Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland

Goodreads Summary:

A sexy new standalone from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Vi Keeland

The first time I met Caine West was in a bar.
He noticed me looking his way and mistakenly read my scowling as checking him out.
When he attempted to talk to me, I set him straight—telling him what I thought of his lying, cheating, egomaniacal ass.
You see, the gorgeous jerk had wined and dined my best friend--smooth talking her into his bed, all along failing to mention that he was married.
He deserved every bit of my tongue-lashing and more for what he'd done.
Especially when that lazy smile graced his perfect face in response to my rant.
Only it turned out, the man I'd just told off wasn't the right guy.
Oops. My mistake.
Embarrassed, I slunk out without an apology.
I was never going to see the handsome stranger again anyway, right?
That’s what I thought…until I walked into class the next morning.
Well, hello Professor West, I’m your new teaching assistant.
I’ll be working under you…figuratively speaking.
Although the literal interpretation might not be such a bad thing—working under Professor West.
This was going to be interesting…

My Thoughts:
Dag yo, this book was sexy. I just wanted to get that out of the way. Besides the legit sexual tension to sexual attention, I enjoyed this book. It has a serious side and can definitely be triggering to some people, but I liked it. Rachel is a believable and likable female lead. Professor West is a sexy and lusty male lead. This is my first Vi Keeland book but definitely won't be my last.
I got this book on sale on audible so I need to give a shout out to the performances by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York. That Sebastian York can whisper sweet nothings in my ears all damn day long. Like for real, he is awesome sauce. Andi Arndt is a kick-ass narrator, you should listen to everything she does!

I liked Rachel and Professor West right away and I wanted them to work out. I will say that this book has the predictable happy ending but I am totally fine with that. There are some stereotypes in this book but again I am okay with that. I wouldn't mind another book with these two to check in with them.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something steamy and interesting.

While writing this review I was listening to a snoring wee Chiweenie and debating what I should have for lunch.

What Light by Jay Asher

Goodreads Summary:

From Jay Asher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, comes a romance that will break your heart, but soon have you believing again. . . .

Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.

Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.

By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.

My thoughts:

This book is not life altering and thank Joss (Joss Whedon is a god) for it! I was in the mood for something easy and relatively light to read. This book delivered. While Caleb has one bad incident in his past it isn't so bad that you get depressed reading about it. It adds just the right amount of drama for a sweet little love story between two teens. 

Sierra isn't whiny, nor is she annoying. I like her, she knows how to play along when needed but she also doesn't put up with people being dickheads. I feel for her as a character and she feels like a real person. We don't learn everything about everyone but we learn enough to feel like everyone in the story is authentic. 

I recommend this book to people looking for a mostly light holiday read. 

While writing this review I was listening to the washing machine. Yep, laundry is super interesting.

Undeniably Yours (Kowalski Family #2) by Shannon Stacey

Goodreads Summary:

One-night stand + two percent condom failure rate = happily ever after?

Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him, but lately he’s more interested in finding a woman to settle down with. A woman like Beth Hansen. If only their first meeting hadn’t gone so badly...

Beth’s tending bar at a wedding when she comes face-to-face with a tuxedo-clad man she never thought she’d see again. She tries to keep her distance from Kevin but, by last call, she can’t say no to his too-blue eyes or the invitation back to his room. Then she slips out before breakfast without leaving a note and, despite their precautions, pregnant.

Kevin quickly warms to the idea of being a dad and to seeing where things go with Beth. After all, he’s not the player she thinks he is. But she’s not ready for a relationship and, given his reputation, it’s going to take a lot to convince her to go on a second date with the father of her child...

My Thoughts:

So... I finished this book. It wasn't an easy read, or rather listen, for me. I have been on a romance novel kick lately and this one was available through the Romance Package on Audible. I liked the male lead Kevin, which please don't get all grumpy at me for not using romance novel abbreviations and shorthand. That is not how I roll yo! Kevin is a decent guy and pretty funny and considerate. But the female lead bugged the ever living shit out of me! Oh my god, I wanted to punch Beth in the throat. I get it, you don't want to be smothered, shut the fuck up about it already.

Also, I feel like this book is just a cautionary tale about not trusting just condoms when it comes to preventing the plague (aka pregnancy). I am not going to go on a rant about always having two forms of birth control when bumping uglies, but seriously, if you don't want a wee nugget in 9 months then you should really be using two forms of birth control when bumping uglies. These two people should never have gotten together for more than one night. I wasn't really buying into their connection at first sight. I don't think that was because of the Kevin perspective but rather Beth was so annoying and dull I couldn't see why anyone would want to do anything than ring her neck. Speaking as a strong independent woman who doesn't want to be smothered I could not connect to her bullshit. She felt forced and fake. I am not sure that the author knows enough strong independent women. She may want to work on that if she is going to attempt to write such a character.

I read the first book in this series, but I don't think I reviewed it. It wasn't my favorite book ever but I liked it well enough to give book 2 a go. I will not be reading any more from this author. I just don't think her style meshes with my particular reading preferences when it comes to romance novels. I do not recommend this book.

While writing this review I was listening to a random movie on the Hallmark channel, clearly, I am in the mood for romance these days.

Still Life Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1 By Louise Penny

Goodreads Summary:

As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life - all except one…

To locals, the village is a safe haven. So they are bewildered when a well-loved member of the community is found lying dead in the maple woods. Surely it was an accident - a hunter's arrow gone astray. Who could want Jane Neal dead?

In a long and distinguished career with the Sûreté du Quebec, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has learned to look for snakes in Eden. Gamache knows something dark is lurking behind the white picket fences, and if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will begin to give up its secrets….

My Thoughts:

My best good friend (see what I did there? no? sad.) recommended this series to me. It is one of her favorites so I gave it a shot. Thankfully, the library (support your local library!!!) had a copy of the first book. I found some of the later books in the series for super cheap on Amazon but I dislike starting a series somewhere in the middle even if they are somewhat stand alone. I want to be introduced to the main characters the way the author intended.

I should preface this review with the fact that I don't tend to love who done it books. I am easily irritated with mystery books as they tend to be overly predictable, so I avoid them. This book wasn't overly predictable but I would say I figured out who the killer was within the first quarter of the book. 

I liked the quirky characters of the small village of Three Pines. They aren't your typical small town folk and I liked that I was never reminded of Deliverance. 

Yes, that is my judgy side coming out. I have a strong dislike for small-town folk and living.  I am definitely a homebody but I like having the option to change that on a whim. That being said none of the characters in this book made my skin crawl. In fact, I found that I quite liked a few of them. I can relate to an old grumpy poet who doesn't like to talk about her work (Ruth). I can also relate to an artist who doesn't enjoy showing her work for fear it won't be understood (Jane, the murder victim). 

Louise Penny has a distinctive voice and I liked her writing style quite a bit. I chuckled more than a few times thinking that a character was thinking like me or talking as one of my friends would. 

Here's what I have to say about Inspector Armand Gamache...Huh. Interesting. I can't say that I am in love with this guy. But I also can't say that I hate him. I feel like his character was slowly shown to us, but we still don't really know much about him. We do know that he tries to help those working for and with him to become better at what they do, but I am not sure he is the best teacher. A young detective is working for him for the first time for this murder and the inspector flips flops between wanting to help her and actively putting her down and telling her to take a walk. I guess the natural teacher in my soul was a bit miffed about the way that subplot developed though I don't hold it against Gamache on a whole. 

I have started the second book in the series. I am not sure that I will get through all 9 million books in this series. For now, I am enjoying an easy read with some character to it. I would recommend this book to mystery readers and to readers who like a little flair to the voice of an author.

While writing this review I was listening to the Dixie Chicks Everybody Knows.

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness

Goodreads Summary:

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.

My Thoughts:
This is the final book in the All Souls Trilogy. This book left me wanting more of Diana and Matthew's story but at the same time, it felt like a good way to end their story. Diana and Matthew are some of my all-time favorite book characters. This book did not disappoint. Diana has come into her own and Matthew has started to learn to be less of an overbearing butthead. I love the pacing of this book, you don't feel rushed through the story.
Diana has embraced her history and her future. She stops living in fear of those who wish her and Matthew harm. I love that this book can be applied to real life in that sometimes it takes a while but once you accept yourself you are unstoppable. We really should reach out to those who are different from ourselves, life is enriched by differences.

I have read this book three times now. I love the whole series and I can't recommend this series enough. I know a lot of people refer to this series as a "fangless" vampire series. I disagree with this assessment. I will say that this series isn't like other with or vampire series, but that isn't a bad thing. I never got tired or bored with these characters. I am so tired of the predictable vampire books and the overly quirky and annoying witch books. If that is what you are looking for, you may want to skip this series.

While writing this review I was listening to Let's See What The Night Can Do by Jason Mraz.