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R7: SS "Just One More Page" (1)
Week 1 Spot 4 Alternative D Title
BookDeadly Nightshade by Victor J. Banis
Page no 221
How it fits Title begins with D
Finished16th January 2016
Rating★★★
Review
Detective Tom Danzel is given a new murder to solve and a new partner to work with he is not too happy to be working with rookie cop Stanley Korski who is on the case as he is openly gay and the main suspect in the murder has been identified as a drag queen.
This was a decent story, I didn't love the writing style but the characters were likeable enough even if I wanted to punch Tom at times. The mystery wasn't bad but I had figured it out early. I will try the next in the series.
COMPLETION POSTWeek #1
Dietland
My Rating:★
Date Finished: 1/17
Final Thoughts: I hated this book. If I hadn't already chosen it for a couple challenges and paid the $4 for the audiobook I would have marked it DNF a long time ago. Plum started out an obese chick that was strung out on anti-depressants who was struggling with the decision whether or not to have weight loss surgery. She is convinced she will never live a "normal" life with a HEA unless she is super skinny. Every man she encounters is a bullying asshole. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Apparently wherever she lives there is not a single male specimen that knows how to be nice and polite. So in the beginning I wasn't exactly fond of Plum. I thought she needed to pull her head out of her ass but she wasn't completely awful. But then... "Jennifer" steps in. Once they enter the picture Plum becomes a complete bitch. I hated her after that. It was torture to get through the last bit of book. So the moral of the story is to accept and love yourself the way you are. Plum is fat. Live it, own it. But apparently that also means she has to give up on finding a man too? Because there is no way a man could fall in love with an overweight woman. Bullshit.
Wow great job everyone:) Krissy please make sure you include the date you finished the book. P.s. I'm so sorry you hated it :(
Mod
Krissy please make sure you include the date you finished the book. P.s. I'm so sorry you hated it :("
The title alone made me hate it
ThatEzi wrote: "Kayla wrote: "Wow great job everyone:) Krissy please make sure you include the date you finished the book. P.s. I'm so sorry you hated it :("
The title alone made me hate it"
I'm with you Ezi, and as a BIG BEAUTIFUL woman who HAS found a wonderful and loving man, I'm here to say that this book does indeed sound like BS to me... Diet is a 4-letter word, and there are others I find less offensive, including a few good old Anglo-Saxon words that most everyone find offensive!
Week 1
Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb
#4 in the In Death series
Pages - 294
Finished - Jan. 19, 2016
Rating - 4 stars
Review: these books are a little out of my comfort zone, I don't normally read romance or anything set in the future. But for some reason, I've really liked the first 4 in the series. In this particular installment, Eve and Roark are just wrapping up their honeymoon when they encounter a suicide. Eve does the initial report and then hands it off since it's not her district. But something about that case sticks with her and really bothers her. This is only exacerbated when she faces another suicide in her district and she catches the case. Pretty soon there's 4 suicides that don't make sense to her - they're people who don't seem like the suicidal type. So it's up to her to figure out how (and if) these cases are related and solve them. And she has 1 week to do so before she's booted off the case.
I enjoyed this one. The case was an interesting one to work with Eve. The writing was good. There was quite a bit of sex. And it was just a fun read. I'd definitely recommend it.
Week 1 Spot 4
The Cowgirl Ropes a Billionaire by Cora Seton
#4 in The Cowboys of Chance Creek
Pages: 329
Date Finished: January 19, 2016
Rating: ★★★★
Review
I fell in love with Cora Seton's book quite awhile ago and this book was again no exception. I loved how the main characters had a love/ hate relationship as they both battled personal issues. I also loved how they helped each other out when the other needed it. There was also so much personal growth for both character making them forget their past and look forward to their future. I can't wait for the next one :)
Summary from Goodreads
Bella Chatham will lose everything – her veterinary practice, her animal shelter, and even her home – if she can’t find another source of income, fast. So when her best friend signs her up for the hot new reality television show, Can You Beat a Billionaire, Bella accepts the challenge and hopes against hope she can win the ten million dollar prize. If she doesn’t, it’s bye-bye pet clinic and shelter, bye-bye Chance Creek, Montana, and hello to marriage to the billionaire for a year!
Evan Mortimer, billionaire, can’t believe he’s reduced to competing in a television contest to win a wife. Unfortunately, it’s the only foolproof way to secure his position as head of Mortimer Innovations. At least he’ll be able to dump his “spouse” at the end of the year. He has no intention of getting hitched for life.
Bella doesn’t expect her adversary to be handsome – or funny, or compassionate – but Evan’s all three, and he’s proving a tough competitor, too. When they end up sharing a tent – and a sleeping-bag – her body betrays her with a longing so deep it cuts her to the core. Still, this cowgirl must stay strong. If Evan uncovers her secret fears, he’ll use them to win the contest – and then he’ll own her for a year. She’ll be out of luck, out of cash, and stuck being Mrs. Mortimer until he kicks her to the curb. Too bad she can’t decide which is worse – winning the show and losing Evan forever, or losing the show and only being his temporary wife.
Evan can’t believe he’s falling for the one woman who doesn’t want him. This cowgirl’s not impressed by his money, his name, or his inability to sleep in a tent with her for an entire night, but every look and touch she gives him sends his desire through the roof. With a director determined to use his claustrophobia to make him look like a fool, and an adversary so sexy he can hardly see straight, he’ll need all his savvy to come out on top. Too bad he’s going to lose no matter how this show turns out. If he beats Bella, he’ll destroy the first woman he’s ever loved. If he doesn’t beat her, it’s bye-bye Mortimer Innovations.
Will either of them remember in time that it’s not who wins or who loses – it’s how they play the game that really counts?
Just sending out a friendly reminder that there is only 39 hours til we can roll again if all reviews are in :)
COMPLETION POSTWeek #1
Fire at Sunset by Lila Ashe(The Firefighters of Darling Bay Book 4)
Pages: 216
Date Finished: 1/16-16
Rating: ★★★
Review:
I liked this one. It was an easy, quick read. Bonnie was sweet, chatty and very good at her job. Caswell was strong, silent and very caring about his patients. I didn't like how Caswell kind of shamed Bonnie in public in front of friends and family.
Week 1 Spot 4
Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
#4 in Chicago Stars
Pages: 400
Finished:1/21/16
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Review
I loved this book. I like the style of this author and she never disappoints me. Her books are very romantic, well-written with a wonderful cast of characters. Rachel is a widow with a son of five years and a lot of debt and shame that her husband has left to her. Gabe has lost his wife and his son. Both have stopped believing in life and love. Will they be able to heal their hearts? This was a great read that left me turning the pages, eager to know what was going to happen next. The characters are lovable and very realistic and little Edward is an adorable child, the pride of every mother.
thanks everyone!!!! we are all in so we can roll at midnight. :)
Mod
*Captain K* don't forget to update post 47 with your team posts. Feel free to peak in the other teams to see how they did.
Absolutely... I'm getting ready for work and then sitting down to do that. Lol :)
Mod
Cool
Mod
Here are Week 1 Reviews "
Hi Kayla,
I know you are a newbie, and I am proud of you for stepping up to lead your team. However, none of your links are working. Not the Link in Post 66, nor the individual review links in the actual post on 47.
I have seen all the review so i know they are there :D
I will find a post on how to link posts for you sometime tomorrow. As we will need to correct your post!
Mod
Free Pass: see on Post 1
Okay Ezi :) I think I got it figured out. Lol I had a < instead of the = sign. Lol I'm so glad it was an easy fix :)
okay team I had a much better roll this tim. 6+6=12 putting us on spot 16you can read: standaline, 1st in series, 6th in series, 16th in series, or alternative of text item cup/mug.
great job ladies
SELECTION POSTWeek #2
Series Sequence: 1
My Choice: My Sister's Grave
Series Name: Tracy Crosswhite
Page #: 416
Selection PostWeek 2: Rolled a 12 = Spot 16
Criteria: standalone, 1st in series, 6th in series, 16th in series, or alternative of text item cup/mug.
Chosen: Standalone
Watch Over Me by Daniela SacerdotiPages: 258
Week 2 SelectionStandalone
Pages: 161
Date Finished:
Rating:
Review:
Mod
yes, it is fixed and it is just right. thank you Kayla :D
COMPLETION POSTWeek #2
Watch Over Me by Daniela Sacerdoti (standalone according to Goodreads but Glen Avich Book 1 on Amazon)Pages: 258
Date Finished: 1/22-16
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
Okay, so I am biased! I like reading books set in Scotland as I lived there for a few years. This was quite emotional about Eilidh who wanted children and tried for years but when she finally got pregnant she lost the baby early in the pregnancy.
The other MC, Jamie, doesn't think he can love again after his daughter's mother just upped and left them.
I don't always like when a book is written by several different characters POV but I think it worked here. I especially like Elizabeth's, Jamie's mother, POV which was a bit different.
I have a question/problem and I'd like an answer if someone can tell me, please. The book I picked to read this week is turning out to be a real slog. It's not holding together well, and as I am fighting trying to pass a kidney stone, I just don't have the patience and/or energy to try to figure it out right now. Is it possible to switch books? I have several others that would work for this week's challenge, and I am considering reading something different that is perhaps a lighter read (not nearly so convoluted). Is that allowed? If not, I will continue slogging thru this book, but it won't be easy or fun. And I prefer to enjoy my reading time.
Kay: Yes it is allowed. switch away as long as you have your review in then you're perfect :)
THANK YOU!!!!! Switching now... Post #74 has been changed to reflect new book choice.
COMPLETION POSTWeek #2
My Sister's Grave
My Rating: ★★★★
Series Sequence: Tracy Crosswhite #1
Date Finished: 1/22
Final Thoughts:
I really liked this book. I had a difficult time putting it down. At first the time jumps were confusing me since I was listening to the audiobook and didn't get any warning that a flashback was about to occur. Luckily I caught up and was able to keep it all straight. I thought I had the killer all figured out but I was wrong. But I love it when I'm wrong about an ending :)
Week 2 Spot 16
Book Lone by Rowan McBride
Page no 263
How it fits Standalone
Finished23rd January 2016
Rating★★
Review
Seth Anderson is a Maths professor and it takes a teaching trip to Washington DC and brings his boyfriend Pool Hall owner Rafe with him. Here Seth has to face the secret he has been keeping and running from his whole life.
I wanted to like this, but it was nothing new and I got so bored. I wanted to scream every time Seth used those short third person sentences. The characters were annoying, Dorian was a walking cliché and the rest not much better.
way to go :) we have 3 reviews in already :) great job.
Week 2 CompletionStandalone
Pages: 161
Date Finished: 1/23/16
Rating:★★★
Review:
The premise of the book is that the MC is a horse vet and has a practice in Kentucky, near the thoroughbred farms that raise the winners and racers of the Kentucky Derby and other famous races. Her next door neighbor is a Billionaire who has recently moved to the area from South Africa where his parents were murdered in a home invasion/robbery. He is trying to put his past behind him and start over, and she is just trying to keep going. They meet and fall in love (like instantaneously) and so the romance begins - only to be interrupted by someone who is stalking her and causing all sorts of problems with her own horses and life. When it turns out that the stalker has the wrong person in mind for his plot of revenge, they must discover who is behind all the madness which includes not only her being framed for killing a horse, but also for the horse's death and the scam that was a part of why the horse died in the first place.
I liked it, but not as much as I would normally like a book. The plot was thin in places, and the characters were rather 2 dimensional and flat. It would go from steamy to very cool in mere nanoseconds and could be confusing if you missed a word or phrase. Not something I would normally read, but light enough for when my body is in revolt and my mind is busy dealing with health issues instead of what I'm reading. A cozy romance and mystery, but still left me feeling like I missed a lot of something. Unfortunately, I just don't think it was in this book.
Week 2
Standalone
Pages - 395
Finished - Jan. 25, 2016
Rating - 2 stars
Review: Ben Casper, journalist in Washington D.C., is witness to his friend, Diana's, fall out of her apartment window. Her death is ruled a suicide. But Ben has a real tough time accepting this. Before he knows it, he's got Russians trying to kill him, the US government is framing coming after him and he's being framed for multiple murders. And it all leads back to the White House. Will Ben sort it all out before he is arrested for murder, or worse ... murdered?!
My thoughts on this one are more on the "eh" side. Personally, I didn't care much for Ben's "voice". The first 30 pages I contemplated putting it aside because I couldn't stand the all over the place obnoxiousness that is Ben. The overall storyline is more than a little far fetched. I don't know, I just wasn't impressed.
Week 2: Spot 16 
by Chris KenistonCriteria: Standalone
Pages: 180
Finished: January 26, 2016
Rating: 3 Stars
Review: Perfect, step in mom, Michelle, is dumped right before her wedding. She is convinced by her neighbor and coworker to take the honeymoon anyway. She travels to this exotic place and finds a new Michelle plus a little more. :)
I thought this book was cute but it was very predictable. I had mix emotions about some of the different characters but enjoyed the book over all. I'd recommend it to a friend if they were wanting a happy, feel good quick read. I wish to that it would have had just one more chapter to see what happens in the next year or so. Overall it was a cute quick feel good read.
Week 2 Spot 16criteria: standalone, 1st, 6th, or 16th in series, or alternative text item: cup/mug
Reviews:
Jane: Watch Over Me (standalone) Week 2 Review
Krissy: My Sister's Grave (1st in series) Week 2 Review
Grace: Lone (standalone) Week 2 Reveiw
Kay: Kentucky Charm (standalone ) Week 2 Review
Tara: Mistress (standalone) Week 2 Review
Kayla: Honeymoon for One (standalone) Week 2 Review
Mave: Mist of Midnight (1st in series) Week 2 Review
Mod
criteria: standalone, 1st, 6th, or 16th in series, or alternative text item: cup/mug
Reviews:
Jane: Watch Over Me (standalone) Week 2 Review
Krissy: [book:..."
Looking good guys
ThatEzi wrote: "Looking good guys"That's why we're the #1 Team!
Week 2 Spot 161st in series
Mist of Midnightby Sandra Byrd
(Daughters of Hampshire #1)
Pages 374
Date Finished: 1/28/16
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
It 's a gothic romance set in Victorian England and has a perfect mix of romance and mystery. The plot is well constructed and intriguing with a lot of suspense, it had me hooked from the first page. Rebecca has lost her brother and her parents during the Indian Mutiny. The only thing she can do is go back to England and live in the estate that she had inherited from her father. But her house is inhabited by Luke, one of her distant relative, and nobody trusts her, don't believe that she is the true heir. A year ago a girl pretended to be Rebecca and had taken possession of her inheritance then died in mysterious surroundings. It will be hard for Rebecca to find someone she could trust. I loved all the characters: the heroine is a strong character but also very vulnerable, the hero is a dark character, isn't clear if he is a good or a bad one. Excellent historical reconstruction. It was a compelling and enjoyable read.
Yay!! All the reviews are in. We are ready to roll at midnight!
Yay it's that time again ladies :) 2+5 placing us on spot 23.
Criteria: 2nd in series, 3rd in series, 23rd in series or alternative of author H
:) happy reading
SELECTION POSTWeek #3
Series Sequence: 2
My Choice: The Laughing Corpse
Series Name: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter
Page #: 332
Selection post:Week #3
Series: Those Manning Men #3
My Choice: Bride on the Loose by Debbie Macomber
Page #: 256 pages
I have seen the roll but not ready to decide what to read as it doesn't fit any of the two books I have decided to read this week-end. Will let you know when I have decided.
SELECTION POSTWEEK 3
3rd in Series:
by Regina WellingSeries name: Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mysteries
Page count: 173 pages
COMPLETION POSTWeek #3
The Laughing Corpse
My Rating: ★★★
Series Sequence: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #2
Date Finished: 1/29
Final Thoughts:
I shouldn't have waited so long to read this book after finishing book 1. I had a difficult time remembering all the secondary characters. But luckily despite that I still enjoyed this book. What I did not enjoy was all the sound effects in the audiobook. They were loud and annoying and distracted from the narration. I could barely hear the narrator! The only thing the sound effects managed to do was give me a headache. If the narrator is good enough they can build suspense with just a change in their voice. No sound effects needed.
Like Jane, I am still deciding ... Will update when I make a final decision.
COMPLETION POSTWEEK 3
3rd in Series:
by Regina WellingSeries name: Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mysteries
Page count: 173 pages
Rating: ★★★★★
Date Finished: 1/29/16
REVIEW
This was a great read. More of a romance, but also a mystery. Imagine a dream wedding set in an Irish castle, with no money spared for anything. Then add in not only the bridal couple, but also her daughter and her boyfriend and the woman who is best friends with both mother and daughter, and HER boyfriend. The villan is the best friend's ex-husband who has been plotting and planning all sorts of dasterdly activities aimed at making the small green community of Ponderosa Pines to cease to exist. How they manage to corner him and make him pay for his crimes is the mystery while all the rest of the book is about romantic moments between the couples and how their love is growing in the face of adversity. I'll give it and Author Regina Welling 5 stars.
The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
That's What Brothers Do (other topics)Old Nathan (other topics)
Under an English Heaven: An Ellie Kent Mystery (other topics)
That's What Brothers Do (other topics)
The Girl from Home (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Alice K. Boatwright (other topics)Adam Mitzner (other topics)
Camilla Läckberg (other topics)
Susan Mallery (other topics)
Linda Castillo (other topics)
More...
Fourth in a Series:
My Selection:
Page Count: 320"
Finished16th January 2016
Rating★★★★★
Review
Finished this book already! It was sooooooooo good! I am loving this series, but because it is such a hard-nosed thriller type series, doing the books one at a time is a bit easier on my poor brain. This was a really serendipitous break that this was one book that was next to read on my list, AND fit the spot for this challenge. I loved the mystery and Owen McKenna, the MC, is one of my favorite PIs. His harlequin Great Dane is a sweetie, and it really got me that the bad guy would shoot the dog. Thankfully, Spot was not badly injured, but it sure made me hate the villain even more! Definite 5 stars IMHO.