You'll Want to Spend More Than "Nine Minutes" On This Read

Kristin here. You know when your book friends are talking your ear off about this amazing MC book, and you’re really trying to follow the conversation, but you don’t even know what “MC” is or if you’ll like that genre? That was me when I first heard about Nine Minutes by Beth Flynn. 

I finally discovered that an “MC” novel is a story about a motorcycle rider, gang, etc. Once I realized that, I was incredibly skeptical to read it, fantastic recs notwithstanding. 

I am so glad that I bit the bullet and gave this a try. It’s not what I would normally think of when I imagine a MC book. Here’s the synopsis:

"On May 15, 1975, fifteen-year-old Ginny Lemon is abducted from a convenience store in Fort Lauderdale by a member of one of the most notorious and brutal motorcycle gangs in South Florida.

From that moment on, her life is forever changed.  She gets a new name, a new identity and a new life in the midst of the gang's base on the edge of the Florida Everglades - a frightening, rough and violent world much like the swamps themselves, where everyone has an alias and loyalty is tantamount to survival.

And at the center of it all is the gang's leader, Grizz: massive, ruggedly handsome, terrifying and somehow, when it comes to Ginny, tender.  She becomes his obsession and the one true love of his life.

So begins a tale of emotional obsession and manipulation, of a young woman ripped from everything she knows and forced to lean on the one person who provides attention, affection and care: her captor. Precocious and intelligent, but still very much a teenager, Ginny struggles to adapt to her existence, initially fighting and then coming to terms with her captivity.

Will she be rescued?  Will she escape?  Will she get out alive--or get out at all?  Part psychological thriller, part coming-of-age nerve, filled with mystery, romance and unexpected turns, Nine Minutes takes readers into the world of one motorcycle gang and inside the heart of a young girl, who abduction brought about its fall."

Please keep an open mind if you even remotely think this genre isn't for you.  I promise I was the same way before I started reading.  The characters are so likable.  Even the ones you aren't supposed to like! There is one character, I won't name names because you will know exactly who I'm talking about, that is completely cray-cray, but I love her anyway.

There is something about the author's writing style that just grabbed me and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last word.  I even immediately one-clicked the next book, which happened to release the same day I finished reading, called "Out of Time".

I will definitely be buying more from Ms. Flynn and can't wait to read what happens in "Out of Time".

You can get "Nine Minutes" by clicking here.  And the next installment, "Out of Time" by clicking here.

I give Author Beth Flynn and "Nine Minutes" a solid

LB Simmons Rocks This Book....Flaws and All

"I'm tired of denying myself the only thing in my life that I've ever really wanted.  And I want you.  Every part of you, flaws and all."

I feel like that's the theme of LB Simmons' book "Running in Place". Because these characters, both Tatum and Noah have some serious flaws.  But I loved them both.  So, so much.

Let's start over from the beginning, shall we?

"Running in Place" is about two young adults who really are standing still in their lives.  They are making virtually no progress in life except going through the motions.  The baggage they carry around is forcing them to barely keep their figurative heads above water.

And they hate each other.

Which always makes for the best kind of love story.

And I did love this story.  It was gritty and raw.  And holy cow...the Prologue made me bawl.  I was NOT expecting that.  Be forewarned.  

I loved the lyrics that Noah wrote.  I loved the letters Tatum wrote to her dad.  Overall, I just couldn't put this book down.

Somehow I missed that it's actually the second book in the "Mending Hearts" series.  But rest assured, it can be read as a stand alone as it's about different characters than the first.

Now I will say, it's not without it's own flaws.  I didn't really like the character of Harlow.  I'm not sure why.  She was vital to the story, but I just didn't care for her.  She was a little too.....convenient, maybe?  But that being said, her character should not be the deciding factor on whether or not to read this book.  Because it was good.  So, so good.  You can get it by clicking here.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "Running in Place" and highly recommend it.  Flaws and all.

I Love This Book Beyond Words

I'm usually a very impatient reader.  Let's get the story going so I can whiz through the book while enjoying myself.

Chalk it up to having a touch of ADHD.  Or so my mother thinks.

So I was surprised how much I enjoyed "Love Beyond Words" by Emma Scott.  It doesn't start out fast-paced.  It's more like a slow simmer.  And I loved that.

In a world of books that all seem to focus on Instalove and sex, "Love Beyond Words" focused on a relationship that built slowly.  A relationship that was full of secret glances and silent communication. You know, the way it usually works in the "real world".  

In fact, it didn't take me half a day to read it straight through.  It took a couple days to get through.  Because when I would put it down, I was absorbing.  I was processing the beauty of the newness of this relationships.  It was a very nice change of pace for me.

I also adored the characters.  Sure, they had demons they were both working through.  But as they slowly grew to trust each other, they slowly grew to help each other heal.

Surprisingly, there is a huge side-story that you can see coming from a mile away.  But the fact that it's not a surprise doesn't make it any less exciting.  And by the end, when you think you are just reading a slower paced book...

BAM!

Some very exciting things happen which got my heart pounding and were very fun to watch unfold.  It was like getting the best of both worlds.  A slow simmer until the explosion happened.

Awesome.

If you're looking for something a little different, a little more in tune with summer time relaxation, get "Love Beyond Words" by clicking here.  It was definitely worth my time.

Emma Scott really did write a book that I "Love" for a solid 

"Truth"fully...You'll Love This Book

Very few authors get 5 Diamonds from me with just about everything they write.  For several reasons.

One, I'm stingy.  I don't like giving out 5 Diamonds.  I feel like anything that is 5 Diamonds is basically life altering in one way or another.  It's your favorite.  It will resonate with you for long, long periods of time. That isn't every book.  It's only a select few.

Two, authors can't be perfect every single time.  Some of their books are better than others.  Some of their books I will like better than others.  This is just the nature of story telling and writing for a living.

Author Penny Reid is probably my only exception.  Damn, that girl can write!

Her latest masterpiece, "Truth or Beard" lives up to what we can expect from Ms. Reid.  It's well written.  the characters are fabulous, the story is interesting.  And you know what?  She threw me for a loop in the beginning!  I honest to goodness didn't think I would like Duane in the first few chapters.

Then I got in his head.  And now I love him.

'Truth or Beard" is the first official installment in the "Winston Brothers" series (a spin-off of the "Knitting in the City" series), and with six bearded brothers to cover, I'm looking forward to every installment!!  Especially Cletus's story.  Because Cletus stole the show multiple times!

"Truth or Beard" officially releases tomorrow and you do not want to miss it!  Get it by clicking here. If you love Ms. Reid's wit, humor and "smart" writing, you'll love this book like I did!

Penny Reid and "Truth or Beard" deserve a shiny

A "Kingdom" Worth Visiting

Call me a snob, but I typically stick with certain genres of books.  NA, YA, some paranormal mixed in depending on the story.  You catch my drift.

Historical romance, on the other hand, doesn't typically interest me.

That is, until I met Samantha Gillespie at a small author event in Houston.  Something about the synopsis of her book was intriguing and I thought I would give it a chance.  Check out what I mean:

"Princess Meredith's eighteenth birthday is fast approaching, but unlike other girls, she is not looking forward to it.  Upon her coming of age, she is to marry the prince of Alder, the most powerful kingdom in the world.  Though the idea of marriage to a complete stranger is appalling, she knows she has no choice.  Without the marriage contract, Stonefall's alliance with Alder will be lost, and her people will be safe no longer; Theros, King of Talos, has set his eyes of conquest on Stonefall and he wants Meredith dead.

Conner, an elite soldier entrusted with Meredith's safety, arrives at the palace just as things begin to take a turn for the worst.  Together, they will embark on a journey of survival, in which Meredith will find that the only thing she never prepared for was falling in love."

See?  I was intrigued.  And I'm glad I took a chance, because for a debut novel, Ms. Gillespie did a really nice job!  

Now, it took a few chapters for the writing to pick up a bit.  But I think that's pretty normal for most first time authors.  And the way everyone speaks doesn't sound like it's from that time frame  But frankly, since I don't read historical romance, I'm not sure if that's a usual thing.  Is that so the reader can understand and not get distracted by the language?  Heck if I know.  I don't read historical romance.

And that may be part of why I liked it.  I didn't get slowed down in my reading by complex wording and unfamiliar phrasing.  It's one thing to watch it on TV.  But I'm a speed reader.  I don't like being slowed down.

Plus, with the story line itself, the twists and turns and characters...I really, really enjoyed myself.  It wasn't a hard read.  It was quick and easy.  And it was oh so entertaining.

Here's the best part for me...my 12-year old daughter picked it up after I did and she LOVED it.  Read it in a day.  I was shocked that she didn't cry at the same parts I did.  But it was so fun discussing it with her.

So give this one a shot.  If not for you, for your kid.  Mine can't wait until the next installment, and neither can I. (which is due out some time next year)  You can find it by clicking here.

Author Samantha Gillespie has created a "Kingdom" worth 

What Author Erin Noelle is Reading These Days

“Two beautiful couples. Five simple rules. One hot mess.”

With these three short sentences on the cover of Roya Carmen’s “The Ground Rules”, I was sold. I’ve always been a sucker for hot, angsty reads with a dash of taboo to kick up the spice another couple of notches, and hot damn if I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for…and so much more!

Typically, I read books straight from friend recommendations or authors who I follow loyally, so I rarely bother reading the blurbs. I’m always afraid it’ll tell me too much about the storyline, and I like going in blind, experiencing the events through the eyes of the characters. And though I was tempted, I stayed true with this one too, knowing only what the front cover revealed.

Nestling into the cozy corner of my couch with my kindle, I first met Mirella Keates while she’s playing dress-up with her two little girls, an activity I’m quite familiar with. As the girls are trying on their mommy’s fancy clothes, Mirella takes note of her shabby toes in desperate need of a pedicure and her grungy sweatpants, silently wondering at what point in her life she stopped paying attention to herself.

As a mother of two and a full-time kindergarten teacher, she feels blessed that her hot, tattooed, devoted husband of eighteen years still finds her sexually attractive, but as the young girls coax her into trying on a vintage pink dress, happy memories from the past swirl in her head. Feeling as if she’s lost a little of herself--and them as a couple--as of late, Mirella proposes a fancy night out on the town to her husband, Gabe to shake things up a little.

Ok, at this point (the end of the first chapter) I stopped reading and wondered what in the actual f*ck?!?!  Was this for real?  I felt like I was reading a book about my life.  The similarities between myself and this Mirella chick were eerily similar, and I already knew that the connection I would have with this heroine will be off the charts.

• She's almost 35.  I'm almost 37.
• She has 2 daughters, 8 & 6.  I have 2 daughters, 7 & 5.
• She's a kindergarten teacher.  I'm a daycare teacher.
• She's been with her sexy, tattooed husband for 18 years.  I've been with my sexy, tattooed husband for 16 years.
• She wears old ragged clothes around the house and needs to do things to make her feel pretty and feminine.  I...well, I own so many pairs of yoga pants and sweats, they have their own dresser, and I'll spare you the visual of my toenails and foot callouses.  You get the point.

So after I leapt up from the couch, dug out one of my favorite sundresses from my honeymoon that I've kept for a memento in the back of the closet, and squeezed my not-honeymoon-anymore-figure into it, I resumed my reading position in full character mindset, ready for the tumultuous ride beginning in chapter two.  That's when I met them.  Weston and Bridget Hanson.  The second beautiful couple.

The way I was instantly intrigued and smitten with Weston, I knew I was in trouble, just like Mirella did, but I couldn't stop reading it, just like she couldn't stop living it.

After a series of events, the two couples end up involved with each other in a not-so-ordinary arrangement that is managed by five simple ground rules--rules that are supposed to keep everyone grounded and to keep from any emotional grief, but allow the four of them to explore their forbidden desires.

1.  Don't sleep around.
2.  Don't kiss and tell.
3.  Be nice.
4.  Don't text or call.
5.  Don't fall in love.

But rules are made to be broken...and let me tell you how deliciously steamy it isn when they are.

Following this captivating, thought-provoking story through the eyes of myself living in some alternate universe, my eyes were glued to the screen as I soaked up each and every word.  I laughed.  I cried.  I nearly had a panic attack.  I texted my husband to tell him how much I loved him.  And then I recommended this book to all of my friends  I couldn't shut up about it.

I loved every gut-wrenching, heart pounding moment of it, and I'm anxiously awaiting book 2 in the series.  (You can start on the series now and get "The Ground Rules" by clicking here.)

I give Roya Carmen and "The Ground Rules" a HUGE

"MILF". Enough Said.

I have a new obsession with Author Erin Noelle.  I have yet to read a book of hers that didn't make me feel in new and different ways.  In fact, you may see her name more and more in this blog because, well, she writes really great stories!

But I will admit, I was hesitant when she handed me her book "MILF: Wrong Kind of Love".  Two reasons:

1)  I don't gravitate towards erotica.  It kind of bores me.  Based on the title and synopsis, I automatically assumed that's what it was.  Also...

2)  The male character is really, really young.  As in 21-years old.  I, myself, may be a MILF (stop laughing!!  A girl can dream!), but anything younger than around 24 gives me the heebie jeebies.  

And therein lies the genius of this book.

The main female character is Mia.  She's 38, newly divorced from a cheating douchebag of a husband and working on finding herself.

The main male character is Grayson.  He's 21, still in college, and get this....the son of Mia's ex-husbands new wife.  Yes...douchebag's STEPSON.  To make it even stranger, he's also Mia's son's best friend.

There's more to the background story and how this all came about, but instead of trying to explain it, I'll let the book do that for me.

What I really liked about this book is how uncomfortable it made me feel.  It was weird to watch this grown woman, mother of a college student, start a relationship with a man her son's age.  It was weird knowing they had a history together from when Gray was a child, and yet it still blossomed into this relationship.  

Did I say it was weird???

But the weird, uncomfortable feelings are what made it so fascinating to read.  How interesting it was to see a normal relationship between a mother and her son's friend turn into, arguably, the love of her life. How unexpected that I would find myself forgetting that this boy is just 21-years old and rooting for their relationship to last!

But that's what Erin Noelle does to me every time.  She makes me see things from a different perspective.

She pushes the envelope on issues other people won't touch.  

And she makes me walk away questioning whether the taboo is actually as taboo as I always thought.

My only two critiques are that I could have gone without so many sex scenes.  I know, I know.  I'm in the minority with that critique, but the story was fascinating enough without them.  

And there is one particular scene I would have loved to see.  I'm not going to say what it was, but I already told Ms. Noelle that she's a wench for not writing it.  She pretty much laughed at me and then disappeared from the conversation.  Rude.

All that being said, "MILF" really was a fantastic read of forbidden love.  Get it by clicking here.  It will probably make you uncomfortable and stretch you emotionally like it did for me.  

And that is the sign of a great read.

Author Erin Noelle and "MILF" earn a forbidden

Great Military Reads For Your Continued Celebrations!

Apparently in my neighborhood, just because July 4th is over doesn't mean the celebrations are done. We're still hearing fireworks at night.

You, too?

I will give my neighbors one thing...there is no reason to not continuously celebrate freedom.  Freedom is one of the reasons we get to read books we enjoy without penalty.  So to celebrate that, Kristin and I have put together a list of some great military reads!

Not all of these take place in a military setting.  But the main characters still have a strong military background that shapes the way they see the world and interact with people.

So here is our list of military related reads for your entertainment purposes!  You can click on the name of the book to 1-click on Amazon.

10.

Fighting for Arielle by Karina Sharp

9.

In Love and War by Tara Mills

8.

Now and Then by Brenda Rothert

7.

Broken by Lauren Layne

6.

Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon 

(actually, the entire series but this is the first installment)

5.

Healing Touch by Brenda Rothert

4.

What If by Bayli Lane

3.

Off Limits by Sawyer Bennett

2.

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

And our agreed upon #1 pic:

1.

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

A Story With "Hart" That You Don't Want to Miss

Hey guys, Kristin here. 

I’m sure you all have those few special authors that are on your no-questions-asked one-click list. You know what I mean.  No matter what they write, you’re gonna one-click so fast that your keyboard is smoking, all without even reading the synopsis.  

My next Diamond, M E Carter, is one of those authors for me. I think I love her, in the non-stalker, non-creepy way that only a truly devoted fan can. 

While reading her first book, "Change of Hart", I think I gave myself a hernia from all the gut-busting laughter. I laughed until I cried multiple times! If you haven’t read it yet, you really should, and not just because my review is of the sequel. 

The final book in the series, "Hart to Heart", gets a little more serious and a lot more angsty, but it is such a fantastic story.

Here’s the synopsis:

"We're the Harts.
Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we've had the best year of our lives.  Things have never looked better for Jaxon, Addison and myself.
But just because you say "I do" doesn't mean you get a happily ever after.  And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field.
The only way we're going to make it through is if we do it together...Hart to Heart."

Let me start out by saying that I’m a huge sap and used to cry if a character got their feelings hurt. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve toughened up considerably over the last couple of years, but this story still had me crying big ole crocodile tears a few times throughout my reading. This book hits on some pretty deep subject matter, but it does so in such a beautiful way. 

M E Carter found a way to punch me right square in the heart, while at the very same time giving it a great big hug.

I loved seeing the personal growth of the characters as they took on marriage and family life. Of course, getting my Deuce fix was a major plus, also. The funny moments were perfectly timed to help distract from the heavy, which I needed!

If you haven’t read "Change of Hart", I wasn’t kidding, you seriously need to get it now while it’s on sale for less than a dollar! You can get it by clicking here. 

Once you one-click THAT bad boy, head on over and pick up "Hart to Heart" by clicking here.  That way it pops up on your Kindle on release day, July 14th.

I give M E Carter and "Hart to Heart" a shiny