"A Book Based on a True Story" 2015 Challenge; WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller

I’m giving you full disclosure here.  I went online and found a list of books that were “based on a true story.” I looked through them all, and found one that sounded good.  It was about a girl ripped from her family only to grow up not knowing who she truly was.  Intriguing, right?  Believe me, it was.  However, when I went to find the story that it was based from, there was nothing.  That’s when I found out that the book I had already read all the way through was NOT based off a true story, but in fact was about a topic that was so lifelike that it COULD happen.  Here’s the question… Do I count this book? I am… for now.  If by some grace of God I get done with the reading challenge early, I’ll squeeze another book in there.  Until then, here is my review of “A book based on a true story, but not quite a true story.”

 

WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller
 

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from Laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.
 

MY REVIEW

4.5 out of 5 *Stars*

 

“Sponges are better than flowers.”

What a heartfelt sentiment that our hunky Greek, Alex, had.  You know, since sea sponged are already dead so you don’t have to worry about them dying.  Unusual, but if you think about it, it does make a little sense.  That was just Alex – the suave young man that could charm the panties off of almost any person, man or woman. 

As much as anyone liked to read about the heartthrob, he wasn’t the main focus of the story.  Callie, a teenage girl, was taken from her father and big Greek family at a young age.  When she was finally back, everything was new to her.  She had forgotten everything.  It was heartbreaking when a person would reveal something that should have been common knowledge for her. Such as the moment she found out what her full name was.  Then there was when she met close family members that were nothing more than strangers, even her own grandmother. 

“Georgia stands back to look at me – her hands clutching my shoulders – and I see my face in her wrinkles, my eyes behind her red-rimmed glasses.  It’s strange to go your whole life thinking your DNA is all your own, and then see yourself in someone else.”

This was a very compelling story.  It was heartfelt and warm.  A definite tear-jerker.  You wanted her mom to pay, you wanted her dad to feel loved, and you just wanted everything to fall into place perfectly without any hiccups.  Yes, I know it was wishful thinking, but it didn’t hurt to hope.  I wasn’t a huge fan of how it ended, but it didn’t change the fact that I had a genuinely good time reading this book.   

This story felt so real.  Whether it be cute little Tucker snapping green beans and “pretending they are puny humans and he is the Incredible Hulk,” the silly drama of teenagers, and even the frustration of getting a lame fortune in a cookie.   

“You have the power to write your own fortune.”

Now if that cookie wasn’t just slacking off…

I am glad that I chose this book for “A book based on a true story,” even if there was no exact “true story.”  It wasn’t something I probably would have read without this challenge. Yes of course, I recommend this book.  Don’t forget to thank me once you’ve read it. ;)  Till next time…

 

26 books down, 26 more to go!

Happy Reading, Everyone!!   

PERFECT TIMING by authors Julie Kenner, Nancy Warren, and Jo Leigh

You know.  Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a mushy, make you feel good book, but it still has to be a little more risqué than one written by Nicolas Sparks. (Nothing against Sparks.  His books make great movies, but the majority of the time his books are a little too tame for me.) When I hit that mushy mood, I sometimes pick up a romance book that consists of three or four short stories.  They’re always predictable, and never fail to give me what I need.  This one was no exception.

 

PERFECT TIMING

        by authors Julie Kenner, Nancy Warren, and Jo Leigh

 

 BOOK DESCRIPTION

For three women, the right time to find passion is BEFORE their time.

 

This time-travel romance anthology contains stories by three bestselling authors which introduce three women who discover the right time to find passion is before their time.

200 Years Ago?  PISTOLS AT DAWN by Nancy Warren

After breaking off her engagement, Natalie Bowman, finds herself in the 1800s being auctioned off as a sex slave! She’s even more shocked when the highest bidder is Andrew Greenwood – the fiancé she dumped.

80 Years Ago?  THOSE WERE THE DAYS by Julie Kenner

Uptight Sylvia Preston is terrified when she time travels to a twenties party.  But when Tucker Green gets her dirty dancing, Sylvia wants to see just how uninhibited she can be – in bed with Tucker.

60 Years Ago?  TIME AFTER TIME by Jo Leigh

When history student Betty Kroger is transported to WWII, it feels right – and even more right to show sailor John Stevens what sex is like twenty-first century style!

 

MY REVIEW

4 out of 5 *Stars*

 

Three stories, all based on finding love in a different time period. The idea drew me in.  It was like a historical romance, but not. The details were so precise in all three stories, that I had no problem getting drawn into any of them.

The first story was Those Were the Days where Sylvia went to the twenties.  It was great.  It was fun. There was an immediate chemistry between the two main characters.  Well, obviously there had to be since it was a short story, but I think this is the only story I’ve read where the connection was formed while one was unconscious.  It didn’t matter.  The dialog was sweet, the storyline had an intriguing plot… It was just an overall cute short story.    

“If you could be one of the actresses.  A new life on film, I mean.  What would you be?”

Her brow furrowed as she pondered the question.  “A fairy-tale princess, I think.  After all, she always gets the happy ending.”

 

“You deserve a happy ending,” he said, taking her hand again.

“How about you?” she asked.  “What would you be?”

“Ah, that’s easy,” he said without taking his eyes off her. “I’d be the frog.”

 

The second story in the book, Pistols at Dawn, was just okay.  Yes, it had a duel and a romance, and a good sex scene, but I couldn’t get drawn into it the same way I did the first and third story.  I did enjoy the fact that both the man and the woman got sent back in time, but both characters were a little too dry for my taste.

Which leads me to the last, and my favorite story of the three, Time After Time.  This story was utterly remarkable, and I didn’t want it to end.  I would have loved it, if this story was a full length novel.  I actually felt myself tearing up towards the end.  The amount of emotion it brought forth was incredible. Maybe it was because throughout the history stories, similar romance tales have been told.

“This is what we fought for. Right here, right now. This is victory.”

It was as if I had stepped through the pages and entered New York in the 40’s. You could practically feel the devastation and fear coming from John, and the elation and sorrow coming from Betty.  It had a great story line, and I LOVED how everything tied together throughout the story.  This is a story that I’m not soon going to forget. 

“I know.” she said.  “I’ll never forget you. Not in a million lifetimes.”

For the book in a whole, I really enjoyed how they were all tied together.  It wasn’t just a common storyline, but, believe it or not, the same traveling sex exhibit came to each female’s city.  

“She jumped as someone coughed behind her.  Her cheeks heated as if she’d been caught looking at dirty pictures, which, of course, she had.” 

A little bit of Bippitie, and a little bit more Boppitie Boo, and they were each sent to different time periods, but each by the same person.  It made it to one cohesive book and not just three short stories. 

So here I am, typing this review, and remembering the excellent last story, and thinking “5 Star! Give it a 5 Star!”  That could also be the Celine Dion that just started playing as well.  However, I am sticking to my guns on this one.  If it were just the last story, it would be a 5, hands down, but it wasn’t.  Taking everything into consideration, I’m keeping the original rating, but I would definitely recommend the book for light and heartfelt reading.  Till next time…

Happy Reading!

A Book Based On or Turned Into A TV series” 2015 Challenge; DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER by Jeff Lindsay

As some of you know, I was going to read A Game of Thrones as my “book based on or turned into a TV series”.  However, that book and I had to part ways.  I didn’t read through it fast enough, it was racking up late fees at the library, and I was pretty sure the same thing would happen if I checked it out again.  Therefore, I decided to look again.  That’s when I found this one.  Dexter was always a series I was curious about.  I even had it saved on my Netflix que, but was waiting till the right moment to start the series. What better way to introduce myself to it than to read its book?

 

DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER by Jeff Lindsay

Book 1 in the Dexter Series

 

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

 

Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep's clothing. He's handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He's a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people. And his job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened -- of himself or some other fiend.

 

 

 

MY REVIEW

4 out of 5 *Stars*

 

Dexter, Dexter, oh my Dexter!

I must say, this is a whole different experience from the traditional murder mystery.  Never before have I rooted for a serial killer, until now.  Dexter always claimed that he had no emotions, resulting in giving him an airy persona.  Well of course, that was until he killed someone.  Then, it was always about precision… business.  He knew who he was and what he was, and didn’t care.  Half the time that made his thoughts more funny than scary.  Or even thoughts that with anybody else it would be nothing, such as thoughts when his newspaper was late.   

“Really now. If you can’t get me my paper in time, how can you expect me to refrain from killing people?”

I had to laugh at that, because literally nothing refrained him from killing people.  And in this weird and twisted way, it became funny.    

Then a new killer comes to town, and Dexter loves it.  All he wanted to do was play, but the rules of Harry (only kill people that deserve it) and his normal-person disguise prevented him from doing so.  That was until Dexter started to have dreams that told him when another murder would happen and how it was done.  That was where it got a little weird.  This is not a paranormal book, so how can he be telepathically linked to someone else.  So that begged the question, could it really just be Dexter that was unknowingly killing all these people?

The story brought you in, and made you think one thing, but then it threw something at you that made you think in a totally new direction.  It kept you guessing the entire way, until the end.  Ultimately, that was why I read through it so quickly.  I HATE unanswered puzzles, and that’s what this was to me. 

The issue that I had with the book was the characters.  It was as if the only character with any type of personality was Dexter.  Yes, being the main character, you have to have a strong personality, but you also need sub-characters with something deeper than what you find on the surface.  With that being said, it’s inevitable that the book would feel like a one-man show.  That would be true, except for the fact that Dexter repeatedly hat conversations with himself in his head.  Here’s just a couple…  

“I stumbled and fell flat-faced onto the hard rocky ground. I rose to my knees, mouth dry heart pounding, and paused to finger a rip in my beautiful Dacron bowling shirt. I pushed my fingertip through the hole and wiggled it at myself.  Hello, Dexter, where are you going? Hello, Mr. Finger, I don’t know.”  

“I collapsed onto the seat, clutching Barbie in my sweaty hands.  I turned her over. I bent her legs. I waved her arms. And what did you do last night, Dexter? Oh, I played with my dolls while a friend chopped up my sister.”

Overall, like I said, it was different.  I had heard great reviews of the Showtime series, and thought, why the hell not try out the books?  Am I glad I read it? Yes, because now I know.  Am I going to continue reading the series?  I doubt it.  It’s not the genre that I normally read, and it wasn’t addicting enough to suck me in.

 

 

This is where I normally do my comparison. The show verses the book…

In a lot of the reviews that I saw, if the person watched the show first, they didn’t care for the book.  The same went for the other way around.  Once I finished the book, I watched Season 1, Episode 1 of the series. The first episode took you close to halfway through the first book, which was surprising.  The storyline stayed the same, but what was off-putting to me was Dexter’s inner dialog was practically verbatim with the book.  I will be the first to slam anything that goes too far away from their corresponding book, but when it’s exactly the same, it feels as if I’m just reading the book again for a second time.  I liked the book, but not enough to read it again.  However, I did only watched the first episode, so I can’t give an accurate opinion about the entire series.  There’s so many people out there that really enjoy the show, so for all I know it could change, but for me it was a little dull.

Anyway, that was my honest and forthright opinion.  Do you agree, disagree, don’t really care but still wanna say something sweet to me?  Comment below!

Till next time…

 

 25 books down, 27 more to go!

Happy Reading, Everyone!!   

 

HARMONY by Addison Jane

Holy Cow, it feels like forever and a day since I’ve been on here.  This summer has been crazy!  The kids are home for the summer.  Not only are they eating me out of house and home, but they’re also extremely loud all day long.  Plus, if I didn’t know for a fact that they loved each other, I would swear they were mortal enemies.  LOL 

Nah…  It’s been fun.  We’ve gotten to hang out so much more.  We even took a family vacation to South Dakota.  It was so beautiful there, and we had so much fun.

The beautiful Mount Rushmore!  I of course had to take a couple selfies, just me and my presidents. :)

Mount Rushmore Cave!  150 feet underground!!



Bear Country! This place had the largest collection of black bears.  They got so close to the car, I could have just rolled down my window and petted them.  No!  I'm not that crazy to actually do it.



Storybook Island! How can I not go to a place that has the title "Storybook" in it! This was a great place for the kids to play, and even I got to read over the shoulder of the Cat in the Hat! 



A book store I just had to go in that was inside Wall Drug.  It smelled like fresh cut wood and book pages.  It was great! Even if most of the books were about ranching and the country.

 

While I was gone, I started reading Darkly Dreaming Dexter for my Reading Challenge, but once we got home, I wanted something a bit… should I say... naughtier.  What better way than to go into my MC romance collection.  So, without further ado…

 

HARMONY by Addison Jane

The Club Girl Diaries: Book 1

 

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

 

Harmony makes no excuses for who she is or what she’s done. For the past few years she’s been living as a club girl for the Brothers by Blood MC. The club girls are there for a purpose - to cook, to clean and to keep the men happy. She respects the club, respects the men and she follows the rules. Watching the men walk in and out of her life is strangely comforting, and a feeling she’s grown accustomed to. With a history of disappointments and false promises, all she wants is to have fun, play music and finish college. Being associated with the club, she can do that without having to risk her heart. That was until he showed up.

When Kit's father stepped down as president, he took the title with pride. The Brothers by Blood MC is his family, his home. Deciding to celebrate his new title with his brothers from a neighboring chapter, the last thing he expected was to find Harmony - a club girl with all the makings of a perfect old lady. The stunning blonde is beautiful, strong and fiercely independent. Harmony refuses to lower the walls she’s created around her heart, but the fire inside her and her love for the club fuel his need to have her by his side, and on the back of his bike.

When Harmony’s safety is threatened, Kit is determined to do whatever it takes to protect her and prove that she can trust him. But after a lifetime of broken promises, will it be enough?

    

MY REVIEW

 3.5 out of 5 *Stars*

 

Do you realize how many reviews I have that say something about how I put off reading the book for one reason or another?  It feels as if I say that way too much.  Same went for this one.  I purchased a few different MC books and this was my last pick.  It got good reviews and sounded interesting, but I was a little iffy on how the whole “club girl” romance would play out.

After finally deciding to give it a chance, I found that I loved the whole new prospective.  I wanted a heart stopping romance, and I didn’t feel that a “club girl” could give me that.  However, this was a great story!  The romance was there, along with the suspense, drama, and of course the hot alpha males. 

Kit was great and was by far my favorite character.  He’s the rugged, throw a woman over a shoulder and carry her away type.  Give a little?  No way! He wanted it all!

“I don’t want to just possess her body.  I wanted her mind, her fucking soul and I was going to have it.”

He wasn’t too hard core but definitely not a softy either.  It was a perfect mix.

Then there’s Harmony.  She’s strong willed and independent, with this problem of somehow always getting attacked.  I mean it.  What was it about this girl that said, “Beat me up today”? She had a deep passion for music.  This part of her was emphasized SO much that at times I thought it pulled away from the storyline.  It was a little too repetitive to me.  However, it did make for a great comparison.

“That was what Kit had become, he was my song in the silence.” 

There’s something I just don’t get about this book though.  It could possibly be my inability to connect to Harmony, but there was something off here.  It started off compelling, and even had a good run at keeping me enthralled.  However, at the point where the love between the two characters should be almost tangible, there was nothing.  It said all the right things, and did all the right stuff, but I was somehow detached from the story.  It was as if all the emotion had been used up at the beginning and it sort of fizzled out in the middle. 

I do have to say, one thing going for this book, that sets it apart from any other, is the commentary.  Some of the things that came out of the characters mouths were definitely interesting and completely original.  It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I started to keep track of them. 

“Dude is crazy dipped in deranged.”

“I hope I can be in on that, I want a place in line to kick him in the nuts.”

and how can we forget…

“My gun was aimed at the slimy asshole who looked like he not only had a carrot up his ass, but possibly the whole damn vegetable garden.”

Classic…

Anyways, here’s my “overall”.  If you’re looking for a good book, this is definitely that.  However, if you’re looking for a powerful read that will stay with you for a while, I don’t think this one is up to the challenge. Like always, if you agree, disagree or have any questions, feel free to comment below.  Till next time…

 

Thanks for reading my thoughts and opinions.  Like I said, I’ve been super busy, but I have managed to get a few more books under my belt.  Stay tuned for their reviews and to see where a couple fit into my reading challenge. Talk to ya soon!    

“A book you can finish in a day” (cont.) 2015 Challenge; BRAVING THE ELEMENTS by K.F. Breene

PART 2

Like I said before, since I finished the previous novella in a day, I went on to read the second novella in the series as well.  **Just to be fair.**  Yes, I finished them both in a 24 hour time span.  Of course, I got nothing done around the house, burned dinner, and even had my whole body covered with the comforter at 2:30am so my husband didn’t wake up to the glow of my iPhone and see that I was still awake due to the fact that COULDN’T TEAR MY EYES AWAY FROM THE SCREEN.

BRAVING THE ELEMENTS by K.F. Breene

Novella 2 in the Darkness Series

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Sasha has always known she was different, but now she also knows that the shadow men she’s seen all her life, are real.

With a life goal of fitting in, Sasha hopes her strange abilities will finally make true friendship a possibility. Unfortunately, her magic doesn’t function like everyone else’s. What she thought would make her belong, sets her apart now more than ever.

Stefan, all but promised to a different woman, has tried to keep his mind on his duties instead of the irresistible and free-spirited human. But when she is threatened, he can’t keep his distance anymore. He realizes he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe, and more importantly, make her his.

Just when one thing clicks into place, another spirals out of control. Stefan’s clan isn’t the only group that would benefit from an extremely rare type of magic. And their enemies will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Braving the Elements is the second novella in K.F.Breene’s long awaited Darkness series. Sasha’s story is one of discovery, awareness, and understanding, and is jam packed with action, humor, sexual tension, and an overwhelming desire for final acceptance.

MY REVIEW

5 out of 5 *Stars*

Surprise! Surprise!

“Today was a good day to spill blood.”

This novella was just as entertaining and fun as the first.  The story is compelling with good chemistry between Sasha and Stefan.  It’s almost as if the pull between the two could be felt through the words.  Sasha is witty with some unique ways to describe her talents, such as her intuition… “My lower cheeks tingled.”  Then we have Stefan.  Ohhh… Stefan.  I’d say he’s pretty dream-worthy.  Gruff, abrupt, and commanding, but soft and welcoming around Sasha.

“Women often said he had a face like an angel, if that angel hadn’t shaved in a day and road a Harley.”

(Like I said… “dream-worthy”)

I loved to read along and see how the two complimented each other.   

At the same time that I was enjoying the connection between the two main characters, I was also laughing at the funnier than ever banter between Sasha and Charles once again. 

“Thank the gods you’re not a vindictive bitch.”

 

“That you know of.”

 

“Oh no, I’ve catalogued your bitch side. You’re an explosive, wild, unpredictable bitch, but if I avoid all the triggers, I’m good.”

~~~

“I hope you don’t plan to be grouchy.  I’ve had a bad couple of days, and I’m not in the mood for your sass.”

 

“My days haven’t been any better.”

“Yes, but I am the man, and men suffer more thoroughly than women. Everyone knows this.”

I don’t think I’ve enjoyed another character in a book as much as I’ve enjoyed reading Charles.  I could never guess what he was going to do or say next. 

“the Boss came barreling through in a battle rage.  Thought he’d kill me.  Then thought he’d kill whoever was with you.  Then thought he might kill you accidentally because you tried to save someone, all the while I hid in the bush like a bitch.” LOL

I don’t remember the last time that my favorite character was NOT the hero or heroine.  If only he were the “bad-boy” because apparently those are the only ones that take center stage of may daydreams.  Apparently, Jonas has that role for this series.

If it were just about story, or characters, or content, I would say to rush out there and get the book as quick as you can.  However, it’s not just about those.  Now it’s time to talk about price of the book compared to it’s size.  I know. I know.  I gripe all the time about spending more than $0.99 for a novella and saying that there is no way in hell that I’ll ever do it.  Now, here I am spending $2.99 on one.  You know it’s gotta be damn good if I’m doing it, but who am I kidding?  $2.99 is a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a novella, a continuing series novella at that!  I can’t in good conscience recommend this series for that reason.

What I can do is give you all the facts, and let you decide on your own.  Is it a good story?  Hell yes!  Is it a story worth reading?  Hell yes! Do I love this series so far?  Isn’t that obvious… Is it worth $2.99 per book, equaling a total of $20.93 for the entire series of 8 NOVELLAS?  I just don’t know.  It sounds extreme, but when taking in the size and putting the math together, it would equal close to $6.50 for one full length novel.  I’ve done worse than that on my favorite MC series.  Who knows maybe I’m just grasping at straws and finding something to justify spending another $2.99, because let’s be honest… I’m going to do it.  I’m hooked.  This series is like crack, or in my case chocolate, and I can’t get enough.  Till next time…

Hold the phone!! A wise woman last night informed me of something I wish I would have known a week ago.  There’s a box set! Books 1-4 for only $5.99.  That’s one hell of a savings!  I’ll even go one step further, because I love you all…  The Amazon link to the box set is below.

 

 

CLICK HERE

 

Still 24 books down, 28 more to go!

Happy Reading, Everyone!!