Monday 9 July 2018

The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker #bookreview #romance #preorder

The Simple Wild

by
 
Calla Fletcher wasn't even two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when Calla learns that Wren’s days may be numbered, she knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this rugged environment, Jonah—the unkempt, obnoxious, and proud Alaskan pilot who helps keep her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. Soon, she finds herself forming an unexpected bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago. It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.







Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Atria Books
Genre: Adult Romance
 Standalone


My The Simple Wild Review . . .


Gah! I loved this book.  It will definitely be on my re-read book list.  It's one of those books that swallows you whole and captures your heart.  And after its done you want to do it all over again, even the heartbreak,  because it felt so real.  The emotions were captured so well with these characters.

It's been about a week since I read this book and it keeps coming into my mind and my heart, which is telltale sign that it's a book that captures you whole.

Calla Fletcher is living her life they only way she knows how, which at times is a bit superficial.  Suddenly Calla finds herself jobless and floundering.  When a call from her long lost father comes, she's torn to go and visit.  But she knows this is important because she has many unanswered feelings with the rejection from her father.

As soon as she arrives in Alaska, things aren't going here way.  Especially when the brut of a man Jonah makes her life more difficult.

"I've got a lot of regrets, kiddo.  But falling for your mother has never been one of them"

As time goes by Calla starts to learn about her past and gets to know her dad and all the people whom mean something to him.

The land and people of Alaska were portrayed so well that it felt like you where there meeting everyone yourself. 

Calla and Jonah were a bit oil and water to start with but eventually changed their consistencies to need each other and find a slice of happiness in a situation that has an end date.

"You're not alone.  You've got me.  And I've got you, and we'll get through this together."
I loved every character in this book.  Especially Wren, Agnes, Mabel, Simon and Susan.  Each of these characters create so much emotional impact that help navigate Calla's journey of family, loss, love and hope.

This was such a beautiful book.  It's a beautiful emotional roller coaster but totally worth the ride.  I highly recommend this book.

5 Beautiful Thumbs up!

thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up

Lauren

Pre-Order: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (CAN) 












Monday 2 July 2018

The Dandelion by M. Leighton #bookreview #secondchanceromance

The Dandelion

by
 
At thirty-five, Abigail Simmons has mastered only one thing—running. When tragedy strikes, she runs. This time her urge to flee brings Abi back to her hometown, where she hopes she can find the peace she’s always searched for. That hope is dashed when Abi’s ex, Sam Forrester, bumps his way back into her life.

Sam has flourished in ways Abi hasn’t. From the outside, he has it all—a successful medical practice, a beautiful daughter, and a charming wife.

Who is dying.

Sara Forrester is dying and her final wish is for Sam to find love again so she can meet the woman who will finish raising her daughter and grow old with her husband. Abi seems like the perfect fit, but what Sara doesn’t know is that Abi has a secret, a secret no one could guess.

And it’s a deal breaker.





https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38712065-the-dandelion?ac=1&from_search=true



Source: Kindle via Amazon.com
Genre: Adult Romance
Standalone


My The Dandelion Review . . .



" . . . Life without pain is life without living.  Like you just said, the pain lets us know we're alive.  Without it, we wouldn't know pleasure.  It helps us to appreciate the good. . . ."

This is a bit of an unconventional second chance love story and I loved it. 

Sometimes we get so lost in our pain, we're numb to everyone else's. 

Abigail &  Sam were once everything to one another but life tore them apart.  Now decades later and Abigail is back to her old home to find peace and what she ends up finding is so much more.

As she returns home she finds out that that Sam Forrester is now the town doctor and a loving father and happily married.  His wife is Sara Forrester but not is all that seems.

The reality is that Sara is dying and her last wish is for Sam to find love again so he can move on and be happy, and then Sara will know that their daughter is loved and cared for by Sam and his new love.
That's the consequence of living-dying.  Life leads to death.  It's unavoidable.  It's an inarguable fact.
From the moment we are born, we are dying.  Little by little, day by day.  We have limited minutes and hours and days and choices within that short span.  Depending on how we spend those minutes, how we make those choices, we can live in the bright sun, with our vivid yellow faces tilted boldly toward it, laughing and happy, or we can make bad choice after wrong step and end up like the dandelion in its last days-withered, frail and waiting to die. 

To most that story line would feel wrong and unconventional, but its also where all the beauty is.  That we can love so freely and live for every moment but also want more for those we love most.  What Sara was doing is truly one of the most selfless acts someone could do and I truly don't know if I would be able to do that if I knew I was leaving this earth.
"I'm going to ask a girl I used to know to do something I have no right to ask of her."
"I'm going to ask her to love me again.  Or at least to try."
The way this story was written you fall in love with Abigail, Sam, Sara and their beautiful daughter Noelle.

"Maybe, maybe not, but I do know this: Some of us are beyond second chances.  They're a gift, a gift that I'd gladly give all the money in the world for.  Yet life is handing you one, free of charge.  Don't throw it away.  It dishonors those of us who have no choice when you waste yours."
What happened to Abi was so tragic and heartbreaking and you totally understood where her head was at and why she was making her decisions.   But there is a fine line between life and death and that line is called hope.  And for Abi, she had lost all her hope.

"I've always needed you, Abi. I never stopped."

But with Sara,  Abi started to get back a spark of hope, but there needs to be more for that fire to ignite.

"I'm your hope, Abi.  Hope in me.  I'll carry you when you can't walk.  I'll hold you when you can't sleep.  I'll be everything you need, and you'll be everything I need.  Most people don't get second chances like this.  Don't throw it away.  Don't throw me away."

Abi & Sam's journey is a profound one and a heartbreaking beautiful one.

"Can't you see I'm trying to protect you?"
"Can't you see I'm trying to protect me, too?  My life is better with you in it.  And yours can be better with me in it.  Just give it a chance."

Each character had their flaws but that was also their true beauty and strength.

" . . . This dandelion isn't dying.  It's finding a way to live."
"Every one of those has a seed of life inside it.  All they need is a good place to grow.  That's not the end.  It's the beginning."

Often people say we can't love more than one person, but the way this was written it helps you to understand this possibility and why its so hard when it does happens. 

"I know you're scared.  I am, too.  But I'm more afraid of living the rest of my life without you.  I'd take a few years of happy with you over a lifetime of painlessness without you any day of the week."

 If you have read the Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton then you will love this story as well.  ( Minus the D/S story line, of course.)

This is a story that after you read it , you think about it over and over again.

4.5 Second Chance thumbs up!

thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up  . 5

Lauren












Sunday 1 July 2018

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang #bookreview #romance

The Kiss Quotient (The Kiss Quotient #1)

by
 
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice--with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...







Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Berkley via NetGalley
Genre: Adult Romance
Part 1 in a new series


My The Kiss Quotient Review . . . 

Gah! Such a great book.  I loved that it was outside the norm of this genre. 

It's a bit Pretty woman meets Asperger's.

Such a great story and I loved all the characters. 

Stella is a woman who has Asperger's.  She tries to hide her quirks but its not always easy, especially where it comes to the opposite sex.  

Stella is a woman who wants to learn and be an expert at all things, even sex and relationships.  Which makes her sought out an escort service where she meets Michael.  

Michael hides his escort life and he never does repeats, but there is something about Stella that makes him want to help her and be near her.

When Stella starts to get overstimulated you feel her pain with her and feel like you are also experiencing what she's experiencing.   That part was so well written. 

I absolutely adored Stella and Michael together and I LOVED Michael's family.   

In the romance genre one of my biggest pet peeves is assumptions and miscommunications.  And sadly this book had a bit of it.

~ I was certain you didn't love me back~

  Don't get me wrong I totally understand why it was there, as they both had their own issues which led to the assumptions but I still wish the assumption part wasn't there.  Because its a personal pet peeve it got in the way a bit for me, otherwise I would have completely been head over heels for this book.   And it's only my pet peeve so anyone who doesn't have that issue will love this book from start to finish.

As I was looking up Goodreads for this book, I just found out that this book is now part of a series and book 2 will be coming out next year!!! OMG!! OMG!! I can't wait for Khai's story. 

4 Love is all that matters thumbs up!

thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up

Lauren