By now you are probably aware of how far behind I continually am when it comes to posting reviews. This morning, however, when I logged on to GoodreadBy now you are probably aware of how far behind I continually am when it comes to posting reviews. This morning, however, when I logged on to Goodreads I saw this little diddy was right up there on the heading ticker which was just the nudge I needed I guess to write something up real quick.
The best way for me to describe Friends in Napa is that it is Big Little Lies meets Keeping Up With the Kardashians meets The Big Chill - and if that sounds like a Frankenmashup to you, well . . . .
If you too are a trash goblin and are experiencing some unseasonably warm weather and enjoy reading some pure stabby fluff on the deck, or like the same stuff Kelly Kapoor likes, then definitely give this a go.
The premise here is a fairly familiar one: There’s a dead body and you meander your way to the big reveal while meeting these various “friends in Napa” and watching their various skeletons fall out of closets. It’s vapid in the best guilty pleasure way possible and I gobbled it right up.
So a long time ago my pal Val told me I haaaaaaaaaaad to read this book, but I just wasn’t in the mood so I failed her. But then I heard Chris StapletSo a long time ago my pal Val told me I haaaaaaaaaaad to read this book, but I just wasn’t in the mood so I failed her. But then I heard Chris Stapleton singing “White Horse” and, well . . . .
That song really got my engine revving for some sort of alpha male, maybe in the form of a motorcycle gang member, type of read and I remembered I had this loaded on the Kindle.
Now I’m going to tell you that my pal Val told me this wasn’t actually eleventy trillion pages long because porno pages aren’t the same as regular pages, but she LIED. Oh this was incredibly too long and I most definitely was ready for it to be over as the ending drug on and on (and on). The good news is, there actually was a plot unlike most smut I pick up. The bad news is this features a very taboo May/December romance so please save your breath if you’re even thinking about threatening to send Chris Hansen to my house (even I found it cringey when the male lead started referring to the female lead as “little girl” at the end of the book).
Oh, and as far as Chris Stapleton goes? There’s one thing I think is probably pretty accurate . . .
Don’t forget to check out the First Reads available each month. I rolled the dice on this Rachel Howzell Hall since it was offered up as a freebie, but it certainly will not be my last time reading her.
Twenty years ago Colette’s entire family was brutally murdered. She moved away as soon as she was able and made a name for herself as an award winning obituary writer. Unfortunately, she has to return to Catalina Island to help care for her aging aunt (and to get some distance/closure from her ex), but luckily the local paper is owned by her college bestie and she is actually the owner of the house where her aunt has always lived. And it’s not like she won’t have plenty of obits to write with the aging population on the Island . . . . but why are the deaths all so similar?
In a sea of whodunnits that are marketed as so thrilling and twisty and end up not being anything of the sort I REALLY appreciate the ones that assume readers are not idiots and give you a plot where you are pretty certain right from the beginning you know what’s going on and the enjoyment level comes from quality storytelling rather than shock and awe. That was the case here and the social thriller is quickly becoming my favorite type of thriller. ...more
I don’t know about you, but when I see a cartoony cover like this my mind goes exactly where the people are – relaxing on a beach (or in my case out oI don’t know about you, but when I see a cartoony cover like this my mind goes exactly where the people are – relaxing on a beach (or in my case out on the deck) and losing myself for a couple of hours in an easy reader sort of light romcom. I’m not usually a blurb reader so I 100% judge a book by its cover the majority of the time. This was an exception to the rule, however, since it was an Amazon First Read. The blurb sounded super light and just what I was trying to stack the TBR up with for once the weather started cooperating.
Girl gets dream job, girl has blow-up/breakdown that gets not only caught on film but posted online, girl gets mandatory leave of absence that takes her back to her deceased brother’s beach house where she will have a forced cohabitation trope with his best pal that you know will lead to schmexing, a break up of sorts and then a happily for now.
I was all in. Until it was also about child abuse (both physical and neglect) and PTSD and never-ending grief and alcohol abuse and on and on and on. Don’t put all this sort of trauma in my beach read. I don’t avoid heavy books, but I sure as shit don’t put a cartoon cover on the front of them.
Here’s an embarrassing little confession: We have had Prime for two or three years, but it was under my husband’s name and I did not learn until last Here’s an embarrassing little confession: We have had Prime for two or three years, but it was under my husband’s name and I did not learn until last month that I could link my Kindle to that account via the family sharing feature. Sooooooo I never got a Kindle Firstread or any of the other freebies (like this one) until now.
This is Jenny Lawson’s take on . . . .
Halloween, vintage rural-Texas-style
Available as both a Kindle version or on audio (highly recommend – Jenny has a great voice for narration), this little nugget won’t take but a few minutes to read, but definitely delivers on the nostalgia of a bygone era. Especially in the form of the cakewalk . . . .
See that kid lusting over the cake table there? Yeah, that’s what I was like. I guess I was always destined to be a fat girl because THAT’S what I saved my money for when it came to the school “Fall Festival” and refused to leave the gymnasium until I won. I also refused to share even a piece of my major award with anyone else in my family because IT. WAS. MINE. AND. I. WON. IT. Ahhhhh, childhood in the 1980s. A simpler time when you ate cake because – duh, cake is life – and you didn’t question the baker. A time before I experienced a case of explosive diarrhea food poisoning from a work potluck so severe that I will never eat off a communal table again.
If you have Prime and want to take a little trip on the Halloween wayback machine go grab this one. 3 Stars because I really could live without the supposed exchanges between her and her editor.
Oh, and Mitchell said I need to tell Jenny he loves her....more
This book. THIS. BOOK. It’s the antidote to 2020. When everything else has been a dumpster fire for months on end, The House in the Cerulean Sea came along and is guaranteed to turn your frown upside down.
The story here is of Linus Baker. For 17 years he has worked for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY, if you will) investigating various orphanages to ensure the children are being properly cared for and not abused. He studies, presents his findings to Extremely Upper Management, and moves on to the next. Simply put, his life is . . . . grey. But all that changes when he gets sent to a remote island for an investigation and meets Talia . . . .
“I am evil incarnate,” the dastardly voice said. “I am the blight upon the skin of this world. And I will bring it to its knees. Prepare for the End of Days! Your time has come, and the rivers will run with the blood of the innocents!”
Talia sighed. “He’s such a drama queen.”
As I said above, this is the book we all need in 2020. It’s about hope and change and home and friends and family. It's about love. And acceptance. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry ugly happy tears. I haven’t had an experience like this since Harry Potter (and yes, I know JKR has become the “she who shall not be named” - but it’s the only comparison I could possibly make). This is a book that breaks down all the boundaries regarding not really reading a particular genre or not being what you think is probably the target age demographic. It’s a book for everyone. It's going to be so high up on the banned or challenged books list next year and that is the best freaking compliment I think a book can get! Children should read it because it delivers an important message in a very not “in your face” type of way. Adults should read it to reconfirm the majority of the world’s population aren’t garbage humans. It’s the best thing I’ve read all year and will easily take the top slot no matter what else I pick up in these next few months. It makes you feel hopeful. It makes you want to live the way John Lewis told us all to live . . . .
“Change often starts with the smallest of whispers. Like-minded people building up to a roar.”
“The things we fear the most are often the things we should fear the least. It’s irrational, but it’s what makes us human. And if we’re able to conquer those fears, then there is nothing we’re not capable of.”
“To change the minds of many, you have to first start with the minds of few.”
“Hate is loud, but I think you’ll learn it’s because it’s only a few people shouting, desperate to be heard. You might not ever be able to change their minds, but so long as you remember you’re not alone, you will overcome.”
“We are who we are not because of our birthright, but because of what we choose to do in this life. It cannot be boiled down to black and white. Not when there is so much in between.”
IT. IS. PERFECTION.
“You’re a good man, Linus Baker. I’m so very pleased to know you.”
T.J. Klune, look what you’ve made indeed. Every Star....more
Before we get started let’s get real clear on some things. Aside from my addiction to TheFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Before we get started let’s get real clear on some things. Aside from my addiction to The Real Housewives In Every-Single-City-On-The-Entire-Planet franchise, I don’t watch a lot of television programs. The ones I do often find myself tuning into? Well, they tend to have some similarities. I like fellas like these . . . .
My name is Kelly and I am addicted to the trailer park lifestyle. In theory Trailer Park Noir should have been a hit. Not only did it have a winner of a title and irresistible cover art, but the residents of the Riverside Mobile Home Park were just the type of folks I hoped to meet. Struggling single mother with a special-needs daughter, widowed PI with a booze problem, slovenly property manager, internet pornographer, methamphetamine manufacturer, dead person. You know, my kind of crowd. And the beginning and the ending of this book were what generally result in 4 and 5 Star ratings for me. So where did things go wrong in the middle???? Well to begin with, while I’m not personally “triggered” by many (okay, ANY) things, when it comes to items I feel others would potentially want to be warned about, it’s pretty much . . . .
To me there’s a HUGE difference in writing about topics that you know will limit your audience (i.e., ANY book in the “grit lit” genre) and writing about a topic with the intention of turning off your readers. There’s not a fine line between gritty and squicky, there’s a giant cavern. Books like this or The Traveling Vampire Show leave a bad taste in my mouth because I question whether the taste level has been turned so far South as an attempt by the author to mask their inability to write well or because they get off on telling these types of stories. Either one is going to result in a low rating from me. Trailer Park Noir gets a bump from 1 to 2 due to its potential to be better than it was (and that title and cover, obvi). ...more
I’ve mentioned enough times to turn the dead horse into nothing but a pulpy mess that TaFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I’ve mentioned enough times to turn the dead horse into nothing but a pulpy mess that Tarryn Fisher is a bit of a hit or miss author for me. That being said, she’s one of the only authors the pornbrary doesn’t stock on the regular so I know I will be one-clicking whatever her new release is the day it comes out. Such was the case with Fuck Marriage both for the aforementioned pulpy horse reasons, as well as because I thought this was going to be a revenge story. However, when I began reading I discovered the "revenge" in question was going to be in the form of a cheated on divorcee who seeks revenge on her ex/his new fiancé by . . . . banging him???? That’s unfortunate. I think the rational thing for a woman in that position to do would be double homicide, but hey I’m not the writer. I reset my sights and prepared myself for a super soap opera-ish good time. And that was 100% okay, because . . . .
Seriously. WTF happened? Did some bills need to get paid so this thing had to be released pronto? Did someone else write it? (For real, that’s what it seems and if that is the case, Dear Tarryn Fisher: Your co-writer is turrrrrrrrrrrrible at his (or her, but my Spidey Senses tell me it might have been a him) job.) I’ll still be first in line when The Wives comes out later this year, but this one?????
Yeah, I’m just not a fan of short stories. I don’t know what to tell you. I appreciate the mindfuckery contained in this one, but I wanted more. Many people really dig this, though, so if you have Kindle Unlimited it’s worth the zero dollars you will spend to find out what side of the fence you land on. If you’re poor (and iron-stomached) like me, you might want to opt for the full-length novel Kin instead....more
Following a tragic accident which has left best-selling author Verity Crawford a shell ofFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Following a tragic accident which has left best-selling author Verity Crawford a shell of herself, her husband Jeremy hires Lowen Ashleigh to complete the contracted final three books in Verity’s famous series. Brought to the family home in order to sort through Verity’s office, Lowen is soon to find out just what makes Verity tick. What she discovers will leave readers saying . . . . .
(1) Hoover released this independent of her contract with Atria (and Atria was cool enough to let her do it) in order for it to be a Kindle Unlimited option, therefore costing tons of readers zero dollars;
(2) Despite having a loyal fanbase who want all the things, the price point for non-KU nutters (such as myself) was kept to an affordable $4.99 when most authors who have reached this level of fame would be slapping a minimum of $12.99 on the sucker;
(3) It was released a week and a half early just because she was tired of waiting and that made me laugh because I too am a firm believer of the “ThisIsAmericaIWantItNow” mindset; and
CoHo didn’t just say she was going to write something that was different from what her fans were used to – she wrote something so awesomely squicky even Mitchell wants to become a CoHort.
To me, it doesn’t matter if I saw some things coming or if I wasn’t completely satisfied with whatever random thing I wasn’t satisfied with. The fact that this person who has found success via angsty romances was willing to go pitch black and potentially lose allllllllll of her readers??????
If you too like to experience the darker side of love, this might be a winner. Good news is you won’t have to be one-and-done with Colleen Hoover either because she wrote another not-so-lovey type of love story awhile back called Too Late and the best part about that one? It costs zero dollars for errrrrrrrrybody.
Bought it with my own dollars as soon as it was released because there was zero chance I could have waited for the library to get a copy.
I had some notes highlighted, but I just fired up the ol’ Kindle and poof they aren’t theFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I had some notes highlighted, but I just fired up the ol’ Kindle and poof they aren’t there anymore so Imma have to wing it. I will flat out admit I wanted this one for the title alone – and also because Joe Lansdale stories pretty much equate this for me . . . .
But regarding that title: I mean what is a Fender Lizard and how can I be one? Are they recruiting? Would I have to jump someone in an alley with a shiv to get in? I’m pretty much up for whatever it might take. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long to find out thanks to my Good Buddy Dan and the power of the “lend” feature.
As for the story itself, Lansdale is known for his ability to spin a good coming of age yarn, but in books that are clearly written for adults. That being said, although I’m fairly comfortable in saying Fender Lizards would NOT probably reside in the Young Adult section of your local bookstore – that is precisely where it should be. Adults like me will happily lap the story up as it dishes up some surefire YES PLEASE! features such as high school dropouts with a daddy who went out for a pack of smokes and never came back and a sister with multiple deadbeat baby daddy and I was just like . . . .
Can you hear me squeeing all across the country? Not even sorry.
This was super fun even though I'm an old geezer. If I had a teenage daughter I’d hold her down and sit on her until she finished reading this recommend this one to her.
Thanks again for the lend, Original Dan. You’re one of the good’uns!...more
Being that I’m a hermit, I can’t say I’m much for movie going. I can’t say I’m much of a Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Being that I’m a hermit, I can’t say I’m much for movie going. I can’t say I’m much of a television watcher either and when I do sit down in front of the boob tube to partake in some Househoes of Any City on the Planet highly educational program viewing, it’s usually on the DVR so I don’t even see commercials or film trailers. Occasionally my buddy Ron 2.0 or my husband point something out to me. Such was the case with Three Billboards and my husband shoving his cell phone in my face quite awhile back. I responded in my usual loving manner . . . .
Until he finally convinced me to just STFU and watch what he was showing me.
When I saw an update that someone was reading this “book” I continually begged the library to buy a copy of it until they finally broke down and did just that. Little did I know that it was the screenplay. If you don’t like screenplays, I can’t guarantee you’ll like this. If you’ve already watched the film, there is literally ZERO additional info in this book as it is the film in written format and that’s all it is. But if you’re like me, you only know what was provided to you in the trailer. Those things are that it features some of your absolute favorites that you have loved since she was a very pregnant police chief . . . .
When Shelby told me she was reading (and enjoying) this a week or so ago I didn’t give it much thought. After all, I had an alright time with this author myself with Lingus. I had no choice but to read The Wall of Winnipeg and Me when it was shoved in my face so kindly lent to me by my book bestie via the Kindle.
I woke up to discover my favorite kind of Saturday morning – nice and dreary. I did a couple of necessary chores, drank some java, got myself ready like I was actually going to leave the house and then my husband asked what I had planned for the day. My loving response????
Then I proceeded to settle into the reading chair for Porny Saturday. Upon firing this selection up, I noticed something rather alarming. 673 PAGES?!?!?!?!?! Surely that had to be a trick . . . . .
As I went to confirm that was not a mean joke on GR, I noticed something that terrified me even more than the page count - everyone on my friends list loved it. (Except Ana – she was totally going to have to be my protector in the shame corner if things went south.) And I totally get why it was a fail for Ana. I totally don’t get why it wasn’t a fail for me, however. Not only were the amount of pages pretty barftastic, but it ended up being not what I thought it was going to be about and that should have made me hate it . . . or at least made me want to put it down for a while.
I didn’t bother reading the synopsis because . . . . well because Shelby said to read it and I am a lemming. Things started with Vanessa working as a personal assistant to professional football player Aidan (who wasn’t necessarily douchey but very much a strictly business type of boss). When Vanessa decided to quit in order to pursue her own dreams and Aidan showed up at her doorstep to confess that he “needed” her I thought for sure things were going to get nice and splooshy. Little did I know that he “needed” a green card and Vanessa to pull it off. Since I had just read that trope in Roomies I was double-ready to hate this one.
Instead I ended up developing a bed sore from sitting in the same spot for FIVE SOLID HOURS - taking breaks only to pee and change the laundry from the washer to the dryer. Aidan did not become lovey dovey thanks to a magic vagina, Vanessa didn’t have a bunch of drama llama that could only be cured by a magic peen, the page count wasn’t a lie and the big shebang didn’t happen until the NINETY-SEVEN PERCENT marker (which absolutely resulted in the female equivalent of blue balls – what would that be called? blue waffle? no absolutely not blue waffle – don’t Google that). Despite all of the missing romance novel tic-marks, I’m agreeing with the majority here (sorry, Ana). If you read fast, are terrified of super porny porns and have a whole day to spend in some fictional romance world, this might be a winner for you. As Vanessa would say . . . .
Here's another overdue book review for your viewing displeasure. I just realized I read tFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Here's another overdue book review for your viewing displeasure. I just realized I read this on Valentine's Day. Ha! No wonder my husband didn't get any play!!!
I wanted to read Gods and Monstersimmediately. First, dat cover . . . .
Dude and dudette did run away together à la Romes and Jules, but things went off the rails completely when they decided revenge on the Montagues and Capulets . . . I mean their parents should come in the form of engaging in copious amounts of sex without protection despite being broke as a joke and completely incapable of taking care of themselves, yet alone a tiny human, and when that wasn’t enough starring in a porno together. In the immortal words of Sir Charles Barkley, there’s only one thing to say about this book. It’s . . . . .
I actually highlighted a bunch of stuff and made a bevy of notes about what a horrible experience I was having, but I think this one sums everything up . . . .
“Good lord, this thing is like a 14-year old’s wet dream.”
Oh, and all the sex????? Too bad it made me picture this . . . .
Blergh. I hope they called one of those crime scene types of cleaning crews in to remove all the snail trails from their roommate’s apartment for him!
Thanks again to my Book Fairy for gifting me this one. Sorry I hated it!
ORIGINAL "REVIEW:"
This book has been showing up all over my feed for the past couple of weeks (even though only one friend has read it). NA is most definitely not usually a hit for me, but I knew I would eventually have to give in on this one if for no other reason than to get THIS from playing on a loop in my head . . . .
This morning I woke up to an Amazon email notifying me a friend had bought it for me. On her own, without me begging, heck without it even being on my TBR. Don't let the haters tell you otherwise. Goodreads is home to some amazing humans.
Thank you again Book Fairy!!!! I was supposed to be finishing God-Shaped Hole today, but I think I'm going to bump "Porny Saturday" up a day instead ; )...more
The gin joint is the “High-Ho” in Belleville, Delaware. The she is Polly. When Polly meets Adam they both claim to be simply passing through town. Somehow they both end up working at the High-Ho. She as a waitress/he as a short order cook. Their attraction to each other is impossible to hide. Who they each truly are appears to be easier to conceal. Someone is pulling a long con. But who?
“Maybe everybody lies, all the time.”
This was noirtastic!!! It’s definitely a story where the less said the better, so save yourself from spoilers. Also be prepared for some characters you will find truly TURRRRRRRIBLE. I won’t blame anyone from wanting to shy away or feeling like they need to put this one down, but if you stick it out to the end EVERYTHING comes together. Mitchell says that disclaimer doesn’t even make any sense to him because he thought this about Sunburn . . . .
Just as I was getting ready to start my Christmas staycay, we received a dumping of snow Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Just as I was getting ready to start my Christmas staycay, we received a dumping of snow that would provide all of the excuse I needed to not change out of my pajamas for at least the first 24 hours of my freedom. I’m chalking it up to the fact that . . . . .
I thought it was high time that I opened up the pocketbook and purchased this sucker that had been on my don’t-even-call-it-guilty-pleasure-because-I-don’t-feel-guilty-at-all-when-I-read-these TBR for eternity so I logged on to Amazon where . . . . .
I mean, we’re talking motorcycle club (and a real one to boot that does illegal things) and girls formerly in some sort of religious cult and kidnappings and drug cartels and sex traffickers and dudes who don’t have sex with each other, but always have their sex three-way style. Oh it’s just so very over the top. Your mileage may most definitely vary when it comes to your opinion of this series. Just know that it’s total farfetched brain candy and if one of them isn’t exactly your cuppa, another might be. A 3 Star rating from me equals I thought it was okay so please don’t troll me for not falling all over myself for the double penetration. It’s just that nothing can compare to my reaction to Ky and Delilah’s book.
Gina thought she had the perfect life. Happily (enough) married to Mel, mother Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
Gina thought she had the perfect life. Happily (enough) married to Mel, mother of two, she was a real Suzy Homemaker. That is, until a drunk driver crashed into their garage and uncovered her husband’s little secret . . . .
Now known as Gwen, she was cleared of all charges when it came to her husband’s hobby. Thanks to some really obsessed internet trolls (y’all think it sucks to get told how you read wrong, you should try to walk in Gwen’s shoes for a second), Gwen and her children have changed their identities and locations four times and Gwen knows how to blow your head off with whatever gun she pulls out of her arsenal. Things seem to be settling down on the psycho front and Gwen has finally started to plant some roots in a quiet little locale known as Stillhouse Lake, Tennessee. That is until a surprise pops up in the lake that has everyone pointing the finger at “Melvin’s Little Helper” . . . .
If you haven’t figured it out yet, Stillhouse Lake is without a doubt 100% a Lifetime Mystery Movie of the week. Save your holier than thou. Sometimes these stories are exactly what I need and after reading two really good mysteries, I needed to embrace my inner . . . . .
(that’s a basic white girl starter kit, if you aren’t familiar) and read a different kind of thriller.
I have been a fan of Rachel Caine since I read about eleven thousand of her Morganville Vampire books back in the dizzy when I was in love with all things teenage vampirey . . . .
Put one of those in front of me today, I’d probably gobble it right up. When my friend Casey book pushed this on me (and Casey NEVER book pushes on me), I knew I would not be able to resist. I even spent my own dollars on it when the pornbrarian failed to order it for me in a timely fashion proving that miracles do happen – but you should’ve seen all the moths that flew out of my wallet! Wowzers!
If you’re okay with suspending disbelief and simply want a decent read that will keep your interest and you will speed through, Stillhouse Lake might be a winner. Really my only complaints are that I immediately knew who did it – like literally at the first word out of his mouth . . . .
[I TOTALLY NOTED THIS, BUT GR ISN'T SHOWING ME MY EFFING NOTES SO I CAN'T TAKE A SCREEN GRAB!]
And how often Gina/Gwen jumped on the “everything is worse for me because I’m a woman” bandwagon. Uhhhhh, no dipshit – everything is worse for you because you are a fucking idiot who thought it wasn’t weird to not be allowed in part of your own goddamn house . . . .
My friend Jilly gets the credit (blame???) for this one after posting a review for Matchpoint, the second in this series, that she had picked up in order to “decompress” from some stabbier selections. I thought that sounded like a good idea and it became an instantly better idea when I found out this first one was available on the ol’ Kindle for free. That is perfect for me because . . . .
Then I took a gander at her review for An Affair To Dismember and saw a comparison was made to the Stephanie Plum books, which is the equivalent for me to this . . . .
Jilly wasn’t lying. From a quirky grandma to a “love triangle” (term used EXTREMELY loosely since it is not the dark ages and women are allowed to date more than one man at a time until they D.T.R.), this truly does fall into the “if you like Stephanie, you’ll probably like Gladie” category.
Much like Stephanie, poor Gladie is just trying to make a dollah outta fiteen cent. She sucks at jobs, though, so she’s ended up back at her Grandma’s house in order to learn the family business of matchmaking. (I know, I know, you’re just gonna have to kind of go with it and create some alternate reality in your head that makes this a viable career – like the entire town is in a black hole with no WiFi so they don’t have access to Tinder or match.com.) When the neighbor dies, Gladie doesn’t think much of it – until she goes and pays her respects on the family and gets a little more info . . . .
“I don’t think Randy Terns slipped and hit his head on the table. I think he was murdered. I think someone hit him over the head.”
After that it’s on like bing bong as Stephanie I mean Gladie becomes an amateur supersleuth while finding herself in various over-the-top predicaments . . . .
If you’re looking for something that’s light and funny and could easily be turned into a Hallmark Mystery Channel movie-of-the-week to veg out on while still in your PJs at 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon and while eating your weight in chocolate-drizzled kettlecorn (not that I know anyone who would do something like that), this might be a winner. (Don’t let the 3 Stars fool ya – 3 Stars is about as high as I go when it comes to these types of books. I really did have fun reading it.) Get it for free RIGHT HERE. ...more
Words cannot even express the amount of joy it brings me when I am the first of my friendFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Words cannot even express the amount of joy it brings me when I am the first of my friends to read something. Well, when it’s something I liked - being the one to burst the bubble when a highly anticipated release turns out to be a turd kinda sucks. Anywho, when I saw this blurb . . . .
“Scream meets YA”
I had much excite! But then I saw the next part . . . .
“ in this hotly-anticipated new novel from the bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss”
Oh noes. My experience with Anna was mucho baddo : (
There’s Someone Inside Your House is Exhibit A of why you shouldn’t just throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to giving an author a second chance. This was everything I wanted it to be. Much like with One Of Us Is Lying earlier this year, the comparison to its “inspired by” or counterpart or whatever you want to call it was spot on. The only difference???
They say there are no more original ideas. And maybe that’s true. (Except what Shelby just read about eating baby teeth – that seems pretty friggin’ original.) There’s Someone Inside Your House proves that an idea doesn’t have to be original for it to be a crapload of fun. This one follows the slasher formula pretty well. There’s a super baddy who just wants to . . . .
There’s even a little humor when everyone should be in panic mode . . .
“Shit! What’s your password?” “9999.” “What? Why would you do that? Somebody could guess that!” “You didn’t.”
Bonus was you weren’t forced to spin your wheels for forever and a day before you found out who the killer was. The big reveal happened about the halfway mark – but that didn’t stop the stabber from stabbing ‘cause they still had to catch him/her/them (no spoilsies)! By the end of this I was like . . .
I don’t know all the ins and outs of exactly what happened behind the name change so you’ll have to do your own stalking research of Allesandra Torre to figure it out for yourself. I do know that she made a pretty benign request (i.e., she posted on Instagram it would be real cool if people could post old reviews under the new title name if they were so inclined) and since this book melted my underwear off she was worthy of a little floaty-float.
So there’s the story and here’s my original review . . . . .
I ended up with this because I reaaallllly wanted an ARC of The Ghostwriter but had to wait for infinity while NetGalley debated whether or not I was worthy and yet I still wanted something by this author so I grabbed this one for cheap. She’s just such a mixed bag of tricks. I’ve had 4 Star success as well as 2 Star failure with her stuff, but I keep wanting to go back for more. Sex, Love, Repeat is a BIIIIIIIIIG hit or miss with my friend list. I will say, it’s a bit thin when it comes to plot, but boy oh boy did it get the job done – if ya know what I mean *wink* . . . .
If love triangles ain’t yo thang stay far far away, because you’ll be knee deep in one immediately since Madison spends a few days a week with surfer dude Paul and the other few hobnobbing with the wealthy at Stewart’s . . . . .
“I get that you don’t understand. That you wonder how someone could possibly be aroused, turned on by the thought of something so forbidden. But often, it is the forbidden that is the hottest, and the depraved that is the most arousing.”
Please be warned that you kinda just have to go with the idea that these characters love each other since there’s little to no talking to interrupt all the banging. Also note that, in the immortal words of Spike Lee, “she’s gotta have it.” We’re talking a straight-up nympho . . . .
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(Do you even KNOW how long I’ve been waiting to use that image???? Eternity +1)
I don’t really care what anyone else thought of this one. I wanted it to be hot and . . . . .
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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