It’s cocktail time! And this time, I’ve mutated one of my favorite drinks into something dark and sharp. Which is perfect for the release of Megan Erickson’s Zero Hour. Let’s get into it, as I’m hopped up on sugar from devouring an entire box of Girl Scout cookies for breakfast, and then making a cocktail at 11am. Zero Hour is a romantic suspense novel and the first book in a brand new series. It was … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: Firewall
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole is $2.99! Simply put, GET THIS BOOK. It’s a Kindle Daily Deal and is being price-matched. It was our book club selection for April and Sarah completely loved it:
First, yes, you should absolutely read this book immediately, if you haven’t already. There is so much happening in the conflict within each of the protagonists, between the protagonists, and around them and their allies and enemies, I can’t possibly discuss all of it, but please know: if you are a reader (and why else would you be here, right?) this book is a marvelous, intelligent, respectful, breathtaking treat for your brain.
Updated March 2018: Since this review was posted, allegations have been made about Santino Hassell specifically about abuse, manipulation, and the hiding or concealing of the actual identity of the author of the books published under that name. You can read a complete summary of everything at The Salt Miner’s three part series: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three. This guest review as part of the RITA Reader Challenge project, was written and posted more … Continue reading Fast Connection by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell
Strong Signal by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell is 99c! This is the first book in the M/M Cyberlove series and the second book, Fast Connection, is currently nominated for a RITA award. Readers really loved the chemistry between the two heroes, but some found bits of the conflict and drama were unnecessary.
Updated March 2018: Since this review was posted, allegations have been made about Santino Hassell specifically about abuse, manipulation, and the hiding or concealing of the actual identity of the author of the books published under that name. You can read a complete summary of everything at The Salt Miner’s three part series: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three. This guest review as part of the RITA Reader Challenge project, was written and posted more … Continue reading Fast Connection by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell
BOOK CLUB PICK: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han is $2.99! This is a YA romance and is our first pick for the book club’s triumphant return! In it, all of the heroine’s crushes find out about her feelings all at once when her secret letters accidentally get mailed out. We’re pretty excited to read this one and discuss it later this month.
RECOMMENDED: Need Me by Tessa Bailey is 99c! This is the second book in Bailey’s Broke & Beautiful series, which revolves around a group of friends living in New York City. Three women and three men. Naturally, they all get paired off together and I’ve loved all three books in this series. If you’re interested in binge reading all three books (and I highly recommend you do so), all three are available for less than $5. This particular one features a student/teacher relationship, though the student pursues the teacher in this case. There is also a slight age difference and class difference. The hero is from a privileged family and the heroine is from a poor Southern town. This is what I said of it on Goodreads:
I’m really torn whether I liked this book better than the first one, but I will say that Tessa Bailey writes some of the best dialogue and sexiest foreplay talk I have read in a while. With great pacing, Need Me never keeps Honey and Ben in a comfortable place for long, which I appreciate. For me, I prefer my romance where the actual romance and HEA is the payoff.
I did have reservations with the references to Lolita. Ben is an English professor, so it’s natural for him to make literary references; I just didn’t think that one was the smartest choice. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lolita and it’s, hands down, one of my favorite titles; however I don’t associate it with anything romantic. Or rather, I don’t want to.
Wild Child by Molly O’Keefe is $2.99 right now. This is a contemporary romance, and the first book in the Boys of Bishop series. It has a 3.6-star average, but I really liked this review from Michelle:
Ignore the cover. The cover is miles away from what this book actually is, which is fucking BRILLIANT. Not that it isn’t sexy. It is. O’Keefe writes some seriously hot sex scenes. But the thing about this book is that she just claws her way right through the usual shallow, barely realized romance tropes to the stripped down core of her characters, and then she digs some more. She reaches in and digs around and pulls out great bloody handfuls of REAL.
RECOMMENDED: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker is $2.99! This is a fantasy historical and reader favorite. Carrie S. reviewed this book in June 2013 and really liked it. She says doesn’t have romance as its primary plot, but it’s a beautiful read:
I loved this book, but not so much for the love story. I loved the mythologies, the settings, and the characters. The neighborhoods were incredibly detailed and vivid and interesting. The cultural and religious communities felt real and fascinating. I love books that let me see into another world, and this book gave me that feeling many times. The characters were all mesmerizing. I felt like I was in each setting, meeting these real people.
