I beg your forgiveness, Brigid, for waiting so long to read this installment even after your gesture of kindness. This was my plan all along in order to properly gear myself up for SPIRIT.
So even though it is my bad that I hadn't read this as soon as I would've liked, it really did work out, because FEARLESS topped off by BREATHLESS was one of my most excellent reading decisions. And if the small voice of the responsible me is blabbering about how I just made the wait harder for SPIRIT, because it's not quite at the top of the TBR this month unfortunately, well I'm doing my best to bean it over the head with an imaginary wooden club.
Yes, it's as effective as the real thing.
A part of me REALLY wishes that I remembered STORM better so that I could figure out if the news of Hunter's past is as shocking as it's supposed to be or I'd just forgotten the reveal at some point. But, now, I have all these DOUBTFUL THINGYS in my head. Questions regarding Hunter's true loyalties. Images of me taking out my club again and going to work on Hunter's daddy.
The main thing, though, is the nice little window into Hunter pre-STORM and how much I sympathized with this Hunter. How much happier I am for his changes in the series, the Hunter he's grown to be or has become. This definitely served as a nice appetizer to get me ready for SPIRIT.
Before I go into all the HOT HOT HOTNESS of this mini installment, can I just say I knew it? I KNEW that Brigid couldn't resist giving us A WHOLE BOOK for Nick Merrick, coming soon. I didn't doubt her for a second... not... one... second... Yeaaaah.
Oh, did you think I was going to bring up that other thing? Well, I WON'T. Because that would be spoilery if I'm any judge. Which I'm probably not and am just torturing you with the knowledge I have but refuse to share, but that's half the fun. And I'm being cautious, because I'm not sure if I was the only one who didn't see the signs when it comes to Nick Merrick. Then again, I profess a lack of radar in that arena. But OH MY GOD! does this new development make things LOADS more interesting... and sexy. Oh yes, QUITE. SEXY.
All that noise aside, if you're wanting to know a little more about what to expect (other than what I won't share) then know this: BREATHLESS is a short installment, as expected given that it's another novella in the series, and it just sheds a little long-awaited light on a blood member of one of our favorite families. His worries, his fears, his desires (ALL KINDS OF). His guilt. Because there are secrets Nick Merrick is keeping, from his family, including Gabe, from Quinn, from himself. And you will find a hint of guilt here, in my review, from me. Because how addicted to this kid and his upcoming romance I am is displayed in my secret guilty wish to sacrifice SPIRIT to have SIEGE first because I WANT TO KNOW. And that's the point. Brigid Kemmerer is clever. *spits* Authors. Can't trust 'em any farther than you imagine throwing them. Even in Brigid's case, where the throwing would be as loving as possible.
I received BREATHLESS from K-Teen via Netgalley; I received FEARLESS as a token from the author because she's a sweet lady who likes me and not you. Just kidding. Mostly.
Very rarely do I truly dislike a book. I know you’re probably thinking back to my Duds of the Month So Far post that I threw together this past Thursday for the sake of my blood pressure, but even those books weren’t UTTER and COMPLETE failures, just disappointing. The following books I’m going to mention, however, are even LESS disappointing, and thank Bob on crutches for that. Aaaaand I cannot, in good conscience, leave them entirely review-less when pubs were nice enough to give me ‘em after I so politely and discreetly begged. Without a thought to pride, dignity, or any relevant thing I should’ve tried to maintain.
So, here I find myself in a talking mood. It'll be okay.
Most people like me might be resistant to a life without advanced technology, and wouldn’t willingly throw away all access to it. Imagine a world without cell phones, a world in which we would actually have to write things out, see people face to face to tell them things, wait to get home to have conversations, LEARN TO TELL TIME so clocks eventually become decipherable instead of complex devices designed so that one may realize the extent of their own stupidity. And okay, I did find Mallory’s tech-fasting to be a little dramatic, but all in all a fun sort of hypothetical in Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt. Plus, it helped she was such a down chick, all quirks, fun, humor, and… ingenuity. I enjoyed seeing her reach out, learn a little something about herself, about the past, about family, though I still wanted to sit down with Mallory and be like: okay, you can probably make a rich life without all the junk we bring down on ourselves via cyberspace and whatnot but people still have problems, complex issues that help make time seem an irrelevant factor in human psych development in retrospect. Also: doth need a different ending to be fully satisfying for me, in the sense of INSTANT GRATIFICATION in the romantic corner of things. I’m still growling about that.
Quickly, so that I may get it out of the way: If my eyes were anymore dazzled by this amazebeans front cover, I'd have sequins in them—can ya'll say ouch?
Anyway, I could see, objectively, that this is a deep and meaningful book. Orleans by Sherri L. Smith is written that way, but it didn’t pitch a tent in my heart. It didn’t climb in, bang around, and make me FEEL. On the other hand, I loved the writing, the way each word is strung together to fashion a remarkable picture out of such seemingly simplistic material. The narration is a meld of contrasts, a culmination of tribe-speak and the proper words for things, full of quiet and revelations, conflicting emotions. It’s just simply beautiful. And FEN. Girl, is a mother ducking BAMF to the nth degree. Full-on badassery in combat, strategy, maneuvering. There’s so much compassion to be felt for her even as the admiration kicks in. But because this is dually-narrated, the pacing picks up in Fen’s perspective then rests in Daniel’s perspective, which made it somewhat difficult to get through. Still, I appreciated the levels of the plot, the underlying meaning to everything. But a combination of Daniel’s thoughts and the resulting weird pacing mucked things up a bit.
Normally, I’m not tempted by adult novels while I’m—correction had been—perusing the fine cyber establishment of Netgalley. Some adult romances look downright appealing but I’ve always maintained an almost alarming store of self-control. Not this time. Something about the premise of Three Sisters by Susan Mallery really got to me as I was passing my eyes by. Technically, brothers would be my buzz word. And if they’re sexy that’s a bonus. But I’d like to make a little addendum to that and just come out with siblings. Any complex relationship involving siblings whether by blood or bond or, better, both is one of my biggest bookish turn-ons.
This story features three women who come together while simultaneously overcoming ENORMOUS emotional obstacles in their home lives. And the hint that there was to be sexy romances just topped it off. And I can seriously say I dug an adult romance novel, willingly, that was NOT written by Nora Roberts (her stories obsess me). Call down the marching bands and bring on the floats in commemoration. We have a charming setting, three on-the-surface different women forming a solid bond, and each have their own lovable romances. What more could I ask for? It certainly helps, too, that the story is well-written and, out of this batch of books, I FINALLY GOT MY HAPPY ENDING, GAMMIT. And lots and lots of tasteful sex. Oh, yes, that too.
At this moment, I’m DESPERATELY trying to coerce my easily tempted brain into believing that it’s best that I read through some of the other books I’ve had on standby instead of diving headfirst into Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy. Like, all my willpower is being depleted even at this moment. And, no, I’m not bragging. Much.
SUMMARY: Being a force of nature doesn t keep you safe.Hunter Garrity is used to watching his back. The kids at school sense something different about him. And they re right.
SUMMARY: Too many secrets. Not enough time.
