yeah wow. What starts as an indecent proposal becomes so much more. I had a few quibbles but couldn't put this down. Different than anything I've readyeah wow. What starts as an indecent proposal becomes so much more. I had a few quibbles but couldn't put this down. Different than anything I've read before....more
Fantastic read, fun, filled with vibrant characters. The main character will grow on you and have you cheering by the end. This would make an excellenFantastic read, fun, filled with vibrant characters. The main character will grow on you and have you cheering by the end. This would make an excellent movie....more
Damn little book about a cat made me cry. Yeah this was good, just something about it, something about Dewey. But I also loved reading about the smallDamn little book about a cat made me cry. Yeah this was good, just something about it, something about Dewey. But I also loved reading about the small town in Iowa where he lived and the life of its people especially Vicki, Dewey's Mum. I feel like I know her now. Also enjoyed the pictures scattered throughout. Just a nice read, except for the crying at 3am when I finished part. Damn cat....more
Killing Me Softly is a love story but not in the typical sense; it’s obsessive, all consuming, violent, inOpening Line: “He knew he was going to die.”
Killing Me Softly is a love story but not in the typical sense; it’s obsessive, all consuming, violent, intense, desperate and ultimately terrifying. And oh my god is it good. I literally could not put this down.
If I could compare this book to anything I would say that initially it reminded me of a combination of 9 ½ weeks and that Richard Gere/Diane Lane movie from a few years ago (Unfaithful) -based on the passion, intensity and utter randomness of our couples first encounter. Of course it then unravels into a tense psychological thriller which much in a car wreck sort of way you can’t take your eyes off of. Throughout I had a feeling of, this just can’t end well.
I should mention that despite the fact that the blurb on the jacket describes this book as ‘erotic’ all the sex scenes are off page; it’s still sexy as hell -in an alarming sort of way. And I’ll admit to being very uncomfortable in sections, shaking my head at our heroine’s decisions and basic lack of “self” (“what the hell are you thinking girl?”) I also doubted myself, doubted Alice and Adam and was left utterly raw and heartbroken by the end. Just the kind of reading experience I love.
Alice Loudon has it all: a comfortable life, a stable (nice) live-in boyfriend, a good job, clever friends, and then one day while walking down a London street on her lunch hour she sees him, standing there, staring, as if waiting for her. The attraction is immediate; it’s unexplainable, like a lightning bolt that neither of them can turn away from. He is Adam Tallis and without speaking a word she follows this complete stranger to his apartment where she proceeds to let him take her clothes off and engages in the most intense love making she has ever known. In fact with Adam she needs a new word for sex. He envelopes her, obliterates her, he is unlike any man she has ever known, and within days she is lost to him.
Abandoning everything (and I mean that literally) Alice leaves her boyfriend and moves in, within months they’re married. Nothing matters except him and them and her world becomes very small. She barely recognizes herself in the mirror anymore as Adam begins to possess every aspect of her being. He worships her, desires her, loves her in an all-consuming way and there isn’t room for anyone or anything else. Alice’s world shrinks to being just Adam; the stranger she fell in love with on a street.
Adam. Her enigmatic husband, world renowned mountain climber, guide and reluctant hero after his last expedition in the Himalayas left half of their group dead. Adam comes with a whole circle of mysterious and exotic friends and it’s when Klaus decides to write a book about the tragedy of the Chungawat expedition that Alice opens her eyes. Reality creeps in, jealousy and doubt takes hold and the tension level rises. How well does she really know this man? Told entirely from the first person we witness Alice’s inner turmoil, doubts and fears as curiosity about her husband’s past and former lovers becomes in of itself an obsession.
“What a ghastly farce it all was. Our whole marriage was built on desire and deception.” 359jb5...more
Opening Line: “There are 158 steps between the bus stop and home, but it can stretch to 180 if you aren’t in a hurry, like maybe if you`re wearing plaOpening Line: “There are 158 steps between the bus stop and home, but it can stretch to 180 if you aren’t in a hurry, like maybe if you`re wearing platform shoes.”
-5 minutes after finishing- Oh my gawd, What an awful, awful book. **I say with tears streaming down my face, a knot in my chest, eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and the tiniest of smiles on my face**
Wow, okay it’s been a few days now since I finished this “awful” book and while I have somewhat recovered from the gut wrenching experience of ME BEFORE YOU, I still haven`t been able to get the story out of my head.
This was an utterly absorbing read that challenged me to examine my own life and choices. It is thought-provoking and entertaining, heartbreaking and poignant and impossible to put down. Filled with vibrant characters it captures the complexities of love but at its heart it’s a story about life. About living and living well, taking life by the horns and using the hell out of it. As Will says, “Just live”.
I should start by saying that I knew next to nothing about the story going in (which I recommend) and also that within the first few chapters thought I had the whole thing figured out (which I didn`t) I just assumed it was going to be your basic chick-lit; you know, a bumbling, relatable heroine, a cast of somewhat eccentric secondary characters including meddling siblings and drunken BFF’s tied together with a love story. I thought it would be a cute, clever read. Ultimately yes, it was all these things but… It was also about halfway in that I became aware that I was no longer reading the book I thought I was. That I was dealing with a very controversial and sensitive subject, that I was being tested, challenged and changed and that the ending (oh my god she’s not going to go there is she?) was going to hurt like hell.
Will Traynor is a handsome, high-powered takeover specialist in London who sleeps with beautiful women and travels the world. Skiing, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, basically just looking for the next great adrenaline rush. His life has always been one of wealth, privilege and adventure until one rainy morning when a motorcycle accident renders him a quadriplegic and places him back on his parent’s estate in need of 24 hour care.
In the same small town Louisa Clarke lives with her financially strapped family (who are hilarious and I loved) dates a man she assumes she’ll marry but isn`t honestly all that bothered either way and is more than satisfied with her modest job at the Buttered Bun Café. She doesn`t want or expect much from her life but all that’s about to change.
When Lou suddenly loses her job she finds herself with no qualifications and a family that’s depending on her for a paycheque. With few options she finds herself at the job center where she reluctantly agrees to an interview as a caretaker. Really, she’s to be more of a paid companion; she won’t have to do any of the medical things just “be” with her charge. Easier said than done though, Will Traynor is a bitter, depressed, intimidating and hostile man.
Granted he is confined to his motorised wheelchair and in constant pain, with only limited movement of his neck and one hand. And there’s the fact that he seems to have lost any sort of freedom or decision making from his harsh mother. But still, he won’t even talk to her. How is she going to get through her six month contract like this?
So this “awful” book has easily become one of the best I’ve read this year. Thank you JoJo Moyes. 370jb5+...more
Opening Line: "I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference."
So I’m going to try to write a somewhat sensible review here that doeOpening Line: "I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference."
So I’m going to try to write a somewhat sensible review here that doesn’t come across as all gushy fan-girl. I will say (hopefully only once) that I adored this book but you should know that I'm a bit of a sucker for a tragedy too. ONE DAY was brilliant in every way; making me laugh and cry while filling me with nostalgia and longing. And because I’m the same age as Dexter and Emma the time frame here was also totally relatable (see nostalgia) with little details I had forgotten about from the past two decades.
Equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious yet also suspenseful as each chapter takes place a year to the day after the last one so you have to figure out what’s happened in that time between. And of course you want the H/h to get together so you’re waiting with bated breathe for them to finally “see” each other too. In the end this also made me want to seize the day like it’s my last, phone up all my long lost friends and lovers and look at old photographs. Hmmm and I haven’t even gotten into the genius of the writing yet (how do you put that into words?)
I knew that writing a review here was going to be difficult (when you love a book this much there doesn’t seem to be enough correct words to do it justice) and I promised myself to just keep this short and to the point so here goes... This is one of the most hilarious, perceptive, witty, moving and heartbreaking books I have ever read.
Told in 5 parts in alternating POV’s and over a span of twenty years Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley meet in 1988. Em has just graduated from university and hooked up with that boy she’s seen around for ages. He is Dexter, beautiful, pretentious and in his mind destined for greatness. As the sun rises they drink wine and talk about their futures. They have their whole lives stretching out ahead of them in an endless number of days and isn’t it going to be wonderful they can achieve anything they want to.
Starting as lovers Dexter and Emma continue as friends and the book joins them on July 15th of each year (St Swithin’s day) through their 20’s and 30’s and into their 40’s. As anyone in their 40’s knows, life happens and it doesn’t always go as planned, missed opportunities and the like.
“When I was younger everything seemed possible. Now nothing does.”
Through phone calls and letters, in different countries and towns, through assorted relationships, jobs and life’s little surprises and ruts we join Em and Dex each year in a unique snapshot of their life. They don’t always get along but they do think about each other everyday in some way and in case you haven’t figured it out this is ultimately a love story.
I can’t say much more about this without giving it all away. But when I read the last word I wanted to start it again and nothing I’ve tried to read since compares. Cheers.
“Live each day as if it’s your last, that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that?” ...more
Opening Line:"The entire platoon came under attack near a tiny French town called Maroueuil; the planes flew in low and quick, though the drone of proOpening Line:"The entire platoon came under attack near a tiny French town called Maroueuil; the planes flew in low and quick, though the drone of propellers served as a warning and sent everyone running."...more
Opening Line: “Natalie Benoit watched the streets of Ciudad Juárez roll by the outside of the bus window, wishing the driver would turn up the air-conOpening Line: “Natalie Benoit watched the streets of Ciudad Juárez roll by the outside of the bus window, wishing the driver would turn up the air-conditioning.”
5+ stars!! You know those books that within the very first page, you can just tell you’re going to fall in love. It’s the right book at the right time and you get that excited feeling as you try to figure out how you can squeeze a couple more hours of interrupted reading into your day. Well you’ve found it.
Yeah Pamela Clare has outdone herself with this 5th instalment from the I-team series; I could not put Breaking Point down, what a freakin ride. The action starts immediately and just doesn’t let up. More than once I caught myself thinking how the hell are they going to get out of this? (Which is just silly because of course they’re going to get their HEA, this is a romance after all) but I was so caught up in the story. Everything about this was just perfect, starting with the cover (hello) the studtastic (and literally) tortured hero, the sigh-worthy romance, the sexy, sexy love scenes, the inclusion of Marc and Julian and their ongoing bromance and a heroine that I could believe in. Easily one of my top reads this year. I’m just sad now it’s over.
If I’m honest the only thing I didn’t love (and frankly wondered why he received so much page time) was the photographer dude Joaquin Ramirez, he was all over this story for no apparent reason. And if I’m nitpicking the story does slow down considerably after their return to the States but its only briefly before an absolute edge-of-your-seat, movie worthy, bullets flying, helicopter roof top rescue, missing thumb, couple more rounds of electric shock torture, holy shit he’s been shot ending wherein I may have forgotten to breathe.
Investigative reporter Natalie Benoit is on her way to a journalist’s convention in Juárez Mexico when her bus is ambushed, fellow reporters are shot point blank and she is taken hostage. Believing herself to be caught up in a gang war Natalie is moved to an abandoned church where she finds herself chained to the wall of a cell awaiting her fate. Will they seek a ransom or just rape her? Either way she’s probably dead. Within hours she hears the sounds of a man being tortured, by all accounts an American man.
Undercover Deputy US Marshal Zach McBride is in the adjoining cell; he’s endured a week of torture and interrogation so far and doesn’t know how much more he can take. Of course he hasn’t broken, his military training made sure of that and in truth he doesn’t know anything about the Cartel’s missing cocaine anyways but now they’ve changed the game, they’re offering him the girl for information.
Adding Natalie to the equation just renews Zach’s resolve so that without ever seeing each other they forge a bond and plan an escape. Due to the extent of his injuries Natalie is actually responsible for their hard earned freedom and now the pair finds themselves on the run, escaping across the desert and towards the US border. The Zeta’s cartel has eyes everywhere so they can’t go to the authorities and Natalie is pretty sure her escort the assumed (Mr. Black) is either dealing in arms or drugs so they can’t trust anyone.
Zach and Natalie what an awesome couple, both suffering from survivor’s guilt they were so perfectly matched and so perfect for healing each other. Past heroes and heroines make a welcome return to this story which despite the gripping level of suspense always maintains a realistic edge along with a pulse pounding, melt your heart romance. This is one for the keeper shelf. 382jb5+...more
Opening Line:“Lisa is pregnant. Dad called around 11 o’clock to let us know.”
I loved this, easily one of my top reads this year; although maybe love iOpening Line:“Lisa is pregnant. Dad called around 11 o’clock to let us know.”
I loved this, easily one of my top reads this year; although maybe love isn’t the right word because this book scared the crap out of me. It also depressed me, made me very cold and gave me OCD about stockpiling food. I mean just how long could I survive on what’s in my cupboards? Not very. Three boxes of Kraft Dinner and a jar of spaghetti sauce are hardly going to see me through a wintery apocalypse now are they? (Although that bottle of gin will come in handy)
As much as this book messed with my head, I also couldn’t stop reading it, fascinated in a morbid sort of way. I’ve heard it compared to a car accident and that’s true, once you start this you won’t be able to look away.
Life As We Knew It is written in diary form, from the POV of 16year old Miranda. The entries start just prior to a meteor hitting the moon and initially her accounts are self-absorbed, and annoying in fact she comes off kind of spoiled, which let’s face it, is realistic for a high school girl. I think the author probably did this on purpose to show us what her life and thoughts were like ‘before’ and how much she grows as a person by the end of this harrowing story.
Miranda lives with her mother and younger brother (with another brother away at college). Her father has remarried and is expecting a baby with his new wife. Nobody is paying much attention to the astronomers or the moon. I mean at 16 it’s all about you, everything else is just an annoyance. In May the meteor knocks the moon out of its orbit and everything changes.
Miranda’s mother is the real hero of this story, having the foresight to begin amassing food and winter clothes, (candles, batteries, water) while the rest of the world watches and waits. The power is the first to go, then Tsunamis take out anyone on the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents and volcanic ash quickly blocks out the sun. We the readers remain mostly naïve about world events because we only know what Miranda writes in her diary and she’s stopped listening to the news only occasionally giving us tidbit from rare radio broadcast that now mostly consist of death lists but soon even the radio stops.
As summer turns to arctic winter and disease threatens those left alive Miranda’s world grows smaller and smaller. School is cancelled, her friends have either moved or died and gathering firewood and water takes up most of her day. She has little strength left because she is starving and her family has moved into one room to conserve the small amount of heat the wood stove is putting out. It is cold, blinding snow storms and ash fill the sky, the food is almost gone, the food is almost gone! When she thinks about last week she wonders why she ever complained because she had it so much better, last week she was eating one meal a day, now she’s eating every second day and wondering just how much longer her family can survive. She hopes she goes first.
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