except that it’s a story of a woman (girl) whose name is TRULY.

It’s a fast paced book that moves along quickly. I easily devoured it in a few hours. It is visually written and while I read it yesterday, it is still sitting with me today. I have questions that may or may not be answered in future installments of this series. It is a clean story and I’m not even sure there were any swears in it.

*****I give TRULY UNFORTUNATE all the stars*****

Review by @mauraharper

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Burning Night: where the ashes of the past awaken the future by Nikki Broadwell – Review by Maura Harper

Burning Night: where the ashes of the past awaken the futureBurning Night: where the ashes of the past awaken the future by Nikki Broadwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

This is an interesting story about rebirth and rediscovery of life. It is a story that has many many layers to it and some interesting situations that I was not expecting.

I enjoy stories by this author – this one is just a little different than I expected. One of the problems I had was the Protagonist’s friend. Oh my gosh, I wanted to yell and tell her (the friend) how horrible she really is. With friends like her, who needs enemies.

The characters in this story are all flawed (just like everyone in life) and at times this story seemed so realistic while other times it was super mystical. There are definitely interesting metaphors in the story. At times I was cheering Columbine on and other times I was rolling my eyes at her.

There is a story within a story that was interesting to read along with the main story.

Review by @mauraharper

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Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings by Maria DeBlassie – Review by Maura Harper

Everyday EnchantmentsEveryday Enchantments by Maria F. DeBlassie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENTS is like a book of poetry. It’s a collection of essays written by Maria DeBlassie about everyday things (as stated in the title). From Eggs to Hair to Reading and so much more, this book brought memories back of things I had forgotten and things I have yet to discover. Each essay is about 2 pages long so it’s the perfect book to read while sipping a cup of tea or when you have a few minutes between tasks. It is easy to put down after reading a few “chapters” and picking up again later.

Here are a few of my favorite:

Crocheting Infinite Blankets: “Your first was a monstrous purple affair…” (Does the author know me personally?)
On Mondays: “They are the ugly duckling of weekdays…”
I Live in Stories: “I live in stories because I am uncomfortable anywhere else.”
Reading Late into the Night: “You’ve lost track of time.” (Sheesh, stop looking in my windows…hehe)

Sometimes I thought I understood how the book was put together because they seemed to be in “categories” and then something off topic would be written and I realized that it is just a book to enjoy, not analyze.

I originally rated this with 4 stars but after writing this review and going back over my highlights, I’m changing it to a 5 star review because I enjoyed even more the second time around.

Review by @mauraharper

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PLAYER (21st Century Courtesan Book 1) by Pamela DuMOND – Review by Maura Harper

Player (21st Century Courtesan #1)Player by Pamela DuMond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

cour·te·san/ˈkôrdəzən,ˈkôrdəzan
noun
a prostitute, especially one with wealthy or upper-class clients. (Miriam Webster Dictionary)

I was super surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. I had preconceived ideas as to what it would be about and it was so much more!!!

This is a well written tale about a woman who is in tune with her empathic talent and uses it to help people heal in their life. We get to read the story from not only her point of view, but we get to”hear” her emotions as well (I enjoyed Hope most of all).

This book has a lot of layers with enough suspense that I’m invested in the journey and will immediately search for the next story in the series. (Crossing my fingers that it is written)

There are open door sex scenes but they aren’t super drawn out or used as filler to the story.

I believe this is the first book I’ve read by this author and I will be reading more in the future!!!

Review by @mauraharper

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Shoot Me: A Lie To Me Novel by Lynda Filler – Review by Maura Harper

Shoot Me (Lie to Me #2)Shoot Me by Lynda Filler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

This story starts where “Lie to Me” left off – “three weeks and eighteen hours” later to be exact. The female protagonist has just gotten a “three book deal” and has to come up with material to write, so she goes on a travel adventure to find inspiration. (Is this how authors get their groove? hehe)

“The best way to get over one man was to play with another, and another, and maybe, she could forget.” So her adventure begins.

The grammar in this book is different from what I am used to reading and the placement of punctuation threw me off and took me out of the story often. The story is told from present pov and past in the form of journals. The reader is able to see the motivation of the m/c as we read along.

It’s a story filled with intrigue and boys. This was not my favorite book of the year, but I appreciate the effort any author puts into publishing their work.

Review by @mauraharper

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Degrees of Control (A Prestian Series Book 3) by Via Mari – Review by Maura Harper

Degrees of Control (Prestian Series, #3)Degrees of Control by Via Mari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is Book 3 in the Prestian Series and I’m a little torn on this one. I truly thought this was the last book in the series but it turns out there is a 4th book. I’m ok with that. What I’m bummed about is that I am not as in love with the female protagonist as I was in the first 2. This book series moves at a really quick pace, so it’s natural that her feelings would change that fast also. HOWEVER, at times she is just down right mean. As I write this review, I realize that’s what makes a story good – having FEELINGS about a character instead of just being indifferent. For that reason, I will read the fourth to find out how it all wraps up.

This is a series that has intrigue and drama – It’s a roller coaster of drama and emotions. It has some cute and quirky moments and some dark and dangerous elements as well. At times it’s a perfect balance and at times it leans heavily to one side.

The story is developed and well plotted and this series MUST be read in order or it will make no sense. Please don’t do the author the disservice of reading out of order.

Review by @mauraharper

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Courage (The Sisterhood Series) by Chelsi Arnold – Review by Maura Harper

Courage (The Sisterhood Series #2)Courage by Chelsi Arnold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

COURAGE is the second book in The Sisterhood Story. While I think this could be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading book 1 – BRAVE – first so you have a bit of background on The Sisterhood.

This is a series of female Navy Seals in battle. While book 1 seemed like a prediction of the future, COURAGE takes recent events and with a few twists and turns makes it fictional. The world is a scary place.

This story pulled so many emotions out, from laughter to heart break and grief to awe at the bond of friendship. It is superbly written and once again it feels like the author has first hand knowledge of being in the military.

I will continue to stalk the author for new additions to the series.

If I could rate higher than five stars, this would be a book I would do that with.

Review by @mauraharper

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A Must for Christmas: A Darling Cove Novella by Deborah Garland – Review by Maura Harper

A Must for Christmas: A Darling Cove NovellaA Must for Christmas: A Darling Cove Novella by Deborah Garland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Darling Cove Series is set in a town called Darling Cove, the North Fork of Long Island and features a cast of characters who are family by choice and by blood. I would recommend reading the other stories in this series to get to know the personalities featured in this novella.

I was super excited when I saw this story was about Greg and Faith. I was curious as to what they were up to for Christmas. This story is quick, emotional and layered. It was deeper than the traditional Christmas novella and I enjoyed it.

I would recommend this story, this series, and this author.

Review by @mauraharper

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Nathaniel (Dragon Hearts 1) by Carole Mortimer – Review by Maura Harper

Nathaniel (Dragon Hearts #1)Nathaniel by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is book 1 in a new series about a family of dragons. It would seem as if all of them are incredibly good looking and each has his own unique personality trait.

The first brother we meet is NATHANIEL. He has sparkling green eyes and doesn’t necessarily believe in a mate for life myth. Chloe is a freelance reporter who has no family, few friends and a life she is ok with. This is their tale.

NATHANIEL is a quick and dirty read. It is explicitly witten so you don’t have to use your imagination. I enjoyed the story and found myself skimming the more detailed interludes. It did NOT take away from the story.

This author writes very visually and I was able to see the locations she is writing about.

I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Review by @mauraharper

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My Free Life: Prequel to The Brothers of Camelot (My Life Series Book 3) by Necie Navone – Review by Maura Harper

My Free Life: Prequel to The Brothers of Camelot (My Life Series Book 3)My Free Life: Prequel to The Brothers of Camelot by Necie Navone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

MY FREE LIFE is the final book in the prequel trilogy. This is the longest, most action filled of all the stories. It’s hard to remember to that Aless is only 20 years old with all of her life experiences.

This story concludes with her trying to fulfill her dream. It was great to revisit with her Nonna and uncle and witness how loved she really is.

This is a multi layered story with so many character playing a vital role in the action. The story is well plotted, the situations move the story along at a good pace and my interest is peaked to read the next installment of The Camelot Brothers.

I absolutely recommend this series.

Review by @mauraharper

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The Moon in Her Eyes: a witch’s tale by Nikki Broadwell – Review by Maura Harper

The Moon in Her Eyes: a witch's taleThe Moon in Her Eyes: a witch’s tale by Nikki Broadwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW!!

THE MOON IN HER EYES is Book Two in the “Witch’s Tale” series. I did not read the first book and never missed a beat. (I will, however, be going back to read it because I don’t want to miss a single word of this series). I enjoyed the author’s writing style, the character development and the way each situation is explained so I never felt lost at all.

There is a disclaimer at the beginning of the book that states “This story is meant for entertainment purposes only. I invoke artistic license for my rendition of events either past, present or future.” PHEW, glad to know that the author is clairvoyant and seeing what the immediate future of America is. YEESH.

This story is fast paced and it took me a few chapters to mesh with the cadence as it jumps back and forth between times – changing things along the way. There are so many things I highlighted while reading because some things scared me (not as in horror movie scared, as in holy moly is this real life today scared), while other things I found inspiring.

Here are a few of the things I highlighted:

“…until you reclaim your strength, you are useless to the cause.”

“Fascism – is that what we have now? Or would you call it a dictatorship?… The name for it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we stop it before our country turns into a place we don’t recognize.”

“…we are locked in the grips of the monster we created.”

“Just trust the process.”

“History is not written in stone.”

I really enjoyed the way this book is written and the way the story is told. It’s like Sliding Doors meets Time Keepers meets Twilight Zone. It is a fantastic story that I would recommend to my young cousins and my elderly mother’s book club and I look forward to reading more of this story in the future (of course, which future is still to be determined).

Review by @mauraharper
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Only This Tuesday: A Copper Mills Novella by Melissa Keir – Review by Maura Harper

Only This Tuesday: A Copper Mills NovellaOnly This Tuesday: A Copper Mills Novella by Melissa Keir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So fun!!!!

I’ve been reading a lot of “sweet romance” lately and this one has a “closed door” scene so I’m not sure it how it would be classified, but I would NOT be embarrassed recommending to my elderly mother’s book club.

Copper Mills seems to be a typical small town with personalities and allegiences that run deep.

In ONLY THIS TUESDAY we are introduced to the Mayor of Copper Mills and one of it’s beautiful residents. It’s a quick read and I read every word from beginning to end.

I appreciated the diversity of characters. The fact that people of different abilities and the families who care for them are handled with Grace and dignity.

I absolutely have added this series to my “must read” pile.

Review by @mauraharper
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Embattled Hearts (Military Romantic Suspense) (Lost and Found Book 1) by J.M. Madden – Review by Maura Harper

Embattled Hearts (Lost and Found, #1)Embattled Hearts by J.M. Madden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is a lot that I liked about this book.

There is great world building of the agency the veterans work for. We get to meet characters who I assume will be in future stories.

The honesty with how the story talks about reintroduction of certain life experiences after having your world change.

The brotherhood’s importance in keeping bonds to help each other grow.

The way this story is told… It’s not bogged down with a lot of unnecessary details. While at times the subject matter is complex, it is talked about without being preachy or judgemental about the topics .

The romance. Above everything this is a classic romance that I recommend.

I was able to read this story in one sitting and look forward to read the other books in this series.

Review by @mauraharper

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Degrees of Acceptance (A Prestian Series Book 2) by Via Mari – Review by Maura Harper

Degrees of Acceptance (Prestian Series, #2)Degrees of Acceptance by Via Mari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Prestian Series and it picks right up where Book 1 ends. DEGREES OF ACCEPTANCE should be read after “Degrees of Innocence”. I would not suggest this be read as a stand-alone.

Katarina and Chase’s relationship continues to develop and grow.

As with the previous story, the writer is very detailed in the writing and how the story moves along. There are multiple characters and events happening that follow from the first story and we get to see more of what makes people the way they are.

This story continued to be told from the female protagonist’s point of view, but we can get a feeling of how others are feeling based on their actions.

This story is a bit more suspenseful than the first and holds the readers interest to follow it to the next installment of this series.

Review by @mauraharper

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Mad About Matt (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #1) by Theresa Paolo – Review by Maura Harper

Mad About Matt (Red Maple Falls #1)Mad About Matt by Theresa Paolo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The Hayes Brothers (are) the hottest bachelors in town – kind, each charming in their own ways, and undeniably sexy as hell.”

This is the story of Matt (Hayes) and Shay. They were high school loves and after a few events they didn’t see each other for a long time. “Not everything from your past is meant to stay with you” – this is the story of their moving on from the past.

This is book one of a series and I thought it would be a bit more world building than it was. The writing is very detailed and I found myself skimming at times.

They were certain things that bugged me but not enough to down grade my rating. I did find myself highlighting quite a few passages because at times the writing is almost poetic.

Overall this was a quick and enjoyable read and o have put the other stories in the series on my TBR list.

Review by @mauraharper

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Once Upon a Romance (A Dream Come True Book 1) by Alex Bailey – Review by Maura Harper

Once Upon a Romance (A Dream Come True, #1)Once Upon a Romance by Alex Bailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You know how they say “Don’t Judge a Book By It’s Cover”? Well I totally judged this one by the cover and I was not wrong. Between the cover and the blurb, I could not pass this story up. It’s the first I’ve read by the author and I look forward to reading more in the series.

A simple tale, yet so complex with so many feelings. Granting a Christmas wish for a beloved niece should never be a chore – yet sometimes it’s just that.

The characters in this sweet romance are complex and layered. They are well developed and helped to pull emotion from me that I wasn’t necessarily feeling that day. The aunt and niece complement each other well – they are the ying to the other’s yang and it was wonderful to watch the relationship grow.

This is absolutely one of those romance stories that I would recommend to YA and my mom’s book club. It’s full of lovely visuals and brought back memories of my own travels to Disney both as a kid and as an Auntie.

Review by @mauraharper

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COWBOY: CLAIMED BY Various Authors – REVIEW BY Maura Harper

Cowboy: ClaimedCowboy: Claimed by Melissa Keir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

CONFESSION: Western and/or Cowboy Romance are generally not my jam. I’m more of a contemporary romance reader because being from the Northeast I have preconceived notions about Westerns and Cowboys. Boy did this anthology prove me wrong.

These are all new to me authors and each weaves a tale that left me wanting more. From Musicians to Marines, Divas to Dogs, this anthology has a bit of it all. Some seem to be part of a much larger picture and others are a full novel in a short story.

Instead of highlighting passages, I found myself highlighting authors who I want to add to my ‘check this author out’ list. I look forward to reading more from these authors in the future.

Review by @mauraharper

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Hard as Steel: Book four (Surviving Series) by Virginia Wine – Review by Maura Harper

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by the author and I really wish I had read the others in the series first. I was a little frustrated at first trying to figure out who was who and how they connected. It was like opening a book to the middle with no introduction. Once I figured stuff out, I was ready.

Nichole and Steel have a past, their characters have developed over time and they seem to have a trust and inner language that each other understands. They surround themselves with people they can trust because each knows what happens when you trust someone you shouldn’t. They are both Alphas with their strength and fortitude.

This is a fantastic suspense/romance that is so twisty and twisted I was gobsmacked a few times about how wrong I was with what I thought was going on.

A few tips with this story:

DON’T SKIM – there are a lot of twists and turns and there are words that are very important to the story.
DON’T ASSUME – I caught myself relaxing a few times thinking I knew what was going to happen.
DON’T MISS BOOKS 1-3 – Honestly, I went into this book blind and when I realized I had missed so much background, I went and read reviews on the previous books in the series. Those reviews that recap the entire book so I could be comfortable with this one.

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Say When (A Cedarville Novel Book 9) by Bree Kraemer – Review by Maura Harper

Say When (A Cedarville Novel Book 9)Say When by Bree Kraemer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Say When by Bree Kramer is the 9th book in the Cedarville Series. This story can absolutely be read as a standalone, but you will want to go back and read about the other friends also.

Cedarville is one of those communities that everyone knows someone so essentially everyone knows everyone else. Reading each book in the series is like connecting with old friends.

“Say When” is a quick romance that is easy to read, moves very quickly in time and events, and I was happy for all involved.

I recommend this entire series.

Review by @mauraharper

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Calling the Curveball: a Lawson Family Novel by Tracey Cramer-Kelly – Review by Maura Harper

Calling the CurveballCalling the Curveball by Tracey Cramer-Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Calling the Curveball: a Lawson Family Novel 3.5 stars

This is the first book in a new series and there are a lot of characters introduced in this book. This story has dysfunction and regrets and angst. It also has light moments – a dog who heckles an umpire, sweet romance and great friendships.

Purely personal opinion – I did not care for the male protagonist. I’m bummed too, because it caused me to feel differently about the entire book than I normally would. Honestly, I will absolutely stick with this series because I am interested in his brothers and their stories.

The story is well plotted and the characters are easily identifiable. There are absolutely redeeming threads in this story and while this particular story wasn’t for me, I WILL read more from this author.

Review by @mauraharper

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Healing Danger: A Fortis Security Novel Book 1 (Fortis Security Series) by Maddie Wade – Review by Maura Harper

Healing Danger (Fortis Security #1)Healing Danger by Maddie Wade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Healing Danger: A Fortis Security Novel Book 1 (Fortis Security Series)

HEALING DANGER is the first book in the Fortis Security Series and because I am reading this series out of order, it was cool to go back to the beginning.

This is a suspense story with friendship, murder, mayhem, romance, secondary characters who are totally alpha (I’m glad they get stories in the future) and a few other things thrown in. There are twists and turns throughout and there is an element which I really wasn’t expecting even though I’ve read other books in the series.

It took me a little bit to get “into” the story but because I have enjoyed the author’s writing in the past, I was able to move ahead and get to a place of comfort in the book.

I recommend this author, this series and this book

Review by @mauraharper

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Elegantly Denim: An Elegant Prelude (Elegant Series- Prequel) by Tee Smith – Review by Maura Harper

Elegantly Denim: An Elegant Prelude (Elegant Series- Prequel)Elegantly Denim: An Elegant Prelude by Tee Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I read Elegantly Denim: An Elegant Prelude (Elegant Series- Prequel) before reading the series and perhaps I should have read it AFTER I read the series. I will come back and update this review after I read the full series.

This prelude was a bit confusing. There are many characters introduced, but there is no explanation why everyone is running around all willy nilly. I THINK I understand where the author was going with some of the characters, I assume they are introduced in depth in the series, but it was just confusing as to where they went. There was a lot of detail about them and then *poof* nothing. It has definitely peeked my interest though and I will be checking out the series.

I can’t tell if the protagonist is a good guy or a bad guy. What are his motivations? What’s with his whining brother? What’s with that random gal calling out of the blue? Why is his mother the way she is? I have questions…

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Neverland by Melissa Jane – Review by Maura Harper

NeverlandNeverland by Melissa Jane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

DUDE, WHAT THE EVER LIVING H.E. DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS DID I JUST READ?!?!

I don’t even know how to review this because I can’t say anything about the book, I don’t want to ruin it for anyone and yet I want to scream from the roof tops that if you like to read a good “HOLY CRAP WHAT DID I JUST READ” book, this is the one for you.

huh, ummm yeah – so ummm let’s talk about the characters. They are quickly developed and we know who is “good” and who is “bad” from the get go. The story flows quickly and is told both in present and past tense giving much needed background along the way. It’s well plotted and I read it in one sitting because I just had to find out how it ended. I could NOT put it down because what if all the Kindles in the world erased overnight and Amazon crashed and I couldn’t get a hold of the book to find out how it ended. It would haunt me for the rest of my life, so I stayed up way past my bedtime to read the very last page.

I have read several other books that have left me feeling this exact same way and if you would like a recommendation, please feel free to reach out to me. If I could give this book 27 stars for being such a “mind (word censored but it starts with an eff and ends with a K)”, I would. Holy Moly.

Ok, that is all. Oh except, this book does contain violence and abuse and all sorts of dark stuff so if you are looking for a book that is light and fluffy, this isn’t it.

Is there a group somewhere to discuss this book with others who have read it? I need to talk about it to someone hahaha.

Review by @mauraharper

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The First Backwards Christmas by Brooke Williams – Review by Maura Harper

The First Backwards ChristmasThe First Backwards Christmas by Brooke Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I’d wait for you all day if that’s what it took.” awwwww so sweet, right? This whole story is full of clean – swoon worthy romance.

This is the origin story of how South Pole, Alaska became the town known for “Backwards Christmas”. While this is the third book written about this town, it absolutely can be read as a stand-alone and out of order. I’m so glad this book was written because I was always curious how the town came to be known as it was and why the mistletoe was painted on the sidewalk.

This is one of those books that just made me smile the more I read. It is a classic (name of channel redacted because of copyright infringement) Christmas Channel movie that is sweet and predictable and yet so much fun to watch.

I would absolutely recommend this story to my mother’s book club and younger cousins alike.

Review by @mauraharper

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My Tragic Life: Brothers of Camelot Prequel (My Life Series Book 2) Necie Navone – Review by Maura Harper

My Tragic Life: Prequel to the Brothers of CamelotMy Tragic Life: Prequel to the Brothers of Camelot by Necie Navone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the “Brothers of Camelot Prequel” and it is NOT a stand-alone. Book 1 MY HIDDEN LIFE should absolutely be read first.

This is book two in the Prequel Trilogy. It’s an interesting way to publish a prequel, using three books to tell this amazing story instead of just one. Part two is where we get to see Alessandra grow from a young princess to a beautiful young woman. Her talent for quick shooting and quicker wit helps move the story along at a good pace.

This book was more emotional than I anticipated. A couple of times it took my breath away and I had to pause to breath, just like she did.

I am so looking forward to reading the final installment in this trilogy and then I can get back to The Camelot Brothers.

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F*cking Frank (Smirk Series Book 1) by Jen Luerssen – Review by Maura Harper

F*cking Frank (Smirk Series Book 1)F*cking Frank by Jen Luerssen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 1 in the Smirk Series is a funny romantic comedy told from the male’s point of view. Set in wine country, it’s the story of two people who are similar and appreciate each other. A lovely change of pace for the rom-com.

The dialog between Frank and Mikey is laugh out loud funny. My husband got mad a couple of times because I guffawed while he was trying to sleep. I tried to disguise it as an awkward sneeze, but he saw right through me.

While this is a rom-com, it had a complexity and a sophistication about it. There are a lot of characters and they are all developed and important to moving the story along. The backdrop of the winery was a nice setting and I appreciated the nuances between the grapes and the characters. (i.e. fungus-nasty ex)

It was a quick and easy read and I flew right through it from beginning to end. This is the first time I’ve read this author and I am following so I can be sure and get the next installment of the series.

Review by @mauraharper

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Tomb for an Eagle (Orkneyinga Murders Book 1) by Lexie Conyngham – Review by Maura Harper

Tomb for an Eagle (Orkneyinga Murders, #1)Tomb for an Eagle by Lexie Conyngham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am not going to write a review that references anything within the story because I feel like if I “wax poetic” about the book, I would be giving something away.

I went into this book based on the cover. I had not read a blurb, I did not know what it was going to be about or the genre. If you like “blind books” this would be a good one to go with. Let it settle over you because it might take a little bit to get the rhythm down.

The story is well developed and has layers that we get to peel back as it continues. The author does a good job of plotting the story and following the thread from beginning to end. It’s the first book I’ve read by them and I will continue with the series as it is published. I have put it on my “don’t forget to read the next installment of the series” list.

Review by @mauraharper

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Credence Woods by Alexandria Sure – Review by Maura Harper

Credence WoodsCredence Woods by Alexandria Sure
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by Alexandria Sure and based on the blurb, it fit right in my wheelhouse. The story is about a woman who is at the top of her game yet still feels like she is lacking, due to “scars” from her past. It also is the story about a man who is a “southern gentleman” and knows what he wants in life.

The story line is a bit jagged at times, I feel like there was something I should know about a past relationship but don’t so it took me out of the story and made me go back to re-read to see if I missed something. I had not. Also, there is an established group of girlfriends and the story is written as if I already know their backstory. I’m assuming this book is part of a series.

This was a decent story and I enjoyed it in general. It’s a sweet romance that is a bit “too sweet” at times. I want to state that this could 100% be the mood I am in and I did not take away any points for this. It felt like the book wanted to be something darker, but the author didn’t want to take it “there”.

While this particular book is not one that I would re-read, I would read another book by this author.

Review by @mauraharper

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