REVIEW: A Scarcity of Condors by Suanne Laqueur

A Scarcity of Condors

Book 3 of the Venery Series

Release Date: December 16, 2019

OUR REVIEW:

For those who don't know, I typically reserve New Year's Eve and the day leading up to it (and the day after) for myself. I send my husband and girls to his parents' house and I take advantage of the quiet to reflect on all of the things (good and bad) and I snuggle up with a book that I want to read distraction free. A few years ago I selected the first series Suanne Laqueur wrote and found myself completely consumed by the characters and their hurts, sorrows, and triumphs. Last year, I used the same holiday days to catch up on the Venery series and found myself consumed once again. This year, I was lucky enough to get the third book in the series, A Scarcity of  Condors, earlier than my normal Suanne reading holiday and I decided to take advantage of a nothing to grade weekend and read it. 

Oh.My.God. 

I am obsessed. This weekend A Scarcity of Condors had my complete attention and anyone who tried to distract me from it got a death glare. The story of the Tholets was heartwrenching and healing. Their story as told from Jude, Cleon, and Penny was one of fierce love; how they fought for each other and loved each other was incredibly moving. I wish I had the words to express just how deeply this story seeped into my heart, my bones, my brain but I don't. I wish you could've seen me losing my fight against the tears, putting the book down to stare off into space and contemplate everything I just read. Or how there were times I could practically smell or taste the food Tej and Penny prepared. And how I would feel a smile take over after an especially happy scene and I'd reach up to press my lips in the hopes of keeping that smile just a little longer. It's rare these days that I have such visceral reactions to characters so when I do, I treasure the experience. These characters took over my everything for a solid 48 hours and I loved them and their stories so much that I am looking forward to diving into this novel again, just to relive the beauty of it all. 

In addition to how enamored I am with the storytelling, I'm continually in awe of the writer and writing. The amount of time and research Suanne Laqueur puts into all of her novels has to be incalculable; I cannot imagine how she does what she does and puts it into her work so seamlessly. Both the big details and small ones are just so well done that every story feels effortless--but especially this one-- though I know that she must put an enormous amount of time into every single one of those details.  (I just have to acknowledge it; I have so much respect for how well thought out every aspect of this novel is and if you ever read this review, Suanne Laqueur, please know that your attention to detail is so very appreciated.) 

This novel (and series) has captured my heart in a way that few do and so I'm very selfishly hoping that one or two of the tertiary characters who haven't had much attention yet,will get the Suanne Laqueur treatment. I'm happy to beg for more of these characters. Or maybe I'll just sit patiently for whatever idea she dreams up next because I'm absolutely certain it will be worth the wait. 

SYNOPSIS

Juleón "Jude" Tholet has survival in his DNA. His father, Cleón, lived through imprisonment and torture during Pinochet's military coup in Chile. His mother, Penny, risked everything to gain her husband's freedom and flee the country with their newborn son. But as a closeted gay teenager growing up in Vancouver, Jude is targeted by a neighborhood bully called El Cóndor, culminating in a vicious hate crime that forces the Tholets to flee their country again.

Jude cautiously rebuilds his life in Seattle, becoming an accomplished pianist, but his his wings have been clipped and he cannot seem to soar in his relationships. Only family remains a constant source of strength and joy, until a DNA test reveals something that shocks all the Tholets: Jude is not their child.

Stunned by the test results, the Tholets must dig into their painful past, re-examine their lives in 1973 Santiago and the events surrounding Jude's birth story. It’s a tale rooted in South America’s Operation Condor. It spreads through Pinochet’s terrifying regime of detention camps, torture, disappeared civilians and stolen children. The journey forces Penny Tholet to confront the gaps in her memory while Cleón must re-live an ordeal he’s long kept hidden away in a secret world. The tale ends with Jude digging through his genetic code in a quest to find his biological parents. Are they alive? Or are they among Los Desaparecidos—the Disappeared Ones?

Suanne Laqueur’s third book in the Venery series explores the desperate acts of love made in times of war, and the many ways family can be defined.

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AUTHOR BIO

A former professional dancer and teacher, Suanne Laqueur went from choreographing music to choreographing words. Her work has been described as Therapy Fiction, Emotionally Intelligent Romance and Contemporary Train Wreck. Whatever you want to call it, her goal is to write stories that appeal to the passions of all readers, crossing gender, age and genre.

Suanne Laqueur'sAn Exaltation of Larks won the Grand Prize in the 2017 Writer’s Digest Book Awards. Her debut novel The Man I Love and its follow-up, Give Me Your Answer True, won gold medals in the 2015 and 2016 Readers' Favorite Book Awards. Both were finalists in the 2015 and 2016 Kindle Book Awards, and Laqueur was named a gold medal Debut Author with Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Laqueur graduated from Alfred University with a double major in dance and theater, and taught at the Carol Bierman School of Ballet Arts in Croton-on-Hudson for ten years. An avid reader, cook and gardener, she started her blog EatsReadsThinks in 2010. She lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two children. Visit her at http://suannelaqueurwrites.com. All feels welcome. And she always has coffee.

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The House of Scarlett by Meghan March

House of Scarlett Release Day Blitz/Blog Tour Collateral

Release Date: December 10, 2019

OUR REVIEW:

The Fall of Legend introduced us Gabriel and Scarlett and their seemingly improbable romance. We saw him crush any chances of a future together by being a complete dumbass but luckily since this is a romance trilogy, we know that somehow, someway he'll make up for his mistake. The House of Scarlett is where that happens; once he gets his head out of his ass, he realizes he has to try to win her back and when the opportunity presents itself, he does. Thankfully, Meghan March doesn't make us wait too long for their reunion. Their romance is sweet and steamy and all the things you wanted it to be but of course, OF COURSE!, as the middle book in a trilogy, there are warning signs that things aren't going to be easy before we get to their happily ever after. Between him holding out on some important information (GAHHHH, we all know some of his secrets and maneuverings are going to bite him in the ass!), and her awful father and scary internet troll(s), you can just feel the tension ramping up. So many things can still go wrong and I have a feeling book three of this trilogy is going to show us all of the ways those things can go wrong--especially if the ending of The House of Scarlett is any indication. Hold on to your seats, Gabriel and Scarlett, readers, because it looks like it's going to be a wild ride ahead of us. 

About House of Scarlett:

New York Times bestselling author Meghan March continues the Legend Trilogy.

Gabriel Legend is unlike any other man I’ve ever met.

He came into my life like a hurricane, shattering all my assumptions and preconceived notions.

I wasn’t prepared for him. I wasn’t prepared for any of it.

But life doesn’t wait until you’re ready.

Whatever happens next, I know one thing for certain.

I will never be the same Scarlett I was before I met him.

House of Scarlett is the second book in the Legend Trilogy and should be read after The Fall of Legend, book one.

Add to your Goodreads TBR:

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Where to buy:

http://meghanmarch.com/house-of-scarlett 

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About the author:

Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret. With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world. A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

Sign up for Meghan's newsletter and receive exclusive content that she saves for her subscribers: http://meghanmarch.com/subscribe

To get the inside scoop on a daily basis, search Meghan March's Runaway Readers on Facebook and join the fun!

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REVIEW: The Younger Man by Karina Halle

A reckless, obsessive soccer star. A forbidden affair that could ruin her career. The locker room has never been this steamy.

The Younger Man, an epic standalone forbidden age-gap sports romance, by New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle, is LIVE!

Dear Karina Halle,

Take all my book money. 
The end.

Not enough of a review? Fiiiiiine. 

The Younger Man was the age gap romance I've been waiting for and I didn't even know it. Or maybe I did? I'm a happily married woman in the age range of Thalia, the protagonist, and so I'm not looking for a driven, younger man to light my world on fire but daaaaang, Alejo. Dang. The chemistry between these two was evident from their first meeting and it was all I could do to not jump on the first plane to Spain and see the eye candy that I imagined from reading about the beautiful men in this book. Gah. 

And while the men and women were beautiful, it was just the idea of this story that was so appealing. I love that an older woman can have just as much fun and an equal chance at all the good stuff as a younger woman can. I love that Halle doesn't shy away from the challenges that come with this romance--whether it was work, a friend (insert lots of !!!! thoughts here about a certain "friend"), Alejo, or any of the other obstacles that came up in this novel--I appreciated that they weren't just brushed aside and ignored. I loved that Thalia was a strong, ambitious woman taking on a role that was boundary-breaking and therefore made her cognizant of expectations and assumptions. I liked that she addressed the conflicts that came with the job and the rewards and hardships that followed. 

And just as much as I truly enjoyed Thalia's side of things, Alejo's development over the course of the novel was equally gratifying. Halle didn't make him a flat, one dimensional sexy thing, she really fleshed him out and gave him room to be more than a confident, brash, athletic wunderkind. The more I knew him, the more I looked forward to reading more of what he was thinking. 

I think I must always say this about Karina Halle's books but so be it--if there's any way we can stay in this world, explore some of the secondary characters a little more, I'd be so excited. Regardless, I know I need to pick up Mateo and Vera's book since I somehow missed it when it originally came out. I know reading this will sate me while I wait for the next new Halle book to hit my Kindle.

Starting over was her only option.

Forty-years old and still reeling from a public and painful divorce, Thalia Blackwood is looking for a fresh start, somewhere far away from her upside down life. When she’s offered a new job as the sports therapist for a football (soccer) team, she jumps at the chance. This is just what she needs to leave the heartbreak and shame of Manchester behind, trading it in for the warmth and hopeful vibrancy of Madrid.

He was her only desire.

Twenty-three year old Alejo Albarado is rising up the ranks in his career. As the charming forward for the Real Madrid team, Alejo’s life revolves around women, parties, and being a tabloid darling, that is until the new sports therapist joins the team.

Their passion could not be ignored.

What starts out as a strictly professional relationship between Thalia and the young Spanish player, slowly evolves into something more. Much more.

Their relationship was forbidden.

But their combustible chemistry and simmering sexual tension can only go so far—should Thalia give into Alejo’s advances, she’s at risk of not only losing her job, but succumbing to a much younger man will drag her through the spotlight again.

Alejo might be worth that risk.

Unless he breaks her heart in the process.

The Younger Man is a full-length standalone romance. Characters from Love, in English make a cameo in this book, however The Younger Man is intended to be read as a STANDALONE.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2rrQYDd

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/TheYoungerManKH

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2OhIyaE

Meet Karina:

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Connect with Karina:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkarinahalle/ Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vo9pq4 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorhalle/ Join her Reader Group: https://goo.gl/wpCBSS

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COVER REVEAL: Release by Aly Martinez

“Aly Martinez is one of the best in the business. You have to read her books.” --Meghan March, New York Times Bestselling author

Release, an all-new emotional, second chance romance standalone from USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez is coming January 5th and we have the incredible cover!

Growing up, Ramsey Stewart branded my soul in ways time could never heal.

At twelve, he asked me to be his girlfriend.

At thirteen, he gave me my first kiss.

By sixteen, we’d fallen in love, planned a future together, and had our eyes set on the horizon.

Love never fails, right?

But for Ramsey, it did.

Love failed him.

I failed him.

The entire world failed him.

At seventeen, Ramsey was convicted of killing the boy who assaulted me.

Move on,he wrote in his first and only letter from prison.

Start a new life, he urged.

I don’t love you anymore, he lied.

There was no such thing as giving up on Ramsey. Love may have been our curse, but he was mine—then, now, and forever.

So here I am, twelve long years later, waiting for a man I don't even know to emerge from between the chain link gates.

Add RELEASE to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2oGE1oo

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Cover Designed by: Hang Le

Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography

Model: Zack Salaun

About Aly

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and olives. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.

Connect with Aly

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RvbjCA

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Website: https://alymartinez.com/

Stay up to date with Aly by signing up for her mailing list today:

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REVIEW: Meet Me on Love Lane by Nina Bocci

OUR REVIEW:

I've been thinking about this novel since I put it down--thinking about why I enjoyed it so much and how to adequately describe it. It's really a combination of things and it's a bit of a ramble--so please be patient as I try to make sense of it all.

One of the first things that made me enjoy this novel is the small town feel of it. Many times you read about people from small towns want to run from them (myself included) so it's always nice to see a novel series showing all of the wonderful things about living in a small town. Both books in this series have really done a good job of portraying the small town as utterly charming. Meet Me on Love Lane charmed me maybe even more because it does confront that prejudice against small towns and showed me how wonderful it might be to live in one. 

I also really enjoyed that this book was focused on Henry's story via Charlotte. Their friendship and courtship was sweet and heartbreaking and I loved how honest it was. Along those lines, I enjoyed getting more time with Cooper, Emma, and Nick and can't help but hope that Parker comes back to play in the third book. 

If all of these things weren't enough to make me fly through the pages, the overall warmth and humor definitely were. The sense of family with Charlotte's dad and Gigi and how all of their neighbors and friends were so welcoming and wonderful was sweet without being sappy. 

If you're looking a small town romance filled with humor and love, this will be a perfect fit for you.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2LIPAnj

Synopsis:

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of On the Corner of Love and Hate comes a romantic comedy about a woman who grudgingly returns home to small-town Pennsylvania, only to find herself falling in love—not only with the town, but with two of its citizens.

Charlotte Bishop is out of options in New York City. Fired, broke, and blacklisted by her former boss, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Hope Lake, PA to lick her wounds. Although she’s expecting to find a miserable place with nothing to do, she is pleasantly surprised to discover it is bustling and thriving.

She’s only supposed to be in Hope Lake temporarily until she can earn enough money to move back to New York. She’s not supposed to reconnect with her childhood friends or her beloved grandmother. She’s not supposed to find her dream job running the local florist shop. And she’s definitely not supposed to fall for not one but two of Hope Lake’s golden boys: one the beloved high school English teacher, the other the charming town doctor.

With a heart torn between two men and two cities, what’s a girl to do?

A perfect blend of humor and heart, Meet Me on Love Lane is the second in a new series from USA TODAY bestselling author Nina Bocci that is sure to charm fans of Josie Silver and Sally Thorne.

Nina Bocci is a USA TODAY bestselling novelist who loves reading and writing about swoony, relatable heroes and smart, witty heroines. If it’s set in a small town, even better. You can always find her chatting on social media about her massive, crazy Italian family, and her favorite person in the world, her son.