Book Review Wednesday: Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book, well, it completely rocked. So did the audiobook reader, so if you like audios, this one will be better on audio, unless you're from Minnesota/Wisconsin or are really good at reading in accents.

Anyhoo, I'm not from that area, but trust me, I've seen my share of cows. As I listened to this, it made me super nostalgic for my Minnesota relatives, too. Such a great voice, all the way through! I kept waiting for DJ to say 'uffda' or 'you betcha' but sadly, she didn't. Probably because she's from Wisconsin.

This book started a little slow, or so you think at first. But really, it's just that DJ is a bit understated. She's not the raging-with-hormones love-at-first-sight kind of girl. She's kind of quiet. So is the beginning of the book. It's hilarious, but that's understated too. So you're reading along about this amusing, practical, big-boned, quiet girl (see how I just described a cow?) and then suddenly it grabs you by the heart and rips it out of your chest.

That's how I felt reading this book. It was pretty amusing, and I was going along as I should, much like a cow, just listening to it and smiling now and then. And suddenly, I burst into tears without warning. Because that's how quietly DJ sneaks into your heart. You don't even realize you're in love until it's way too late to walk away. And though the action in the book isn't Hunger Games-like, as I was driving to work I found myself gripping the steering wheel in excitement and torment and just wanting to scream at my CD player, "KISS HER, YOU IDIOT! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KISS HER!!!" The suspense will literally kill you slowly, in the best, most hilarious way.

I can't recommend this book enough. It's not graphic, the language is mild, and it's funny enough that my 7 year old was laughing hysterically at the few parts he heard. And so was I.

Heartwarming, heart-wrenching, hilarious, happy dance.

Notice how I didn't even mention football? Or lesbians? Or family drama? Because this book isn't about that so much as about DJ. Can't wait to read the rest.



View all my reviews

YA Wednesday: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3.5 stars

This was one of those books I picked up solely because it had been recommended and because it's popular. I'd never read a review for it, a synopsis, or even the back of the book. So when I started listening and found the book was about college students, I was surprised, as most YA ends at the end of high school. I guess it would fit into the New Adult genre, but it was probably rejected because it didn't have any explicit sex scenes.

However, it was a romance, which isn't really my cup o' tea. I guess Eleanor and Park was too, but somehow there was enough other stuff going on in that one that I was never getting that squicky feeling I get when I read romance. The romance in this was more predictable for me. I realized way before Cath that Levi liked her. He was an okay character, but just kind of eh. I would have liked the book much more if it had kept the focus on Cather's relationship with her sister and father. Those parts of the book came alive and just sang. I was left with a few unresolved questions about those relationships (like why Wren and Courtney had a falling-out, and what happened in Wren's relationship with Alejandro, what happened with her dad's mental state, etc). Instead, the book took a downturn and suddenly became all about the romance.

Okay, here's the thing. Unless you love someone, beyond-the-norm makeout scenes are just gross. And I sort of loved Levi, but not enough to think making out with his chin was sexy. To me, it was just kind of icky and funny at once. Levi was once said to be exploring her throat with his tongue or something like that--automatic gag reflex. I kept thinking--Eewww. These people do not know how to kiss! At first, the Simon Snow snippets were so boring I zoned out on them, but during the obsessive love stuff, I was glad for a moment of relief. It bordered on Twilight-esque at times.

Overall, I did like this book. I loved most of the characters, especially the dad. He was so true and sensitively portrayed. I also loved the relationships and dynamics between all the characters in the family, including the mother. My other favorite character was Reagan, so I was disappointed that she never got much of a story herself. She was just there to drive Cath around and be her friend. Which was fine, except that she never had any backstory or a life of her own beyond being Cath's friend.

I'm still sort of torn on the number of stars. May upgrade to 4 at some point if the book sticks with me for a long time.




View all my reviews

This is the way that love ends.

"This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper."--TS Eliot, The Hollow Men

Though T.S. Eliot had bigger ideas than love, thanks to Valentines Day, that is the topic on many minds today. And though the poem is not a love poem, it aptly describes the end of love. For most of us, this is how love ends. Not with a bang, not with heart-rending wails of loss, but with a quiet fading of affection, with the proverbial whimper. It's not as dramatic as the movies would have us believe. It's more mundane than our romantic hearts want to admit. Although some may point to the end of love as the moment immediately preceded by affairs, betrayals, and other drama, that is usually not the case. Those events cause the heart-rending wails. By the time love is gone, there is no more wailing. That requires an intensity of passion that we no longer possess.

This is the way love ends. With the realization that you no longer care what she's saying. With the realization that you would rather stay at the office a few more hours than go home to him. With the realization that your friends are more interesting than your lover. That you are more interesting.

This is the way love ends. Quietly, so gradually we hardly notice. Bit by bit, day by day, we have lost the will to put in the effort, to expend the energy needed to make a relationship thrive. We have lost the desire to please our partners, and more tellingly, the desire for them to find us pleasing. He no longer wears the sweater she bought him that he never liked but wore to make her smile. He no longer compliments her, not because he no longer appreciates her, but because he no longer notices her. She no longer wears his favorite perfume, no longer dresses up for him. She's given up on being noticed, perhaps no longer wants to be noticed.

This is the way love ends. With two people sitting on opposite ends of the couch without speaking. With two people sitting at the dinner table without speaking. With two people shutting off the lights and climbing into bed together and turning to face opposite walls. Not out of anger, but because they have nothing to say to each other, because they can't be bothered to start a conversation. Not because they are avoiding touch but because they have forgotten that the urge to reach for each other was ever present.

This is the way love ends.
This is the way love ends.
This is the way love ends.
Not with an irate lover throwing the contents of the closet out the window,
But with an obligated sigh as we dutifully trudge onwards.

For some, Valentines Day is all about chocolate and roses and sappy Hallmark cards. For others, it has a darker side. This year, some authors invited me to join their blog hop celebrating the grisly, dark side of love. Find a list of their posts by clicking on the link below.
http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/?m=1

    The Bloody Valentine Blog Hop

Hearts on Fire Blog Hop

Hello everyone!

Today I'm happy to be participating in the second annual Hearts on Fire blog hop!


Here’s how to hop…
1.) Kym, Eve, and Victoria have supplied the first nine items on the list of Top Ten Favorite Valentines/Romantic movies and Top Ten Favorite “pick up lines”. YOU provide #10. Comment with your answers and email to enter for the site prize. My site prize is a digital copy of one of my three books (links on right). You choose which book!


2.) Then go to the next hop site on the list below and repeat. 

3.) Don’t forget to go here to also enter the GRAND PRIZE RAFFLE.
(20 carat lab ruby, signed paperback series of Immortals of New Orleans – Kym Grosso, and signed paperback series of Black Swan - Victoria Danann, plus a fabulous SWAG bag from Eve Langlais.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway


TOP TEN FAV VALENTINES/ROMANTIC MOVIES
1. The Princess Bride – Eve (because I love a giggle with my romantic fairy tales)
2. Pretty Woman – Eve (gotta love a poor girl/rich guy flick)
3. Warm Bodies – Eve (Zombies can be sexy, lol)
4. Sabrina - Kym
5. The Proposal – Kym
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall – Kym
7. A Walk in the Clouds – Victoria
8. The Notebook – Victoria
9. Made in Heaven – Victoria
10. _______________________ What’s yours?


TOP TEN FAV “PICK UP” LINES
1. Eve’s Corny p/u lines: Did you sit in a puddle of maple syrup? Because you have a swe-e-e-t ass.
2. Eve: Do you live in a corn field? Because I’m stalking you.
3. Eve: Your lips look so lonely. Would they like to meet mine?
Note from Eve: Funny how most pickup lines are from guys to girls, and have to do with sex. lol. Then again, can you imagine a woman going up to a guy and saying “Hey gorgeous, I brought along my ten inch ruler because I’ve got a feeling you’ll measure up.” Hehehe.
4. Kym’s Corny p/u lines from movies: “Do you wash your pants in Windex? Because I can see myself in them.” ~Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,
5. Kym: “You know, it’s dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section… Because you could melt all this stuff.” ~My Blue Heaven
6. Kym: “I couldn’t help but notice that you look a lot like my next girlfriend.” ~Hitch
7. Victoria’s fav lines that actually worked on me: (The lifeguard.) “You all might as well go home because this storm isn’t going away. (looks at me) Except you. You stay and we’ll go swimming.”
8. Victoria: “Have you seen Jeff?” “Who’s Jeff?” “Who cares? What’s your name?”
9. Victoria: “You’re my pick for student body president. Run and I’ll make sure you get elected.”
10. ___________________ What’s yours?

Thanks for stopping by. Your next stop on the hop is…

 

  Close Encounters for the complete list.

 

 

Review Wednesday: Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory (Cousins War Book 3)

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This epic novel covers the life of Jacquetta, Henry VIII's great-grandmother. But if you think you're about to read a novel about an old lady, think again. Gregory always begins with the exciting romantic part of a woman's life, usually when she falls in love or gets married. This formula works well for her, and she uses it here with its usual effectiveness. The novel is a huge, sweeping romance that covers nearly 40 years of Jacquetta's life, from the young and beautiful girl who marries an alchemist who wishes to use her rumored sighting ability and becomes a royal duchess, to her life as Queen Margaret of Angou's Lady in Waiting, to her years as a disgraced Lancaster supporter and finally, a grandmother. I was drawn into the book and found it very informative. Of all Gregory's books I've read, this one helped me understand the York/Lancaster feud and the claimants relationships like no other. I finally felt like I was beginning to put it all together.
That said, I really would have liked the books to be in chronological order. It was a bit confusing to remember which Elizabeth she was talking about--I just read The White Queen, and it was confusing to go backwards. If I had known the books weren't in chronological order, I'd have read them that way, and I'd suggest anyone intending to read the series to do the same. You will be interested throughout, and ready to move on and see what happens to Elizabeth next. This book leaves off right where The White Queen begins, so it would be a smooth, wonderful transition to move from Lady of the Rivers to The White Queen. I'd highly recommend doing that.
That said, I still recommend this book. There is never a dull moment, which I'd commend the author for making such an exciting book about someone who is only on the outskirts of court a good deal of the time and who spends a great number of years in confinement as she is quite prolific and has, I believe, 14 children. She doesn't spend much time with them, or so it seems, and their characters aren't developed at all, except Antony a bit, when he is old enough to fight in some battles, and Elizabeth, because she arranges her marriage. Otherwise, Jacquetta seems much more interested in the scandals going on in court. While I can't say she's a good mother, or someone I'd want around me in real life, she certainly was an interesting character, and one I very much enjoyed reading about.

Would recommend this book be read FIRST in the series by anyone interested in England's history, the Cousins Wars, or fans of Gregory's.



View all my reviews

Cover Reveal: Clarissa Wild's FIERCE

Title: Fierce

Author: Clarissa Wild

Publication Date: January 27th 2014

Genre: New Adult Romance

Fight for your dreams. Fight for your life. Fight for love. 

Nerdy girl Autumn Blakewood is the prime example of a goodie two-shoes. She studies every night, is never late for class, and always follows the rules. She has never felt the need to step out of her comfort zone. That is, until she meets Hunter. 

 Hunter Bane is a cocky, confident bad-boy, who's nothing but trouble. He’s a dangerous distraction to everyone around him. Sexy and strong, Hunter enjoys the swooning effect he has on women. Especially those who aren't used to attention, like Autumn. 

 Autumn finds it hard not to give into Hunter’s advances, even though it all seems like a game to him. Trying to understand him is impossible, because he shrouds himself in mystery. 

What she doesn't know is that Hunter has more baggage than anyone should have to carry. When she discovers he's in an illegal frat club to save the one person that matters to him, Autumn realizes this could mean the end of her undeniable connection to him. Even their lives are at risk. 

But it's too late to turn back now ...

When he
comes up the steps, his gaze is already set on that one empty spot beside me.
I’m squeezing my legs together, as he sits next to me. My instinct is to scoot
far away, but I can’t; there’s nowhere to go.

I feel
watched, which isn’t strange, considering his gray eyes are practically trying
to penetrate my skin.

Anger is
seething inside him, I don’t have to look at him to know; I can feel it flow
out of him like a radiator that’s burning up.

God, I want
to die.

He keeps
staring at me, as if he has nothing better to do. My heartbeat is rising, and
I’m starting to feel really sweaty. I don’t know why he’s doing this, but it’s
freaking me out, and I don’t like it one bit.

“Don’t you
have to pay attention?” I say, avoiding his eyes.

“To You?
Yes.”

His words
make my insides broil.

“The
teacher has already started talking.” I point to the front, but Hunter doesn’t
even flinch. His eyes are still on me like a hawk zooming in on his prey.

“I don’t
care.”

I swallow,
gathering the courage to turn my head and look at him. The moment my eyes make
contact with his I’m drowning. Drowning in amazement. Drowning in fear.

Fear of the
unknown.

“But your
grades …” I stammer.

He snorts,
and a smile curls the corners of his mouth while he shakes his head. “Yeah,
right.”

And all I
can do is stare.

If looks
could kill, I would be dead.

He looks so
damn handsome when he smiles. It’s like everything around us fades and all I
ever want to see is that smile. It just makes me feel good.

But when
the smile disappears, so does my mood.

The
darkness falling over his face unsettles me.

In his eyes
I see the hurt, the worries, the insomnia. Sleepless nights have worn down his
face, making him look saggy and dull. But I know there’s so much more inside
there.

Endless
stories and an undiscovered world I’m intrigued by.

I want to
know what’s in there. Inside him. Why he’s so angry and sad at the same time.

A sudden
overwhelming feeling to grab him and hold him tight takes me aback.

He’s having
so much trouble in his life right now, even though I have no idea what’s going
on. I can see it in his eyes that something is so wrong. And I want to help him
get through it.

But I don’t
come any close. I don’t move one muscle.

I’m scared.
Scared of what he can do. Scared of his power, and his temper.

In my mind I
can still see his bloodshot eyes and the hateful look on his face. He was in
that fight yesterday, I’m sure of it. The only question is who was the one
instigating it.

I open my
mouth, but nothing comes out.

I can’t ask
him. I just can’t get the words to come out. I’m really chicken shit.

“Something
wrong?” he says.

I shake my
head.

“Then why
are you looking at me like that?”

Hunter
inches closer. I instinctively draw back, but he scoots even farther to my
side. I’m scared to death he wants to do something to me, and I have no idea
what, which makes it even scarier.

A devious
smile appears on his face, and it’s almost as if he’s enjoying this. Taunting
me seems like his way to pass time in class. I don’t like it one bit, but on
the other hand I’m excited as hell.

He raises
his head, and his nostrils flare. I turn my head, my breath hitching in my
throat. I can’t look when he’s doing this, entering my private space uninvited.

It feels as
though his nose is close to my hair, because there’s hot air flowing close to
my ear. And then he inhales.

Holy shit.

Is he
smelling me?

I’m frozen
in place from sheer panic, my heart beating like crazy.

No guy has
ever come this close to me.

He lets out
a huge breath afterward and chuckles softly. His breath lingers on my ear, and
a shudder runs through me.

“I like
it,” he whispers.

Oh. My.
Fucking. God.

My skin
tingles where his hot breath brushed over me. My groin clenches, and my clit thumps.

Why?

His whisper
does this to me. Just a whisper.

I never
felt like this before. I think just died inside.

Hunter
muffles a laugh. It’s like he can smell my fear.

He takes in
a sharp breath and moves back to his usual spot. As if what he did just now was
the most normal thing in the world.

I’m still
shaken, my body stiff from the encounter. I feel completely naked, and I know
he’s watching me.

The look in
his eyes is like that of a boy who just did something totally against the
rules. And it’s so fucking sexy I can’t stand it.

Clarissa Wild is the erotic romance author of the Blissful Series,
The Billionaire's Bet series, the Doing It Series and the Enflamed
Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men
and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and
learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching
all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite
meals.

Want to get an email when my next book is released?
Sign up here to receive a FREE short story: http://eepurl.com/FdY71

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon

Book Review & Giveaway: The Concubine's Gift by K. Ford K.

Today's book review is extra special! I'm done reading this fun novel and thought I'd pass it on so someone else could enjoy it, too. Please see details after review for a chance to win a paperback copy of this awesome book. (Only open to US residents. Sorry for any inconvenience!)

When the author of The Concubine’s Gift contacted me asking for a review, I admit I was skeptical. I’m not much of a romance reader. In fact, most romance novels are a huge turn-off for me, because I either despise the arrogant jerk that the heroine inevitably falls in love with, or I find the whole book unbelievably cheesy and trite. However, I hesitantly agreed to read this book when the author sent me a copy, and I’m glad I made an exception from my romance rule for The Concubine’s Gift.

First and foremost, I have to warn readers that this is not your typical romance. In fact, if possible, this is a romance novel but not a love story. I think that’s why I liked it. A lot of romance novels just don’t convince me. I don’t believe the romance. I don’t buy it. There’s too many clichés, too many overused devices (love at first sight? Oh, please. Love triangle? Sigh. A handsome stranger coming to the rescue? Eyeroll). The Concubine’s Gift avoids all these pitfalls and more. If you’re looking for a novel about a beautiful brainless bombshell being swept off her feet by a swarthy swaggering swindler-of-virtue, look elsewhere. Trust me, you’ll find many, many books that are exactly what you’re looking for. They are a dime a dozen. The Concubine’s Gift is something else, something new and refreshing. It’s a sexy novel about, well, sex, as well as self-discovery.
As we watch Bernice come into her own and accept herself, we can cheer for her because she’s just like you and me. She’s not meeting the hottest guy on earth and falling in love with him the moment she lays eyes on him. She’s working and talking to her friends, trying to seduce her reluctant husband and shopping for antiques. It’s one of these antiques that provides the catalyst for the story when Bernice finds a concubine’s magical face powder, which allows her to see the secret to a happy sex life—for those around her.
Some of the sex scenes are glossed over, while others go into minute detail. I never felt frustrated by lack of detail in the former, or overwhelmed with raunchiness in the latter. The author walks the line between sexy and dirty well, never venturing too far into the obscene. Just when you think she might (lesbian threesome? What is this, a frat-guy fantasy?), instead she breezes right through with minimal detail, focusing on the lasting changes resulting from it, and goes on to a more detailed account of another scenario. The sex scenes were creative and varied, some a bit titillating and some matter-of-fact. I found the varying degree of explicitness made for a more interesting, tasteful read and kept it from sinking to the thrusty and porn-like play-by-play of some romances.
The Concubine’s Gift is sexy, straightforward, and sometimes just a bit silly. I don’t know if I would have made it through Bernice’s story if she had been a typical helpless heroine, or even an butt-stomping, wise-cracking badass. No, Bernice is just your ordinary working woman, trying to be proper, worrying about her disapproving mother, estranged brother, ungrateful children, inattentive husband, and sexually free neighbor. And that’s what makes her such an accessible character who we can relate to so well. After all, who hasn’t wondered at some point, when our kids are screaming in the front yard, or we stop ourselves from telling someone what we really think of their kids screaming in the front yard, WHAT WOULD THE NEIGHBORS THINK?!
I enjoyed reading about those neighbors, the town, its founding and history, and the political struggles surrounding the brothel. The townspeople were also entertaining, although most of them are not developed well enough to get a real sense of their personalities. Most of the book has a light tone, which makes it a quick, light read. A few errors in punctuation (frequent missing commas) were scattered throughout, but nothing glaring.
Although I enjoyed the novel, I did find the whole great-sex-will-fix-your-life theme a bit tiresome. I’m not one to discount the importance of sex in a happy marriage, or to say that it’s something we shouldn’t look for in a partner. However, I doubt that having a good sex life is going to make all your problems disappear. It was implied throughout the book, and really pounded home when Bernice sees her teenage daughter taking one of two paths—having adventurous sex with a boy who will break her heart and then leading a happy, fulfilling life afterwards, or missing out on great sex with her high-school sweetheart and going on to lead a stifled life as an uptight, fearful mouse. Although I’m not much for romance novels themselves (I need more going on than two people falling in love), I do believe that romance, like sex, is important in healthy relationships. I think love is important, and that’s one thing missing from this book. Love didn’t seem to factor into most of the stories. They seemed to all suggest that fulfilling your sexual potential will fulfill your life, and love is either unnecessary in the equation or will inevitably follow. And yes, that is the part I didn’t buy. I can swallow the rest, magic makeup included.

Overall, a well-edited and engaging read that I would recommend to romance readers and other adults looking for some fanciful entertainment.


Today, I am pleased to bring to you not only a review, but also a giveaway! I am passing on the copy of The Concubine's Gift that the author was kind enough to provide for review. This is a paperback, the same one I read. It might show a little wear, but it's in great condition. If you want a chance to read the novel, here it is!
Here's how:
Follow my blog (1 entry if you already follow or become a follower), share this on Twitter (+1 entry), Facebook (+1) and Google plus (+1). Blog this or link it to your blog (+2 entries). Any other form of social media sharing adds extra entries. Please leave me a comment letting me know if you've done any of these and I'll drop your name in the hat.
Become a fan of K. Ford K on Goodreads or add this book to your TBR list here! Bonus entry for that, as well.

A Guide for Guys (Post V-Day Regrets: Oh No You Didn't!)

Valentines Day has come and gone. You had your shot to impress or less. How'd you do?

Well, even if you proposed by putting a ring in her dessert and she broke a tooth or choked and had to go to the hospital, don't despair. Or if you spilled wine all over her new dress. Or if you didn't listen to my sage advice and you didn't ask her to do anything, and she cried. If you're wondering why she hasn't called you back, make sure you didn't do any of the following.

1. Did you really make her ask you out? Shame on you!!!

2. If among your cuddling and sweet talking you said anything even remotely close to, "I wish I could keep you locked up in my basement so you could never see anyone else for the rest of your life." Maybe you thought it was sweet, but it's just creepy.

3. You've been going out for 3 months and still haven't kissed her? She thinks you're gay and she's given up.

4. You drank a few too many and seem to have a big blank space in your memory. Maybe at a somewhat crucial moment. Better find out what happened next. Really. You better.

5. Did everything right and still got the cold shoulder? You got her flowers, gave her a massage, made her dinner, and sang her a great song at karaoke, even bought an embarrassingly sentimental stuffed monkey for her because you know she loves monkeys, and yet she was unmoved?

Go find someone else. You're wasting your time and she doesn't deserve you, anyway (but feel free to give me a call. I love massages. And monkeys).