Happy Monday!

Monday Recommendation List

Random list of 10 books Monday! I have read and enjoyed each of these enough to flag for a potential personal library purchase.

Be bold and just choose randomly, stick to your normal genre...or step outside of your normal reading zone and try something you usually wouldn’t. You can look up the descriptions at Amazon.com, or search my blog for old posts by entering the title in the little search box in the top left-hand corner and clicking the magnifying glass.

This week-- 10 recommendations (in no particular order):

1. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
2. Don’t Know Much About the Bible by Kenneth Davis
3. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
5. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
6. The Hathaway Series (Starts with Mine Til Midnight) by Lisa Kleypas
7. Forbidden by Elizabeth Lowell
8. A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer
9. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
10. On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Down London Road

Down London Road by Samantha Young

My rating:

4 stars—I really liked it.

My Thoughts:

This was the follow-up book to “On Dublin Street.” This was Jo’s story. I like Young’s writing style—a blend of complex characters, humor and steaminess. Jo was a bit hard to like, but overall I enjoyed the relationship. Very passionate with a little drama thrown in!

I think I liked “On Dublin Street” a little better. I would recommend both though!

Description from Goodreads.com:

“It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets... even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.”

On Dublin Street

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

My rating (out of 5 stars):

4 stars—I really liked it.

My Thoughts:

I found another author to follow! This book was humorous and also seriously steamy! I found myself invested in all the characters and am excited to read the next story.

This is the type of series I enjoy. You don’t have to read all the books, as each one follows a different character, and there are no cliffhangers!!

Description from Goodreads.com:

“Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare…

Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.

Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.

But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won’t be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her… down to the very soul.”