2020 Reading Wrap-up

While I didn’t write a lot on this blog, I have so many reading posts on my other blog alittlebiteoflife.com. I wanted to leave my favorites from each month, as well as the link to that post. Hope you enjoy!

January:

I didn’t start my reading wrap ups until February, so there’s nothing here!

February:

My favorites were The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima and Crescent Moon by Haruko Iida.

February Reads

March:

My favorites were Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya and Save The Date by Morgan Matson.

My March Reads

April:

My favorites were Magic Gone Wild by Judi Fennell and Desperately Seeking Shapeshifter by Jessica Sims.

April Reads

May:

My favorites were Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Undead and Unemployed by Mary Janice Davidson.

May Reads

June:

My favorite was The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson.

June Reads

July:

My favorites were Demon Diary by Kara and Strange Candy by Laurell K. Hamilton.

July Reads

August:

My favorites were The Summer Retreat by Sheila Roberts and Leo Loves Aries by Anyta Sunday.

August Reads

September:

My favorites were Meant to be Yours by Susan Mallery, Real Vampires Don’t Wear Size Six by Gerry Bartlett and The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman.

September Reads

October:

My favorites were Otherworld Chills by Kelley Armstrong, No Rest For The Witches by Mary Janice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray, and Christine Warren, and Until You Loved Me by Brenda Novak.

October Reads

November:

My favorites were The Twilight Before Christmas by Christine Feehan and Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber.

November Reads

December:

My favorites were Man of My Dreams by Jenny Rabe, The Shadows of Christmas Past by Christine Feehan and Susan Sizemore, and Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis.

December Reads

Four Friends by Robyn Carr

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr comes the story of four friends determined to find their stride 

Gerri can’t decide what’s more devastating: learning her rock-solid marriage has big cracks, or the anger she feels as she tries to repair them. Always the anchor for friends and her children, she realizes it’s time to look carefully at herself. The journey is more than revealing—it’s transforming. 

Andy has come to believe that a lasting love is out of reach. When she finds herself attracted to a man without any of the qualities that usually appeal to her, she questions everything she thought she wanted in life. 

Sonja’s New Age pursuit of balance is shattered when her husband walks out. There’s no herbal tonic or cleansing ritual that can restore her serenity—or her sanity. 

Miraculously, it’s BJ, the newcomer to Mill Valley, who steps into their circle and changes everything. The woman with dark secrets opens up to her neighbors, and together they get back on track, stronger as individuals and unfaltering as friends.

 

While this book is for an older audience, I really liked it. It was a great read and very emotional. I love Robyn Carr and this book did not disappoint. She gives you lots of plot twists that just really make the book. This book is very down to earth and is filled with things that could happen in real life. I definitely recommend this book!

I know it has been a while since I’ve written a book review on here. I have been reading, but I talk about them more on my other blog: http://alittlebiteoflife.com/ Be sure to go check it out! Until next time.

America’s Scariest Places

 

Centennial Media presents America’s Scariest Places magazine. A must for those interested in monsters, ghosts, and the paranormal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have always loved reading about creepy places, people, and things. When I saw this magazine, I just knew I had to get it. I was not disappointed. It has so many interesting articles about different places around the united states. I was hoping there was more about Texas, since I live here, but it wasn’t a big deal. There are some typos and grammar issues if that sort of thing bothers you. Overall, a great read that I finished in about an hour. I’ll leave the link below for anyone else who would like to get it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S8M5H7D/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07S8M5H7D&linkCode=as2&tag=1492094-20&linkId=e27d1e15b2499162f83a827883d04434

Thank you so much for reading! If you like this Blog, make sure to check out my other one for even more content. https://alittlebiteoflife.com/

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty turns her unique, razor-sharp eye towards three seemingly happy families.

Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit busy, life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other.

Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last-minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger-than-life personalities there will be a welcome respite.

Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don’t say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm.

 

This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. It was so good and kept me guessing what happened for so long. It does have flashbacks as chapters, so if that isn’t your thing you probably wouldn’t like this book. I’d give it a try anyways. This book is very deep and Liane Moriarty did an amazing job exposing everything. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

Thank you so much for reading. Follow me for more book reviews. Check out my older posts for even more book suggestions. Until next time!

Simon Says by Lori Foster

With his perfectly chiseled, lava-hot body, Simon Evans, ex-fighter, also has a perfect life—great job, great girl, and more than enough dough. All that changes, though, when he catches his girlfriend cheating. To shake things up, Simon goes full-force back into the ring, ready to take out his rage on his opponents…

To make matters worse, the father who walked out on Simon and his mom eons ago wants to be back in the picture. He’s hired his stepdaughter, Dakota, to find Simon. Hot on Simon’s heels, the gutsy P.I. puts love on the back burner. But when attempts are made on Dakota’s life, Simon steps in to protect her, all but putting both their hearts on the line…

 

I loved this book. I’ve read tons of Lori Foster’s work and have never been disappointed. This book has two of the things I love in it: boxing and love stories. Although this is part of a series, you really don’t need to read the others to be able to enjoy this book. It’s humorous, sexy, suspenseful, and all in all a great read. Plus, the cover is nice to look at 🙂 I have the link down below for whoever would like to read it. Thank you so much for reading! Give me a follow for more book posts or check out my other Blog for lifestyle posts.

 

 

https://alittlebiteoflife.com/

Christmas Sweets by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meier

Gathered in one volume for the very first time, here are three yuletide tales of mystery, murder, and romance, featuring your favorite sleuths . . .
 
THE TWELVE DESSERTS OF CHRISTMAS by JOANNE FLUKE
It’s the perfect mix of naughty and nice when two lovestruck boarding school teachers watch six kids over Christmas break. But when someone wants the cozy couple’s romance to burn out faster than a scorched fruitcake, it’s Hannah Swensen to the rescue, armed with her sleuthing
skills—and twelve deliciously festive recipes . . .

NIGHTMARE ON ELF STREET by LAURA LEVINE
Aside from the mortifying costume, how bad can a gig as a mall Santa’s elf be? Jaine Austen finds out when she’s teamed up with the Santa from Hell. But things go from bad to worse when he’s found murdered on the job—and Jaine is a suspect. Now all she wants for Christmas is to find the real killer . . .

THE CHRISTMAS THIEF by LESLIE MEIER
Elizabeth Stone is ready for a white Christmas in Tinker’s Cove, Maine—until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans. The sponsor’s jewels have gone missing and the police are asking about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Elizabeth’s mother, Lucy Stone, flew down to surprise her. ʼTis the season for a little investigating . . .

 

I loved this book! I’m a huge Joanne Fluke fan and although I have read this story in the past, I didn’t mind reading it again. I really enjoyed Leslie Meier’s story as well and really want to read more of her books. All the stories were very well written and kept me entertained. If you like murder mysteries with a bit of romance and humor, this is the book for you. This book was a gift for Christmas, and as you can tell, I’ve already read it. It was that good. If anyone is interested in buying it, I’ll leave the link for it below.

 

Thank you all so much for reading! Be sure to check out my other book reviews and give me a follow. I have another blog if you would like to read my other work. I’ll leave the link for my newest New Year’s Resolutions post below. Hope you all have a great day! Until next time.

My 2020 Resolutions

 

Murder, Mistletoe, and Mayhem

A collection of stories:

The Headless Magi
Terence Faherty’s metaphysical sleuth, Owen Keane, is working at a crisis phone line in New Jersey, where several alarming calls from a young boy coincide with vandalism at a local Nativity scene, bringing a thought-provoking mystery home for the holidays.
Christmas Cache
Aileen Schumacher’s New Mexico engineer and amateur sleuth, Tory Travers, agrees to let her teenage son house-sit at the local university’s experimental solar-heated home – and ends up with a challenging Christmas puzzle: a mysterious shooting, a backyard full of buried cash, and original paintings even she can recognize.
Stocking Stuffer
Doing undercover security work during the holiday shopping rush, Wendi Lee’s Boston P.I., Angela Matelli, struggles to clear a woman accused of killing her ex-husband in a mystery filled with enough bizarre twists for an unexpected unwrapping of a Christmas killer.
The Empty Manger
Bill Crider’s Texas sheriff, Dan Rhodes, has his hands full with a “living” manger scene downtown when the body of the local councilwoman is found nearby. Rhodes has a suspect list as long as a string of Christmas lights – but it’s old-fashioned horse sense that leads to a surprise killer.

 

Although I really didn’t care for the first two stories in this book that much, I really enjoyed the third and fourth book in this collection. All of these stories did have crazy plot twists that I enjoyed and were all centered around Christmas-my favorite. The style of the writing of the first two were what really put me off, but the stories were well written. It was just personal taste. If you enjoy a good mystery, I totally encourage you to check Murder, Mistletoe, and Mayhem out.

Thank you all for reading! I have left a link below for the book for anyone who is interested. It is an affiliate link which helps me out a small percentage. Until next time!

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373264011/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0373264011&linkCode=as2&tag=1492094-20&linkId=aa9b4853db47a661767efce8b1ec7f84

Hello Everyone!

I know its been some time that I’ve been on here. I’m really hoping to change that. In September, I lost my job. I haven’t been able to get back on my feet since. I started another blog recently. One that will target a wider audience. If you don’t mind, please go and check it out. Maybe share too. I’m typically going to be doing every Monday and Friday, but with Christmas just around the corner I will be posting more often. I’ll leave the link down below. Thank you all so much! Hope to hear from you all soon.

 

https://alittlebiteoflife.com/

One Book in the Grave by Kate Carlisle

There may be grave consequences for bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright as she attempts to solve two murders tied to one book…
Brooklyn’s chance to restore a rare first edition of Beauty and the Beast seems a fairy tale come true—until she realizes the book belonged to an old friend of hers. Ten years ago, Max Adams, a brawny renowned papermaker, fell in love with a stunning beauty, Emily, and gave her the copy of Beauty and the Beast as a symbol of their love. Soon afterward, he died in a car crash, and Brooklyn has always suspected his possessive ex-girlfriend and her jealous beau.
Now she decides to find out who sold the book and return it to its rightful owner—Emily. She believes a rare book dealer can assist her, but when she arrives at his shop, she finds him murdered. Is it possible that the same couple who may have killed Max are now after his edition of Beauty and the Beast? With the help of her handsome boyfriend, Derek Stone, Brooklyn must unravel the murder plot—before she ends up in a plot herself….

 

 

 

I really enjoyed this book. It definitely kept me on my toes and the ending was a great surprise. As someone who loves books, I can definitely relate to the main character. The author made the characters have so much realistic characteristics so that they feel like real people. I’m not the biggest fan of mysteries but this was a pretty awesome one. There was romance, mystery, drama, and so much more. This book definitely delivers!

 

 

Hi everyone! I know I haven’t done a new review in forever…I’m sorry. Lately I’ve been working out a lot and working on myself, something I really wanted to do this year. Unfortunately I haven’t had much time to read because of it. I’m working on balancing everything out but it will get better, I promise. Thank you all for reading! I’d love it if you’d check out my last post, Cooper’s Charm by Lori Foster.

Cooper’s Charm by Lori Foster

One summer, two sisters and a chance to start over…Before the burglary that shattered her confidence, Phoenix Rose had a fiancé, a successful store and a busy, happy existence. After months spent adrift, she takes a job at the lakeside resort of Cooper’s Charm. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, friendly colleagues and a charismatic, widowed boss, Phoenix is slowly inching her way back into the world.Visiting Cooper’s Charm to check up on her little sister, Ridley Rose impulsively agrees to fill in as housekeeper. Still reeling from an ego-bruising divorce, she finds satisfaction in a job well done—and in the attention of the resort’s handsome scuba instructor. For Phoenix and Ridley, Cooper’s Charm is supposed to be merely temporary. But this detour may lead to the place they most need to be, where the future is as satisfying as it is surprising…

 

 

This book was such a great read. It had a very sweet and cute love story as well as an extra sexy one thrown in. This book covers issues that a lot of people don’t like to talk about such as divorce, robbery, attacks, and many more. The main characters have gone through so much but they still find a way to work through their problems and fall in love again. I’ve heard this book is going to be the start of a new series and I am so excited for it. I really hope she writes more. I have read several of Lori Foster’s books and this one was just as great as many of her other novels. Definitely worth reading.

 

Hi everyone! Happy New Years! I started out finishing a book New Years Eve and another New Years Day. Finally! Now that the holidays are over, I’m hoping I have more time to read and write. If anyone is wondering, the other book I finished was You Only Love Twice by Lori Wilde. It was very good too, but Cooper’s Charm won for this review. Thank you for reading!