July Challenge Update: Nora Roberts

 Total Books: 51

2022 Goal: 12

Currently Read:  16

January: 1/ May: 6/ June: 9 / July: 

 A few years ago I shared with you my most unread authors on my shelves.  The queen of this list of course was Nora Roberts. Since December 2021, I have been working on really knocking out the books on this shelf.  I'm going to share with you the books on the shelf that I still have to read:

Donovan Legacy:

• Entranced
• Charmed & Enchanted

Key Trilogy

• Key of Light
• Key of Valor CURRENTLY READING
• Key of Knowledge 

Dream trilogy

• Daring To Dream
• Holding The Dream

Three Sisters Island Completed July 2022

• Dance Upon The Air
• Heaven & Earth
• Face the Fire 

Bride Quartet

• Vision in White
• Bed of Roses
• Savor The Moment
• Happy Ever After

Guardians Trilogy

• Bay of Sighs

Chesapeake Bay  Completed June 2022

• Chesapeake Blue
• Rising Tides
• Inner Harbour

Night Tales: COMPLETED

• Nightshade/ Night Smoke
• Night Tales: Night Shift/ Night Shadow/ Night Shield

1. From the Heart
2. Truly Madly Manhattan 
3. Summer Deserts
4. Lawless
5. Hot Rocks
6. Birthright
7. Forever
8. Table for Two
9. The Villa
10. A Little Magic
11. O'Hurley's Return
12. The Law of Love
13. Public Secrets June 2022
14. Treasures
15. Hot Ice
16. All The Possibilities
17. Honest Illusions
18. Sweet Rains
19. Mysterious
20. Irish Hearts
21. Big Jack
22. Playing The Odds
23. Temptation
24. Treasures Lost Treasures Found
25. Tribute
26. Stars
27. Love by Design 
28. High Noon
29. Dangerous

I had to remove the following titles because they are bind ups of single titles on the list 

1. The Quinn Legacy 
2. The Quinn Brothers

Truly I got most of this done because Nora's books are now on Scribd and they didn't throttle my reading this month so I knocked so many off the list and I'm loving it. I'm loving being able to clean up this shelf of books and can't wait to see what else I get done. I'm so excited to share with you my thoughts on these books especially because many are backlist books and from the late 80s and early 90s.  

How has your reading year been so far?? Getting anything done on your 2022 reading goals?? Share in the comments so we can all cheer you on!!

See you in the next one

Happy reading my loves

  

Most Unread Author Challenge: Nora Roberts

Total Books: 51

2022 Goal: 12

 A few years ago I shared with you my most unread authors on my shelves.  The queen of this list of course was Nora Roberts. Since December 2021, I have been working on really knocking out the books on this shelf.  I'm going to share with you the books on the shelf that I still have to read:

Donovan Legacy:

• Entranced
• Charmed & Enchanted

Key Trilogy

• Key of Light
• Key of Valor 
• Key of Knowledge 

Dream trilogy

• Daring To Dream
• Holding The Dream

Three Sisters Island

• Dance Upon The Air
• Heaven & Earth
• Face the Fire

Bride Quartet

• Vision in White
• Bed of Roses
• Savor The Moment
• Happy Ever After

Guardians Trilogy

• Bay of Sighs

Chesapeake Bay

• Chesapeake Blue
• The Quinn Legacy
• The Quinn Brothers

1. From the Heart
2. Truly Madly Manhattan 
3. Summer Deserts
4. Lawless
5. Hot Rocks
6. Birthright
7. Forever
8. Table for Two
9. The Villa
10. A Little Magic
11. Rising Tides
12. O; Hurley's Return
13. The Law of Love
14. Public Secrets
15. Inner Harbour
16. Treasures
17. Hot Ice
18. All The Possibilities
19. Honest Illusions
20. Sweet Rains
21. Mysterious
22. Irish Hearts
23. Big Jack
24. Nightshade/ Night Smoke
25. Playing The Odds
26. Temptation
27. Treasures Lost Treasures Found
28. Tribute
29. Night Tales: Night Shift/ Night Shadow/ Night Sheild
30. Stars
31. Love by Design 
32. High Noon
33. Dangerous

Ok considering when I did this it was originally 72 books on the shelf from her. I'm not doing too bad. My major problem was that I would finish books or series then go to the library book sale and buy more because they used to be so cheap. However, the panorama we are living through (yes I know it's called a pandemic but we have decided to call it everything but that)  put a halt to the library book sale which means that I'm actually clearing more off the shelves than I am hauling.  Currently, this collection has dropped down to one shelf instead of a shelf and a half.  

The goal for 2022 was 12 books, one a month was the plan. I have read a Nora Roberts book for the year so far however I actually didn't own it.  I paused my read of Night Tales because the audiobook version I was reading became unavailable so I'll have to find if the library has the discs.  

Have you read any Nora Roberts?? I am aware of Books Like Whoa Reading Roberts Challenge, which echoes my Perpetual Author Challenge of reading Nora's entire catalog. 

I'm excited to see what she has to say about the books she reads and shares her thought on them.  I will of course be sharing my updates on my challenge and how I'm doing in clearing the shelves. I'm not adding any new books because I really need to work through this stuff first. Yes, much of it is backlist and older but I'm looking forward to seeing how she grows (grew because obviously, she's still cranking them out).  My ultimate goal will be to knock these off them continue collecting the others I don't have and then go to her Inn. I want to stay in the Eve and Roarke room.  

What have you read from Nora??? Want to work on your Nora backlist with me??

Happy Reading

Love 

2020 Nora Roberts/ JD Robb Reading Challenge (Master Post)

Good Morning My loves

Here's another round of books I get to pull from for the year. Nora Roberts has over 90 books on her shelf in my library and I would really like to take at least 10 off this list. There are several stand-alone and a few series as well I would like to work on. Last year I began the year with a big reading burst with Nora's books then nothing until the end of the year where I marathoned some of the JD books. I need to be a little more consistent especially because despite saying no more purchases for her shelf I still managed to pick up a few. Totally defeated the purpose of the challenge, but this year is a clean slate and another chance to be better.

 As I read I'll update and strike the titles completed

Single Titles Include:

• Public Secrets
• Honest Illusions
• Northern Lights
• The Villa
• Tribute
• High Noon

Series Include:

Keys: ( I had read this series several years ago and don't remember liking it. I never finished the last book I wanted to go back and re-evaluate if my issues stem from the book or what was happening in my life at the time)

• Key of Valor
• Key of Light
• Key of Knowledge

The Circle Trilogy:

• Morrigan's Cross
• Dance of Gods
• Valley of Silence

Chesapeake Bay Sage:

• The Quinn Brothers
• The Quinn Legacy
• Sea Swept
• Inner Harbor
• Rising Ties
• Chesapeake Blue

The Inn Boonsboro Trilogy

• The Perfect Hope 
• The Last Boyfriend

Other Series: Including titles in series and bind ups of single titles

• Night Shift 
• Night Moves
• Night Shadow
• Entranced 
• Charmed
• Nightshade
• Night Smoke
• The Return of Rafe Mackade
• The Heart of Devin Mackade
• Forever
• The Law of love
• Irish Hearts
• A Little Magic
• The Last Boyfriend
• Bed of Roses
• Playing the Odds
• Big Jack
• Black Rose
• Hot Rocks
• Summer Desserts
• Table For Two
• O'Hurley's Return
• The Mackade Brothers
• Blood Brothers
• The Hollow
• Dance of the Gods
• O'Hurley Born
• Dark Witch
• Dance Upon the Air
• Happy Ever After
• Blood Magic
• Night Tales
• From the Heart
• All the Possibilities
• Heaven & Earth
• Face the Fire  
• Stars
• Savor the Moment
• Daring to Dream
• Holding the Dream
• Vision in White
• Rising Tides
• Dangerous
• Hot Ice

In Death: Unread: 6
Read in 2019: 12
Read in 2020: 2
Balance:

• Taken in death
• Wonderment
• Down The Rabbit Hole
• Connections Review
• Vendetta (2019) 
• Golden (2020)

2019 Haul (additions to list)

• Temptation
• Red Lily
• Lawless
• Worth the Risk: Partners & The Art of Deception
• Mysterious: This Magic Moment, Search for Love & The Right Path
• Sweet Rains: Second Nature & Lessons Learned

 I would like to complete the ones I have on the shelf first.  For 2020 I'm not trading for or ordering any more Nora books until I've cleaned up my shelves some more here's Hoping

Have you read any of these?? Would you like to buddy read any of the titles?? Share in the comments and we can read them together!! Happy Reading this year my loves.

Audiobook #Review: Vendetta In Death (In Death #49) by J. D. Robb

Book Title: Vendetta In Death (In Death # 49)
Author:  J. D. Robb |Website| Facebook| Pinterest
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Genre: Mystery/ Suspense, Romantic Suspense, SciFi Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 49
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Susan Ericksen

Audio Service: Scribd
Hours in Book: 12 hours 42 mins

Cost: $8.99

Pages: 356

How I got it: Scribd 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: Spetember 09, 2019
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

The predator becomes the prey in the newest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring homicide detective Eve Dallas.

She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless.

The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims—but they don’t know that his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price.

Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…

Overall:
Good story, fantastic plot and I just love Eve's growth to this point. The narrator as always helps to make the book fly by and I can't say how much that enhances the reading experience.  Another reviewer pointed out that Eve needs something to shake her up and I believe that as well. She's learning how to make her found family work and how to work better with others, she is handling her past better each time, even if she panics at the thought of family events ( I mean who doesn't ) and her reactions to Bella are hilarious.

Narrator:
Fantastic as always, even though it's one actress doing all the voices, her inflections and accents make the cast of characters come alive. Her Roarke voice kills me each and every time. It's funny how you can tell Peabody's voice and I love it.  

Story:

This one felt a little too easy. Like we knew who it was we just had to prove it, also fuck this villain. A little bit of a spoiler here, but the villain is aware that one of their intended targets to kill is a serial rapists and instead of protecting the women she sees him getting ready to victimize or even turning that information over to the SVU team she lets it happen and then uses it as an excuse to kill him. Yeah fuck that you could have protected two other women but your vendetta mattered more?? Fuck you you're no hero, you're a coward.

This case rushed close to Eve's history and it made her realize just how far she had come from when she first remembered and how far she needs to go. The last few cases have had a few brushes against her history and this one especially makes her think of what she would have done without the people who surrounded her. I fell in love with Captain Feeney even more once we realized just how good a guy he was.  I totally understand her devotion to him now because she's right he could have made her swallow it back and keep moving.

I love the care that was given to talking about the survivors and how the group helped them and seeing the different woman & how they aligned with survivorship because not everyone comes out swinging and ready for vengeance, some just want to forget, some don't want the fight and want to move on. None of those are wrong and I love that one way of survivorship wasn't pushed as being the only way.  As for the reasoning of the villain what a dumb bitch like how about getting back at him by being better??? You went to this group saw how so many were struggling to deal with real pain and you got bitter??? Bitch if you don't sit your ass in a corner. Now look at you, sitting in a box, allowing that piece of dog feces of a husband to determine what happens to you. Again. Dumbass.

I love that for a while there her genius when it comes to electronics really kept her from being detected easily and that the team had to work at it. Also she's so badass that the e-geeks wanted to stay and play with her toys after the bust.  Eve cracks me up because she is so clueless when it comes to celebrities unless it's in baseball. Her response to Peabody when she didn't know any of the baseball players had me cracking up in the store while I walked around pretending to do my groceries. The clues began to pile up but again only because you had to dig around. The work the villain put it was stellar and made Eve work for it.  I called the killer maybe 10 % in?? Even before Eve began to lean a certain way, and of course once Eve gives it to us, we know who it is and work on bringing them in.

Sometimes Eve can be harsh to other women, but the last few stories and especially in these as each woman is introduced she's shown her growth in how she handles them. Even the wife who refuses to see the truth because it would destroy her world view.  I also love that Eve is growing enough that she's learning that the politics of it isn't all bullshyt and she's no longer talking like she's the only good cop in this world.  Pretty good story and plot. It moves quickly and I absolutely love how Eve uses her reqorces in this one. Sometimes even a cop can't get be the one to bring about justice doesn't mean there aren't other avenues to bring it about. 

 ★★★★1/2☆

Series In Order

• Naked In Death       Glory In Death         Immortal In Death
• Rapture In Death     Ceremony In Death    Vengence In Death
• Holiday In Death     Midnight In Death 7.5   Conspiracy In Death
• Loyalty In Death      Witness In Death          Judgement In Death
• Betrayal In Death     Interlude In Death  12.5      Seduction In Death
• Reunion In Death     Purity In Death      Portrait In Death
• Imitation In Death    Big Jack 17.5        Divided In Death
• Vision In Death        Survivor In Death  Origin In Death
• Memory In Death     Haunted In Death 22.5      Born In Death
• Innocent In Death     Creation    In Death           Eternity In Death 25.5
• Strangers In Death    Salvation In Death             Kindred In Death
• Missing In Death 29.5      Fantasy In Death        Indulgence In Death
• Possession In Death 31.5  Treachery In Death    New York To Dallas
• Chaos In Death 33.5          Celebrity In Death     Delusion In Death
• Calculated In Death           Thankless In Death   Taken In Death 37.5
• Concealed In Death        Festive In Death       Obsession In Death     
• Devoted In Death     Wonderment In Death 41.5   Brotherhood In Death
• Apprentice In Death  Echoes In Death   Secrets In Death
• Dark In Death   Leverage In Death   Connections In Death 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Heather Graham, Maggie Shayne, Jory Strong 

Happy Reading my loves, 

Audiobook #Review: Connections In Death (In Death #48) by J. D Robb

Book Title: Connections In Death (In Death #48)
Author:  J. D. Robb |Website| Facebook| Pinterest
Publisher: MacMillan Audio

Genre: SciFI Romance, Romantic Suspense
Series/Standalone: Book 48
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Susan Ericksen

Audio Service: MacMillan Audio
Hours in Book: 12 Hours 20 mins

Cost: $8.99

Pages: 371

How I got it: Scribd

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: February 05, 2019
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

In this gritty and gripping new novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Eve Dallas fights to save the innocent—and serve justice to the guilty—on the streets of New York.

Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads—and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering—whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison—and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…

Overall:
Whoever made the decision to have the high pitched sound in the middle of the books. Bite me. I didn't care about counting them, I just wanted the story. Don't do that mess again. It breaks up the story and not in a good way.  Plus if you have hearing issues and aren't prepared for the tones it can be startling.

The story flowed well other than those stupid tones that kept interrupting.

Narrator:
Fantastic as always, even though it's one actress doing all the voices, her inflections and accents make the cast of characters come alive.

Story:

This is the story about the many different connection Eve has created since breaking out of her shell. Eve has been solitary and here she's celebrating one of her best friend's new adventures in home ownership. Surrounded by all the people she's made into her own unique brand of family we once again get to hang with the whole crew including Crack the bouncer/ club owner of the gritty bar that Eve used to hang out in; he's here with a new lady one he's never introduced to the group before and this gets Eve's back up. Once she gets talking with Roarke she discovers the woman is one of the Drs in the running to help run the facility she and Roarke are planning. 

Not longer after learning more about the woman and her family Eve is called by Crack because Dr's sibling has been killed.  Now she has to stand up for a man who has appeared to have turn the corner on his life after going to jail.  And she is now going into gang territory to find out who killed a man who was by all accounts a man working his way back to healthy and normal.

This story was actually pretty good. I loved the discussions between Eve and Roarke about where they would be if they had met before Roarke was ready to give up being a criminal.  What would have happened if Eve had taken a different path than becoming a homicide cop and why she needed it so bad. What makes a "good" person; how opportunity and the people who come into your lives play a role and how it can impact your choices.

In this one we got to see quite a bit of interdepartmental crossing and work. General the series focuses on Eve and her team but this time we got to see some of the other cops we might of met in other books.  Eve really goes all in on this one, I mean she normally does that for all her cases but this one really pissed her off and she really went for it.  I loved that Roarke loves puzzles so helping her allows him to hack and dabble without going against the law.

This was another great addition to the series, as the story shows not only Eve & Roarke's growth as a couple but the family they have created to surround themselves with. We also get to learn a little bit more about New York post Urbans and the different parts that make up the New York now. It's not all upscale murders, this time it's a gang with a grudge and a possible war for territory.

I enjoyed it and finished it within one day. Great narration, good story. I highly recommend.

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• Naked In Death       Glory In Death         Immortal In Death
• Rapture In Death     Ceremony In Death    Vengence In Death
• Holiday In Death     Midnight In Death 7.5   Conspiracy In Death
• Loyalty In Death      Witness In Death          Judgement In Death
• Betrayal In Death     Interlude In Death  12.5      Seduction In Death
• Reunion In Death     Purity In Death      Portrait In Death
• Imitation In Death    Big Jack 17.5        Divided In Death
• Vision In Death        Survivor In Death  Origin In Death
• Memory In Death     Haunted In Death 22.5      Born In Death
• Innocent In Death     Creation    In Death           Eternity In Death 25.5
• Strangers In Death    Salvation In Death             Kindred In Death
• Missing In Death 29.5      Fantasy In Death        Indulgence In Death
• Possession In Death 31.5  Treachery In Death    New York To Dallas
• Chaos In Death 33.5          Celebrity In Death     Delusion In Death
• Calculated In Death           Thankless In Death   Taken In Death 37.5
• Concealed In Death        Festive In Death       Obsession In Death     
• Devoted In Death     Wonderment In Death 41.5   Brotherhood In Death
• Apprentice In Death  Echoes In Death   Secrets In Death
• Dark In Death   Leverage In Death   Connections In Death 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Heather Graham 

Happy Reading my loves, 

January 2020 To Be Read:

My goal this year is 225 books, if I break that down it comes out to 19 books per month, with 5 books a week. Totally doable in my books, so as the proverb says, you can eat an elephant one bite at a time, so here are my first few bites:

Read So Far this Year: 1

TBR Pile 

225

TBR Balance:
224

Mocha Girl Reads Book Club:

• Sula by Toni Morrison 

Nora Roberts/ JD Robb Challenge:

• Connections In Death ✓
• Vendetta In Death ✓

Brenda Jackson:

• .
• .

Perpetual Author Challenge:

• "Second Time Sweeter" Beverly Jenkins
• Beverly Jenkins
• Christine Feehan
• .

Finish It Series:

• Night Huntress by Yasmine Galenorn 

Freshman Series Challenge:

• Freshman Dorm (Freshman 1) 

Men Made In America Challenge:

• Call It Destiny (Alabama) by Jayne Ann Krentz 
• Borrowed Dreams (Alaska) by Debbie Macomber

ARC:

• Awaken The Dragon by A.C. Arthur
• .
• .

Black Out Challenge:

• Sharon Draper
• .

Erotica Books:

• .
• .
• .

Non Fiction Books:

1. Religious Book

What are you going to be reading my loves?? Share in the comments down below if you have read any of these and as always

Happy Reading

AudioBook #Review: Echoes In Death # 44 by J. D. Robb

Book Title: Echoes In Death (In Death 44)
Author:  J. D. Robb |Website| Facebook| 

Publisher: St. Martin's Press/ Brilliance Audio
Genre: Mystery/ Suspense/ SciFi Romance/ Futuristic SciFi
Series/Standalone: Book 44

Format: Audiobook, Hardcover, Mass Market
Narrator: Susan Eriksen

Audio Service: Scribd 

Hours in Book:  13 hours and 43 mins

Cost: $8.99

Pages: 371

How I got it: Scribd Subscription 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
Publication Date: February 07, 2017
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

This chilling new suspense novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb is the perfect entry point into the compelling In Death police procedural series featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

As NY Lt. Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband Roarke are driving home, a young woman—dazed, naked, and bloody—suddenly stumbles out in front of their car. Roarke slams on the brakes and Eve springs into action.

Daphne Strazza is rushed to the ER, but it’s too late for her husband Dr. Anthony Strazza. A brilliant orthopedic surgeon, he now lies dead amid the wreckage of his obsessively organized town house, his three safes opened and emptied. Daphne would be a valuable witness, but in her terror and shock the only description of the perp she can offer is repeatedly calling him “the devil”...

While it emerges that Dr. Strazza was cold, controlling, and widely disliked, this is one case where the evidence doesn’t point to the spouse. So Eve and her team must get started on the legwork, interviewing everyone from dinner-party guests to professional colleagues to caterers, in a desperate race to answer some crucial questions:

What does the devil look like? And where will he show up next? (

Overall:
Another great addition to the In Death series, focusing mostly on the case with only a few moments of splashes into Eve's life we get one hell of a story. Despite what appears to be a random set of perfect crimes Eve knows there is always a connection and she digs for them.  I loved how vulnerable Eve was in this one and the balance between her and Roarke being what it is, he's able to see it and prep to aide her when she needs it. And there is a moment in her office that brought tears to my eyes, just he's so freaking awesome.

Narrator:
Fantastic, she's able to embody each of the characters. After a while you don't even realize it's still one person sharing the story as her voice, inflections and intonations change with each character and she really conveys the emotions of each. It helps bring each of the characters to life in a way that I couldn't stop listening and finished the book within two days (which is a feat when you're working two jobs okay?!!)

Story:

Sweet Gawds this is another of the stories that focuses on the case but has a few echoes in Eve's life.  Eve and Roarke are coming home from a swanky event and almost run over a woman who needs their help. From there the case takes many turns as they are unraveling the mystery of who did this to the couple and why. And will he strike again??

Once Eve begins to work the case she discovers there are even more victims than they had been aware of. Working the case slowly the tiny threads that connect all the couples start to come up and the reasons for the attacks begin to come out.  And because of the circumstances of the cases it brings up echoes of Eve's childhood which makes it hard to work the case.  And yet as many of her cases have forced her to reconcile with her past, and deal with it she's on steadier ground than sh'd been when we first got to know her.

From the beginning Roarke is involved in the case and keeping an eye on Eve's emotional levels. As the story progresses and the case is worked, Eve shows us the growth that has led to her being a better officer, and partner.  With her understanding of both victim and pathology of what makes the villain tick she's able to work the case faster. With this one we get very little of Eve's life and focus more on the case and the spaces it splashes on her private life. I liked the focus on case, even as we see the moments when Eve learns to embrace more than the job. She's still not comfortable with being the wife of a multi-billionaire, but she's learning to get better with it. The last few cases have been pushing her and she's had to make adjustments in her thinking and the way she handles relationships.

For me at times Eve reminds me of Dr Brennan from Bones, with her lack of social conditioning due to being raised in the system, so at times Eve is unaware of how things come off, or the point of a common saying and doesn't have the references for a lot of 'normal' things a lot of people do. I also appreciated that while the case was no more brutal than it normally is for Eve, that this time the sexy lovemaking we come to expect from them wasn't included. While dealing with the difficult topic, Eve and Roarke were still intimate and taking time with each other, in fact I would say Eve is starting to learn to relax more with the new level of wealth she's married into, she doesn't take it for granted yet as someone who has been married into it for decades might but she isn't always gawking like a country bumpkin either. I loved that they comforted each other, had great moments that were't about lovemaking while they worked this case and dealt with how it triggered Eve.

I'm going to be doing a post perhaps even a video about my dislikes about Eve's character because there are a few and they really work my nerves. However in this case, Eve was fascinating, as she knew who the criminal was and worked backwards to make the dots work and that was intriguing. When she had the criminal in the interrogation room is when she really came alive. I loved the new side to Peabody as well. This was a great addition to the series and if you've never read the series this would be a good place to start as it does a good job of summarizing the whole series without weighting down the book.

I love the way the team came together, how Roarke kept Eve even and worked well with the others to really bring this case in . Another great addition to the series.

 ★★★★☆

Series In Order

• Naked In Death       Glory In Death         Immortal In Death
• Rapture In Death     Ceremony In Death    Vengence In Death
• Holiday In Death     Midnight In Death 7.5   Conspiracy In Death
• Loyalty In Death      Witness In Death          Judgement In Death
• Betrayal In Death     Interlude In Death  12.5      Seduction In Death
• Reunion In Death     Purity In Death      Portrait In Death
• Imitation In Death    Big Jack 17.5        Divided In Death
• Vision In Death        Survivor In Death  Origin In Death
• Memory In Death     Haunted In Death 22.5      Born In Death
• Innocent In Death     Creation    In Death           Eternity In Death 25.5
• Strangers In Death    Salvation In Death             Kindred In Death
• Missing In Death 29.5      Fantasy In Death        Indulgence In Death
• Possession In Death 31.5  Treachery In Death    New York To Dallas
• Chaos In Death 33.5          Celebrity In Death     Delusion In Death
• Calculated In Death           Thankless In Death   Taken In Death 37.5
• Concealed In Death        Festive In Death       Obsession In Death     
• Devoted In Death     Wonderment In Death 41.5   Brotherhood In Death
• Apprentice In Death  Echoes In Death 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Heather Graham
• Julie Garwood  

Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: Falling For Rachel (The Stanislaskis 3) by Nora Roberts

Book Title: Falling For Rachel ( The Stanislaskis, Those Wild Ukrainians 3)
Author:  Nora Roberts |Website| Facebook| 
Publisher:  Silhouette

Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Book 3
Format: ebook, Mass Market

Cost: $4.99

Pages: 253

How I got it: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
Publication Date: April 1, 1993
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Landlocked in Manhattan, rough-and-ready seaman Zackary Muldoon needed a street-smart, two-fisted attorney to save his kid brother's delinquent hide. What he got was a long-legged lady lawyer clad in sophisticated silks. Public defender Rachel Stanislaki made Zack's blood boil...and his loins ache.

No endless voyage had ever had him hungering for a female the way one day in court with this woman did. He'd have to give Rachel a wide berth...before she trimmed his sails forever...and anchored him with unquenchable desire.

This is the third siblings' story, and this is Rachel the only one born here in the US. A lawyer by trade she's living the life she wants in midtown Manhattan in a shoebox of an apartment (because really it's what she can afford on her shoestring paycheck), but she's made it hers.  I really enjoy these family stories where they get along so well and are tight-knit because that's my family, and they are also immigrants which make this also relatable. Rachel isn't the baby but she's close and she loves her family and her job. She takes on a client who has seemingly no one to help him after he gets himself involved with a gang and their crimes, and she knows if given the chance he would thrive, so she goes to bat for him.

In doing so she runs into her client's big brother who mistakenly believes she's just some girl his brother is dating. And the client doesn't help matters because even though he's nineteen he thinks he's grown and is attracted to her.  This leads to an interesting miscommunication that Rachel believed she cleared up but only made more complicated because she kept skirting the issue instead of meeting it head-on.

This story had the tightknit Stanishlaskis once again coming to the rescue of this smaller family who has little to no community.  The two brothers were wary around each other due to their circumstances growing up and the disappointment of having your hero leave you in a jam.  The two brothers were trying so hard to not need each other and yet they clearly did.  Being the awesome family that they are the Stanislaskis allow others to embrace being who they are without judgment and actually encourage the talents among them. I loved how Rachel reached Nick when he was still trying to hold himself back.

This is told from a few points of view to allow us to see how the story completely unfolds, mostly told from Rachel and Zach's POV. We get glimpses of the whole family because Sunday dinner is a thing. I loved that Kate as a baby embraced Nick and that the younger daughter was just in love.  The story has many great moments that embrace the differences in culture and what family looks like to everyone. I love Rach and Zach as a couple, as they work to figure out how they can work it out with him being his brother's guardian and she being his lawyer. I loved that she had mentors who saw what she could be and encouraged her to pursue those dreams.

In the end, we take on a bit of what happens when you embrace the streets when looking for family, what a found family looks like, what love can be and what healthy family dynamics can create. I love it and recommend highly.

 ★★★★1/2☆

Books In Series

• Luring A Lady 
• Taming Natasha

Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: Luring A Lady (The Stanislaskis 2 ) by Nora Robers

Book Title: Luring a Lady ( The Stanislaskis 2)
Author:  Nora Roberts |Website| Facebook| 
Publisher: Harlequin

Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 2
Format: Mass Market

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 250

How I got it: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |
Publication Date: December 01, 1991
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Nothing in Sydney Hayward's background of wealth and privilege had prepared her to take the helm of her family's corporation. Her overflowing new responsibilities left no room for complications--and Mikhail Stanislaski was definitely a complication. Sydney had learned the hard way that she could never love anyone--least of all, this earthy, disturbingly masculine stranger who came from a world so different from her own.

Still, the way she felt when he put his hands on her--strong, work-hardened hands--made her doubt her resolve to remain alone. This gifted man seemed to have a rare talent for luring a lady, even a very reluctant lady, into his arms....

Told from the dual perspectives of Mikhail and Sydney we get a great romance where the man falls first and makes it his mission to win the hesitant and slightly nervous Sydney into falling in love with him.  What starts as a miscommunication leads to a steamy romance filled with lots of great moments that challenge the characters and their perceptions of the world around them.

Sydney inherits her grandfathers' business on his passing, with everyone around treating her as if she didn't deserve the business; she knows one stumble and the board will find a way to remove her. She's going to fight to hang on to this chance because out of her whole family her Grandfather thought her capable, she's here to prove him right.  She's not too happy when Mikhail comes barging in making demands and calling her out for failing to take care of one of the many buildings in the company portfolio.   Mikhail for his part is frustrated about the way his building and his neighbors are being treated has had enough of trying it the pleasant corporate fill in these forms way and decides to confront the owner head-on. He's unaware of the old man's passing and is unprepared to meet Sydney when he does.

From the moment they meet the sparks fly and they are wary of each other and where they can go from here.  As we read we learn that Sydney had been previously married and she's angry and afraid because she failed so miserably at it and she refuses to fail at something else.  Mikhail comes from an immigrant family that has struggled to make it's way and has finally begun to carve a place for itself among the community.  Having stepped back to help his father create a business that made it possible for his siblings to succeed Mikhail has quietly built himself a reputation in an unexpected field.

Mikhail is a contractor with many hidden depths, he's the big brother from the previous books who looks out for the family and is close with his siblings. When he meets Sydney, he knows he wants to get to know her better but she's wary of him and so he sets out to use all his talents to win her over.

I absolutely loved that Mikhail just knew she was it for him. I loved how they went back and forth as the story progressed. I loved how Sydney confronts her past and her fears before she can face anything else with Mikhail. I loved how Mikhail's immigrant experience made him a wonderful character who understood both sides of the coin of what success looked like and how it impacted families and the people within.  It made him a really relatable character. I loved that he was such a proud immigrant and loved his family traditions.

This story was great due to the way in which they circled each other trying to find a way to make their pieces fit.  I loved that even though Sydney doubted herself when it came to her family she was willing to fight for them even when they doubted her capabilities.

Mikhail's family is always fun to read and their Sunday dinners remind me of my family dinners as well the noise, the seven different conversations going on at once and yet the love that is communicated at all times.  I loved the positive interaction expressed here between the siblings and the love the parents shared and how they enfolded Sydney into their mix.

It's so good to read not just a functioning family dynamic in the story but one that showcases the love they all have and how this base has been a great springboard for each of the children to find love and to succeed.

Another great addition to the series and I can't wait to read more

 ★★★★1/2☆

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The Westmoreland Family Saga by Brenda Jackson

Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts

Book Title: Blue Smoke
Author:  Nora Roberts |Website| Pinterest| Facebook|

Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: ebook

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 470

How I got it: Borrowed From The Library

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: October 2005
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Synopsis:

Reena Hale grew up with an intimate knowledge of the destructive power of fire. When she was a child, her family's restaurant was burned to the ground, and the man responsible was sent to jail. The Hale family banded together to rebuild, and Reena found her life's calling.

She trained as a firefighter and then as a cop, always with the end goal in sight: to become an arson investigator. Now, as part of the arson unit, she is called in on a series of suspicious fires that seem to be connected-not just to each other, but to her.

And as danger ignites all around her, Reena must
rely on experience and instinct to catch a dangerous madman who will not stop until everything she loves has gone up in smoke.

Once again I fell into this book and that was all I knew for two days.  This story was fast-paced, absolutely absorbing and right on theme for the other two by Nora that I read back to back.  I fell in love with the characters, the family and the relationships we were being introduced to. I guessed the killer before she did but I didn't realize the extent of his depravity, my gawd I couldn't have guessed that at all.

This starts off with a young girl blooming into an adult one summer night. That night is also the night she witnesses her family's restaurant burning to the ground.  This started because of an earlier incident and I am so drawn into the story from here.  It's told in several parts following mainly two characters.  Reena who's family is having to rebuild after the fire. She is an astute & curious girl and is able to help the police officers in solving the crime, and being exposed to the process makes her want to learn more.  Luckily for her, the officer in charge liked her and shared what he could as a way to help her and her family deal with this tragedy.

Told in parts of Reena's life from the tragedy of her family's restaurant burning down to her becoming the officer she's wanted to be since the event, we have it split between her childhood, her college years and then her finally becoming arson detective with her hometown department. I have to say that one can never say that Nora doesn't do her research, I have learned more about being an arson detective than I ever knew from watching t.v shows.  I loved the work that went into making Reena's passion real and yet wasn't information dump as a way to make you aware of the work needed for Reena to succeed.

One of the things about this novel that I loved was how much we got from the people around Reena, and eventually, when we meet Bo we get his story as well.  I loved how Reena's family came together whenever she needed them, from that first incident to her going to college and the different times she needed someone who could fix things, there was a family member there to help.  I loved that the community was close-knit & was also willing to be there as well.  As the story progressed and Reena faced tragedies that drew her closer to meeting the villain who has been stalking her life, I couldn't help but cry each time it cost her something else.  This villain wasn't your typical monster, he didn't stick to one sort of M.O so no one ever put it all together and reading his parts you just wanted to scream.

Bo, was a character introduced during Reena's college years, who came close to meeting her, and for the first two parts of the story, there are always near misses and even an opportunity presented by a community member that they both turn down.  Reading that made me laugh, and I couldn't wait to see how their parallel lives would come together. When they finally do it's awesome.

Bo & Reena's inner thoughts were really consistent with their characterizations and totally made me love them. They shared their nervousness, their WTF moments, their embracing of the relationship and just made this a fun read.  As the story progressed and the monster draws closer I just kept wanting to shout that they should see the similarities in the crimes, just please see it!!  Hearing her father's take on what would have happened to Reena that fateful day freaks me out for her near miss.

The story takes off once Reena's life becomes even more settled and the monster decides to stop hiding and starts to taunt the police, Reena and her family.  Eventually, everything comes out, all the deeds, all the loses, all the fear as the monster escalates and the police are left scrambling to find the next victim.

Once it got started I couldn't put the novel down and I loved every second of it. I finished it really quickly and I can't wait to get a copy to add to my shelves.  I highly recommend if you love mysteries, badass female leads and strong family ties.  I read this while marathoning Nora's work and the other four books I read similar to this are told from the different parts that make a whole. Nora hasn't repeated a story despite writing over two hundred books and each time I read I can't believe I never thought of those characters' jobs and the parts they play.

 ★★★★★

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Chasing Fire Nora Roberts
• Heather Graham
• Christina Skye
• Julie Garwood's Buchanan-Reynard Series
• Dinah McCall Chase the Moon & Tallchief

Happy Reading my loves, 

Book #Review: Taming Natasha (The Stanislaski Sisters)by Nora Roberts

Book Title: Taming Natasha (*From The Stanislaski Sisters Bind Up)
Author:  Nora Roberts |Website| Facebook|

Publisher: Harlequin Silhouette
Genre: Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: Mass Market & Ebook

Cost: $7.99

Pages: 381

How I got it: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Publication Date: December 12, 2016
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

When Spence Kimball sets eyes on Natasha Stanislaski, he's thunderstruck by the intensity of his attraction to the foreign beauty. While the former ballet dancer turned toy shop owner has a fiery temperament that keeps most men safely at bay, Spence can’t seem to resist her. But he isn’t sure Natasha would be interested in a single father. Sensing a hidden wound, Spence and his little girl join forces to find a way into Natasha's closely guarded heart. He'll do whatever it takes to tame Natasha's fears…and show her how to love.

Previously published in 1990

I picked this one because one of the apps I was using to read was acting up so I couldn't read the book I wanted to last night. I downloaded this because it's one of my Nora titles I wanted to complete for 2019 and as soon as I started it I fell into it.  Now keep in mind the reason Natasha's family came to the US was big in the 90s and yet it hasn't improved much because the same issues are going on right now.

I started this book and fell in love immediately with Natasha because she was a successful woman who had a strong sense of self and character and when she assumed the man she found attractive was someone without a moral code she was so offended and I loved how she put him in his place when he hit on her.  For Spencer, he felt like he's been hit by a ton of bricks, he hadn't acknowledged his feeling for years and now he's moved from NYC, settling his daughter into a new environment and here is a complication he hadn't expected and yet he's the most open to the feeling they both feel.

I loved the push and pull of feelings Natasha was having. I totally understood her fear of truly believing that her heart knew what it was doing this time because the last time it wasn't as discerning and had been returned to her battered and heavily bruised.  I love that for her even though her dreams had been shattered she still embraced parts of it by opening the business she did.  I love that she fell first for Freddie, then for Spencer.  I loved Spencer and the fact that he wasn't afraid to chase Natasha & still gave her space when she needed it. However, he wasn't above using any advantage he had when he could to make her realize she could trust him.

I loved her family and the way they embraced the changes in her life but had her back the whole time.  They embraced Freddie and Spencer but never gave Natasha's secrets away.  I loved how we got Freddie's opinion on what she wanted to happen and what she saw and her Christmas wish.  I loved how she made the story have so great levity when the adults were struggling to figure out what to say or how to say it.

My favorite moments where the ones when I couldn't help but bust out laughing. They had such good chemistry and moved well together. I loved when they argued when they worked together while Natasha tried to hold her feelings together but she kept falling in love with them and the family they represented.  I felt Spencer's confusions, Natasha's fear and they desire to get it right at the end. The kick to the chest when we learned everything in Natasha's past, the hurt that Spencer felt when he realized that he could lose her, and the fear that she had left him for good.  Those last moments made me sob and want to read as fast as possible so I could know what happened.

I even loved the glimpses of the people that made up their friends. I loved the town although I had to laugh at the idea that small towns don't have their issues with muggings and crime. I also love that Natasha is an immigrant, her experiences that she shared was something I could totally understand and knew how the community around her both aided and held her back. I totally understood her love of the fairytales and how they were her entrance into reading as they were for me as well.   Other than that I absolutely loved their back and forth and the fact that this was a character driven story.  I read this in one sitting and couldn't wait to dive into the next one.

 ★★★★1/2☆

Have you read this?? Share in the comments down below and let me know what other books you would recommend like this. 

As Always, 
Happy Reading my loves,