2018 Literary Pickers Challenge Goal Post

I finally decided to give this challenge a go. I can’t wait to dig in and see what I can discover. I’m going to aim for 25 but if I can do 50, that will be grand!

 

Challenge: 2018 Literary Pickers Challenge

Host: Delighted Reader

Goal: Level Two – Garage Sale Guru- 25 items/ 25 places

 

Items Found

1-Patio Furniture

2-Candle

3-Bathroom Mirror

4-Motorcycle

5-Shuttle/Small Space Ship

6-Classic Car

7-RV/Caravan/Camper

8-Campfire Cooking

9-Speacialty Tea/Coffee

10-Toolbox

11-Oven

12-Costume

13-High Heels

14-Engagement Ring

15-Boots

16-Skirt

17-Dust/Cobwebs

18-Quilt
19-Pots and Pans

20-Keys

21-Toy Chest/bin

22-Barn

23-Riding Horse

24-Ale

25-Saute it
26-Waffles
27-Fresh Catch
28-Tortilla/Flatbread
29-Hammer
30-Laptop
31-Belt
32-Mixing Bowl
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2018 Literary Pickers Challenge- Scavenger List

 

Around the House

1 Patio Furniture--Wanderlust by Lauren Blakley

2 Walk-In Closet

3 Dust or Cobwebs--Playing House by Amy Andrews

4 Gaming System

5 Grandmother’s China/any dishes past down

6 Porch light

7 Quilt--Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains

8 Area Rug

9 Candle-- His Best Mistake by Lucy King

10 Pots and Pans--Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by Jenny Hale

11 Fruit Trees/Orchard

12 Keys--Joy Ride by Lauren Blakely

13 Rocking Chair

14 Bathroom Mirror--Dirty by Kylie Scott

15 Attic

16 Toy Chest/bin--The Roommate DisAgreement

17 Mixing bowl--Cowboy Honor

18 Barn--Do or Die Cowboy

19 Curtain/Drapes

20 Napkin/serviette

 

Around the World

1 Japan

2 Italy

3 Africa

4 Caribbean

5 New Zealand

 

It Goes Zoom Zoom

1 Motorcycle--Lone Wolf by Jennifer Ashley

2 Navy Ship

3 Raft

4 Roller blades/skateboard

5 Carriage

6 Riding Horse--Royal Runaway

7 Shuttle/small space ship--Time Was by Nora Roberts

8 Classic Car--Must Love Babies by Lynette Austin

9 Surfboard

10 RV/Caravan/Camper--Death & The Viking's Daughter by Lorettta Ross

 

Elements to Factor

1 Friends to lovers/Bestfriend

2 Love at First Sight

3 Commitophobe

4 Arranged Marriage/Marriage of Convenience

5 Miscommunication

6 Threesome/Love Triangle

7 Gender bender/Role Reversal

8 Office Romance

9 Enemies to Lovers

10 Small Town

11 Rocker Romance

12 A Murder

13 Secret baby/accidental baby

14 Another dimension/fantasy world

15 Kink/BDSM

16 Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian/Futuristic

17 Historical

18 Humor/Comedy

19 First time author/narrator

20 On your TBR stack for more than a Year

 

All Terrain

1 Lake

2 Volcano/Hot Spring

3 Blizzard or Polar Region

4 City streets

5 Castle/Fortress

 

Bon Appetit

1 Pudding/Mousse

2 Vegetarian/Vegan fare

3 Ale--Arm Candy by Jessica Lemmon

4 Campfire Cooking:Reed by R.C. Ryan

5 Saute it (veggie or meat)--The Sexy One by Lauren Blakely

6 Fresh Catch (fish/seafood)--Save a Truck Ride a Redneck

7 Waffles--The House Mate by Kendall Ryan

8 Tortilla/flat bread--Memoirs of a Dragon Hunter by Katie MacAlister

9 Tropical Fruit

10 Specialty Tea or Coffee--How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper

 

Tools of the Trade

1 Fire hose

2 Hammer--Love and Other Wild Things by Molly Haper

3 Gas can/pump

4 Rifle

5 Scuba gear

6 Handcuffs

7 Toolbox--Twist by Kylie Scott

8 Shovel

9 Oven--In Bed With a Beast by Tara Sivec

10 Laptop Computer--Starstruck

 

Clothes                                                                                                            

1 Space suit

2 Uniform  

3 Costume/Disguise: Almost Jamie by Gina Robinson

4 High Heels: Wardrobe Malfunction by Samantha Towle

5 Engagement Ring: Sandpiper Shore by Debbie Mason

6 Belt--Eye Candy by Jessica Lemmon

7 Boots: Saving the Sheriff by Kadie Scott

8 Skirt: Truly, Madly, Whiskey by

9 Overalls

10 Trousers

 

Cover Clues

1 A number in the title

2 Mostly Yellow

3 No people

4 A season in the title

5 No face/hidden features

6 Holiday theme

7 A hat

8 Just a guy

9 Just a gal

10 A paranormal or sci-fi element

2018 Bad Boys of Romance Reading Challenge (Delighted Reader) Goal Post

So, I really need to keep better track of this one this year.

 

Challenge: Bad Boys of Romance Reading Challenge

Host: Delighted Reader
Goal: Level Two 10-15 books – Engaged to the Bad Boy
 

Progress:

 

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2018 Blogger Shame Challenge Goal Post

Yeah, blogger shame, I still have it—hangs head. My goal is to get through the books left on my NetGalley account. At the moment, I don’t have an exact number, but I’m aiming somewhere between 15-20 books.

Challenge: Blogger Shame

Host: Anna @ Herding Cats & Burning Soup

Goal: Clean up my NetGalley account (15-20 books)

 

 

Progress:

1. Reed by R.C. Ryan (audio)

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Blog All About It Challenge (Herding Cats & Burning Soup)

This sounds like such a fun and creative challenge. The just of it is each month there’s a prompt and you blog about it whatever way you want to.

 

 Examples: If the prompt is BLUE you could...

--make a blueberry cobbler

--review a book with a blue cover

--interview an author who's name has blue in it

--discuss how you break out of a 'blue' mood

--share blue photos you've taken

 

Challenge: Blog All About It Challenge

Host: Anna @ Herding Cats & Burning Soup

 

Prompts:

 

January-- Winter

February-- Red

March-- Favorite Scent

April-- Art

May-- Organize

June-- Growl

July-- Spirit

August-- Beginning

September-- Escape

October-- Trees

November-- Truth

December-- Shine/Sparkle

 

Top Ten Books of 2017

So, 2017 was a weird year for me and, sadly, my reading time suffered a bit because of it. While the number of books I read was rather low compared to my norm, I did read a variety of books so my Top Ten Books of 2017 has a bit of everything. 

 

Dare to Stay by Jen McLaughlin

Escape to You by Jennifer Ryan

Finding Kyle Sawyer Bennet

The Right Kind of Rogue by Valerie Bowman

Tru Blue by Melissa Foster

To The Duke, With Love by Amelia Grey

The Knocked Up Plan by Lauren Blakely

The Fire Child by S.K. Tremayne

A Fatal Collection by Mary Ellen Hughes

Nearest Thing to Heaven by Lynnette Austin—my only 5 CupRead of 2017

2018 Reading Challenge All About That Trope (Herding Cats & Burning Soup) Goal Post

Anna, the brilliant mind behind Herding Cats and Burning Soup, is running a Trope challenge so I thought this would be just the right kick I needed to read a few of the tropes (yeah, I picked two) that I enjoy but for some reason never getting around to reading much of. 

The tropes I’ve picked are Beauty and the Beast (I’m such a sucker for this one) and Forced Proximity (this one is so fun to read, especially when they despise each other at the start). I’m aiming for 6-10 but hoping I’ll be able to manage  a few more

Challenge: All About That Trope

Host: Anna @ Herding Cats & Burning Soup

Rules:  Pick a trope…and read it as much as you can! Any genre/format counts.

Tropes:  Beauty and the Beast Goal: Level 6-10 Forced Proximity Goal: Level 6-10

Beauty and the Beast

 

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Forced Proximity

 

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Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber

Ashley Davison, a graduate student in California, desperately wants to spend the holidays with her family in Seattle. Dashiell Sutherland, a former army intelligence officer, has a job interview in Seattle and must arrive by December 23. Though frantic to book a last-minute flight out of San Francisco, both are out of luck: Every flight is full, and there’s only one rental car available. Ashley and Dash reluctantly decide to share the car, but neither anticipates the wild ride ahead.
 

At first, they drive in silence, but forced into close quarters Ashley and Dash can’t help but open up. Not only do they find they have a lot in common, but there’s even a spark of romance in the air. Their feelings catch them off guard never before has either been so excited about a first meeting. But the two are in for more twists and turns along the way as they rescue a lost puppy, run into petty thieves, and even get caught up in a case of mistaken identity. Though Ashley and Dash may never reach Seattle in time for Christmas, the season is still full of surprises and their greatest wishes may yet come true.

Rating: 4 Cups

Challenges Read For: Blogger Shame -

Total blogger shame on this one. It arrived last year and I didn’t have time to pick it up so it was the first on the pile of reads for the HoHoHo Readathon.

 

So, I broke my own reader-rule, I watched the Hallmark movie (which happens to be one of my favorites) before reading the book. I thought I knew what to expect with the book but I was so wrong. I couldn’t believe how much different the movie version was.

 

Here’s what’s going on in the book. Unable to get a plane ticket, Ashley finds herself sharing the last rental car with Dash, a handsome yet surly stranger. As they journey to Seattle—picking up a furry friend along the way—they find themselves growing closer. As their trip comes to an end, they soon realize a case of mistaken identity has landed Ashley on the terrorist watch list.

 

In the movie, it’s the same premise but rather than Dash needing to get to Seattle for a job interview, he’s an undercover agent trying to figure out Ashley’s agenda.

 

Both the book and the movie are fantastic but there were certain parts of each that I liked better than the other.

 

In the book, I really enjoyed Dash. He was gruff, broody, surly, and totally drool-worthy. In the movie, he’s a bit softer, more pleasant, and totally Hallmarky. Book Dash was more my speed. While I liked book-Dash more, movie Ashley was so much better. Both book and movie Ashley had Christmas spirit in droves, but movie Ashley was this artsy type. She sort of went with the flow and I really enjoyed that Gypsy-vibe she has. Book Ashley was more serious—she was a college student so she was more settled in her life and slightly boring.

 

I felt the romance and Dash’s character was more fleshed-out in the book, I felt like Ashley’s character and her story was more fleshed-out in the book. I felt like the suspense was stronger in the movie yet the character/relationship development was stronger in the book.

 

Overall, while both had their strengths and weaknesses, I loved both of them. They were such great additions to my Christmas romance collection.

 

 

Have you watched the movie?

 

 

   

Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

 Rachel Stone's bad luck has taken a turn for the worse. With an empty wallet, a car's that's spilling smoke, and a five-year-old son to support, she's come home to a town that hates her. But this determined young widow with a scandalous past has learned how to be a fighter. And she'll do anything to keep her child safe—even take on. . .

Gabe Bonner wants to be left alone, especially by the beautiful outcast who's invaded his property. She has a ton of attitude, a talent for trouble, and a child who brings back bad memories. Yet Rachel's feisty spirit might just be heaven-sent to save a tough, stubborn man.

Series: Series: Chicago Stars #4 | Publisher: Books on Tape | Narrator: Anna Fields | Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Ratings: 1.5 Cups

Challenges Read For: Blogger Shame

Okay, so it’s official, while I like most of SEP’s romances, the Bonner brothers are not for me and, apparently, neither is Anna Fields’ narration.

               

While this one wasn’t nearly as torturous as Nobody’s Baby but Mine, I still spent the majority of the book wanting to hurl things at the characters.  So, why did I read/listen to it? Apparently, I like to be tortured and I really wanted to mark this one off my Blogger Shame list because it was now or never with this one.

 

Here’s what drove me insane, I mean, what’s going on. Penniless and with a five-year-old son, Rachel Stone decided to return to the town that hates her in search of something that could improve her and her son’s future but when her car finally gives up the ghost across from the drive-in Gabe Bonner is renovating, she makes it impossible for him to say no to hiring her. Gabe wants nothing to do with Rachel Stone and her son but seeing as the town is treating her like a pariah and she is in danger of losing her son, he steps in and soon finds Rachel awakening things he thought he lost.

 

This one had the potential to be a great read but the characters ruined it.

 

Okay, so I understand that Rachel’s desperate and, at this point is willingly to do anything for her son, but I don’t understand why a mother would return to the town that basically cast them out to search for something that may not exist. She knows the town residents will treat her and her son like garbage and that no one would be willingly to hire her so I can’t understand why someone would be willing to subject their child to that. It was very hard to get behind her actions. Then there’s the fact that she was willing to be with Gabe knowing that he hates her son and is mean to him.

 

I couldn’t stand Gabe. I understand that he lost his wife and child in a car accident but that doesn’t justify his treatment of Rachel’s son or his actions toward Rachel. And rather than holding him accountable, his brothers coddled him and treated him like a toddler. Gabe does eventually change is behavior but by that time it was way too late.

 

So, there’s a side plot that gives Ethan Bonner’s story and, honestly, I could have done without it. He’s a preacher that’s highly judgmental of Rachel—without knowing or caring about her side of the story—yet he’s basically a horny toad lusting after the women in his congregation who wear tight clothing. Apparently, he’s not the practice what you preach type of preacher. Then there’s his secretary, who’s trying to catch his attention, so she enlists Rachel’s help with a makeover, then Ethan turns around and calls her a whore and slut for dressing like that—allthewhile he’s still lusting over the women who dress the same way. Then there’s the fact that he hears God’s voice as three different t.v. personalities. Cue the eyerolling.

 

I’m just not a fan of the narrator. She makes a trying book even more trying.

 

Overall, that Bonner brothers are so not my cuppa tea. I’ve heard good things about the rest of this series so, hopefully, one of the other books will catch my fancy.

 

 

Have you read the Chicago Stars series?

 

 

   

To The Duke, With Love by Amelia Grey

Sloane Knox, The Duke of Hawksthorn is guardian for his eighteen-year-old sister who is set to make her debut in the spring. But due to circumstances involving Hawk’s misguided past he’s hoping to avoid the Season by securing a match for her before it begins. He has the perfect man in mind, a gentle soul he feels certain will be a good match for his sweet sister.

When Hawk goes to see the chap, he encounters Miss Loretta Quick instead. She’s witty, gorgeous, and clearly not the least bit enchanted by him. Had he not been so intrigued he might have been insulted. He’s even more surprised when he learns that the fiery female is that “gentle soul’s” sister. And the more he gets to know her, the more he is determined to make her his. But Hawk soon discovers the miss has a mind of her own as she manages to undermine his every tactic to arrange a match between their siblings. She also makes it clear she will do everything in her power to challenge his attempts to win her affection.

Miss Loretta Quick barely escaped an arranged marriage to a Viscount by her tyrannical uncle. Now the irritatingly and captivating Duke of Hawksthorn shows up at her door seeking out another sort of arranged union — this time between her beloved brother and the duke’s sister. Determined that her brother should be able to make his own choice and marry for love or not at all, she promises the duke she will do everything within her power to protect her brother from a marriage arranged by a scoundrel duke waving money and prestige in front of him.

Loretta also learns that she must protect more than just her brother when she realizes she’s losing her own heart to the rakish duke.

Series: Rakes of St. James #2 | Publisher: St. Martin's| Release Date: December 5, 2017 | Genre: Historical Romance | Source: Publisher | Rating: 4.5 Cups

It’s been way too long since I’ve read an Amelia Grey romance and I’m so glad I decided to get back into her book with To The Duke, With Love.

 

As one of the three notorious Rakes of St. James, Hawk isn’t going to allow his folly to damage his sister’s heart and reputation. So, rather than letting her attend her first Season, he’s found the perfect husband for her. The only thing he didn’t plan on was losing his heart to the gentleman’s sister. After fleeing on her wedding day, Loretta’s vowed to never marry and as her punishment, her uncle condemned her to living in near solitude. She’s never questioned her fate until Hawk captures her attention and her heart. The only problem standing in her way is that pesky little vow she made.

 

I cannot believe I forgot how addicting Amelia Grey’s writing is. I started this before I went to bed and ended up finishing it in the wee hours of the morning.

 

So, Hawk and Loretta were amazing together. He finds her alluring and somebody worth fighting for and she’s finally found someone to make her feel what loves all about. They were both so determined and she was so bloody stubborn I was really wondering if she was going to give him a chance. Thankfully, he’s not one to give up easily.

 

There were two side stories and added extra depth to the story. The first was the developing relationship between Loretta’s brother and Hawk’s sister and the second was the story of an orphan Loretta rescues and attempts to reform.

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more in this series.

 

The Rake of St. James Series

Last Night With The Rake

To The Duke, With Love

It’s All About The Duke (May 2018)