It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #255

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

Two amazing novels!

What I am currently reading:

Haven't actually been able to start this but I know it's going to be good!

What I hope to read this week:

Hoping I can get to this whole series this week!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Moving Target by Lynette Eason

About the Book
When Maddy McKay and Quinn Holcombe don't show up for Quinn's surprise birthday party, his friends know that something is very wrong. Their search turns up little beyond evidence that Quinn and Maddy just decided to take off for a long overdue vacation. But it soon becomes apparent that they did not leave of their own accord.
Maddy awakens in a cement room with no idea where she is. But it's not long before she realizes she's in the clutches of a madman exacting revenge by hunting. His prey of choice? Humans. Now Maddy and Quinn must run for their lives, hoping to find their killer before the next game begins. Because if they don't win this game, they die.
Fast, furious, and flirty, Lynette Eason's relentless suspense barely gives her readers time to catch their breath in this third thrilling installment of the Elite Guardians series.

My Thoughts
As is typically the case with Lynette Eason's writing, this book sucked me in from the very start!
It was such a unique plot, a serial killer who kidnaps his victims and then releases them on a death trap filled island. In my opinion that part should have lasted longer than it did but regardless this book had me on the edge of my seat. The race to figure out who "The Chosen One" was and stop him before it was to late and solving the other mysteries presented kept me turning pages.
We got to meet Quinn and Maddy in the previous books, though I felt I knew Quinn better, and it was nice to finally get their story. They were both fabulous characters and I admired their determination to see the case through to the end. They were a great match for each other, a fact that took someone longer to figure out than everyone else!
In short this was a fast paced novel I found hard to put down and I loved it!

Meet the Author
Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason has written/contracted thirty-six books since 2007. She writes for Harlequin's Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists. Lynette has been teaching for more than ten years and is very happy to make the transition from teaching school to teaching writing whenever the opportunity presents. She is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Friday Memes 2/24

Hosted by: Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

The Question:

How do you feel about books with multiple narrators?

My Answer:

Depends on the book and the author. It can work or it can be too crazy to keep track of.

Hosted by: Rose City Reader

"Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name."

Inhaling a steadying breath of the steamy August Baltimore air, Avery Tate paused a moment, clutching the metal door handle. This was it. Her first return to the Baltimore art scene since she'd been ostracized over a year ago.
Still Life by Dani Pettrey  

My Thoughts
 Vivid beginning.

Top Ten Books I Liked Less Than I Thought I Would

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Silence in the Dark by Patricia Bradley
I really enjoyed the first few books in this series but this last one just fell a little bit short.

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson
After her long hiatus from writing I was really hoping she'd come back swinging with books as good as her O'Malley series. Sadly I had to force myself to finish this one and couldn't even get through one of her following books.

Bittersweet by Cathy Marie Hake
I adored this author's first book (and many others of hers) but this one just wasn't quite as good. I still enjoyed it though.

Catch a Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt
I heard a lot of good this about this author after her debut but I just really didn't enjoy this book much at all.

Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter
I didn't hate this one but I also didn't love it as much as her others.

Together With You by Victoria Bylin
Loved this author's debut but her sophomore novel just wasn't for me.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
A classic that I just didn't like despite expecting too based on the hype.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Decided to read this when they made the movie but I really didn't like it that much

If the Shoe Fits by Sandra D. Bricker
This one sounded really cute and I was excited to read it but it was meh.


Sing by Lisa T. Bergren
I love this author (at least the books I've read) though this was probably my least favorite.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #254

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

Didn't get to finish anything this week. I was going pretty much non-stop, working all day and babysitting almost every night. And a friend was in all weekend so I spent the weekend hanging out with her and my fam!

What I am currently reading:

This one has me hooked! Hoping to finish it soon!

What I hope to read this week:

So excited to reading this one!!!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Rescue Me by Susan May Warren

About the Book
When Deputy Sam Brooks commits to something, nothing can sway him--not just on the job as liaison between the Mercy Falls sheriff's department and PEAK Rescue, but in his private life. He's the one who stuck around to take care of his mother after his father's accidental death. And he's the one--perhaps the only one--who believes Sierra Rose is the perfect girl for him. Safe, practical, and organized, she's nothing like her hippie, impulsive, bleeding heart sister, Willow.
Willow, however, has been in love with Sam Brooks for as long as she can remember. But she wants her sister to have a happy ending. Besides, Willow has other things to focus on--namely, nabbing the job as youth pastor for her small-town church. Best thing for her to do is to purge Sam from her heart.
Neither can predict the events that will bring them together in a fight for their lives in the forbidding wilderness of Glacier National Park. Stranded, injured, and with the winter weather closing in, Sam and Willow will have to work together to save a crew of terrified teenagers. As they fight to survive, they might just discover a new hope for love.

My Thoughts
I devoured this book! I had to put it down a lot due to a busy schedule but I was constantly thinking about it and desperate for the chance to read some more!
We got to meet both Willow and Sam in the previous book and I loved both of their characters! I just knew they'd be awesome together and I couldn't wait to watch them figure that out too! At first glance they seem as different as different can be, but that turns out to be a good thing and is what makes them so perfect for each other! Sam is the steady constant for her, and Willow is just what he needs to learn to live a little. They both had a lot of hurt and pain in their past it was cool to watch them work through it all to the healing that only God can bring.
The craziness of their "adventure" trying to get back home had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, waiting with baited breath to see if everyone would make it through the next obstacle that the wilderness threw at them.
I loved catching up with the other PEAK team members and I really enjoyed the side story of Pete and Jess! I really hope that we get more of it in the next book!

Meet the Author
Susan May Warren is the ECPA and CBA bestselling author of over fifty novels, including Wild Montana Skies, with more than one million books sold. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, romantic comedy, and novellas. She can be found online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook at SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @susanmaywarren.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #253

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished in the last two weeks:

All three of these were amazing! Couldn't put them down!

What I am currently reading:

I've only read the first chapter but it has me hooked!

What I hope to read this week:

So excited to read this one!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Friday Memes 2/10

Hosted by: Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

The Question:

What is your favorite Valentine's Day read?

My Answer:

Really any good love story is good to read on Valentine's Day!

Hosted by: Rose City Reader

"Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name."

Sam wouldn't lose another kid on his watch.
If the homecoming queen was out here, he intended to find her. Even if he had to trek through the entire western edge of Glacier National Park, beat every bush, climb every peak.
Rescue Me by Susan May Warren

My Thoughts
I like how this gives you a glimpse of the hero that Sam is, the one who will do what it takes to keep everyone safe.

An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter

About the Book
Life for Lady Adelaide Bell was easier if she hid in her older sister's shadow--which worked until her sister got married. Even with the pressure of her socially ambitious mother, the last thing she expected was a marriage of convenience to save her previously spotless reputation.
Lord Trent Hawthorne couldn't be happier that he is not the duke in the family. He's free to manage his small estate and take his time discovering the life he wants to lead, which includes grand plans of wooing and falling in love with the woman of his choice. When he finds himself honor bound to marry a woman he doesn't know, his dream of a marriage like his parents' seems lost forever.

Already starting their marriage on shaky ground, can Adelaide and Trent's relationship survive the pressures of London society?

My Thoughts
This book left me in a state of giddy happiness that was still there more than twenty-four hours after I read the last sentence.
I have always been a sucker for marriage of convenience stories and it has become my favorite plot line in romance novels. So when an author who I've come to absolutely love announced that her third book is going to feature a marriage of convenience, I was beyond excited and could not wait to get my hands on it! When my copy finally arrived it taunted me from my TBR pile as I read a couple books I HAD to finish for review. But the second I finished those I dove in and fell in love.
Trent was an entertaining character in the previous two books so I knew he was going to make a wonderful hero, and he absolutely did! It took him a bit to get used to the idea but once he had his "aha" moment he was committed. I loved his boyish charm and the deeper side of him that not many people got to see. His ideas and plans for wooing his wife may not have been conventional and they may have appeared downright crazy to some but they honestly made me melt a bit and I thought they were adorably romantic.
I don't believe we had ever met Adelaide before the opening pages of this novel but even if we had, it's not a surprise that I don't remember her, no one really does. Her mother cared only for making sure the eldest daughter married well and often seemed to forget that Adelaide even existed. It broke my heart in some ways imagining her growing up without feeling like her mother even cared about her but at the same time the fact that she wasn't heavily influenced by the woman probably is what let her become the kind caring person she is instead of having the conniving shrew-like tendencies of her mother and sister. I loved the way that she tried to make the best of the situation she found herself in and it was amazing to see her blossom away from her family and learn who she really was.
Both Trent and Adelaide had some quirks that others may find annoying but I loved how they saw them as endearing. Honestly they were just absolutely adorable as a couple!
It was great fun catching up with the rest of the Hawthorne family and their spouses. I loved the way they welcomed Adelaide and immediately treated her as family. Griffith was especially entertaining in this book and I can't wait to see what happens in his book!
Also, I laughed so much during this book! I wasn't expecting it to be as amusing as it was but the humor was woven in so naturally and I loved it!
I can't recommend this series enough (but make sure you read them in order including the prequel novella) and I hope you all get to enjoy the Hawthornes soon!

Meet the Author
Kristi Ann Hunter graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Computer Science but always knew she wanted to write. In addition to several pre-published contests, Kristi is a Rita award winner and has also been a finalist in the INSPY, Christy, and GRW Maggie Award of Excellence. She lives with her husband and three children in Georgia. Find her online at www.kristiannhunter.com.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green

About the Book
After being imprisoned and branded for the death of her client, twenty-five-year-old midwife Julianne Chevalier trades her life sentence for exile to the fledgling 1720s French colony of Louisiana, where she hopes to be reunited with her brother, serving there as a soldier. To make the journey, though, women must be married, and Julianne is forced to wed a fellow convict.
When they arrive in New Orleans, there is no news of Benjamin, Julianne's brother, and searching for answers proves dangerous. What is behind the mystery, and does military officer Marc-Paul Girard know more than he is letting on?

With her dreams of a new life shattered, Julianne must find her way in this dangerous, rugged land, despite never being able to escape the king's mark on her shoulder that brands her a criminal beyond redemption.

My Thoughts
To be honest when I picked this book up, I had pretty forgotten what it was even about, I just knew I liked the author. Reading the back cover reminded me of why I'd been intrigued by this story beyond just the name on the cover, and I dove in.
This story was so beautifully rich! Historical details woven in to the very fabric of the pages made you feel like you were in 18th century Louisiana right along with the Julianne and Marc-Paul. And the emotions were written so well that it seemed I was experiencing them myself; devastation, loss, heartbreak, fear, hope, love, grace, forgiveness, and others. It took my breath away at times.
Time would pass in the story, months and even years, but everything flowed beautifully onward.
Julianne amazed me, to suffer so much heartache and pain and still be able to stand strong and love well. And Marc-Paul was hard not to like, at first he appeared a rigid rule-follower, but as we got to know him and as he learned to follow the law of grace, he showed himself a man to be admired. Neither of them had an easy road but together they found love and grace, from each other and, more importantly, from the One who is love and who gives us grace far beyond what we deserve!

I absolutely recommend this book, every word was beautifully crafted and I abhorred putting it down! Even after I finished the book I found myself longing to go read more only to remember that it was over.

Meet the Author
Jocelyn Green is a former journalist who puts her investigative skills to work in writing both nonfiction and historical fiction to inspire faith and courage.
Her books have finaled in the Christy Awards and Inspirational Readers Choice Awards, and have won gold from the Military Writers Society of America and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.
Complex and nuanced characters, rich historical detail and twisting plots make her novels immersive experiences. Her fiction has been praised by Historical Novel Society, Romantic Times, Library Journal, historians specializing in her novels’ time periods, as well as popular and acclaimed authors Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Jody Hedlund, Sarah Sundin, Joanne Bischof, Julie Lessman, and more.
Jocelyn loves Broadway musicals, the color red, Toblerone chocolate bars, Mexican food, and well-done documentaries. She lives in Iowa with her husband, two children, and two cats she should have named Catticus Finch and Purrman Meowville.

Visit her at jocelyngreen.com, and receive a free gift when joining her e-newsletter mailing list at jocelyngreen.com/subscribe.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.