Books I've Read This Summer
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I haven’t read as much as I would have liked this summer, and I got more books from the library than I should, considering I have 300 paperbacks waiting to be read. I have resisted buying more ebooks until I get through some more that I already own, though.
Here’s what I read this summer.
8 days-Vision in White by Nora Roberts: I loved the concept, 4 women running their own wedding venue. That just appeals to me. But the heroine was too--something, I don’t know, and the hero was too beta. None of the women stood out to me, except the one whose house they’ve converted to this venue, and she’s wound so tight I don’t know if I’ll enjoy her story. But of course I’ll read it.
11 days-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Ridiculous, and funny at first, then just dense. Tiny print, too. 
1 day-Renegade by Natalie Damschroder: LOVED it. Mystery, psychic abilities, two hunky heroes, strong heroine. DUDE. And not just saying that because she’s my friend.
3 days-Wild Heat by Bella Andre: About Hot Shots, so hello, I’m there. She’s an arson investigator, he’s a Hot Shot. Lots of good action, but I didn’t connect with the characters.
8 days-Critical Care by Candace Calvert: I don’t read a lot of inspirational because I don’t like to be preached to. But this book was not in the least preachy, and had terrific characters, secondary as well as main. Even the cat was great. Looking forward to the next in the series.
8 days-Everything to Lose by Katie Reus: a reunion story, a forced proximity story, all stuff I love. But 8 days for a novella? I was reading it the same time as Critical Care, and before I got the iPhone, but still.
7 days-Bitsy’s Bait and BBQ by Pam Morsi: Not quite as romantic as I’d hoped, but a real sense of place. Terrific characters, and I cried like a baby at the end.
10 days-Black Hills by Nora Roberts: I enjoyed this one quite a bit. The villain’s motivation was meh, but the setting, the conservation angle, and the secondary characters made it a win. Also, LOVED the hero.
9 days-Wild Fires by Lisa Dawn MacDonald: Also a Hot Shot story, a woman trying to find her way in a man’s world. But the firefighters were NOT heroic, and there wasn’t all that much firefighting. 
5 days-Burn by Linda Howard: Really enjoyed this. Another forced proximity story, on a cruise ship. Lots of action, very hot hero and I loved the heroine. LOVED.
Still reading-Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann: Still reading. I’d heard questionable reviews but I’m actually really enjoying it, though Sam and Alyssa are not my favorites. I do get a bit annoyed with the use of “And, okay,” to start the sentences. And sometimes there are thoughts in there that I don’t think Sam and Alyssa would actually think, but still like the storyline.
Have you read any of these? What did you read this summer?
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- MJFredrick
- I'm a mom, a wife, a teacher and a writer. I have five cats and a dog to keep me company. I love bookstores and libraries and Netflix - movies are my greatest weakness.
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8 comments:
Loved the cover to that Ellora's Cave one.
Read both Nora books. Liked Vision in White better than Black Hills. Vision in White actually made me cry at one point, so I clearly connected to the characters and I can't wait until the next one comes out.
In Black Hills I didn't think the reasoning behind the big misunderstanding worked well enough to keep the H/H apart so long AND I don't like know who the bad guy is, so once we found out? She lost me on the mystery part.
Read Burn but ended up skimming a LOT, especially the beginning. I was bored ... and I don't think I should have been.
Maybe I'm impossible to please anymore.
Pride, Predjudice and Zombies just looked too stupid for me.
I got burned out on the Suzanne Brockman series. I may pick it up again at some point, but not now.
Will check out Natalie's book since you raved so much :-)
I think the only overlapping book we read was Vision in White and I really enjoyed it. I understand your comments, but I enjoyed a beta hero for a change. The story kept me reading which is my main criteria at this point since I've been putting a lot of books down unfinished.
Also on the Nora front, I caught up on the In Death. Read both Salvation and Promises within 4 days. I love how this series and the relationship between Eve and Roarke has matured. For awhile in the middle I was getting impatient with Eve but the more recent books have fixed that.
What else? Hmmmm I finished the Percy Jackson and the Olympians quintet so I'm ready to read with the kids once school starts. Loved the early books in the series better than the last ones. It started to feel forced. I'll be interested to see how the movie hold true. The trailer didn't impress me.
I also went on a binge reading some of Patty Callahan Henry's books. Read the first two in Laura Caldwell's suspense trilogy. Loved the first one but the second one irritated me so I haven't picked up the third. Read Toni Blake's One Reckless Summer but really couldn't get into it. :(
I guess you're not wanting to hear about the Vocabulary development or Ed Psych books I've been reading for professional development. ;)
Right now I'm reading Jane Haddam's Cheating at Solitaire, but it's too early in to offer an opinion. Karen Rose is up next and I love her suspense novels.
Marianne, I remembered that you LOVED Vision in White.
I don't mind knowing who the bad guy is, but give him a reason and some sympathy, dang it! Have you seen The Secret Life of Bees? I hated the dad at the beginning but by the end I felt sorry for him.
The beginning of Burn was not as good as the end, and I just loved Jenner.
As for PP&Z, I was kinda in the mood for silly, and the first 60 pp were great. After that, meh.
I like this Suz Brockmann because it's a lot less convoluted than her others. A bit more preachy, though. And you don't know who the bad guy is!
Natalie's book is HOT. Dang.
Mary, I don't even know where I left off with the In Death books. I planned to catch up on audio book but got confused. I've not tried the Percy books but saw a preview for the movie and it looks great.
I want to read One Reckless Summer and also...the Inn at something. I checked it out of the library but it didn't grab me so I turned it back in, feeling guilty for all the books I own that I've not read.
Meant to say, I bought the EC book BECAUSE of the cover. Doesn't he look like JDM??
I'm beaming and blushing and stuff. :) Thank you for saying such great things, and Marianne, if you read Renegade, I hope it lives up to Mary's review! :)
The only one on your list that I read is Suz Brockmann's. Her own personal voice definitely comes through in every single one of her characters, homogenizing them a bit, something I noticed after meeting her and listening to her speak a couple of times. But the characters themselves are so well developed GMC-wise, I love them and her books anyway. :)
Natalie, you're absolutely right about the homogenized characters. More than one used "And, okay," to start sentences. A LOT.
And while I might not have bought the book if I didn't know you, I am not lying about my love for it.
That's why the beaming and blushing! I know you're not just saying it because you're my friend. That makes it all the greater.
For some reason I haven't read very much this summer either. I did read CRITICAL CARE, though. And you're right about the cat, even he had a goal to accomplish!
Loved it! Cried and cried with many scenes as they were in the hospital, but I couldn't put the book down!
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