8/31/2016

Waiting On Wednesday #17 – Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens


is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. I discovered Chevy Stevens kind of by accident. The cover of her book That Night caught my eye when I went through the new program of a German publisher. And since I´ve read That Night by her, I am a huge fan. And even when I wasn´t that much impressed by her last book Those Girls, I am really looking forward to her new release and can´t wait to read it.




Never Let You Go
Author Chevy Stevens
Publishing Date March 14, 2017
Publisher St. Martin´s Press
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

Lindsey Nash has left an abusive relationship and her ex-husband was sent to jail. She has started over with a new life, her own business, and a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When her husband is finally released, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties. There is now way he can find her and her daughter again. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move. Her new boyfriend is threatened. Her home is invaded. Even her daughter is shadowed. Lindsey is convinced it´s her ex-husband even though he claims he is a different person and doesn´t want to do her any harm. But can he really change? Is the one who wants her dead even closer to home than she thought? 


And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.


Happy reading & waiting on







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8/31/2016

Conquer Me by Geneva Lee


This is in my eyes the best part of this saga. Very intense, very dark and with so much erotic between the lines and pages – you won´t want to miss this. Good, the German cover (I read that edition) looks way too cute and doesn´t fit at all the content of this novel, but okay, I can live with that. In that case, I rather keep my eye on the story itself than on how the edition looks like.


Conquer Me*
by Geneva Lee
Royals Saga #2
Publisher Westminster Press on November 11, 2014
Genre Love-Women-Erotica
Pages 312
FormatPaperback
SourceBlanvalet
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶✶

Love doesn´t always conquer all, but it can conquer me. Alexander had the world at his feet and me on my knees until secrets tore us apart. I should stay away from him. I should run. But I´m addicted to him … to the pleasure and the pain. He warned me about his dark side … about his past. But I have a dark side, too. Together we´ll conquer our demons … if we don´t destroy each other first. 
Story
Clara has broken up with Alexander. His wish to live as his mistress in the house he bought for them is not acceptable for her. All she wants is that he admits that he loves her the way she loves him. And even though he can´t say those words, she knows they are true to him and to her. But what will life look like without him? She throws herself into work. Long working hours are the only way to keep her insanity. But Alexander has his own ways to fight for her, to make her see what he can´t change.

Style
Conquer Me is written mostly from Clara´s point of view. In some chapters, Alex steps in with his point of view, but that is kind of rare. The change of perspective gives this novel at some point the certain tension shows how life looks from the other side of the medal and the reader gets drawn into a very intense and totally emotional story. The writing style is clear, blunt and during some scenes very graphic. Oh yes, the erotic factor is very high here. But Geneva Lee writes always with style and grace. There is not one kitschy word or line to find – thank god!

Okay, I admit it I still have my problems with Belle and how she handles things. Especially when it comes to the point where she decides what´s best for Clara. What she does to “protect” her, is way out of line and for my taste way too unauthorized.

Characters
Very dark sides, a hunger for sex that isn´t what we usually call flower-sex and a world in which no one is as you would expect them to be. Geneva Lee draws with her figures two sides and shows what it can mean to stand up for what you want and believe in; even when you have to set your own demands and needs aside.

No doubt, Alexander of Cambridge is a very dominant man. He is like an animal when it comes to having sex that really satisfies him and his needs. Needs he always knew were dark and out of the usual. And Clara seems to be the woman who is able to control him and his dark desires. But he is also a man who is destined to become king one day, to produce an heir and to live a life I never asked for it. With the looks of a God, a charm you need a weapons license for and the need to control every single aspect of his life outside the palace he makes it very clear that with him there can be no real feelings. Pleasure and fun yes, but he isn´t capable of love; not in the long run.

Clara begins to change. Her family is one pain in the ass, her mother a story she rather ignores instead of telling her what she really thinks her mother should do and her work is everything that´s left for her. Without that, she would turn insane. Her love is still growing, her desire for Alexander still there, but she´s no longer willing to become what he wants her to be. And who needs a family like the royal one anyways?


Conclusion
That was a very intense, highly emotional and incredible fantastic read. Enjoyed every second of it! For all those, who love to read in the erotic genre, who love books about women who fight for their love even though their love is captured in a dark world and with very bad and dangerous but highly anticipated rules – then this is your book.



Happy reading













*I read the German edition new release published by Blanvalet on March 14, 2016

Geneva Lee




Geneva Lee was since always a hopeless romantic, who prefers fantasy to reality – especially fantasies involving powerful, dangerous, and sexy men. With her Royals Saga, the love-story between the English crown prince Alexander and commoner Clara, she hit into the heart of the reader and took the international bestseller lists by storm. Geneva Lee lives with her family in Kansas City.


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8/30/2016

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier


After the first book turned out to be soooooo nice, I wanted to know how the story continues and went straight to the next one. Sure, during the reading I discovered that there are some differences between the book and the movie that brought me to read the trilogy in the first place. But I think that´s normal. 


Sapphire Blue*
by Kerstin Gier
Ruby Red Trilogy #2
Publisher Macmillan on October 30, 2012
Genre Young Adult
Pages 368
Format Hardcover
Source Library
✶✶✶✶

Gwen´s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she´s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean. At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth-century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh yes. And of course, there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he´s very warm indeed; the next he´s freezing cold. Gwen´s not sure what´s going on there, but she´s pretty much destined to find out.
Story
Gwen´s life has changed completely. Instead of going home after school she now gets picked up by a limousine and driven to the Temple to do her daily controlled time travel into a dark and empty basement within the building but in another time. Her cousin Charlotte is acting even bitchier and the freedom and fun she used to have with her best friend Leslie seem ages ago. Instead, she has to learn all the things her cousin had years to learn and her growing feelings for Gideon don´t help very much either. And the Count Saint-German gives her the creeps. 

Style
The story continues almost seamlessly after the last happenings of book one Ruby Red. Now, Gwen has to do a controlled time travel every day and in addition to that, she needs to go with Gideon on another time travel to meet several people and stay in contact with the past. During those time travels, she gets more and more involved in the dark plans of the Count Saint-German and how she deals with what she discovers, how she gets the answers to all her questions and how she does things her own way is described by the author in a very haunting and entertaining way.

From Gwen´s point of view, the reader gets involved in a lovely story with hilarious scenes, a sometimes very ironic and sarcastic way of how the protagonist sees things, how she feels about everything, and what she thinks of everything. And that is, what saves her when things start to go the wrong way, other than planned.

Kerstin Gier writes very light, clear, and shows a lot of fantasy throughout her novels. She has a wonderful way describing things so that you can actually really see all those ball gowns Gwen has to wear during some of her time travels.

Characters
The Montrose family isn´t like any other family you ever met. Lady Arista was born with a stick down her back. Her rules dominate the entire family and the fact, that she has a gene carrier among her living family members but isn´t allowed to be herself a deciding part of the time-traveling society, is bugging her very much.

Gwen still has a million questions and the time she can spend in the basement during her controlled time travel becomes one of her favorite times of the day. Bit by Bit she discovers what possibilities those time travels give her and she starts to influence things her very own way.


Conclusion
A beautifully written novel with great characters and a wonderful plot. No doubt, the author knows how to catch the reader and how to entertain them. Read.



Happy reading










*This book was originally published by Arena January 5, 2010



Kerstin Gier
Kerstin Gier ©Kerstin Gier




Kerstin Gier, born in 1966, is working as a freelance writer since 1995, and already had huge success with her first books. Meanwhile, she wrote countless novels for grownups and YA, which are regularly on bestseller lists. Her Ruby Red Trilogy books became world bestsellers and were filmed with famous actors for the big screen. The DeLIA-Award winner lives with her family nearby Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.

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8/29/2016

Deadline by Sandra Brown


With this thriller, Sandra Brown picked up a very actual topic. Not only that there are countless men and women who are suffering from battle fatigue all around the world, but the fact, that we have today people living among us, who are anything but peaceful, who are on the Most Wanted list and who seem to be totally normal to those who live around them, that has never been more prevailing than today. Sandra Brown is when it comes to her thrillers, well known – if not to say famous for -  that she uses not only a sharp intelligence within her figures but also a tone that is blunt, direct, and where you can´t misunderstand things. This thriller is a nice read, yes, but sometimes far away from what I said before.


Deadline*
by Sandra Brown
Publisher Hachette Book on September 24, 2013
Genre Thriller
Pages 640
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
✶✶✶½

Dawson Scott is a well-respected journalist recently returned from Afghanistan. Haunted by everything he experienced, he´s privately suffering from battle fatigue which is a threat to every aspect of his life. But then he gets a call from a source within the FBI. A new development has come to light in a story that began 40 years ago. It could be the BIG story of Dawson´s career one in which he has a vested interest. Soon, Dawson is covering the disappearance and presumed murder of former Marine Jeremy Wesson, the biological son of the pair of terrorists who remain on the FBI´s Most Wanted list. As Dawson delves into the story, he finds himself developing feelings for Wesson´s ex-wife, Amelia, and her two young sons. But when Amelia´s nanny turns up dead, the case takes a stunning new turn, with Dawson himself becoming a suspect. Haunted by his own demons, Dawson takes up the chase for the notorious outlaws … and the secret, startling truth about himself.
Story
Amy tries to give her sons a life as normal as possible. Not easy when you have to fight a husband who suffers some war trauma to get a divorce and later the press whenever his story comes up – even after she and the entire world believes that he is dead. When she has to learn, that the family behind him is way more dangerous than she could ever imagine and that not everything is as it seems, she is again forced to fight for her children, herself, and the normal life she always wanted.

Style
I was looking forward to this thriller and after only a few pages I already missed a certain edge, that usually can be found in the author´s tone and writing style. In Deadline, she is unusual discreet and her language is unaccustomed soft. Yes, there are some very bloody and brutal scenes and yes, the psychological finesse is also there. But for a Sandra Brown thriller, this one was not at all up to her usual standards. To her credit, I have to say, that the author brought up some unexpected twists and turns during the ongoing story and the plot itself was kind of entertaining to read. But I missed her sharpness within her language, which is usually very close to the obscene. 

Her figures search till about half of the book for reasons and some proof that Jeremy isn´t dead as everyone believes. Then, without a warning, Sandra Brown changes that and turns the tables. For the rest of the thriller, the reader is the one who is almost on every page one step ahead of what the acting figures know or the characters know something the reader doesn´t know. 

Characters
Amelia is a fragile-looking beauty with nerves made of steel. She never lets herself get provoked; not even by the lawyer who tries to get her out of her peace of mind during the process. But for the reader, it becomes soon very clear that she is only holding herself together for her two sons and the media. In her private life, she is anything but, and when Dawson steps into it, she can´t ignore the fact anymore, that her ex-husband might be still alive.

Dawson is a man, who has his own share of problems to deal with. Since he came back from a war zone, he is suffering from nightmares and the fact, that pills and alcohol aren´t the answer to it, doesn´t make things easier for him. When he sees Amelia for the very first time in court, he is stunned and knows immediately that she is the answer to all his prayers as well as his downfall – in the best positive way you can imagine.


Conclusion
All in all, I have to say that I was expecting way more out of this thriller than the author has given me. And in the end, I had one question still remaining in my head: What was the real “big plan” that Jeremy and his parents had going on? And yes, for a Sandra Brown thriller the answer to that was very disappointing and anything but a satisfying one.



Happy reading













*I read the German edition on December 14, 2016, by Blanvalet

Sandra Brown
Sandra Brown ©Gregory Heisler Studios






Sandra Brown is the author of seventy New York Times bestsellers. Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy-five novels. Bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to over eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. She is much in demand as a speaker and guest television hostess. Her episode on truTV´s Murder by the Book premiered the series in 2008. She appeared in 2010 on Investigation Discovery´s new series, Hardcover Mysteries. In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write Rainwater, a much acclaimed powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression. Brown holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University where she and her husband Michael Brown, have instituted the ELF, a scholarship annually awarded to a student pursuing a fiction-writing career. In 2008, she was named Thriller Master, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer´s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America´s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2011 she and four colleagues went on a week-long USO tour to Afghanistan, meeting with service members on numerous bases. Sandra is the past president of the Mystery Writers of America in 2012. She lives in Arlington, Texas, with her husband, Michael Brown.

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8/28/2016

Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton


At first, when I saw the commercial for Wallbanger, the first book in this series, I wasn´t very much impressed. The cover wasn´t really my thing and the text on the backside of the book sounded kind of oh-another-book-in-which-a-woman-is-looking-for-the-one-true-love. But I became curious and started reading it – and was so great entertained, that I couldn´t wait to get my hands on the other books of that series. So here we go, Screwdrivered is the third book of Alice Clayton´s famous Cocktail Series and like the other two just for fun. Charm, irony, and a great sense of humor and a lot more are what you´ll find here.


Screwdrivered
by Alice Clayton
Cocktail Series #3
Publisher Gallery Books on September 2, 2014
Genre Love-Women-Erotica
Pages 256
Format Paperback
Source Library
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

By day Viv Franklin is a tough-as-nails software engineer who designs programs and loves hospital corners. By night, Vivian´s a secret romance-novel junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor, or a cowboy on a wild stallion, or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. And she gets to wear the bodice – don´t forget the bodice. When a phone-call brings news that she´s inherited a beautiful old home in Mendocino, California from a long-forgotten aunt, she moves her entire life across the country to embark on what she sees as a great, romance-novel-worthy adventure. But romance novels always have a twist, don´t they? There´s a cowboy, one that ignites her loins. Because Cowboy Hank is totally loin-ignition worthy. But there´s also a librarian, Clark Barrow. And he calls her Vivian. Can tweed jackets and elbow patches compete with chaps and spurs? You bet your sweet cow pie. 
Story
When Viv gets in the middle of the night a call from a total stranger that she inherited a house in Mendocino, she is at first kind of what the hell? But then she gets curious and within days she finds herself driving on a highway in California and standing right in front of a house that doesn´t seem to be the one she remembered from her childhood. Soon she gets confronted with a lot of things that need to be done. The roof is leaking, the planks are rotten and a lot of junk is spread all over the house. But renovating and redesigning isn´t as easy as she thought it would be. The second she speaks about her renovation plans and lets everyone know, that she is looking for craftsman, Clark Barrow, the town librarian stands on her front door. And he doesn´t agree at all with her plans.

Style
Oh mei, the scene where Clark tells Viv that she can´t do this and that as she pleases is just hilarious! I had a broad smile on my face during I´ve read this book. The story is written from Viv´s point of view and gives a great impression on her character as well as how she sees things in life. Alice Clayton uses a simple language, her style is full of irony, charm, and humor and the dialogues and scenes are big entertainment.

Characters
Viv is one hell of a woman. Once she was Daddies little girl that got raised as if she was a boy. But the moment she was asked to join her brothers in the company her family-owned and that her plans doing art were kind of a hobby, the nice-looking little girl was gone. Tattoos, piercings, and combat boots with leather and short curly hair came into her life. Viv is a smart young woman with one funny habit: she´s a daydreamer. She can sit right in front of a lawyer talking business and within seconds she drifts away with her thoughts and dreams about princes, knights, and the one true love that will come give her the night beyond anything.

Clark reminded me very much of Superman. You know Clark Kent? How he acted in his daily life as a reporter? The way he looked; kind of helpless? Every time the librarian Clark Barrow showed up in this novel and Viv told the reader what he was wearing, I couldn´t help but think of Superman. But wait till you see Nighttime Clark; he´s a totally different guy.


Conclusion
This book came at the right time for me. And it was exactly what I needed at that moment. Fun, very entertaining and with a plot so relaxing – it was great!



Happy reading







Alice Clayton
©private





Alice Clayton worked in the cosmetics industry for over a decade before picking up a pen (read laptop). She enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up, and finally convinced her long-time boyfriend to marry her. Now, about that Bernese Mountain dog …

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8/27/2016

Stacking The Shelves #19 - Bought, Borrowed & Bagged #3


is hosted by Tynga´s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I am also connecting with Bought Borrowed & Bagged in homage of Barron´s Books & Baubles from Karen Marie Moning´s smash hit series, Fever, hosted by Braine at Talk Supe.

This week was one crazy hell of a busy and hot week. I bought some books, but not all of them will be shown in this post since some of them are still on their way to me, but anyway. I am super happy that I got the first book of Allie Condie´s Matched trilogy. I have no idea why I got all of a sudden so hooked by this one. I love the cover, the colors and when I got it and saw how it looks for real, I was even happier. I haven´t even read a single line yet, and I mean no excerpt or anything like it, but I am already intrigued by it only for its cover.

The Immortal Rule series is one I want to read for a long time. And when the German publisher brought them out with new covers, I had to have ´em. To see what I mean, I put the cover of it here as well.

The weather is getting hotter each day and so going out isn´t that much fun – except the walks to the post office when I can step into the ice cream parlor *smile* which is right on the way to the post office. And that has seen me a lot lately.



Bought Books

Matched by Ally Condie

In the society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices. It´s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one … until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she´s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow – between perfection and passion.


The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked – and given the ultimate choice. Die …or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend – a possible cure to the disease that killed most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn´t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what – and who – is worth dying for.

German cover



Happy reading


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8/27/2016

Knights Of The Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden


From time to time, it is really worth your time to discover a new author. In my case, it was Dave Rudden. With his first book, I went into a completely different way of fantasy story and got a wonderful chance to see how the Irish develop their fantasy. Yes, I know it is said that people from Ireland and Island have a fantastic fantasy and know how to use it. But despite that, it is always a pleasure to see how that looks for real. This book is no exception.


Knights Of The Borrowed Dark*
by Dave Rudden
Knights Of The Borrowed Dark Trilogy #1
Publisher Puffin on April 7, 2016
Genre Children 12+
Pages 368
Format Paperback
Source Publisher*
✶✶✶✶

Denizen Hardwick doesn´t believe in magic – until he´s ambushed by a monster created from shadows and sees it destroyed by a word made of sunlight. That kind of thing can really change your perspective. Now Denizen is about to discover that there´s a world beyond the one he knows. A world of living darkness where an unseen enemy awaits.
Fortunately for humanity, between us and the shadows stand the Knights of the Borrowed Dark. Unfortunately for Denizen, he´s one of them …
Story
Denizen lives since he can think, at the orphanage of Crosscaper. A dark and lonely place at the end of the world – as his teachers are used to say. His 13th birthday has passed a few weeks ago and all of a sudden people show up asking for him. And when a letter tells Denizen to get ready because he is about to be picked up by a family member, his entire world turns upside down. Thousands of questions swirl through his mind like why now? Who is this aunt anyways? But if he thought he would get answers right away, he is wrong. Because his homecoming is not at all what he expected it to be…

Style
Dave Rudden has a wonderful, sometimes a bit ironic way to describe things and his fantasy is quite something. In the beginning, it is for the reader a bit confusing and some things make totally no sense. The reader and Denizen will have more and more questions as getting answers to them and it takes a while to come to terms with the unusual and unique writing style the author has. Despite that, his language is clear, there are some bizarre scenes and the reader gets to know the rough surroundings of Ireland. The story is told by an invisible narrator and shows the hard life of Denizen and his best friend Simon at the orphanage and that a family isn´t always bright sunshine either. But what the author gives the reader at the end of this book is as positive as unexpected and the answers to most of the questions are as well.

One thing is for sure: the author catches its reader, no matter if they´re young or old, with his low tone, the awkward scenery, and all those creatures he brings up. Darkness and light become a totally new meaning. And some words, you are thinking about during reading, are not precise enough or not seen as that. Yes, the exact meaning of a word becomes more important than anything else. So don´t be surprised when you start searching for words or will read some you´d never thought would exist.

Characters
Don´t expect the author to give huge descriptions of his figures; that isn´t the case. Your own imagination is asked to work. But that is enough and something I really appreciate. 

Denizen is a small thirteen-year-old boy who pays attention to things, others don´t. He is really smart, knows how to use his smartness, and is fully aware of the fact that he is different from all the others. He only isn´t able to name it; all he knows is, he wants answers. Friendship is something, you have to earn, a luxury you have to fight for. And that´s not happening overnight but once the process is done, that friendship is stronger than steel and holds for a lifetime. 

Simon is quite the opposite. Tall, lanky, and curious as hell, he is a calm guy and his friendship with Denizen means the world to him. He is not happy at Crosscaper but learned some things that others in a normal family don´t. And that knowledge he uses to survive the orphanage and his day by day life. A great little guy.


Conclusion
An unusual novel that is able to inspire and fascinate in her very own way, that is for sure. For fans of the fantasy genre a clear must-read. This book is for all those, who love to read fantasy with a bit of an awkward touch. And who likes gloom, darkness, and fantasy in a novel as for certain, will be lifted to a whole new level. This book is worth to be discovered.



Happy reading












*I read the German edition new release Fischer Sauerländer on April 27, 2016


Dave Rudden
©private



Dave Rudden completed his Creative Writing Masters at University College Dublin, earning a first-class honors degree. His short stories and poetry have been published in such journals as Bare Hands, Wordlegs, and the Quotable. He has been shortlisted for the Bath Short Story Prize and longlisted for the Fish Poetry Prize, and won the Fantasy Book Review Short Story Prize. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.


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8/26/2016

Follow Friday #3 – Author Autographs


is a Friday meme hosted by Sonia at A Bookshelf Full Of Sunshine. Every week Sonia asks a question (or two) that you can answer. Everyone who would like to participate can do so if he has told her so by Thursday 3 pm European time the same week in a comment on her blog. The rules you can find here.

This week she wants to know if I am collecting signed books and in case I do which one I have on my shelves. Well, to be honest, I am not collecting author autographs. I have one or two signed books, yes, but I got them because the author asked me to review her/his book and signed it without getting asked by me. So, therefore, I don´t collect them. Don´t know exactly why that is, but it´s the truth.



Happy reading







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8/26/2016

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker


A father who wants revenge for his daughter. Another who wants to protect his son. A wife who wants to keep her secrets secret. And a daughter who wants to know the truth. All Is Not Forgotten is one brilliant piece of words, drama, and the idyllic life of an American small town where things are sometimes all kippers and curtains. Good, I am not very impressed by the German cover, but I got curious about after I´ve read the back text. And this novel keeps what the back text promises the interested reader. From the beginning to the end; I was hooked from the first line to the last – no doubt about that.


All Is Not Forgotten*
by Wendy Walker
Publisher St. Martin´s Press on July 12, 2016
Genre Thriller
Pages 320
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
✶✶✶✶✶

It begins in the small, affluent town of Fairview, Connecticut, where everything seems picture perfect. Until one night when young Jenny Kramer is attacked at a local party. In the hours immediately after, she is given a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of the violent assault. But, in the weeks and months that follow, as she heals from her physical wounds, and with no factual recall of the attack, Jenny struggles wither raging emotional memory. Her father, Tom, becomes obsessed with his inability to find her attacker and seek justice while her mother, Charlotte, struggles to pretend this horrific event did not touch her carefully constructed world. As Tom and Charlotte seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within their marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years, and relentless quest to find the monster who invaded their town – or perhaps lives among them – drive this psychological thriller to a shocking and unexpected conclusion.
Story
Jenny has experienced the worst thing imaginable. She lost in one instance her dignity and had to learn the brutal way that some things are way beyond her power. The decision of her mother, to erase those memories with the help of a doctor by using certain medicine, was, at first sight, successful. But Jenny´s body does remember. And so within no time Jenny is not only fighting to get her memories back and to free herself from this tragic trauma, but she also has to see how her family fights the deep cracks that threaten to break not only the marriage of her parents but also what she always took for granted: a happy family life.

Style
Wendy Walker has a very extensive vocabulary and her writing style is brilliant. The story is told from the perspective of Dr. Allan Forrester. A doctor and psychologist, the Kramer´s turn to in their desperate attempt to help their raped daughter after she tried to kill herself. The language is clear, very emotional and even the technical language that is used is easy to understand. Yes, I had to get used to the different style Wendy Walker uses to tell Jenny´s story. The distance she brings between the plot and the reader. But this distance is, unlike other novels, very well placed and doesn´t separate the reader from the characters or what happens in the novel. The author writes with sensitiveness about the topic and makes it quite clear that the body will always remember what had happened to him, no matter what. So for the reader, it is one hell of a fantastic show to watch from a safe distance how things develop, how Jenny fights her way through, and what the human body is capable of. 

There are a lot of twists and turns in this novel. The surprise at the end of the book, when the reader gets to know the truth about Dr. Forrester, who the real monster was and how everything is connected – that was one perfect, haunting, and very thrilling story to read. The story within the story is as much interesting as the main plot about Jenny and her fight to find the truth was.

Characters
Profound characters give this novel a certain something. Bring an edge and sharpness not only into the story but into the actions of the single figures as well. Rape is nothing a person should take lightly. And how the author lets her figures deal with it, all the things that come to light and how every single figure deals with it – well, there was not one boring page. The human takes always care of itself and of its offspring. No matter what, whether it is good or bad. The offspring and the own life has to be protected, sometimes at all costs. And the way how Dr. Forrester and Mrs. Kramer do that in this novel is outstanding and sometimes very manipulative.


Conclusion
What a brilliant book! I read it within no time, was completely hooked, and couldn´t lay it down. Not for one second. For me, this wasn´t the last Wendy Walker book I´ve read, certainly not. This one is a Must read!



Happy reading













*I´ve read the German edition new release Fischer Scherz on June 23, 2016 


Wendy Walker
©Bill Miles



Wendy Walker is a former commercial litigator and investment banker who now works at home in Connecticut writing and raising her children.  She is the author of the novels Four Wives and Social Lives, and is the editor of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Mom, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Dad. She is currently working on her next book.


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8/25/2016

Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton


Of course, I had to read this book after I´ve had so much fun reading Wallbanger! And it turned out to be a pleasant read, too. Okay, not as the first book of this series was, but I felt greatly entertained and had my fun during reading. Rusty Nailed is about Caroline and Simon again and shows how they deal with daily life, their jobs, and what a relationship brings along with. And that is meant in every way because the next move is on the plate. On Simon´s at least and what he has to do or to say to convince Caroline is another story.


Rusty Nailed*
by Alice Clayton
Cocktail Series #2
Publisher Gallery Books on June 24, 2014
Genre Love-Women-Erotica
Pages 320
Format Paperback
Source Publisher
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

Playing house was never so much fun – or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline´s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running – especially since she´s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So wither hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he´s tired of so much travelling, and he´s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends´ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind, “ but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?
Story
Caroline is very busy to keep the company running during her boss is on her honeymoon. Filling her days with long working hours also keeps her from missing her boyfriend Simon too much when he is doing his job and therefore traveling around the world. So it is no surprise at all when she starts to feel a bit awkward when one day Simon changes his crazy traveling schedule and stay more at home. She isn´t used to it having him around all day and every night of the week. And things get even more complicated when they find a place where they can move in together.

Style
Alice Clayton simply said knows, how to do it! Rusty Nailed is a great sequel to the first novel of this series, and very very entertaining. Cheeky dialogues a simple language, hot and steamy scenes, and characters that are far and beyond boring – all that contains this book. But don´t expect the story to be a deep-going one – because Rusty Nailed is anything but. But if you´re looking for something hilarious and nice to read, something to fell into broad laughter (I think about the fantastic scenes with Clive, Simon, and Caroline in that animal hotel – jeez I laughed tears literally spoken) or to see how the ups and downs of a relationship can end up, then this is your book.

And of course, the missing O. Yep, you´ve read it right. That happens again, and this time, Alice Clayton brings it up where you don´t think at all, that this could happen again. But it does and the way how Simon and Nightie Girl handle that is great to read. You won´t miss that for sure.

Characters
Okay, I said earlier, that there wouldn´t be any deep-going stuff, whether in the story itself nor in the figures – that wasn´t quite true. Everyone, who read Wallbanger, knows that Simon has lost his parents when he was a teenager. And everyone knows, that he does everything to stay away from certain holidays not to mention, that he barely talks about that time. But in this second book, the reader gets a closer glimpse at that sore spot deep inside him.

Alice Clayton shows that it is painful, that it isn´t easy and for sure not expected, but the way she writes about it is exactly right. Not too much, not too little. And the novel doesn´t lose through that scene any of the light ongoing at all.

Conclusion
What a hilarious and great entertainment. Not quite as good, as Wallbanger was, but reading pleasure as well. If you wanna relax and simply reenergize, this is the best way to do it. Guaranteed! I can´t wait to read the next book … meow …



Happy reading














*The German edition by Sieben Verlag.

Alice Clayton
©private





Alice Clayton worked in the cosmetics industry for over a decade before picking up a pen (read laptop). She enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up, and finally convinced her long-time boyfriend to marry her. Now, about that Bernese Mountain dog …

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8/24/2016

Waiting On Wednesday #16 – Midnight Jewel by Richelle Mead


is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. After I enjoyed the first book with growing pleasure, I have to know how this story will continue and therefore I can´t wait to get my hands on this one. Okay, I am not in love with the cover, I liked the other one better, but it looks good as well and it is the content, the novel, that still counts - even for a cover girl *smile*




Midnight Jewel
Author Richelle Mead
The Glittering Court #2
Publishing Date April 25, 2017
Publisher Razorbill
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

A refugee of war, Mira was cast out of her home country and thrust into another, where the conditions were inhospitable at best. In a life-altering twist of fate, she is given the chance to escape once more, and she takes it, joining the Glittering Court. For a select group of girls, the Glittering Court offers a shot at a life they´ve only ever dreamed of, one of luxury, glamour, and leisure. But for Mira, it means further persecution, not only from her fellow Glittering Court jewels, but from her suitors, as well-men she would potentially be expected to give her life to. By day, she goes through the motions, learning the etiquette and customs that will help to earn her anonymity, even making a couple true friends in the process, the forthright ladies´ maid Adelaide and the ambitious laundress Tamsin. But by night, Mira hatches a different plan entirely-one that, if exposed, could get her hanged in the highest court of Adoria. 


And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.


Happy reading & waiting on







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