Friday Memes: The Obsession by Nora Roberts

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

She didn’t know what woke her, and no matter how many times she relived that night, no matter where the nightmare chased her, she never would.

Friday 56:

“And therapists,” Seth continued, “but we have good recommendations there.”

“I don’t need to go anymore. I don’t,” Naomi insisted. “I’d say if I did. If this is a new place and all that, I can be new, too. I want to cut my hair.”

“Oh, Naomi,” Susan said.“I want to. I don’t want to look like the girl they’ve been taking pictures of. I can do it myself.”

This week I am spotlighting The Obsession by Nora Roberts. I got this review copy from Penguin's First to Read program. Here is the description from Amazon:

“She stood in the deep, dark woods, breath shallow and cold prickling over her skin despite the hot, heavy air. She took a step back, then two, as the urge to run fell over her.”

Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous. No matter how close she gets to happiness, she can’t outrun the sins of Thomas David Bowes.

Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, a rambling old house in need of repair, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the kindly residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton.

Naomi can feel her defenses failing, and knows that the connection her new life offers is something she’s always secretly craved. But the sins of her father can become an obsession, and, as she’s learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away.

ARC Review: Luck Is No Lady by Amy Sandas

Luck Is No Lady
Author: Amy Sandas
Series: Fallen Ladies (Book 1)
Publication: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 5, 2016)

Description: "You should not have kissed me," she replied breathlessly.

"I do a lot of things I shouldn't. It does not mean I won't do them again."

Gently bred Emma Chadwick always assumed she'd live and die the daughter of a gentleman. But when her father's death reveals a world of staggering debt and dangerous moneylenders, she must risk her good name and put her talent for mathematics to use, taking a position as bookkeeper at London's most notorious gambling hell. Surrounded by vice and corruption on all sides, it is imperative no one discovers Emma's shameful secret or her reputation-and her life-will be ruined.

But Roderick Bentley, the hell's sinfully wealthy owner, awakens a hunger Emma cannot deny. Drawn deep into an underworld of high stakes gambling and reckless overindulgence, she soon discovers that in order to win the love of a ruthless scoundrel, she will have to play the game...and give in to the pleasure of falling from grace.

My Thoughts: Emma Chadwick is the daughter of a gentleman who became a gambling addict after the death of her mother. Her father died shortly after he borrowed and lost a large amount of money. Now, Emma has to figure out a way to repay the debt or fact consequences from a moneylender who is determined to get his money back one way or another.

Emma is also chaperoning her younger sisters during the Season and hoping that they can make successful marriages and thus escape the up-coming scandal. Emma is also dodging her own suitor who is determined to have Emma in an improper relationship. One ball, she dodges behind the curtains in an unused library to escape him and finds that her hiding place is already occupied by a man escaping an over-amorous lady.

Roderick Bentley is the bastard son of an Earl who has made a success of himself running a gambling house and making investments. The men of the ton appreciate his ability to steer them to lucrative investments but their wives aren't willing to accept him in their society.

When Emma's savings don't go as far as she had hoped, she decides to use her talent for mathematics and apply for a bookkeeping job—in Roderick's casino. Working together gives them a chance to get to know each other and they fall in love despite their differing social classes. Of course, the path to true love isn't without obstacles. Between Emma's fear of ruining her sisters' changes to make society marriages and her need to make a huge amount of money fast to retire her debt to the moneylender and Roderick's reluctance to do any harm to Emma's reputation, the pair has a number of obstacles to overcome.

I really enjoyed this historical romance which begins a series. I can't wait to read the stories about Emma's sisters which should be coming soon.

Favorite Quote:

He could not forget she was of a world to which he would never belong. If he took her—claimed her—like he wanted to, she would be forever changed.

He would truly be a bastard by nature if he allowed her to come to ruin for his pleasure.

Yet he could not stop.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

WoW: City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong

The purpose of the meme is to spotlight books that we are eagerly anticipating. It is fun to take a look at what others are waiting for. I have noticed that it has expanded my wishlist though. Be warned!

City of the Lost

Kelley Armstrong

May 3, 2016

While checking out the websites of authors I enjoy, I discovered this new book. Here is the description from Amazon:

Casey Duncan is a homicide detective with a secret: when she was in college, she killed a man. She was never caught, but he was the grandson of a mobster and she knows this crime will catch up to her. Casey's best friend, Diana, is on the run from a violent, abusive ex-husband. When Diana's husband finds her, and Casey herself is attacked shortly after, Casey knows it's time for the two of them to disappear again.

Diana has heard of a domestic violence support town made for people like her, a town that takes in people on the run who want to shed their old lives. You must apply to live in Rockton and if you're accepted, it means walking away entirely from your old life, living off the grid in the wilds of Canada: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, no computers, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council's approval. As a murderer, Casey isn't a good candidate, but she has something they want; she's a homicide detective, and Rockton has just had its first real murder. She and Diana are in. However, soon after arriving, Casey realizes that the identity of a murderer isn't the only secret Rockton is hiding - in fact, she starts to wonder if she and Diana might be in even more danger in Rockton than they were in their old lives.

An edgy, gripping crime novel from a bestselling urban fantasy writer, City of the Lost boldly announces a major new player in the crime fiction world.

Teaser Tuesday: Luck Is No Lady by Amy Sandas

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser (from 10% on my Kindle):

Knowing how deep her father had gotten into his compulsion to risk every extra coin on another game of chance, she shouldn't have been surprised to discover evidence of the exorbitant personal loan tucked into the pages of an account book.

My teaser this week comes from Luck Is No Lady by Amy Sandas. I got this eARC from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

"You should not have kissed me," she replied breathlessly.

"I do a lot of things I shouldn't. It does not mean I won't do them again."

Gently bred Emma Chadwick always assumed she'd live and die the daughter of a gentleman. But when her father's death reveals a world of staggering debt and dangerous moneylenders, she must risk her good name and put her talent for mathematics to use, taking a position as bookkeeper at London's most notorious gambling hell. Surrounded by vice and corruption on all sides, it is imperative no one discovers Emma's shameful secret or her reputation-and her life-will be ruined.

But Roderick Bentley, the hell's sinfully wealthy owner, awakens a hunger Emma cannot deny. Drawn deep into an underworld of high stakes gambling and reckless overindulgence, she soon discovers that in order to win the love of a ruthless scoundrel, she will have to play the game...and give in to the pleasure of falling from grace.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 4, 2016)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Other Than Reading... 

The Easter Bunny didn't visit my house but the furnace repair men visited twice. I woke up Saturday morning to a furnace making a very loud noise. A furnace repair man came but his specialty was forced air not hot water heat. He advised heating my house with my oven while he tried to contact someone who knew boilers. The boiler specialist arrived at 3:30 Monday afternoon. Now I have a new pump, a new pressure release valve, and a really quiet furnace. I would have rather had the Easter Bunny but at least the bills go to my townhouse association.

Luckily the weather wasn't too cold this past weekend and the cool weather kept arriving all week. We've had rain or snow most of the week. The snow has been melting as it hit the ground. The temperature is supposed to hit 60 on Sunday but until then we are looking at highs in the 40s. I'm eager for spring to really arrive but this weather does keep my students in school mode. It's too cold for spring fever.

I enjoyed everything about the author signing I attended last Saturday night except the drive back home in the rain and dark. I was glad to finally settle in at home for Sunday and Monday and just read.

Read Last Week

I read The Black Dragon by Allyson James which I enjoyed. I like almost anything about dragons. My review will be posted on April 23.

Currently

Nothing. I'm concentrating on reading YA books right now.

Next Week

Coming up soon (I hope) are

• Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill
• Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
• Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

Reviews Posted

• Silence by Mercedes Lackey
• I Dream of Dragons by Ashlyn Chase
• Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

The Rejected Writers' Book Club by Suzanne Kelman was a Kindle book I bought after reading a great review.

Rusty Nail by J. A. Konrath was also a Kindle book that adds to a series I'm collecting on my Kindle. One day I hope to actually read them.

State of TBR Mountain:

• New in March: 33
• New in 2016: 101
• Still Unread March: 28
• Still Unread 2016: 65
• Total Unread: 1930

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

ARC Review: Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle

Hold Your Breath
Author: Katie Ruggle
Series: Search and Rescue (Book 1)
Publication: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 5, 2016)

Description: In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...

As the captain of Field County's ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook is driven to perfection. But when he meets new diver Louise "Lou" Sparks, all that hard-won order is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he's never felt more alive...even if keeping her safe may just kill him.

Lou's new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she's determined to make it on her own terms...no matter how tempting Callum may be. But when a routine training exercise unearths a body, Lou and Callum find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who will stop at nothing to silence Lou-and prove that not even her new Search and Rescue family can keep her safe forever.

My Thoughts: Louise Sparks has moved from Connecticut to the mountains of Colorado to get away from her controlling parents and an unwanted boyfriend. She is working as a barista and has joined the Field County Dive Team. Her captain is Callum Cook who has really caught her attention. She delights in seeing if she can upset his careful control. Callum is a neat freak who is obsessive about organization and order in all phases of his life. Lou is definitely a more casual person. But Lou has a talent for making Callum happy which their colleagues have noticed and quick to tease them about.

One winter's day when they are practicing ice rescues, Lou dislodges the headless and handless body of someone who had been dropped in the reservoir attached to a weight. She feels a responsibility to try to identify him and find out who murdered him. Callum decides to help her with her investigation primarily to keep her out of trouble.

It really looks like trouble has targeted Lou. She has her truck tires smashed and her propane tank tampered with. She is at a loss because she hasn't made any enemies in Colorado and can't imagine who would be doing this to her. If the tire slashing hadn't happened before the body was discovered, she could think that someone was warning her away from her investigating but she was already targeted before the discovery.

Callum is there as Lou's protector. Lou, however, is determined to keep the independence she developed after leaving her controlling parents. She worries that letting Callum protect her will make her helpless again. I loved the chemistry between Lou and Callum.

This is the first book in a series. The book ends with the stalker problem solved but the mystery of the body is the reservoir is still unsolved in this book. I can't wait to read FAN THE FLAMES to find out what happens next in the mystery and in the lives of other Field County rescue personnel.

Favorite Quote:

It was too bad about his surliness, since Callum was a joy to look upon otherwise, in a gladiator-meets-drill-sergeant kind of way. His blond hair was military short, and his eyes were a startling and beautiful blue against his tan skin. His jaw was square and his body...Taking a deep breath, she carefully did not check out the neoprene-wrapped perfection below his neck.

Because...damn.

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

Jumping into a hole cut in the frozen reservoir was a stupid idea. In fact, of all the questionable decisions she'd made since abandoning civilization for her tiny mountain cabin seven months ago, this was probably the worst.

Friday 56 (from Location 560 on my Kindle):

But the one thing she knew she had to have when she'd moved into her new rustic home the previous August was internet. There was roughing it, and then there was just plain nuts, and not having internet was solidly in the second category.

This week I am spotlighting Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle. This is the first novel in the Search and Rescue series. I got this eARC from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:

In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...

As the captain of Field County's ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook is driven to perfection. But when he meets new diver Louise "Lou" Sparks, all that hard-won order is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he's never felt more alive...even if keeping her safe may just kill him.

Lou's new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she's determined to make it on her own terms...no matter how tempting Callum may be. But when a routine training exercise unearths a body, Lou and Callum find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who will stop at nothing to silence Lou-and prove that not even her new Search and Rescue family can keep her safe forever.