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review 2017-03-02 20:48
It's time for the baby bird to leave the nest...
Lovers, Losers, and You - Skylar M. Cates

It's been just over 2 years since I read the first book in this series and I remember seriously loving it. I stayed up half the night to read it. I can't say I feel the same about this one. It was an okay read. 

 

This book is Andrew and Owen's story. Andrew is one of the guys who lives in the house with Cole (who moved out at the end of book #1), River, Tomas, Marc, Brendan, who was in the first book but has now been replaced by Sandy and if you want to know why read the book of course;)

 

Owen is Brendan's brother and he's come to Ocean Vista to escape his own problems as we as find out more about the brother he'll never know. To me this all had the potential to add up to a really good story. Sadly it didn't.

 

I enjoyed the part about Andrew entering the reality TV cooking show. But once that was over things began to seriously drag for me and it was due mostly to the parent factor.

 

I get that for very different reasons both Andrew and Owen have really strong family ties...I really, really got that way before the end of the book, I felt like this point had been well and truly pounded into my brain. In fact I did an count and there were in fact '69' references to just Owen's 'mama' in this book...this does not include anything to do with his biological mother, Andrew's mother or any other mother who may have wandered through and '68' references to his 'daddy'. I'm glad Owen had loving and supportive family truly I am but I honestly did not need them to be front and center in this story for me to get the point...and can I just say this is the first and hopefully the only time that I will ever complain about awesome parents. But it was just too much.

 

Sadly Andrew's family didn't feel like they were far behind when it came to page time and that was...depressing to say the least because his 'mama' seriously needs some counselling. Ok, I think I've belabored that point sufficiently...my point is simply that too much page time for the parents spoiled the story for me...well, that and I just didn't really feel the love between Owen and Andrew and even this was due largely because of the parent factor. 

 

I felt an occasional spark...maybe saw a little glimmer from time to time but just about the time it started to really gel for me...the parents got dragged back out. So, while I did enjoy the first part of the book and Owen and Andrew, a bit. I just didn't fully get into the story and while I don't really feel like I needed to read this one in order to get into the next one, I'm still glad that I took the time to read Andrew and Owen's story. It was nice just not awesome for me.

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review 2016-11-06 18:52
Secrets of Nanreath Hall by Alix Rickloff
Secrets of Nanreath Hall: A Novel - Alix Rickloff

I started reading this book during a busy month. Any other time, I would've devoured this wonderful tale of loss, chance, family secrets, and finding one's way home despite the obstacles. There are those books that one reads and it is just that - reading. Whilst the story may be somewhat entertaining, it ceases to draw you in and fails to connect oneself to place or protagonist. Just another book you quickly want to finish. Then, there's that lovely, lively book that finds its way to your hands and once you've lost yourself in its pages you never want to leave it behind. Secrets of Nanreath Hall is the latter and exactly why I love historical fiction. Set between alternating periods of WWI and WWII, two women struggle to define themselves within a distinguished family that has hidden their secrets well inside the walls of Nanreath Hall.

Another fabulous read of 2016. I fell in love with ALL of the characters, each one growing closer to my heart as the story gained momentum. While the plot is not altogether original, I never felt as if I'd read this before. The scenes of war are vivid and I could hear the engines of airplanes screaming across the British skies. I could sense the fear and feel the heartbreak when letters brought news of lost loved ones, another casualty of war that changed lives in an instant. I ached for the young soldiers dashing off to war, imagining himself a hero but returning as a broken weary veteran, a constant battle inside the war between remembering and forgetting. It felt as if I was at the train depot standing among the women who kissed their soldier's lips for the very last time. Nanreath Hall came to life and I could smell the salty sea air, picture the transformation of the once great home now being used as hospital for the wounded and dying. Yes! Strong characters lived and breathed between the pages and captured my imagination until the very end. Superbly written. Five shiny gold stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


"Doubt that the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love." - Shakespeare



*I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to William Morrow for sponsoring the giveaway and to Alix Rickloff for writing a story that I'll always remember.

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review 2016-07-01 10:29
Tournament of Losers - Megan Derr

Oh damn! I think I'm sick or something. What's this? I have this thing plastered on my face that refuses to let me be. A parasite? An octopus?

Oh, it's just a stupid charmed smile. Go figure.



I was most of the time like that, smiling like an idiot. No, happier than an idiot when finding a pencil. No difference at all.



This book is a fairy tale, the Cinderella with a big heart struggling to keep her head above water day after day in a miserable life, working for a little amount of money and selling her body when that’s not enough. But it doesn’t end here, because things can always get worse, like every time her father doesn’t pay his debts.

But now Cinderella is a guy. A cynical and a little of a rascal, with experience to prove that there is no such thing as wishes that come true, because reality will shatter them all. But still, he has dreams of his own, very very deep inside. You only have to scratch a little and a little more.

I loved Rath, he was just that kind of person. The genuine character that you immediately like in movies. Sort of Tyrion Lannister charm. Since page 1 I wanted to be with him at all hours. He has that kind of honesty and sense of humor and charisma that makes you want to pursue him everywhere.



Tress included. I can’t believe how much I liked to see his stupid handsome face appear, as much as Rath does, even though he doesn’t understand why he fancies this hoity-toity man so much. I don’t have words to express how much I longed for Tress to sneak out of home and find Rath yet again to do mischievous things I’m not going to tell here. Very mischievous. For him to smile and smile and kiss Rath every time he could. Any excuse was valid for that.



Yes, I’m head over heels for these two. They indeed fit together, their banter was hilarious and smile-inducing. They invited you to go on with them and never stop following and spying on them. They were literally A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E and I love cute characters with all my being.



Because the MCs were NICE, capital letters. Not in a way that make you feel like punching their smug handsome faces but in that sincere and raw way there is no sense to escape from. They had that vibe about them that intoxicate you into believing you can’t live without them. I didn’t expect to love the characters so much and enjoy the time spent with them like that. They were funny and impossible to get bored of. I wanted to squeeze and squeeze and never let go. It was a blast.




About the world building, it’s kind of a Medieval setting, with griffons and invented herbs and foods included. I liked the acceptance of pairs of the same sex. Nobody made a fuss about it here. I really appreciate the author decided to avoid the intolerance and prejudices that takes place in our reality. Simply everybody competed in the Tournament, and everybody had the same chances to win, and everybody could marry a man or a lady if they achieved to accomplish every challenge. It worked the other way around, there were female soldiers, female announcers and other female characters just everywhere. I liked that, although I will never truly buy ladies can punch men in the face like they do in some of the tasks and still win with equal results. However, I don’t care about that right now.

But then the Tournament makes a little less sense. It’s made for commoners to compete to marry aristocracy members and improve the “species”. But same sex pairs can’t have children, so what’s the point in mixing up with the commoners when there is no way for that to happen? I understand that blood is not the only important matter here, it’s keeping the feet on the ground that counts. Anchoring nobles to reality, reminding them the needs of the kingdom, in order to change the circumstances for the better. But still, it’s a little detail that nagged at me from time to time.

It goes without saying that the plot is predictable. Just because it’s a fairytale you already expect some kind of secret to be discovered and some misunderstandings to take place. Sometimes I resented bad people were that bad whereas good people where straightforwardly good. This dichotomy usually annoys me endlessly but here I just couldn’t bring myself to care after a minute or two. Because this book is to be read with pleasure. It brings out your Disney side. It’s a funny and entertaining read, but it’s also a heart-melting tale of love and the moral that, if you are a generous soul, you will always get your HEA with the prince of your dreams and do mischievous things together forever.



****



***Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

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review 2016-06-26 00:00
Tournament of Losers
Tournament of Losers - Megan Derr Very charming. :)
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review 2016-06-26 00:00
Tournament of Losers
Tournament of Losers - Megan Derr Very charming. :)
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