I got quite a bit of reading done in July, which I’m happy about. I read some great books and enjoyed a lot of them.
One Bite With A Stranger by Christine Feehan
Regina just ended an awful relationship. The last thing she needs is her friends’ help in finding a new one. When they pressure her into sharing her fantasies, she makes up one she thinks could never come true. After all, vampires don’t even exist. Right? Wrong. And Dmitri Vidame is the proof. He sees Regina’s thoughts and knows her darkest fantasies. What Regina needs is someone who bring handcuffs as well as roses and who sees the possibilities offered by her sensual and giving nature. With all the electricity sparking between them, and some sneaky mental eavesdropping, Dmitri knows she wants him, too. He just doesn’t know if she’ll feel the same once she finds out about his nocturnal habits and his liquid diet…
I was not really a fan of this one. There really wasn’t a plot and I didn’t like pretty much any of the characters. I’ve read more in this series that I liked a lot more.
Princess Pink and the Land of Fake Believe: Moldylocks and the Three Beards by Noah Z. Jones
In the Land of Fake Believe, Princess meets a strange girl named Moldylocks. When Princess’s stomach grumbles, Moldylocks takes her to the home of the Three Beards. The girls sit in their chairs, eat their chili, and jump on their beds. The Three Beards are not happy when they get home–and they are very, very hungry! Will Moldylocks and Princess go into the chili pot? With easy-to-read text and engaging full-color artwork throughout, kids will be drawn right into this very funny land of fractured fairy tales!
This was fun and a very quick read. A cute children’s book.
Hoodwinked by Beth Hendrix
In a dark and dangerous world, paranormals openly roam the streets, policed by a special office of Elite Paranormal Hunters. Gwen Taylor, is one of the best in the U.S. Until she becomes embroiled in a case that changes her life, forcing a drastic shift in her allegiance. A case that pairs her with four sexy partners she can’t seem to resist, despite the dangers. A case that pits her once-human nature against the monstrous urges she has developed. The same urges of those she puts away for a living. Can she fight the growing attraction for her teammates? Will Gwen be able to balance the good and evil warring within her mind? Or will she embrace the darkness and become one of the creatures she’s hunted?
This was pretty good. I really liked how interesting it was, I just didn’t like the Reverse Harem aspect.
Unbound by Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeanine Frost, and Vicki Petterson
1 Ley Line Drifter by Kim Harrison – Pixy Jenks faces murderous dryad locked inside statue
2 Reckoning by Jeaniene Frost – Bones, faces New Orleans ghouls who eat victims alive – horror
3 Dark Matters by Vicki Pettersson – JJ superhero has illicit affair with Shadow agent Solange
4 The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten by Jocelynn Drake – Savannah vampire Keeper Mira investigates murder
5 Two Lines by Melissa Marr – Eavan resists sex and murder that morph her into a glaistig until Daniel Brennan, sex slaver, tempts her into both.
I really liked most of these stories. They were some very creepy and gory ones and I ended up adding a few new authors to check out.
We Can’t All Be Rattlesnakes by Patrick Jennings
I am a snake. No, not a rattlesnake. I just look like one. I’m a gopher snake. One day an oily, filthy, fleshy human child crossed my path. As luck would have it, he knew the difference between a gopher snake and a rattlesnake. He has imprisoned me in a terrarium. His name is Gunnar. He calls me Crusher. He thinks I’m male. I’m not. He dropped in a dead mouse and hoped I’d eat it. I buried it. He then dropped in a live one, which he called “Breakfast.” I didn’t lay a coil on it. Gunnar thinks I’ll be his adoring pet. He’s wrong. In fact, I am planning my escape. I may take Breakfast with me. Crusher will charm readers in this entertaining, clever novel about a snake in captivity and how she turns the tables on her human captor.
I liked this. My mom and dad wanted me to read this even though it wasn’t my usual genre. I liked getting the point of view from the snake the whole time.
All The Lies Between Us and All That Lies Ahead by Amanda Cuff
Happily engaged. Fulfilled by a lucrative career. Addison McCormick thought she had it all—until she caught her soon-to-be-husband cheating. Forced to start anew, Addison decides a vacation is just what she needs to escape the wreckage of her life in LA, and serene Colorado is calling her name. What she doesn’t expect to find is Chase Prescott: the sexy, brooding neighbor at the cabin she’s renting. She sees him as nothing more than a vacation boyfriend, a quick and dirty fling to help her get over her recent heartbreak. But when that spontaneity leads to the surprise of her life, Addison discovers that Chase’s mysterious allure isn’t just a front, and that he has a secret that will change everything. What happens when the fantasy they created crashes head-on with their harsh reality? Can Addison find her new place in a world she might not be welcomed?
This was an amazing duet. I cried so much in both books. The romance was great and the characters amazing. Such a great read.
Racing Hearts by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Nancy Warren, and Dorien Kelly
She’s plotted the course Car chief Roni Kenway has a plan. She’ll save her racing team and (hopefully) convince her crew chief, Judd Timmons, that she’s the perfect mix of business and pleasure. But will she coast down Victory Lane…or crash into the wall? She’s in Daytona Haunted by a sadistic book about last-chance love, Lucy Vanderwal hopes a trip to Daytona will end with love. But when she discovers her “last chance” guy is a lemon, Lucy meets rookie driver Sawyer Patton…and learns even a late starter can be a winner! And she’s behind the wheel! Driver Megan Carter just got back from a dream vacation–sun, sand and a sizzling fling with Chris Donahue. Now all she needs is to prove herself on the race track. But how can she do that when Chris turns up in her garage–in her real life–and says he’s there to stay?
I loved all the stories in here. I love Nascar books and I enjoyed the Valentine’s Day aspect of it.
Piper by Jay Asher and Jessica Freeburg Illustrated by Jeff Stokely
Long ago, in a small village in the middle of a deep, dark forest, there lived a lonely, deaf girl named Maggie. Shunned by her village because of her disability, her only comfort comes from her vivid imagination. Maggie has a gift for inventing stories and dreams of one day finding her fairy-tale love. When Maggie meets the mysterious Piper, it seems that all her wishes are coming true. Spellbound, Maggie falls hard for him and plunges headfirst into his magical world. But as she grows closer to the Piper, Maggie discovers that he has a dark side. The boy of Maggie’s dreams might just turn out to be her worst nightmare..
This was really good. The illustrations were amazing. I wish the ending was different though.
Book Boyfriend by Claire Kingsley
Mia: Alex Lawson might as well be the hottest book boyfriend imaginable. A fun, romantic, possessive, panty-melting man. And the best part? He’s real. For a girl like me—a slightly awkward book addict—Alex is a dream come true, straight off the pages of my favorite romance novels. But our story is turning into a whirlwind romance—the kind that only exists in books. And I wonder if we’re heading toward our own happily ever after, or if he’s too good to be true. Alex: Here’s the thing. I’m not a bad guy. Lying to Mia wasn’t part of the plan. Finding success as a romance author using a female pen name wasn’t part of the plan either. But sometimes life takes unexpected turns. Like realizing the woman you’re falling for is your alter-ego’s online best friend. Online, she thinks I’m a woman named Lexi. In person, she knows I’m all man. I want to worship her body and claim every inch of her. But if she finds out the truth, I could lose everything.
This was so cute and funny! I really loved it. I can’t wait to read the rest in the series!
Friends Like This by Bethany Monaco Smith
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to fall for your best friend.” No one told me that junior year is when everything would get complicated. At the heart of the complexities? My best friend, Aaron freaking Cooper—more specifically, my relationship with him. Whether I should have a relationship with him that’s more than friendship. Whether I already do. Everyone else in our lives seems to think there’s something between Aaron and me—that we’re denying it and lying to ourselves—even my boyfriend and his girlfriend. No matter what we tell them or our friends, it doesn’t change what they see. But as the lines start to blur between friendship and more, I find myself thinking that everyone else might be right. Then again, maybe it doesn’t matter. Because I’m not sure it’s a good idea to fall for your best friend. But I’m not sure it’s a choice, either. Which leaves me wondering if Aaron and I have ever been just friends, or if we’ve always been something more. And if we are, is it finally time to risk everything and do something about it? I have no idea. And that’s the problem.
This was so good! I loved this so much and need the next book already! Luckily the ARC for book two will be coming soon! 🙂
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Amy Curry is having a terrible year. Her mother has decided to move across the country and needs Amy to get their car from California to Connecticut. There’s just one small problem: Since her father died this past spring, Amy hasn’t been able to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger, the nineteen-year-old son of an old family friend, who turns out to be unexpectedly cute … and dealing with some baggage of his own. Meeting new people and coming to terms with her father’s death were not what Amy had planned on this trip. And traveling the Loneliest Road in America, seeing the Colorado mountains, crossing the Kansas plains, and visiting diners, dingy motels, and Graceland were definitely not on the itinerary. But as they drive, Amy finds that the people you least expected are the ones you may need the most—and that sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.
This was really good. It was very emotional. I went into it expecting a bit more romance (which was totally my fault) so I was a bit disappointed, but I still really enjoyed it.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends–the Liars–whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth. Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.
I still don’t know how to feel about this book. It’s been over a week since I’ve finished this one and it still hurts. I did enjoy it. I binged the whole thing in a night, but it really messed me up. I do still want to read the prequel novel though.
Confectionately Yours: Sugar and Spice by Lisa Papademetriou
Hayley, her little sister, Chloe, and their mom have finally settled into their new home above their Gran’s tea shop. But things at school aren’t so peachy. Hayley’s former best friend, Artie, is back in the picture and getting between Hayley and her new pal Meghan. Artie and Meghan are like oil and water — they just don’t mix! This looks like another recipe for disaster!
I really enjoyed this. It was sweet and I really want to read the last book now.
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Colie expects the worst when she’s sent to spend the summer with her eccentric aunt Mira while her mother, queen of the television infomercial, tours Europe. Always an outcast — first for being fat and then for being “easy” — Colie has no friends at home and doesn’t expect to find any in Colby, North Carolina. But then she lands a job at the Last Chance Cafe and meets fellow waitresses Morgan and Isabel, best friends with a loving yet volatile relationship. Wacky yet wise, Morgan and Isabel help Colie see herself in a new way and realize the potential that has been there all along.
I really like Sarah Dessen’s books. This one was really good. It was sweet and hard to put down. Loved it.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness.
Although it took me a long time to really get into this book, I loved it. I love Darcy and Elizabeth so much. I ended up reading part three in a single night because I couldn’t put it down.
Facing the Fire by Gail Barrett
Never marry a smoke jumper! Jordan Wells adopted that motto after her divorce from Cade McKenzie. She wanted a man who wasn’t constantly running to the latest disaster–leaving her behind. Years later, she was finally ready to sell her mountain cabin–the only thing that still connected her to her ex–and move on with her life. Cade had sworn he was long over Jordan, but when a deadly fire threatened her life, he didn’t hesitate to lead her on a dangerous race out of a burning Montana forest. Forced to take shelter in each other’s arms, old passions were ignited. And desire soon proved to be a greater threat than any wildfire…
This was really good! It was very fast paced and had a ton of action. I’ve had this book for a long time and I’m happy I finally read it.
Sheltering Rain by Jojo Moyes
Estranged from her mother since she ran away from her rural Irish home as a young woman, Kate swore a future oath that she’d always be a friend to her daughter, Sabine. But history has a way of repeating itself, and Kate now faces an ever-widening chasm between herself and her daughter. With Sabine about to make her own journey to Ireland to see the grandmother Kate abandoned, Kate is left wondering how they ever made it here, and what she can do to close the gap between them. For Joy, seeing her granddaughter is a dream come true. After the painful separation from Kate, she’s looking forward to having time with Sabine. Yet almost as soon as the young woman arrives, the lack of common ground between them deflates her enthusiasm. And when Sabine’s impetuous, inquisitive nature forces Joy to face long-buried secrets from her past, she realizes that perhaps it’s time to finally heal old wounds.
I didn’t like this book at first. I couldn’t get into it, so I skipped ahead a little bit. I ended up reading the rest of the book in the same day. It is very emotional and has great family elements in it. I ended up really enjoying it.
Those are all the books I read this month! Have you read any of these? Did you read anything good in July? Hope you enjoyed! Until next time.