PtP - Fairest of Them All (9)

[Linda C]

Selection Post

Week 3 - Option 1
Task: Read a book with a 5 AND 3 in the book publication date and/or the page numbers

Book: Missing You - Pauline Baird Jones
Pages: 335
How it Fits: - 3 and 5 in page numbers - 335 pages

[lorii (Loriidae)]

Week Three Selection Post: The original title by the Grimm brothers for Snow White was 'Tale 53'.
Task: Read a book with a 5 AND 3 in the book publication date and/or the page numbers

Semi-Broken (Harper Hall Investigations #4) Isabel Jordan
Pages: 325
How it Fits: The page number includes a 5 AND 3

[Maddie]

I'll pick my book when I get home in a few hours

[[deleted user]]

Week #3 - Selection 1
To the Edge by Cindy Gerard
Page numbers: 352 pages
How the book qualifies: Has a 3 and a 5 in the page count

[Maddie]

Week 3 Selection

Task: 3 and 5 in page/publication
How it fits: 303 pages and 2015 published (3 and 5)

[Alexa]

Completion Post

Week # 3
Bookcover/link:

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Rating (1-5): 5 stars
Review:
I actually read the book last year for the first time and I adored it. It became an instant favorite. This time I listened to the audiobook instead of reading. I loved the narrators they have for the characters. They meshed really well and their voices fit the characters so perfectly. It may have been one of my favorite casting choices for an audio read yet. I loved the book just as much listening as I did when I read it last year. I've been in a huge MM sports romance mood recently, and this series set the bar high, it's been hard to find others that compare.

[Maddie]

I'm almost halfway into week 2 book. I'll finish that tomorrow.

[lorii (Loriidae)]

Completion Post - Week Three - Tale 53
The original title by the Grimm brothers for Snow White was 'Tale 53'.
Task: Read a book with a 5 AND 3 in the book publication date and/or the page numbers

Semi-Broken (Harper Hall Investigations #4) Isabel Jordan
Pages: 325
How it Fits: The page number includes a 5 AND 3
Review:
This, the fourth book in the series was more serious than the others, although there was still a lot of the snarky humour between the side characters that was present in the previous books. Seven, the heroine is damaged by a very dark past, and it is really sweet how she works out this new and bizarre thing called family. The hero Lucas is the clueless bloke and doesn't really alter. I did buy into their romance and found it believable. Paranormal Romance with a side of suspense, including a nice setup for the next book.
Read: March 26
Rating: ★★★★✰

[Linda C]

Completion Post

Week 3 - Option 1
Task: Read a book with a 5 AND 3 in the book publication date and/or the page numbers

Book: Missing You - Pauline Baird Jones
Pages: 335
How it Fits: - 3 and 5 in page numbers - 335 pages
Read: 3/28/18
Rating: 5 stars

Review: Seven years after the death of his wife, Luke Kirby heads to the family cabin for a solitary weekend to say a final goodbye to his wife and move on with his life. Instead he finds a battered woman with amnesia. A blizzard keeps them stranded and they use the time to try to piece together her background. Meanwhile his U.S. Marshall brothers are dealing with a murdered scientist and the disappearance of his technical innovation. It soon becomes evident that these are all connected and Luke's guest, Goldie/Amelia/Prudence, is at the center and being hunted. Great action and romance with a return of the earlier volume characters. The side story with Bryn and Dewey brings their relationship forward as well.

[HeatherMarie]

Completion Post
Week 2

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was slow to get into, would have probably DNFed it if not for this challenge. Glad I stuck it out though, really picked up halfway through. Was basically a Regency "Footloose" with more secrets & drama.

[HeatherMarie]

Completion Post
Week 3

A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved it. Really bummed that the next one comes out in a year- that's going to be a long year ☹️. Veronica Speedwell (lepidopterist) investigates mysteries with her fellow scientist in Victorian England. Great banter. Sassy heroine. Spooky Egyptian mystery.

[[deleted user]]

Week #3
To the Edge by Cindy Gerard
Rating: 3 Stars
Review:
I liked this story well enough, but I didn't love it. The characters both seemed very cookie-cutter; I felt like I had read about these characters before in a lot of different books. The mystery aspect was good, it did keep me guessing until the end.

[HeatherMarie]

Selection Post- Week 4

Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin
288 pgs
How the book qualifies - Historical = setting Tang Dynasty

[Maddie]

I'll pick my book in a few days

[Alexa]

Selection

Week #4
Book cover/link:

The Lady and the Lionheart
Pages: 302
How the book qualifies: historical setting of Victorian-era Virginia

[Alexa]

I'm heading out of town for the next few days and may not be able to check in.

Have a wonderful safe Passover if you celebrate it, Good Friday and a Happy Easter this weekend everyone!

[Linda C]

Alexa, Have a great trip!

This was announced a day early because of the holidays
Week 4
Option 1
2. Read a book with the main page genre 'historical'.
Option 2
Key date: 29 September 2017

[Linda C]

Selection Post

Week 4 Option 1
Book: A Bride for McCain - Mary Burton
pages: 299
How it Fits: MPG - Historical

[Linda C]

Maddison wrote: "I'll pick my book in a few days"

Maddison, you have 2 incomplete books. We need a completion post for one of them before you can have another selection OR you can do a PASS this week and use it to catch up. You cannot have more than 2 open or they will remove you.

[lorii (Loriidae)]

Selection Post Week Four: MPG: Historical

What Remains of Heaven (#5 Sebastian St Cyr) C.S. Harris
Pages: 336
How it fits: MPG: Historical

[lorii (Loriidae)]

Alexa wrote: "I'm heading out of town for the next few days and may not be able to check in.

Have a wonderful safe Passover if you celebrate it, Good Friday and a Happy Easter this weekend everyone!"

Safe travels. My hubby has been working away lately, so we are having a very quiet Easter at home.

[[deleted user]]

Week #4 - Selection 1
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
Page numbers: 400 pages
How the book qualifies: MPG Historical


I hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter/Passover :)

[lorii (Loriidae)]

Sarah wrote: "Week #4 - Selection 1
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
Page numbers: 400 pages
How the book qualifies: MPG Historical
[bookcover:No Good Duke Goes Unpu..."

Looking forward to seeing what you think.

[[deleted user]]

Loriidae wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Week #4 - Selection 1
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
Page numbers: 400 pages
How the book qualifies: MPG Historical
[bookcover:No Good ..."

I'm really enjoying this series so far :)

[lorii (Loriidae)]

Completion Post Week Four: MPG: Historical

What Remains of Heaven (#5 Sebastian St Cyr) C.S. Harris
Pages: 336
How it fits: MPG: Historical
Review:
Sebastian St Cyr, Viscount Devlin is asked by his aunt to investigate the murder of her good friend, the Bishop of London. While the mystery unfolds, we learn that events from the previous book have consequences. This side story is masterfully woven into the intricate plot, which includes, politics, the Crown the Church, and American loyalists of the present day (1812) and thirty years prior. Ms Harris has the reader continually speculating, and in the words of our hero “Why is it,” he said, drawing up in front of his house on Brook Street, “that every time I begin to think I’m getting a handle on the events surrounding this murder, I suddenly discover I really don’t know what’s going on at all?” A dark and gritty historical mystery with great attention to detail.
Read: Mar 31
Rating: ★★★★★

[Maddie]

Finished both Week 2 and 3

Week 2 Completion

Task: Blonde/fair MC
How it fits: Blonde MC list
Date read: 26/3/18
Rating: 3 stars
Review: I've heard such good things about this book, so I went into it with very high expectations.... and was very disappointed. The characters seemed so juvenile, the whole acceptance was crazy, but mainly I was just frustrated by the love triangle. (view spoiler)[I mean come on, why does the plain MC always get the attention of the hot guy in school and then not like him back? (hide spoiler)] That's one of the things I can't deal with in a book. Her (view spoiler)[indecisiveness between males (hide spoiler)] annoyed me no bloody end, and the only reason I'll read the next book is because I have it on my shelf, so that I can get rid of it XD Something else that I found rather unbelievable was (view spoiler)[how sick her dad got so quickly, and then her mum and her just accepted his 'week to live' sentence as fact and just got on with it? Like what? (hide spoiler)] I didn't understand...

Week 3 Completion

Task: 3 and 5 in publication date
How it fits: 303 pages and 2015 published (3 and 5)
Date read: 20/3/18
Rating: 3 stars
Review: Pleased this one was a quick audio, because I didn't enjoy it much. The whole story just annoyed me. According to my buddy, the movie portrayed the feelings better, but for me I found the whole entire thing rushed. (view spoiler)[Her feelings for her neighbour, who she hated for so long, just changed over the course of a weekend? (hide spoiler)] No. And then (view spoiler)[the fact that she had a bf who she even moved cities for, and all because Travis says that he isn't doing things right, she breaks up with him? (hide spoiler)] It just annoyed me, and the l word after 2 days isn't right. Bleh.

[Maddie]

Okay so just gotta pick my historical book

[Maddie]

Week 4 Selection

Task: Historical
Pages: 541

I might change it out soon, because it'll be a while before I get to that book, but let's just see XD

[Maddie]

Apart from that one I'm up to date.

[Linda C]

Great, Maddison,
Just need to add pages numbers to your week 4 selection post.
thanks

[Maddie]

Done :)

[Linda C]

Great job team. We are complete through week 3.

[Maddie]

Awesome! Sorry for not updating sooner! I totally forgot XD I thought I'd be eliminated for not updating in time.

[Alexa]

Completion Post

Week # 4
Bookcover/link:

The Lady and the Lionheart
Rating (1-5): 5 stars
Review: This book was just beautiful. Just so beautiful. The book is about Ella, a young down on her luck nurse. She has terribly sad skeletons in her closet and had really taken to just existing not living. She meets Charlie, a lion tamer for the circus in town, when he brings his sick niece in, and it is an instant connection. Charlie has his own struggles that I won't go into. Sing the growth these two take, and the love that blossoms between them was just lovely. I've had this book on my radar since it came out, and I'm happy to finally pick it up.

[Linda C]

Completion Post

Week 4 Option 1
Book: A Bride for McCain - Mary Burton
Read: 4/4/18
Rating: 3 stars
Review: Desperate to flee a forced marriage to a fortune hunter, Jessica Tierney poses as a schoolteacher and takes another woman's place on a train from Sacramento to Colorado. She soon finds that although she can read and write she is sorely missing any other attributes needed to be a country teacher. Ross McCain has brought 2 previous teachers to Prosperity, CO, only to have them marry in 2 weeks and go off with their new husbands. This time he makes her sign a 2 year contract and puts her up in his home, hoping to keep the men at bay. As Emma (Jessica) begins to fit in and learn frontier life, she starts falling for Ross, a black and white proponent of truth. What will happen when her past catches up with her. Interesting story but pretty predictable.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Maddison wrote: "Awesome! Sorry for not updating sooner! I totally forgot XD I thought I'd be eliminated for not updating in time."

Elimination happens when I call the next theme - I have a grace period through to that timing :)

If you want to change your week 4 selection, you only have 24 hours Maddison. After that, you can't change the book :)

[Maddie]

Oh thanks!

I've already posted completion for Week 4. You mean week 3? The part-of-a-series? How long after theme call do we have to change it?

[[deleted user]]

Completion Post

Week 4 Option 1
Book: No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
Read: 4/5/18
Rating: 4 stars

Review:
I really enjoyed this book, and I adore this series. Even though there were times that I didn't care so much for either of the main characters; but they did redeem themselves. I especially liked the way the young boys in the orphanage were written, they were just adorable.
This is a great book of redemption and love.

[Maddie]

40 pages into part of a series

[HeatherMarie]

I'd like to change my week 4 Selection- is this still allowable?
Here's the info if it is:

Selection Post- Week 4

The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin
378 pgs
How the book qualifies - Historical = setting Tang Dynasty

[Linda C]

Maddison wrote: "40 pages into part of a series"

Maddison, part of a series is not in this challenge, but the SOS Bingo challenge

Your book may work for both but our category is Historical

[Linda C]

HeatherMarie wrote: "I'd like to change my week 4 Selection- is this still allowable?
Here's the info if it is:

Selection Post- Week 4

The Lotus Palace by [author..."

The Rule:
Remember - you can ONLY change your book selection in the week that the theme is called.

Since the call for week 5 is tonight. I think you are OK

[HeatherMarie]

Completion Post- Week 4


The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really liked the setting. The Tang Dynasty is new to me- was fascinating, Lin has some other books with a similar setting that I will check out immediately. This one had all the things: class difference, hidden identity, murder-mystery, action-adventure. So good.
Yue-Ying is a maidservant in a courtesan house with a large port wine birthmark on her face. She uses her "invisibility" (her gender/ class/ birthmark) to deeply observe all around her. The hero is a kind of foppish, idiot admirer of her mistress with possible hidden depths. Another courtesan is found murdered and together they investigate the crime.

Thanks for letting me change my selection. When I was at the library I only remembered Jeannie Lin & a lady in a red dress on the cover so ended up reading the wrong book this week. But was a lovely read- so glad I did.

[HeatherMarie]

Selection Post- Week 5- Option 2

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
413 pgs
Sarah ~ 3/9/18 ~ 4⭐️

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Linda C wrote: "HeatherMarie wrote: "I'd like to change my week 4 Selection- is this still allowable?
Here's the info if it is:

Selection Post- Week 4

[book:The Lotus Palace..."

Yep - you can change your current week selection anytime through to when I call the next theme. (I was a little early today, so I would have accepted a book change through to 6pm EST US...)

[[deleted user]]

Week #5 - Selection 1
Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer
Page numbers: 366 pages
How the book qualifies: Book 100 on Helping Hand: Romance Hero or Heroine Hired As a Butler, Housekeeper,Cook, Chauffeur, Maid and More


This book has been on my want to read list for a long time. I really hope I like it :)

[lorii (Loriidae)]

I am considering. Nothing in the lists appeal. I am leaning towards one of HeatherMarie's books. I may take a couple of days to choose depending on prices / hopefully library etc.

[Linda C]

Week 5
Option 1
13. Read a book with an MC as the housekeeper or similar from one of the following lists: 7 lists are linked under msg 5
Option 2
Key date: 6 October 2017

[Alexa]

Having a hard time with this week's theme. I'll try to mke a pick tonight. Right now I'm not finding anything that really catches my attention.

[Alexa]

Selection Post - Option 2

Week #5
Bookcover/link

Burn for You
Page numbers: 348
Qualifies:
Loriidae read read on Dec. 17, 2017 and rated 5 stars.