Courtney Milan Challenge (100% completed - 3 months ahead of schedule!)

1. The Countess Conspiracy (Brothers Sinister #3) - 3 stars

2. The Suffragette Scandal (Brothers Sinister #4) - 5 stars

3. Talk Sweetly to Me (Brothers Sinister #4.5) - 3 stars

Non-Fiction Challenge (29/50; 58% completed)

4. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser - 3.5 stars

5. Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss - 5 stars

6. Easter 1916 by Charles Townshend - 3 stars

7. Troublemaker by Leah Remini - 4 stars

8. Bossypants by TIna Fey - 4 stars

9. Yes Please by Amy Poehler - 4.5 stars

10. 4,000 Years of Uppity Women by Vicki Leon - 2 stars

TBR Pile Down

11. Killer Run (Tourist Trap Mystery #5) by Lynn Cahoon - 3 stars

12. Murder on Wheels (Tourist Trap Mystery #6) by Lynn Cahoon - 3 stars

13. Tea Cups and Carnage (Tourist Trap Mystery #7) by Lynn Cahoon - 4.5 stars

14. At the Duke's Wedding (Anthology) by Various Authors - 3 stars

15. Killer Cupcakes (Lexy Baker Mysteries #1) by Leighann Dobbs - 1 star

16. Dying for Danish (Lexy Baker Mysteries #2) by Leighann Dobbs - 1 star

17. A Season for Love: Holiday Sparks/Mistletoe & Margaritas/Snowbound with the CEO by Shannon Stacey - .5 star for two stories, 3 stars to one story

18. Harlequin Holiday Collection by Various Authors - 4 stars to two stories, 1 star to one story, and 0 stars to one story

Reading Challenge: 108 out of 150 books (72% completed)

Events: 24in48 Readathon, COYER Challenge, DoD Library Summer Program

As per my usual, I averaged two books. I don't think I even made it 24 hours, more like 15 hours done. I took on contemporary romance, my old nemesis and walked away with two authors I want to read in the future - Merline Lovelace and Debra Webb.

Saturday was full of minor interruptions, with packing for a day trip and usual kid crises to handle. Sunday I was on a bus for 5 hours and luckily the kids slept most of the way. I got to spend at least one day of this summer reading on the beach, so I am happy (Brighton beach - and if you are ever in the south of England, go see the city and the pier! So much fun and cultural enlightening as well).

My next read-a-thon will be Bout of Books cycle 17 (August 22-28, 2016).

2/3 stories did not work for me (as shown by the ratings). Shannon Stacey uses sex as both a plotline and for characterizations. However, her over use of sex in such short length works left this reader rolling her eyes and making the reading a slog-fest. I won't be reading any more from this author.

1. Holiday Sparks - .5 star

Chloe was Clint's high school crush; Sophie didn't know Clint was alive. Ten-ish years after high school, they meet up again and get horny for each other. Clint always seem to be living out his high school fantasies without getting to know the Chloe as she was now, so the HFN/HEA was completely unbelievable. As par for the course with Harlequins, the woman gives up her life in the big city for small town life with hero - this is a trope I am really starting to hate.

2. Mistletoe and Margaritas - .5 star

Claire was the widow of Justin's best friend. He has been in love with her since she was dating her now deceased husband. Claire if finally out from under her grief and decides to use Justin to re-introduce herself to the dating world. Friends to lovers trope usually works for me, but not in this story. Justin was just too emo for my taste and Claire just wanted sex, so I didn't believe the HFN/HEA.

3. Snowbound with the CEO - 3 stars

Rachel is Adrian's executive assistant. This is so stereotypical Harlequin type of story, but out of the 3, this one works. I actually believed these grown ups actually had a good chemistry beyond the bedroom. Definitely agreed with the HEA.

One book down. Review was written as each story was read, so I have less reviewing to do come Monday.

Second book started. Or so I thought until I opened the box set and realized the 3 book set is really a set of 3 short stories. So now I am just going to read all three shorts and count them as one book.

I'm only into this readathon for a few hours and already read one complete book. Feeling pretty productive.

This was a NOOK freebie.

1. And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree by Leslie Kelly - 0 star

Horrible plot and badly drawn characters left me feeling cold. I now remember that I read another Kelly story in another anthology (about baseball players) and didn't like that one either. There was no suspense or tension at all in this book.

2. Seduced by the Season by Merline Lovelace - 4 stars

Exact 180 from the first story. The most charming, but not too sweet, story about two smart, kind people set in dreamy Dublin. The cute meet was actually realistic, there was a perfect amount of back story for each of them, the sex was hot but overly done, and their first date was watching the sunrise at Newgrange on the Winter Solstice. I want to read a lot more from this author.

3. Evidence of Desire by Debra Webb - 4 stars

I really liked this story except for the heavy-handed way the author compared the heroine's traditional feminine looks to the hero's former lover more practical, less girly style. The balance between suspense plot and romance was perfect; a bit surprised at who the villain was at the end. I would read more from this author.

4. Season of Wonder by Marta Perry - 1 star

I couldn't connect with the heroine and their were a few plot holes in her story. The kid was okay and so was the hero. The best part of this story was the South Carolina island vibe mixed with the Christmas season. This was not a romantic suspense story but an inspirational contemporary romance. Could have done without the nosy family members. Not interested in reading more from this author. 

 I can't give this book as a whole a rating due to the wildly different qualities these stories possess.