WHATCHA READING WEDNESDAY

This week felt more like a marathon than a sprint mostly because of poor planning on my part (I can't speak for Courtney). I somehow thought I was ahead in my reading for our blog and quickly discovered that if I didn't pick up my pace, I'd be behind. Fortunately, everything I've read has been engaging and we had quite a diverse collection of things to read. Sidenote: Court: Neither of us planned well...at all....how we made it out of this weekend alive and not zombies is seriously a miracle!!!

I started my week with J. A. Redmerski's The Edge of Never and that totally rocked my world (see yesterday's Texts and Talking about THAT!). I finished it at 2:20 in the morning and actually had dreams about the plight of those characters during the very little sleep I manage to get that night/morning. If you haven't read it yet, you may want to put it on your TBR list.

I also picked up Emma Hart's The Love Game and Playing for Keeps were so much fun to read. They are companion novels about several friends and their attempts at finding love while attending Berkeley. If you need something good to read while on vacation this summer, these would be great choices.

In the middle of the week Paris Love Match by Nigel Blackwell kept me entertained. This is less on the smut side and more on the action/adventure side. It's set in Paris and has a lot of snappy dialogue between our two lead characters (who are desperately trying to escape the clutches of criminals AND the police).

My last 2 reads couldn't be more different. Curtis Sittenfeld's Sisterland is a piece of literary fiction that demands that you ponder and think your way through it (or at least it did for me). By the end I was left with lots of conflicted emotions and I'm still working out exactly what I think about what happened. This is not a bad thing...it's a refreshing thing and one worth your time, if you're looking for something a little heavier than what we normally review here. Leaning more towards the light and easy reading, I just finished Falling for the Backup by Toni Aleo. I've not read anything by her until this novella and Courtney says that her Assassins series is swoonworthy..so I'll be adding that to MY TBR list. This novella was a very quick and sweet read...definitely good beach reading material.

I'm about to delve into Shannon Mayer's High Risk Love and if the prologue is any indication of the rest of the book, I'm in for a 'just one more chapter' kind of night. I'm also looking forward to J. Sterling's The Game Changer and J.A. Redmerski's Killing Sarai. 

Here's to another great week of reading! 

So yeah...we have this little thing going where we think..Hey! We are two books ahead, let's read KA books all night long...and that seriously almost killed us this weekend. Not going to let myself get that out of hand again.....Sorry... who am I kidding, I probably will! But she listed a lot of our book awesomeness! So I am going to say I'm not sure what...but if any other time of me blogging and being tired is an indication I talk too much! 

How about I take this moment to relish on how awesome of an invention I think NetGalley is? Anyone? It is like Christmas morning every single time we get approved for a book. I hope that we've found some great books that you all might like! Sisterland was a major NetGalley surprise. It looked promising, but sometimes you just can't ever tell...and I was completely blown away by it. If I get a chest clench of my heart breaking for a character (I know, my husband is mortified by this fact too...I get waayyy to emotionally invested) then I feel like I've hit gold...and these books we've read lately have made my heart hurt. 

I just finished Playing for Keeps by Emma Hart....and I just want to grab baby Aston up and run away with him....pure beautiful torture, that was. (Our review is live today too, so I won't rehash anymore details of that one, but check out Emma Hart!) 

Something I've waited on and let sneak up on me is the release of Come Alive by Karina Halle. It is book 7 of the Experiment in Terror series, and can that girl write some supernatural smut! Well...Dex and Perry can see ghosts = supernatural, and they don't really have any romance happen until book 4..so maybe not all that much smut, but now that it's happened...it is amazing. I was never one for a more horror type genre, until this, and this series is absolutely amazing, IMO. Book 1 is Darkhouse so check it, STAT! Darkhouse is also FREE on Amazon, so is there an excuse not to at least try it? No. No there is not. (And I just found that all the way through book 4 is currently 99 cents...sorry for being a bad used car salesman just now, but I LOOOVVVEEE this series! To quote our Twitter friend Stacy..."Pimpin' ain't easy, ya know"...and she is so right...\m/

WHATCHA READING WEDNESDAYS

This week I felt like we read quite a variety of books. Some were for the blog and some we just couldn't wait to read so we rewarded ourselves with some unscheduled reads. Here's what we've been up to...

I'll start by admitting that I've read so much and have been so busy that I actually had to turn on my Kindle just to take a look at everything I've read so that I wouldn't forget anything. 

First up is Kristen Ashley's latest release: Fire Inside (the latest in her Chaos MC series). These books aren't even a guilty pleasure...they are just a pleasure to read. You guys KNOW how much I adore her, so I'll move on. My next selfish read was Abbi Glines' latest: Forever Too Far the last in her series about Rush and Blaire. We'll be posting a blog about it in the near future, but I'll just say that I was very content to see how she ended things with these two.

In the midst of those, I picked up R.K. Wayne's Ryan and the Dark Sword a novel in the fantasy genre--my first ever in this genre! I think it was a nice choice to ease me into this world of magic and mystery. I also journeyed to Hawaii via S.L. Scott's Good Vibrations--one that started out iffy for me then hooked me at the end --and witnessed a fangirl lose her mind in Marian Tee's When Fangirls Lie. As I was wrapping these up, I saw that R.K. Lilley released Bad Things and I saw many rave reviews so I devoured that in less than 24 hours. 

The end of the week found me reading Kate Hilton's The Hole in the Middle a novel I think many women will appreciate about the pressures of trying to have it all and the feeling that you might be losing it all simultaneously. 

I have to do that same thing with checking my app to see what we've been reading. Sometimes (to me, I'm sure it doesn't to anyone else) it seems like I'm in a funk and haven't read a lot and I check my app or goodreads (don't know what I would do without goodreads!) and realize we have devoured a crazy amount of books. To the point where I'm asking Shelley "Was this guy in insert book here or was it that one? Oh..I remember now *facepalm* It's ridiculous I know, but sometimes it is easy to get wrapped up in the same sort of book all of the time..and while I adore them, I am pretty stoked about the variety we've been reading. 

Obviously, we are at risk of turning our blog into a Kristen Ashley fan page, but we don't apologize! I for the first time ever did not completely love one of her books. Since this is a momentous occasion and my heart kind of hurts, I thought it was worth mentioning. Knight from her Unfinished Heroes series was a HUGE departure from what we've come to expect and I was kind of shocked. Not necessarily by the content, because not a lot shocks me these days, but I didn't feel as connected to it as I normally do and I am still thinking about it days and days later! 

A few other feel good times were brought to me by Stealing Home by Jennifer Seasons, Beautiful Broken Rules by Kimberly Lauren, Maverick & It Was You by Anna Cruise and The Love Game by Emma Hart.

Our greatest joy obviously is sharing books we liked with you, so hopefully these recommendations are helpful! We've made it to the hump people, so let's keep on going until it FFF! 

NLWO...

This week I took a family beach vacation and didn't get to read nearly as much as Courtney...but I still managed to get my Kindle fired up and loaded with some good reads. Here's what we've been up too...

There are 3 stand out reads from last week: Lauren Blakely's Trophy Husband, Georgia Cates' Beauty from Surrender, and A.J. Sand's Remake. Those three books made my week. Trophy Husband was sweet and funny and a quick read. Beauty from Surrender started in pain and agony but the ending was exactly what I needed --so satisfactory and filling. And I had been anticipating Remake for so many months that when the first words appeared on my Kindle it felt like Christmas had come early. Remake was worth every minute I had to wait to read about Erica's journey to come back from a most terrible betrayal. All great reads and ones to add to your TBR list. (This was a ridiculously good week!)

I just wrapped up Colleen Hoover's Hopeless (I KNOW, I know...I'm like the last person in the universe to read it) and I'm still trying to digest all of my thoughts, but the writing was superb. And if you haven't read it and you have hours to sink your toes into the sand and surf...go buy it. You'll probably get a sunburn, though, if you aren't careful because that book is so absorbing that everything else just fades into the background. (I am super freaking stoked that I finally bullied her into reading a soul sucker! She finds it hilarious, so payback was great, plus it is a fantastic book!)

This week I'm hoping to read Kristen Ashley's newest Chaos MC book as well as get my Rush crush on with Abbi Glines' latest release and I'm actively searching for my next favorite read..so please feel free to point me in the right direction of a great read. Courtney...what have you been up to? 

So I am going to annoy a few of you a little bit more and total gush about Kristen Ashley. Her books are absolutely the end all and be all of my week. And no this is definitely not a paid endorsement. I am a serious lover of series and if it is a companion series, get the hell out of my way. If I find an author I like, I will seriously tear through every single book they've ever written, and even faster if each one is better than the last. We have found this in Kristen Ashley (Thanks, Shel..I owe you--anytime, sistah!)....and trust me it is a winner if my cousin (who is a fantastical book blogger) Andrea's husband has read the Rock Chick series before her. (Eric is totally badass that he reads with her!--he is, how do WE make that happen?)

I seriously spent last night "One More Chapter"ing it until 2:15 a.m. so if I seem a little twitchy this is why...and my filter is way turned off...and possibly 1 or 2 of my cylinders aren't working....so it has been an interesting day! 

Anyways, Chaos. The last few days I have absolutely been entranced in the Chaos MC. Starting with me finishing up the Rock Chick series with Rock Chick Regret. Holy. Effing. Crap. ...I had put it off forever to basically prolong the inevitable that I didn't want to be done. I want to re-read those books for the first time again, so much. This latest installment (she is writing book 8!) is by far the most intense, and most heavy in emotional and physical drama that had my head spinning and my love for Double H (Hispanic Hottie) put Hector and Sadie solidly in my Top 5 Rock Chick list! 

Then, I finished the Dream Man series through Motorcycle Man. Holy. Effing. Crap. By far, the best epilogue and ending of a series EVER! It was so great, and satisfying, and suspenseful, and angsty, but badass biker awesome that I now have been telling Shelley that I want to be a badass biker chick, therefore I informed my hubs he needs to be a badass biker dude. I think my plot is foiled because he is more of a crotch rocket kind of guy, although maybe I could work with this. (HAHAHAHAAA! I love it!!!)

So now, I have blown through Own the Wind (Shy & Tabby, Holy. Effing. Crap!) and it was amazeballs. I am obsessed with the Chaos series, so yes I dropped everything to start Fire Inside. I am really excited, because all of this was hinted at and going on during the events of Own the Wind so I know, but I don't really know..ya know? 

Okay. This headcrackin' mamma-jamma (so, you have to be a Rock Chick to get that <--- ) is going to shut up now...to go , yep you guessed it...read! Later Peeps! 

WEDNESDAY...WHERE WE'VE BEEN + WHERE WE'RE GOING!

As usual we were reading fools last week and this week looks like an EPIC week of reading. There is so much to look forward to this week....

Last week was my last week of teaching for the school year and yet I managed to get more than my fair share of reads in. I finished Alice Clayton's Redhead Series and found that I enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first (although Wallbanger is my all time favorite of the one's she's written). Not ready to get off of reading humor, I picked up and read Emma Chase's Tangled. That one was great--a male protagonist and some seriously funny lines. 

Would I be the worst co-blogger ever to say...Ditto...What she said..and say laters lovelies. Yes? Okay..fine! Haha..No really she's right, we have some EPIC reading this week. Surprised by some, meh by others but that's why I love to read so much. I never know quite what I'm going to get from the world I'm entering and I can't wait to go there every single time. The humorous stuff we read this week was amazing, because we've read some emotional heavy hitters lately and I was glad to laugh out loud and get some weird looks from my hubs and neighbors. (I live to make other people uncomfortable apparently! Hah!)

As the week moved on I felt brave enough to tackle Michelle Leighton's Until I Break. Courtney and I had read about some unpleasantness surrounding this book so we decided to check it out ourselves. I think we're both still a little perplexed about the drama that was stirred up..but you'll read more about that tomorrow.

Yes, perplexed is a good word for how I felt too. Perplexed and irritated by other's lack of etiquette for anything but that will be a soap box I will stay off of. Carrying on...

Finally, I finished out the week rereading Beauty from Pain by Georgia Cates in anticipation of the second book's release. AHHHH the cliffhanger. Sheesh.

I REALLY REALLY CAN'T WAIT TO START BOOK 2. IT IS SELF TORTURE TO READ TEASER'S SO MAKE ME STOP, SHELLEY, MAKE ME STOP! 

I'm currently finishing Lauren Blakely's Trophy Husband and I'm at the point when the sh*t hits the fan so I'm taking a little break to let my pulse slow down a little. This book is a nice mix of sweetness and funny and a little bit of girl power/girl making questionable decisions due to girl power. Blog post to come this weekend.

I'm a little bit behind her in this one, but we a ton of fun when we read the same thing and can talk about it. I am lol-ing big time, but luckily for my hubs he is working so only my dogs have to listen to my giggling. (Let's just say, some of these boys are making up for in looks what they lack in brains, harsh but true!) So FUN!

This week I'm not gonna sleep. Look at the stuff we have to look forward to: Cautious by E L Montes, Beauty from Surrender by Georgia Cates, Remake by A.J. Sand and these are just the ones I've either already downloaded or will have on my Kindle before the end of the week. 

I second that we aren't going to get a lot of sleep for the end of this week! I have also decided I went in to the wrong profession....why didn't I realize that summer's off would be the most important part of picking a career? Hello, advisor...you screwed me! (Just kidding, I love nursing) But these I know already that I won't be able to stop once I start so wish us luck! 

I'm so lucking forward to this week of reading!!!!

(Obligatory EEEP inserted here!)

NO LONGER WAITING....ON

Yes...another week...another hundred if not thousand pages have passed before our eyes...here's what we've been reading...

Last week I completely buried myself in the world of Kristen Ashley's Dream Man series. I love a good series and this one was no exception. I read every single one of those books..while trying to wrap up the school year, scurrying around to get my daughter ready for a photo shoot, cleaning my house for when my parents came to visit, packing bags for a quick trip, 3 hours north, to see my grandmother and cousins for Mother's Day, plus my usual day to day craziness. I point this out to say that I had a lot going on last week and I still couldn't put the series down to save my life. Courtney and I will be doing several posts on Kristen Ashley's series in the coming weeks, so I don't want to spoil anything but I will say that I found this series just as fun and engrossing as her Rock Chick series.

Currently, I am trying my hardest to not dive in to her Chaos series or one of her other series mainly to extend my enjoyment of her a little while longer. So, I plan on reading some other things I've seen mentioned recently like Vain by Fisher Amelie and Down London Road by Samantha Young. I've never read anything by Fisher Amelie and I'm looking forward to discovering a new writer. I have read Samantha Young's On Dublin Street and she had me hooked within the first few lines so I'm excited to see what happens with her latest release. I'm sure I'll squeeze a few more reads in this week especially after I hear what Courtney's reading, she's always got something good on her list ...so, what is on your list Courtney?

So as you can see, it's safe to say this past week that real life threw us a few curveballs! She had all that going on and I was about 6 hours away from home for a graduation and Mother's Day! All was a great time, but did greatly cut down on my reading time for the weekend because for the first time EVER, I got dizzy while reading in a car!! I know, crazy, right? I was sad, while trying not to keel over, because that is something that has never happened. Might be because it wasn't an actual book and instead my phone, but whatever the cause I hope that doesn't last forever! Knowing my luck it will! So because of that my post will be from one author. Aleatha Romig! 

Shelley has been telling me for a while "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS SERIES." And I said sure, but read the blurb for Consequences and I just wasn't sure. Well I was sure I wanted to read it, but wasn't sure when. I knew I would need time to devote 100% of my attention to it to get through it, and as we've already established I haven't had that until recently. So Monday, I finally got down to business. and OH MY COW! It was great! We're reviewing it tomorrow, but I will start my 100th shameless plug for this series today. I have already moved on to book 2, Truth, and I have been doing my usual begging for Shelley to help me out with some hints. I have been horrified, enthralled, sick, happy (I know, I feel gross just thinking about it), thrilled, aghast, shocked, and total twisted inside out from Consequences. It's one of those stories. Yeah, remember all of our cray cray thoughts and feelings about Gone Girl? Well, this is like that. But in series form! So even better, even though there is some heavy stuff in there! My advice, read it ASAP! But do so with caution. Again, heavy stuff, but a total worthwhile read, and will really get you thinking.

P.S. We will be reviewing ALL of the above books very soon! Yay!