Next to Die

Next to Die by Marliss Melton

Amazon.com Description:

“Penny Price dreads the sound of her ringing phone. She's convinced that the person barraging her with threatening calls is a man who got away with murder--her father's. Armed with evidence but branded a target, Penny's only salvation is the playboy next door--Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander Joe Montgomery. The sole survivor of the worst disaster in Special Forces history, Joe has been drowning his guilt in a potent mix of alcohol and isolation. Penny refuses to indulge his behavior and a tentative friendship begins, charged with desire. But as her father's killer sets his sights on Penny, all bets are off. The killer will do anything to protect his identity and Joe fears Penny is...NEXT TO DIE.”

My thoughts:

A good romantic suspense...I engaged with Penny. Her chemistry with Joe was pretty steamy. So...the plot was pretty ridiculous, but overall I enjoyed!

The Duke & I

The Duke & I by Julia Quinn

Amazon Description:

“Simon Basset, the irresistible Duke of Hastings, has hatched a plan to keep himself free from the town′s marriage-minded society mothers. He pretends to be engaged to the lovely Daphne Bridgerton. After all, it isn′t as if the brooding rogue has any real plans to marry - though there is something about the alluring Miss Bridgerton that sets Simon′s heart beating a bit faster. And as for Daphne, surely the clever debutante will attract some very worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable. But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, she soon forgets that their courtship is a complete sham. And now she has to do the impossible and keep herself from losing her heart and soul completely to the handsome hell-raiser who has sworn off marriage forever!”

My Thoughts:

Quinn provides an enjoyable escape with this one. Well developed characters, strong chemistry and a bit of humor make this a good choice for the romance enthusiast.  

Lover Avenged

Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward

Book seven of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I still found it amazing. I love, love, love this series! This book told Rehvenge's story and I was emotionally reeled in, once again.

Book one is Dark Lover--if you like strongly emotional, slightly dark romantic-suspense you need to start this series immediately!

These books are seriously hampering my productivity...I need to take a sabbatical from work/life to read them all, preferably while sunning on a beach...

Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay

Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

Interesting title? Check! Promises of humorous Mommy tales? Check! Actual book? Blah.

I didn’t find much substance here. The author went over the top, trying to make every line funny. In the end I was terribly bored and not even a bit amused.

What Remains

What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship and Love by Carole Radziwill

 

This is a memoir of Carole Radziwill’s life and marriage, and the loss of her husband and his cousin. I found her account to be moving, at times (especially the very beginning), but overall lacking in true emotion.

 

Radziwill starts off with her childhood and grows into her relationship with Anthony Radziwill. She swiftly moves into getting to know his cousin—John Kennedy and his future wife Carolyn Bessette. At this point they seem to become the star characters. Anthony’s struggle with cancer takes a backseat to her own feelings about his disease and her feelings about John and Carolyn.

 

At one point in the book I was simply amazed at her lack of compassion. When Anthony loses his cousin John, while he is about to die himself, Radziwill is so stuck in her own selfishness that she does not even hold him as he sobs. That image was heartbreaking to me.

 

Another thing that really disappointed me: Radziwill mentions “tragedy whores” more than once in her book. And I ask the reader of this memoir--what does that make Radziwill herself? She marketed this book, capitalizing on her relationship with the Kennedys and her husband’s tragic death. She made appearances on Oprah and 20/20…and now she is on reality TV (a real “housewife” ha!). Hmmmmm….who is a tragedy whore?

 

I cannot imagine taking the private struggles of a strong man like Anthony and using that, along with the tragedy of his cousin’s death, to make myself famous. It makes me nauseous. He seems to have deserved so much more in a wife. In the book she dwells on the fact that his family never truly accepted her. I can only imagine why…

 

I felt strongly for Anthony, but just couldn’t engage with Carole Radziwill. 

The Book of Joe

The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper

I love Tropper’s style. I found this particular book to be witty and humorous, like his others.

Here is a quote I loved—“I’m troubled by the notion that while I wasn’t looking, I seem to have become an asshole. This leads to a brief, syllogistic argument. The fact that I suspect I’m an asshole means I probably am not, because a real asshole doesn’t think he’s an asshole, does he? Therefore, by realizing that I’m an asshole, I am in fact negating that very realization, am I not? Descarte’s Asshole Axiom: I think I am; therefore I’m not one.”

Ha! Sarcastic friends…you will love Tropper.

Heaven is for Real

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo

Amazon Description:
“A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven. Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear. Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.”

My Thoughts:
A light, thought provoking read. I found this story to be, in parts, very heartwarming. Did I buy into everything this Father writes…no…but I still enjoyed the read.

Velvet Angel

Velvet Angel by Jude Devereaux

Another book in the Montgomery series. You know, I don’t have a lot to say today. This book is a lot of fluff. But sometimes I like fluff!  

On that note...today is Valentine's Day and that has me thinking about why I love stories about love. I'm not 100% sure I can answer that question with absolute certainty. Are romance novels realistic...definitely not. But the fantasy of having someone love you completely and unconditionally is one that I can't let go of. Love stories make me feel hopeful and warm. I don't think I will ever give them up!