King of the Badgers

King of the Badgers by Philip Hensher

My rating (out of 5 stars):

2 stars—It was okay.

My Thoughts:

I wanted to like this one. I was very engrossed from the first page and in the missing child plot but then Hensher lost me in the mass shuffle of people. The plot kept shifting, there were so many people that was confused about what was happening.

With more focus on the central plot and less sidetracks I would have really enjoyed this one.

Description from Goodreads.com:

“Here, Philip Hensher brings us the peaceful civility and spiralling paranoia of the small English town of Hanmouth. Usually a quiet and undisturbed place situated on an estuary, Hanmouth becomes the centre of national attention when an eight-year-old girl vanishes.”

Not Another Bad Date

Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

My rating (out of 5 stars):

3 stars—I liked it.

My Thoughts:

This was the last in a series about writer friends. I liked them all, but didn’t love them. They are very fluffy/vanilla romances.

Description from Goodreads.com:

“WHAT DOES A GAL HAVE TO DO TO GET A GOOD DATE IN THIS TOWN?


Adele Harris can't even begin to answer that question. She's had so many lousy dates that she's sure she's cursed. Why else would every man she goes out with suddenly act like he's lost his mind--and his manners? Adele thought life couldn't get any more confusing . . . until she learns the marriage of her seemingly Miss Perfect sister is on the rocks. So she goes back to their hometown to give her a shoulder to cry on, only to run smack into Zach Zemaitis . . . the one who got away.

TEXANS LOVE GOD, FAMILY, AND FOOTBALL, THOUGH NOT ALWAYS IN THAT ORDER


Zach, a former pro star, knows all about football. As for the other two, well, he's doing his best. But when Adele comes charging back into his life--still all lush curves and beautiful, big blue eyes--he wonders if his best is good enough. After all, he did her wrong. Can a woman with her track record ever really believe that he's serious this time . . . or is he destined to be another bad date?”

Monday Recommendations

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. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
2. Van Gogh: The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith
3. The China Study by Colin Campbell
4. The Paris Wife  by Paula McLain
5. Ashes to Ashes  by Tami Hoag
6. Hoda by Hoda Kotb
7. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie
8. The 10 Greatest Gifts I Give My Children by Steven Vannoy
9. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
10. The Bride Collector  by Ted Dekker

You Make Me

You Make Me by Erin McCarthy

My rating (out of 5 stars):

3 stars—I liked it.

My thoughts:


This was a decent read, not too deep, but not too superficial. I liked McCarthy’s style. The biggest issue I had was that Cat is such a bratty character. I’m really not sure why anyone would want to date her!!

Description Goodreads.com

“The guy she wants…

Growing up on the coast of Maine with a revolving door of foster siblings, Caitlyn Michaud spent one intense and passionate year falling in love with her foster brother, Heath. Then he left without a word. The betrayal devastated Caitlyn and made her vow to forget the compelling bad boy. But forgetting his sensual touch and their deep all-consuming friendship is easier said than done.

Isn’t the guy she needs…

Determined to move on, in college Caitlyn has risen above her small town impoverished roots and has joined a sorority, reinvented her appearance, and landed the right boyfriend. Pre-law major and frat president, Ethan, is thoughtful and always laughing, and he makes her feel happy, calm. He also gives her the social acceptance she craves.

But the perfect world she tried so hard to attain is ripped apart when Heath appears one night out of nowhere. Caitlyn remembers all the reasons why she loves him, even if they don’t make sense to anyone but her. Out of the military, Heath is as brooding and intense as ever, and he is determined not only to win her back, but to exact revenge on everyone who kept him from her…

And when one love allows her to breathe, but the other feels as essential to her life as air, how does she choose between them?”

After Midnight

After Midnight by Sarah Grimm

My rating (out of 5 stars):

1 star—I didn’t like it.

My thoughts:

I really wanted to like this one. I liked the author’s voice and I felt some promise at the beginning. But Isabeau is a really pathetic character. And it also takes way too long to get into the relationship. There were so many pointless scenes.

By the end I didn’t care about any of the characters or what happened to them. However, I did see a lot of 5 star ratings, so maybe it was just me!

Description Goodreads.com:

“Thirteen years — that's how long Isabeau Montgomery has been living a lie. After an automobile accident took her mother's life, Izzy hid herself away, surviving the only way she knew how. Now she is happy in her carefully reconstructed life. That is until he walks through the door of her bar...

Black Phoenix singer/front man Noah Clark came to Long Island City with a goal — one that doesn't include an instant, electric attraction to the dark-haired beauty behind the bar. Coaxing her into his bed won't be easy, but he can't get her pale, haunted eyes nor her skill on the piano out of his head.

Can Noah help Isabeau overcome the past? Or will her need to protect her secret force her back into hiding and destroy their chance at happiness?”