Sunday, September 16, 2012

Weekend warrior. Kind of.

I have been on a reading roll as of late, and not just books that I'm reviewing, but books for fun too. So let's add some books to your to-read lists. 

Live Wire - Lora Leigh


Meet Captain Jordan Malone. For years he has been a silent warrior and guardian, operating independent of government protocol or oversight, leading his loyal team of Elite Ops agents to fight terror at all costs. A legend in the field, Jordan’s true identity has remained a mystery even to his own men…until now.
Tehya Talamosi, codename Enigma, is a force to be reckoned with. A woman this striking spells nothing but trouble for Jordan. Armed with killer secrets—and body to die for—she’ll bring Jordan to his knees as they both take on the most deadly mission they have ever faced. Because this time, it’s personal…

I am a huge fan of Lora Leigh and she never disappoints when you want a romance novel with a hot guy and great sex scenes. Because let's face it- when you're on your period, this is good stuff. I've read a lot of the others in the Elite Ops series, I think I am missing one (but not for long), and they were all good. We have a smart girl, we have a hot guy, we have fantastic sex scenes, we have danger and crime, and just all rolled into one really good story you can't put down.

Mine to Hold - Shayla Black

Tyler Murphy was an LAPD detective, single and happy—until a near-fatal tragedy crippled his friend, fellow detective Eric Catalano. While Tyler supported Eric, he also became a shoulder for Eric’s wife, Delaney, to lean on. But with one naughty suggestion from Eric, a drunken night with Delaney spilled into erotic abandon. Before it was over, Tyler saw his best friend’s wife as a woman and yearned for more. When Eric struggled to deal with the aftermath, Delaney begged Tyler to leave. Crushed, he fled to Louisiana, hoping to escape his longing for the one woman he could never have again…and unaware of what he’d left behind.After two years of living with regret, Tyler finds Delaney on his doorstep, her husband having abandoned her long ago. She’s protecting a shocking secret and desperately needs refuge from a stalker determined to see her dead. As they fight to stay alive and catch the killer, they struggle to resolve the guilt of their past pleasures. But they can’t deny that what was once a spark is now a flame burning out of control. To possess Delaney—body and soul—Tyler must heal her pain and thwart the evil that’s a mere breath behind her…

This was the first book I've read from Shayla Black and I of course bought it because I liked the cover. I'm going to be honest- I was worried I wouldn't like this book because it felt like it might be your run of the mill romance novel, but I was totally wrong. The story reels you in and keeps you there because you want to know how it will end- does Tyler and Delaney end up together? Do they solve Delaney's problem? I totally loved this book and it has made me a Shayla Black fan. What I really liked about this book is that it flips from past and present but not in the way where you get annoyed at having to keep track of all of this information. Nope- it's done well and it makes you root for both Tyler and Delaney. 

On The Island  Tracey Garvis Graves


Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher desperately in need of adventure. Worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring sixteen-year-old T.J.
T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life. But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.
Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan’s summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens. Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover that they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.
At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.


OK, here is hands down my most favorite book out of the summer. I have read it three times since July. I read it for an online book club I'm in and I'll be honest-  I was hesitant. The story sounded like a cross between that movie Cast Away and a little Mrs. Robinson. Which, it kind of ended up being just that- but it was done beautifully. It really was. It was written so well and the story is really, truly great. I finished this book in just under 7 hours and I couldn't put it down. I couldn't believe the story after their plane crashed and they literally washed up on the beach. You know what will happen between Anna and TJ but when you realize how long they are on this island you not only blame them, but you root for them. I was on edge the entire time and had to take a breather during the shark incident. And the jellyfish incident. It's awesome and if you are in a book club or in the market for a really good book you'll get lots of use of because you'll want to read and re-read it- this is your book. I am so excited to see what Tracey writes next because she has herself a life time fan based on this book. 
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What have you read lately that was really, really great? 

1 comment:

Julie H said...

Ahhh I read On The Island for book club too. Great book!