Off My Shelf: Truth

Lord Jesus it’s a fire! I am usually not one to gush about an author or book. I have a handful of books I can reread annually because I just feel so connected to the characters. Of course there is classics on that list, children’s books I will never tire of, but out of the 2 genre’s I read the most there is maybe 1 or 2. This book is now on that list. I was privileged enough to find the author Trilina Pucci on instagram at the rec of another bookstagrammer. And while most authors like to interact periodically with their fans, Trilina is like a friend. I followed her for a while without having actually read any of her books. Then they became available on kindle unlimited so of course I had to read them. They were so good. I mean so good I had to try to get in on this series.

You guys, this book was better than her first two and I couldn’t put those down! I received an advance copy for review and I’m actually buying a copy because like I said this is going to be a reread. This is not just a hot book with steamy sex and a little drama sprinkled in. This is dark and twisty and HOT! Drew is everything you want in a female character. She is strong, smart, and determined. Dominic King is more than I ever knew a man could be. He is that bad boy turned good, that alpha male that oozes sexiness and strength. But the absolute best part, and I mean it because if you’re like me the woman always being submissive gets old quick, King doesn’t want Drew to dominate her, he wants her because she is his equal. That is the hottest part of this book! Reading their story and how they go toe to toe in everything is beyond wildest dreams here. Finally we have all the elements of true companionship: respect, love, adoration, support and lust. Lust lust lust!!

So if you are into any of that in even the smallest way this book is for you! I am very stingy with 5 stars but damn if this book could have 10 I would give it 10. Grab your copy now on Amazon for only $1.99!!! You will not regret it. Did I mention this is a series? I am already looking forward to the next book.

Here’s a little more about Truth:

Drew

It was a tryst.

A sin swallowed down by desire.

That’s what I tell myself.

But my body isn’t the only part that

aches for him now.

 I sold my soul.

Now my heart is a slave to the devil.

Dominic King.

He unveiled the taboo,

illuminating my lie

and unexpectedly stole my heart.

 

But I walked away.

 

Dominic

 Lust is my religion.

She became my sanctuary.

 If it’s forgiveness she seeks

the price just doubled.

 And she’ll pay it bound at my feet.

 I gave her pain for pleasure.

Her truth.

 

Now I’ll make her beg me for more.

Reckless Cover Reveal!

I’m so in love with the blurb on this book and can not wait to read it! TBR this because it sounds fun! Goodreads link in bottom now for that Cover….

COVER REVEAL

Title: Reckless: An Anthology

Authors: Mika Jolie, Kylie Stewart,

P.M. Carson & Sharla Lovelace

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Design: Shanoff Designs

Release Date: November 8, 2018

 

 

BLURB

 

You’ve done what’s expected. 
You’ve stayed in the “good girl” lane. 
How’s that working for you? 

If you have a chance at falling in love . . .
Will you take matters into your hands?
Kiss a stranger with wild abandon?
Throw caution to the wind along with your clothes?

Don’t think about the consequences.
Dive into the forbidden, the off-limits.
Be fearless.
Be wild. 
Be unpredictable.
Be reckless.

***Each novella in the Reckless anthology is a never beforepublished, swoon-worthy, standalone story by Mika Jolie, Kylie Stewart, P M Carson, and Sharla Lovelace.

 

 

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40237081-reckless—an-anthology

On My Shelf: The Waiting Room

Veronica is trying to put her life back together after suffering loss. She is trying to be human again after having her world ripped apart. Part of that is seeing a therapist and forging relationships with the people she encounters along the way. But nothing is ever what it seems.

I loved this book. This is my 4th book read by this author and I devoured this one like the others. Emily Bleeker has a way of writing stories that captivate you. They are so real I get lost in the story every time. The characters and their emotions are real. This one spoke to me on multiple levels. Having loss someone I loved dearly in a tragic way as well, the grieving and pain felt by Veronica, I know that pain. Then the forgiveness and trying to let go of some of that anger, I know that too.

This book spoke to me as a woman, a mom, a human being. It reminded me we are all struggling and connected and sometimes we have to break so we can build ourselves up to be who we need to be to continue this journey. Warning the last 20% of this book had me in tears. And the ending had me cheering for the human spirit.

*I received this book for free through Netgalley from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

On My Shelf: The Home

 

The Home is a psychological thriller set in London in the late 80’s. The story is told by Angela, her adoptive mother Rosemary, her birth mom Evelyn, and diaries from the past. Angela is a workaholic who is determined to make it in the male dominated field of law. Her adoptive parents have always been supportive and straightforward with her regarding her adoption. A family illness has caused them to focus on finding her birth mother Evelyn, something Angela has always stated she wanted to do some day. With this push and time constraint, Angela reaches out to a support group that helps her find her birth mom and make contact. This book drums along, telling the early years story from the diary of the child at the orphanage and the present utilizing the voice of the 3 main females.
In the beginning I didn’t know the characters very well and had to pay attention when it flipped flopped between perspectives, but after a few chapters I was invested and could follow along very easily. I am a big fan of books where the story telling is chapter by chapter from different characters perspectives. I feel it really adds to the suspense. I will say this book has some triggers and while I myself found my stomach in knots with anticipation of how far it would go into the depths of these triggers, specifically child abuse/pedophilia, it never went into any detail. I was thankful for that, it was well written and just enough that you knew what was happening without having to describe it.
The ending, I did not see it coming. One of the things I love about these types of books is being able to figure them out like a puzzle putting all the characters stories together to find out what happened and how. Until I was in the final chapters it hadn’t even occurred to me. The author did a great job with each characters story for that to happen. I also found it interesting that only the women’s perspectives were told. I am very curious if that was purposeful or just happened organically in the writing process. There are male characters in the story, and you get their story but it’s mainly through their female counterpart. All in all this was a good read and I enjoyed it.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *

On My Shelf: Sweatpants at Tiffanie’s

 

Sweatpants at Tiffanie’s 
by

Pernille Hughes (Goodreads Author)

thecoffeeqween‘s review

Jul 19, 2018  ·  edit

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. This was a quick and fun read. When I first started reading it I was not sure if it was going to be a book that was my usual type of romance read. By chapter 3 I was starting to change my mind. Tiffanie is having the worst week ever, her boyfriend breaks up with her on their anniversary, her boss dies, and her first love returns after ditching her 10 years ago. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Tiffanie inherits the gym where she works as a book keeper having no idea how to run it, with employees and family members feeling snubbed, she desperately needs to find a way to make it work. Filled with cute little quirks and fumblings of second chances, this book turned out to be sweet and charming. I personally lean towards, smart mouthed, confident women in romance books. The struggle I had in the beginning was with Tiffanie herself. She seemed a little too shy for me. But as I read on I found myself rooting for her and invested in her finding her voice. The other characters also added to the theme of finding your way and it flowed effortlessly. There was just enough drama to make it interesting without being over the top. It truly is a book about second chances in life and love. *I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

 

On My Shelf: The Thinnest Air

 

 

Do you self care? What do you do to take care of yourself? I have always been an avid reader but recently with the addition of kids and lack of free time in my life it has become an even bigger focal point in my life. It started out as me trying to be a good example to my children, showing them that reading can be fun and entertaining. Then it became a challenge between me and my oldest son, creating book goals and healthy competition. Now all my boys have reading goals for the year ending with a book date to Barnes and Noble with mommy for new books and treats. But just as importantly reading has become a way for me to do something just for me, without any restrictions and indulge myself in whatever I want. I read over 100 books last year and am trying to do the same this year. I love to lose myself in a story, imagine the scenes in my mind and live vicariously through the characters. So “On My Shelf” will be posts regarding my reads. You can also find my bookstack and audible books on my instagram profile and Goodreads profile. Without further ado, here is my first review. I am a huge fan of thrillers/mysteries/crime books in general. This one had me staying up late saying just one more chapter, biting my nails trying to figure it out, and crying when it was all said and done. Meredith Price has it all: posh life, adoring husband, strong and protective sister until one day she is gone. Poof! Vanishes and leaves no clues as to what may have happened to her. The story is told from the perspective of Meredith and her sister Greer. Each chapter back and forth with Meredith telling her past leading up to the day she disappeared and Greer telling her story from the present, the days following the disappearance. I know some people do not like the back and forth style of story telling, I however really like it. It helps keep the mystery going, feeding you bits and pieces of the characters.  One thing for sure, I really liked the character development and story telling. As you read you find out that Meredith’s perfect life may not be so perfect and we all have secrets that we keep from certain people in our lives. In the end life is never as it seems. I love when the writing is so good you can picture the entire story in your mind. Play it out step by step and imagine the characters in your own unique way. Minka Kent’s story telling is just that way. It flowed between the 2 story teller’s so effortlessly I never felt lost or like I couldn’t follow the story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a quick read who loves a good who dunnit. This is my first time reading anything by Minka Kent and I am now going to go and look up some more of her work.

Have you read this book? Is it a TBR for you? Share your stack in the comments!

If you would like to get see this book on Amazon, click here.

To see more about the author Minka Kent, click here.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed this free copy from Thomas & Mercer publishing after I requested it on Netgalley. All thoughts and comments are my own.

Grey’s

Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge Grey’s Anatomy fan. Giant. I’ve watched the show since day 1 and it’s the only show I actually watch when it airs. I have also rewatched the show from beginning to end several times, it’s my thing.

Last nights episode was once again controversial and well done. There was the Jo Wilson my ex is an abuser issue, there was the cop (who btw we don’t see so we don’t know the skin color) who shot an innocent black kid, and we had April questioning her faith. All of these upset people so much and I honestly don’t get it.

It’s current in our society today. Women are learning to use their voice and stand up for themselves. Jo finding her voice and choosing it to move on with her life was a wonderful thing. April finally realizing the world is not a beautiful place and God’s will isn’t always purposeful was so well done. She was tested and tried and in the end it appears she is in a dark place but I don’t think it was done poorly. Lastly and the one most people have issue with, is the cop thing. I would like to pint out a few things that I think try to show this as a non racist issue. 1. We don’t know the race of the cop that shot the kid 2. Racist is a term none of the doctors used in fact they explicitly emphasize the word bias 3. The part where Bailey talks to her own son about how to respond to police was beautifully done without ever saying one bad word about police.

Now those that saw it might say I’m not reading between the lines here and that’s true, much was implied. However, I think a lot of what you “saw” is based off your own bias. It was overtly racist if that’s your go to in these situations. Jackson talking to the officer and explaining we all have bias, it’s human nature” and therefore we can correct it was such a wonderful and valid point. This isn’t a race issue it’s a bias issue and one that once we all face and admit we can slowly change. I don’t want to give too much away in case you didn’t see it. Buttonwillow was wonderful and I think everyone needs to take to heart the words spoken in that moment.

When Bailey is explaining to her son how to behave when stopped by police, it was heartbreaking. Heartbreaking because people I know and love have had that exact conversation with their child(ren). If you watch that and think it was over exaggerated or unnecessary, you are not seeing things from a POC perspective. It was done with respect for her sons life and innocence and the respect for officers in that they are not all bad. That there’s no reason to to color his judgment on all cops. If you think POC aren’t or haven’t had that conversation with their kids, your head is in the sand. It wasn’t in your face. No one said anything horrible about police. No one states anything regarding corruption or racism. It was a great perspective and I thought is was beautifully presented.

When I started reading people’s responses my heart sank. I mean they could have done this in a totally biased, religion, man, cop hating waiting and not once was that done! Not once!!! And yet that’s all people saw. That is what their perspective is when these issues are brought up. And that not only speaks volumes about those people but about the bias we project on societal issues.

If you haven’t watched please do. And don’t let your own personal bias color your perspective. I strongly believe in the good of police. I appreciate all they do. I am not hating on anyone or any religion. I believe in women finding their voice and rising against those that seek to hold her down. I don’t understand why women stay with abusive men but I don’t blame them. Nothing they did or could do would be deserving of the abuse they endured. I am spiritual, I may not whole heartedly believe in any particular religion, but I don’t begrudge someone who does.her persistence in her belief is admirable but people do struggle to keep the faith. I have. I have several times. Seeing what I have gone through was comforting. It was relatable, for the first time ever for this character, at least for me.

One Week

You guys I have one more week home then it’s back to work. Up until now I was fine. I actually was a little happy that things might get back to normal because they have felt so off. Not in a bad way- I mean snuggling with my new baby has been amazing my extra time with the older kids is always awesome. But it all of a sudden hit me.

It hit me that I won’t get snuggles and kisses whenever I want. I won’t get to rock him to sleep and hold him for as long as I want. I won’t get to snuggle up under the covers for nap number 1 of the day. And that, that makes me start to feel so sad.

I on the verge of tears. This is my absolute last baby ever and my baby time is almost up. He will be 3 months old this week and I just feel so much. I know he will be in good hands, he will be with my mom, but my god I just want to take him with me. I want to go to work and take his pack n play and snuggle him when I need it. I want to look over from the phone when dealing with a tough customer and warm my heart at the sight of my beautiful baby. Ugh this is the 4th time I’m leaving a baby and it just might be the hardest. My poor soul feels a little empty just thinking about it.

On my Shelf

So keeping with our goals for 2018, I have already started reading. Admittedly I am behind I mean I should at the very least have one book under my belt but I’m trying to get the baby back in schedule and the holidays have really thrown me. So I am not sure home much I plan to share about my book reading, I know some books I have no problem talking about but there are others that well… they are fun reads and not quite as serious about sharing.

I’m also looking into reading challenges, not just for me but the kids as well. I want to make this fun and I want to make it something we can do every year. I also will be sharing their shelf and what they are reading now. Obviously it will vary and won’t always be current since they are all at such a variety of reading levels. I just bought our journals today. I went real simple with them and as we use them I will make notes to make sure if we do this next year we can change and keep what we need to. I grabbed some simple composition books at the store and I figure we can use pens, pencils, crayons even pics if we want.

My first read of the new year is from Amazon First Reads. The book is free to me as a prime member. I have to admit I have read quite a few books that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise and I’m glad I did. This is one of those books. I have not read anything from this author and I’m still in the just getting started phase but so far I like it and there’s just enough going on to keep me reading.

As always I have several books on my shelf. I can’t just read one thing at a time. I read the way I eat… according to mood. I have a romance book on the kindle shelf and a new James Patterson on the real shelf as well. But for now I’m good with Not Perfect. Hopefully I will be done by this weekend. What are you reading? Do you complete book challenges? Which ones! I need help with this!

And my word is..

It’s that time of year! Time to overhaul your life, make grand plans and think of all the things you’ll never do but promise you will so you can yet again not measure up to expectations. And of course pick your word! The one life changing, completely inspiring all encompassing word of the year.

While I sort of did all these things. I feel like my word should be vaguely. I vaguely recall wanting to change, I vaguely recall trying, I am creating resolutions and inspiration, vaguely. I didn’t want to set myself up for disappoint. I mean geez it’s day 1 of a new year and of course I feel all the woo hoo new year new me inspiration but how am I to know what’s going to happen. How am I to know how much I can achiever this year without knowing even a little what this year has in store. I mean last year I started the year getting accidentally knocked up… this year I’m going to have a teeny tiny human dictating my life. It’s kind of out of my hands and I’m kind of just winging things at this point waiting for the next thing to blast me. So my list is more of things that make me happy, less of me if possible. I mean I know I need to lose quite a bit of weight but I figure if I aim low anything extra will motivation to continue and if I barely make it then I’m still good because I did it! Expectations low and value high!

My word is ME! So many times I read, hear or see women telling themselves remember your why. And so many times it’s their kids or pics of them younger and thinner. And while there is nothing wrong with those I want to change and grow for me. I want to read more because it makes me happy. I want to write more because I feel better it makes me feel better about what’s going on. I want to craft more because I like to be creative and crafting brings me peace. I want to yell less because I want to be a better mom. I want to be the best mom I can be and build stronger relationships with my children for me and them. I want to get outdoors more and do more of what makes us happy. I want to lose 20 lbs so I feel more comfortable in my own skin. All these things benefit the people around me I care about most but more importantly they benefit me the most. I want to be happy and I want to do more of what makes me happy. My reason why is me and so my word is me. To remember I am why I am doing these things.

The kids set goals as well. I don’t pressure them to set all kinds of resolutions and talk about how to become better. I usually just search for New Years prompts for kids and go from there. This year we set reading goals. We did that last year and everyone met their goal and was rewarded with a Barnes and Noble date with mom.

Callen: wants to read 40 books. This year we are all keeping book journals to remember what we have read. No making them write more than the title and author but giving them the space to be creative and do more if they so choose. He also wants to make 1 new friend and learn how to cradle (a wrestling move)

Caleb: wants to read 50 books, with a book journal. He didn’t want to create any more goals for the year.

Aiden wants to read 100 books and keep a book journal. He is still pondering creating more goals.

And in case you were wondering I purposefully used the word goals instead of resolutions. Again keeping expectation light. What are your dreams, goals, resolutions for the new year?