Bookwhit

I can’t believe August is over but this morning it really hit me that summer is over because Fall is literally in the air. I went out to enjoy some breakfast on my front porch and it had a chill in the air, a bite and I thought, “It’s happening.” Summer is gone and Autumn is here. The leaves are going to start changing. It’s going to be dark when we get up and dark when we get home. Ugh. THAT being said, I do love fall. I love sweaters and boots and jackets. The smell. The leaves changing. Halloween. Warm drinks and pumpkin spiced everything. Apparently that is an American thing? Pumpkin spice? I heard that but don’t know if it is true or not!

Okay okay, lets get to this wrap up. I felt like this month I read lots of romances. Very adult romances. Those of you with teens looking for good books for them… these are not it. As always I will give the synopsis and my opinion of the book in a very short, YES READ IT or NO, NOT WORTH YOUR TIME.

The bravest of heroes. The brashest of rebels. The boldest of lovers. These are the men who risk their hearts and their souls—for the passionate women who dare to love them…

He is known only as The Rook. A man with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a mass grave, a magnificent dragon tattoo on his muscled forearm the sole clue to his mysterious origins. His only hope for survival—and salvation—lies in the deep, fiery eyes of the beautiful stranger who finds him. Who nurses him back to health. And who calms the restless demons in his soul…

A LEGENDARY LOVE

Lorelei will never forget the night she rescued the broken dark angel in the woods, a devilishly handsome man who haunts her dreams to this day. Crippled as a child, she devoted herself to healing the poor tortured man. And when he left, he took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after all these years, The Rook has returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her. But can she trust a man who’s been branded a rebel, a thief, and a killer? And can she trust herself to resist him when he takes her in his arms?

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I really loved this one! It took the typical Duke and Lady romance in a different direction. The adventure and mystery along with past, present and future for these two characters was amazing. It was good. If you want another quick romance to get you through the weekend this one was a fun one! Yes. I recommend it.

The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she’s trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.

Life in real-world Atlanta isn’t always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice’s handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she’ll need to use everything she’s learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.

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I liked it and then didn’t like it at the same time. It was interesting and I enjoyed the retelling of Alice in Wonderland but it just wasn’t my kind of book. I can’t even tell you why. I have very mixed opinions on it. If you LOVE Alice in Wonderland then I think you would like this retelling but otherwise… I would recommend a Nah. Don’t waste your time.

When Wicked Comes Calling…

When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She’s seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won’t accept a marriage without it.

The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain…

Bastard son of a duke and king of London’s dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and the spinster wallflower is everything he needs to exact a revenge years in the making. All he must do is turn the plain little mouse into an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.

For the Promise of Passion…

But there’s nothing plain about Felicity Faircloth, who quickly decides she’d rather have Devil than another. Soon, Devil’s carefully laid plans are in chaos, and he must choose between everything he’s ever wanted…and the only thing he’s ever desired.

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Okay.. like I said.. I read pretty much nothing but romance novels this month! Oh my goodness. I’m a helpless romantic and if I don’t have much time these are my go to type of book to read before bed. If you are looking for a romance.. out of all I read this month, THIS ONE IS THE ONE TO READ. If you can only pick one… pick this one. I loved it so much!

Lady Cora Winfield’s life has always gone according to plan–her mother’s plan. That’s why Cora is so fascinated when she meets the dark Duke of Blackdell. Knowing his dangerous reputation, Cora’s mother flatly forbids the match, and the duke decides to take matters into his own hands. Kidnapped and facing a scandal, Lady Cora must now decide whether love will be her downfall or the beginning of a new plan, one she never dreamed possible.

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Set in the stormy summer of 1816, this Regency romance is a retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone. If you are wanting a Proper Romance then this was a fun story. I enjoyed it. Yes.

For as long as Jack “June” O’Donnell has been alive, her parents have had only one rule: stay away from the Angert family. But when June collides—quite literally—with Saul Angert, sparks fly, and everything June has known is thrown into chaos.

Who exactly is this gruff, sarcastic, but seemingly harmless boy who has returned to their hometown of Five Fingers, Michigan, after three mysterious years away? And why has June—an O’Donnell to her core—never questioned her late father’s deep hatred of the Angert family? After all, the O’Donnells and the Angerts may have mythic legacies, but for all the tall tales they weave, both founding families are tight-lipped about what caused the century-old rift between them.

As Saul and June’s connection grows deeper, they find that the magic, ghosts, and coywolves of Five Fingers seem to be conspiring to reveal the truth about the harrowing curse that has plagued their bloodlines for generations. Now June must question everything she knows about her family and the father she adored, and she must decide whether it’s finally time for her—and all the O’Donnells before her—to let go.

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This was our monthly book club pick and it was not what I was expecting! I liked it. I loved the message and what it represented. It is a modern day Romeo and Juliet retelling with so much family baggage it becomes a literal curse.  It was a book you had to pay attention to. I really liked the banter and humor. This girl goes through all the emotions and you feel it too. I liked it. It probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I liked it! YES.

No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.

Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.

Soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is the smart, warm, and uplifting story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . .

The only way to survive is to open your heart.

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I thought it was a little bit weird, but I ended up really enjoying it once I got to the end. I gave this 5 stars just because I enjoyed what it put me through. You follow along in Eleanor’s mind, and in trying to figure her out and all she has been through, you start really rooting for her to find happiness. Like I said, it was different but I loved it. Read it.

Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.

His terms are simple:
– They will be husband and wife by night only.
– No lights, no kissing.
– No questions about his battle scars.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.

But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:
– They will have dinner together every evening.
– With conversation.
– And unlimited teasing.
– Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…

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This was such a fun romance. I really enjoyed the tug-a-war in this one. It is the typical Duke and Lady romance and if you are looking for a quick one then you should definitely read this one! YES.

Well, there you have it! My month of books. Nothing too crazy this month but still, I thought I would share. I have a whole stack I am hoping to get through in September. So many new releases that I haven’t had a chance to devour yet and I’m starting to get antsy. With kids in school I am hoping to crank my reading game up a notch. Wish me luck!

xoxo,