Daisy Talks About Reading Buddies

I just got back from a vacation in Thailand and my brain is still in vacation mode, so instead of a review or a more serious discussion post, I thought we could talk about reading buddies!

I have noticed that a lot of book people are also pet people. Whether it's a cat, dog, bunny or any other kind of animal, lots of book lovers have pets. Who also function as reading buddies, obviously.

This is mine, Zoë:

Zoë's been with us since August 2014 and she's ADORABLE, I love how much personality one tiny cat can have. She loves warm blankets, cuddling on/under said warm blanket, 'helping' me with blogging and doing cat yoga. And lettuce, the kitty goes crazy for lettuce for some reason. Oh, and she kinda likes me. But I'm the canopener, so it's pretty much a given ;) She's also one of the best reading buddies ever. Except for when she decides she wants to sleep ON the book or ereader I'm reading. But other than that, cat cuddles while reading are the best.

So I'm curious to hear about your reading buddies, and obviously I'd LOVE to see pictures (you can tweet me @DBetweenpages), because you can never have too many cute pictures in your life :)

Julia Reviews Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

Title/Author: Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt
Publisher/Year Published: May 2015 by Grand Central Publishing
How I got this book: This book was provided free for review by the publisher
Why I read this book: I seriously love this series. I must keep reading!
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary:

Lady Phoebe Batten is pretty, vivacious, and yearning for a social life befitting the sister of a powerful duke. But because she is almost completely blind, her overprotective brother insists that she have an armed bodyguard by her side at all times-the very irritating Captain Trevillion.

Captain James Trevillion is proud, brooding, and cursed with a leg injury from his service in the King's dragoons. Yet he can still shoot and ride like the devil, so watching over the distracting Lady Phoebe should be no problem at all-until she's targeted by kidnappers.

Caught in a deadly web of deceit, James must risk life and limb to save his charge from the lowest of cads-one who would force Lady Phoebe into a loveless marriage. But while they're confined to close quarters for her safekeeping, Phoebe begins to see the tender man beneath the soldier's hard exterior . . . and the possibility of a life-and love-she never imagined possible.

Review:
I’ve been reading the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt since we started this blog almost five years ago, so what better way to commemorate our almost five years than to review book eight in the same series that I started my reviews with, Dearest Rogue.

I have had my ups and downs with this series, especially some of the middle books where things seemed a bit repetitive. But this book is truly a historical I’ve never had the chance of reading, It’s something new and unique in a field of sameness, and I highly enjoyed it. Let’s back up and actually take a look at why.

Phoebe Batten is the youngest sister of one of the Dukes from the previous story and unfortunately she has slowly become completely blind. Captain James Trevillion was injured in the line of duty as a mounted horseman and now is employed by her brother to be her full time body guard, which comes in handy as someone is trying to kidnap her.  The story is a balance between Phoebe trying to grow into her own despite the hand she has been dealt, James coming to terms with his past, their blossoming friendship turning into something more, and this kidnapping plot.

Phoebe and her blindness and coming to terms with it really touched me. I thought it was handled well and like a caricature. The reactions of her family and loved ones and compared to James I thought were great. James treated her as a normal person and not someone to be pitied. It was so casual the way he would just say “Spoon at 3, bread at 9” and just continue on with the conversation. I loved her trying out her limits and figuring out how she can take the world as she must and just experience life.

James’ story is a little strange. Anti-climactic maybe? He gets on my nerves a bit with his “She is so young. I am so old” mantra. I feel like that trope is a little overplay, but even so I felt for him, especially in his “I can’t do everything I used to because I am wounded” scenes.

The kidnapping storyline luckily takes a backseat to a lot of the other plots, which is good because even though it’s not bad, it was the story I was least interested in. I've read the duke's sister is in danger store before. Nothing new there.

This book shines when James and Phoebe are interacting with each other. I just adore their alone time and not just the sexy times (which were wonderful too). They are just so perfect for each other, and the chemistry drips off the page.

This was one of my favorites in the series. Definitely top three. And the good news is, I would consider this a viable stand alone. There isn’t really too many spoilers for other books, nor is there any real backstory that would make it better having read the others first. So if reading a heartwarming historical about a blind woman coming into her own and into love sounds good to you, check this one out. I think it’s totally worth it.

This ARC was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Top Ten Books On Our Summer TBR List

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

Today we are talking about all those books we plan on reading this summer!!!

Jamie's Picks

I love contemporary YA allllll the time but I really gravitate towards it during the summer months -- especially the romances.

1. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West: Love Kasie West's books and this looks perfect for my poolside reading this summer!!

2. Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa: “This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.” It had me at the first sentence of the summary.

3. The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen:  I loved her book 17 First Kisses and I love me a fun revenge plot! 

4. Last Will & Testament by Dahlia Adler: I really enjoyed Dahlia's YA debut, Behind the Scenes, and I'm excited to check out her new adult novel!! Also, I want to read her next installment to the YA series -- Under the Lights. I couldn't choose between the two so I'm mentioning both!!

Lauren's Picks

 

5. 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger: This sounds like an amazing read and I love books set in an entirely different culture than mine.

6. Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams: The main character is the sixth girl to get taken and to be punished. The first five didn't make it out alive. This one wants to.

Tahleen's Picks

7. Ana of California by Andi Teran: I have been waiting for this to come out since I heard about it. I love Anne of Green Gables, which this book is based on, and I like California. So it's pretty much a win-win.

8. The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny: This is the 11th and latest installment in the Three Pines series, and I'm curious to see where it's going since most major plot lines wrapped up in the last book. I'm also not sure how I feel about the ending of the last book, and I'm hoping this one will be better.

9. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee: I don't think this really needs an explanation.

10. The Martian by Andy Weir: On audio. I've heard a lot of great things about this one, and I'd like to read (listen) to it before the movie comes out.

What books are on your list for this summer??

Lauren Reviews Insylum by Z. Rider

Insylum by Z. Rider
Published: June 2015 by Dark Ride Publishing
Source: eARC
Rating: 3 Stars

The Last Ones In... Never Come Out

A.J. changed in boot camp, coming out all straight-backed and short-haired. His best friend Nate hardly recognizes him anymore, especially when it comes to the way he acts. His priorities. Now he’s about to ship out to Afghanistan, and despite the rift growing between them, the two decide to have one last hurrah—at Insylum, the extreme traveling funhouse they’ve been waiting for a chance at for years.

They're last in line on the last night of the show. They are the last two to go in. And they may never come back out. Warning: Some tentacular activity. (Also body horror. And maggots.)


A.J. and Nate are out for their last hurrah before A.J. is deployed to Afghanistan. To celebrate, they go to a new scare funhouse that they've waited years to attend. The online reviews say they can do anything to you in there and that the last people in don't come back out. They are, of course, the last two people to go in. My immediate reaction..

They have to change their clothes and get into well worn hospital shirts, pants, and paper slippers. Then the fun begins. There are some crazy real looking asylum rooms with crazy real looking people in them. The guys are semi scared, but mask it by acting tough and laughing. They truly panic when they are soon separated and each suffer their own fates. 

This novel is very fast-paced and takes place in one night. I read the first chapter and set it aside. Tonight, I picked it up and read the rest in one sitting. I was on the edge of my seat and I annoyed the hell out of the boyfriend during several scenes when I haphazardly tossed my glasses off. 

This novel is NOT for anyone squeamish. And I don't mean there's a little violence and gore. I mean one part literally made me nervous and I dealt with some lingering anxiety after putting the novel down. Remember that I warned you.

Cross-posted at The Tattooed Biblio

A Cocktail & Conversation -- Favorite Music

Every other Thursday here at the Broke & The Bookish is A Cocktail Conversation time. One of the TB&TB members will pose a question to 2-3 of the other members of TB&TB crew about books, life, music, etc and then they'll answer and we can converse about it. So grab a cocktail & cozy up for some conversation. It's 5 o'clock somewhere, friends. 

The Question - What type of music do you listen to the most? What was the last concert you went to?

Bridget says...

As for as music I listen to... there's so much different stuff, but I guess most of it can be categorized into 80s pop/metal (think Def Leppard, Styx, OMD), 90s pop/alt rock (Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty, etc), and some classic rock. Also, occasionally some current pop music, but I don't listen to the radio all that much, so I usually rely on Andrew to let me know when something good comes out.

Daisy says...

The last concert I went to was of Ewer and the Two Dragons, fairly unknown I think. I mostly listen to a mix of pop and rock, I LOVE singers like Jonathan Jeremiah and Sarah Bareilles, who are both awesome live!

Lori says...

The last concert I went to was Garth Brooks back in January. I'm glad I went because otherwise, the last concert I went to was in high school. I just don't go to that many! Garth Brooks was pretty awesome. I love that he primarily played his old hits. Our group was on the jumbotron during "Friends in Low Places," which was really cool.

Julia says...

The music I listen to most is actually pop music (according to Spotify).  I would classify it more as an Indy eclectic with a heavy lean toward 90s pop/alternative. I enjoy singing so that is probably why I like pop. I really have a wide range though. The only thing I would say you wouldn't find on my Spotify is hardcore heavy metal, straight rap, and pop country. I have some classic country though, like John Denver. I have a playlist for the songs I sing in Church so I can practice them as well as one for ALL THE KARAOKE ever. As for concerts, I have been to lots of musicals, lots of classical concerts, but only one official concert and that was The Fray in 2007... only because Mae opened. :)

Lauren says...

I pretty much just listen to rock music and most of it's sub-genres. I can't listen to the new stuff of the radio without wondering how in the hell our next generation of children are going to make it. The last concert I went to was the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville, KY. There were THOUSANDS of people there for a two day event. There was Judas Priest, Korn, Stone Temple Pilots, Mastodon, Pop Evil, Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, Buckcherry... the list goes on. It was amazing. Here's a picture just to show you how many people were there. I can't wait to go again this year!

What type of music do you listen to? What was the last concert you went to?

Lauren Reviews Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs

Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs & Tracy Deebs 
Published: June 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire
Source: eARC
Rating: 2 Stars

Kenna is tired of being "normal". The only thing special about her is that she isn't special at all. Which is frustrating in a world of absolutes. Villains, like the one who killed her father, are bad. Heroes, like her mother and best friend, are good. And Kenna, unlike everyone else around her, is completely ordinary— which she hates.

She’s secretly working on an experiment that will land her a place among the Heroes, but when a Villain saves her life during a break-in at her lab, Kenna discovers there’s a whole lot of gray area when it comes to good and evil and who she can trust.. After all…not all strength comes from superpowers.


So the world is literally full of heroes and villains, both of whom have powers. Kenna is the daughter of a hero.. her mom is basically a genius that works at a super secret hero facility doing lab experiments to help develop more hero powers or instruments to aid the good guys. Kenna spends her days and nights in the lab helping her mom and doing little experiments for herself. She is powerless. She's what the heroes and villains call an ordinary. 

One night some villains break into the lab looking for a relative that they believe is being held captive by the heroes. Kenna holds her own, even with no powers. But she isn't exactly powerless. She is also immune to other people's powers. This is a well kept secret between Kenna and her mom, who used her genius skills to develop a serum for Kenna to take on the regular to stay immune to danger. 

And here comes the real interesting part... Kenna stops seeing the heroes and villains as good and bad/white and black. She sees there's a grey area. Now she meets a slew of new people with devastating information that changes everything she's ever known. 

This was definitely a fast paced novel with some quick YA romance. I needed a little more world-building to get a better feel of the place. I'm also a little bored of the teenagers falling in love after 3 days of life or death action, but I think I'm just getting old. This was an interesting read, but it felt too short and that a lot of details were missing.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The Rest Of 2015

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!

Today we are talking about all those books we are anticipating for the rest of the year! 

Jamie's Picks

1. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas: OMG BOOK 4 IS GOING TO KILL ME I KNOW IT. If you haven't read the Throne of Glass series yet this is your chance to catch up. I really liked book 1 but book 2 and 3 were AMAZING. (Jana seconds this one!!!)

2. Dumplin' by Julie Murphy:  I really enjoyed Julie's debut and I'm so excited about this one. The cover is FIERCE.

3. Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman: THIS LOOKS LIKE THE COOLEST BOOK IN THE WORLD. There are emails and documents and really super cool things in it just at a glance when flipping through it. It's so fancy.

4. Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman: This historical fantasy looks amazing! ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

Jana's Picks

5. Everything But the Truth by Mandy Hubbard: I'm loving Bloomsbury's If Only... line, and this one sounds super cute! It's a bit of a Cinderella story, or so they say. Poor girl, rich boy... confusion... swoons. Looks like so much fun!

6. The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long: I love JAL's Pennyroyal Green series! My favorite one of the entire series so far is What I Did for a Duke. SO swoony, and super steamy. Highly recommended if you like historical romance. Can't wait for this one!

7. When a Scott Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare: I've been all over the historical romance genre lately, and I LOVE Tessa's Castles Ever After series. I just barely read the second one, Say Yes to Marquess, and it is definitely one of my top five favorite historicals.

8. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: I can't NOT mention this one, even though I did over on my personal blog's TTT for today as well. I love Leigh's writing, and I loved her Grisha trilogy so much! I'm so glad that we have another series in the Grisha world to look forward to.

Bridget's Picks

9. Orphan Number Eight by Kim van Alkemade

10. The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick

I totally got both of these at BEA but they don't come out until August/September respectively and I haven't read them yet so I'm going to count them. Also check out the GORGEOUS cover of The Sparrow Sisters!

Tell us your most anticipated!!