Reading

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    To re-read or not to re-read …

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    MONDAY MORNING MAILBAG
     
    Question: Do you ever re-read favorite books by other authors for fun?
     
    Answer: Nope! I can’t remember the last time I re-read a book by another author for fun.
     
    Why not? A big part of it is how many times I have to read – and re-read and re-read (!) – my own books.
     
    For example, I think I’ve read Only Cold Depths, Galactic Bonds #4, about seven times now from start to finish, and I am thoroughly sick of it. LOL.
     
    After reading through the same book over and over, the last thing I want to do is re-read another book, even if it’s by another author and I absolutely loved the book when I first read it.
     
    I used to re-read books all the time when I was a kid, especially things like The Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. But as an adult, I hardly ever re-read. Why not? Mainly because I have more than 1,000 ebooks waiting on my tablet that I’ve never read before.
     
    I also don’t rewatch a lot of movies/TV shows. Again, mainly because there are sooo many new movies/shows to stream all the time. On the rare occasions I do rewatch something, it’s usually just a favorite episode or a really cool fight scene. It is a very rare movie/show that I love enough to rewatch the whole thing again.
     
    What about you all? Do you re-read favorite books? Why or why not?
     
    Only Cold Depths, Galactic Bonds #4, will be out Oct. 29. The ebooks are online now, and the print and audiobooks will go online later this summer. Thank you for reading.
     
     ONLY COLD DEPTHS DESCRIPTION:
     
    New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep continues her Galactic Bonds series with a new, action-packed adventure that blends science fiction, fantasy, and historical romance. This rollicking space opera features a mix of magic and technology, along with a soulmates story and “Pew! Pew! Pew!” battle scenes. Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Dune, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice.
     
    A WOMAN WHO CAN’T CONTROL HER POWER . . .
    Everyone knows the name Vesper Quill. I used to be a lowly lab rat working in a Regal-owned corporation, but thanks to my truebond with Kyrion Caldaren, I’m now one of the most wanted fugitives in the Archipelago Galaxy.
     
    Kyrion and I have spent the last few weeks avoiding bounty hunters, along with the Arrows, the elite Imperium warriors tasked with capturing us. Now we’ve journeyed to a distant planet that’s supposed to be a refuge for truebonded couples, but when new enemies appear, we’re once again in grave danger.
     
    As a seer, inventor, and engineer, I’m skilled at figuring out how things work, but I can’t quite understand my growing magic and newfound psionic abilities. The clock is ticking, and if I don’t figure out how to tap into my power, I’ll doom myself to a gruesome fate, along with Kyrion.
     
    A MAN WHO CAN’T LET GO OF HIS FEAR . . .
    As Kyrion Caldaren, I’m used to being respected and feared, especially given my telekinesis, telepathy, telempathy, and other powerful psionic abilities. What I’m not used to is being on the run, but as a rogue Arrow, I’ll do anything to protect Vesper.
     
    Just when I think we’ve finally reached a safe haven, trouble finds us again, reigniting all my fears about losing Vesper.
     
    When the cold depths of our enemies’ plan are finally revealed, the truth is more terrifying than anything I could imagine. Soon Vesper and I are fighting for our lives again, but even with our growing truebond power, this is one battle we might not survive.

  • Rom-coms to add to the TBR pile …

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    Maybe it’s the hot days and humid nights, but summertime has put me in the mood to read some rom-coms. Here are some books that I’m looking forward to checking out:

    Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

    Available now

    Named a best beach/summer read by O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Parade, PopSugar, Marie Claire, Bustle, and more!

    From the author of the Love at First Like and Playing with Matches, an electrifying rom-com set in the high stakes world of competitive gymnastics, full of Hannah Orenstein’s signature “charm, whimsy, and giddy romantic tension” (BuzzFeed).

    The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri.

    Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.

    Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jasmine Guillory, Head Over Heels proves that no one “writes about modern relationships with more humor or insight than Hannah Orenstein” (Dana Schwartz, author of Choose Your Own Disaster).

    My thoughts: I always like reading books with unusual jobs/settings, like the gymnastics backdrop in this one. 

    40-Love by Olivia Dade

    Available now

    This match is no game.

    When a rogue wave strips Tess Dunn of her bikini top, desperate, half-naked times call for desperate, please-cover-me-kids-are-coming-closer measures. Enter Lucas Karlsson, AKA that flirty Swede in the water nearby. When he prevents her bare buoys from being exposed to fellow vacationers, even an ocean can’t drown the sparks that fly.

    Lucas, a former top-level tennis pro now giving lessons at the resort, fled there after the abrupt, painful end to his injury-plagued career. But he’s finally ready to move on with his life–and after a few late-night, hands-on sessions with Tess, he’s eager to prove he’s the ace she wants.

    But this match comes with challenges: She’s forty, and at twenty-six, he’s barely old enough to rent a car. Worse, they only have two weeks together before Tess returns to her assistant-principal life in Virginia. During that brief time, they’ll have to play hard, take a few risks, and find out whether their chemistry is a one-shot wonder…or whether they’re meant to be doubles partners for life.

    My thoughts: I have dearly missed watching tennis this year, so this book sounds right up my alley. 

    Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

    Available now

    Can you fall in love like they do in the movies?

    It’s Evie Summers’s job to find out. Because if she can’t convince her film agency’s biggest client, Ezra Chester, to write the romantic-comedy screenplay he owes producers, her career will be over. The catch? He thinks rom-coms are unrealistic–and he’ll only put pen to paper if Evie shows him that it’s possible to meet a man in real life the way it happens on the big screen.

    Cynical Evie might not believe in happily ever after, but she’ll do what it takes to save the job that’s been her lifeline . . . even if it means reenacting iconic rom-com scenes in public. Spilling orange juice on a cute stranger? No problem. Leaving her number in books all over London to see who calls? Done. With a little help from her well-meaning friends–and Ben and Anette, the adorable father-daughter duo who keep witnessing her humiliations–Evie is determined to prove she can meet a man the way Sally met Harry. But can a workaholic who’s given up on love find a meet-cute of her very own?

    My thoughts: In addition to missing tennis, I’ve also been missing all the big summer movies, so this one also sounds perfect for me. 

    The Wrong Mr. Darcy by Evelyn Lozada and Holly Lorincz

    Available Aug. 25

    In Evelyn Lozada and Holly Lorincz’s lightly inspired Pride and Prejudice romantic comedy, two unlikely people discover the error of judging by first impressions and the beauty of family, friendship and love. This book will entice you through the last page.

    Hara Isari has big ambitions and they won’t be sidetracked by her mother’s insisting that she settle down soon. She dreams of leaving her small-town newspaper behind, as well as her felon father, and building a career as a sports writer, so when she is chosen to exclusively interview a basketball superstar, she jumps at the chance. It’s time to show the bigwigs what she’s truly made of.

    At the same time, she meets a rookie on the rise, Derek Darcy. Darcy is incredibly handsome, obnoxiously proud, and has a major chip on his shoulder. Hara can’t think of a man more arrogant and infuriating. However, fate keeps bringing them together?from locker rooms to elegant parties, to the storm of the century?and what begins as a clash might just be more complicated than Hara anticipated. When she begins to see Darcy in a new light, Hara is not quite sure if she should drop the ball or play the love game.

    My thoughts: I’m always up for another take on Pride & Prejudice.

    What books are you reading this summer?

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    Want a holiday gift guide? Sign up for Jennifer’s newsletter …

    I have put together a holiday gift guide that I will be sharing via my email newsletter. To get the gift guide, sign up for my newsletter.

    The gift guide features books, food, makeup, and more. Some of the stuff I have bought/used/liked. Some of the stuff I have not bought/used/liked, but I think it sounds/looks cool. I am hoping to send out the gift guide around Wednesday, Nov. 20 or thereabouts. We’ll see what happens.

    Happy holidays and happy shopping!

  • Fantasy books in my TBR pile …

    As the fall weather gets cooler, I get in the mood to curl up on the couch and read longer books, including all types of fantasy books. Here are some fantasy books that are in my TBR pile. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon:

    The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy

    Out now

    In the Forgotten Empires magic is forbidden, dreams are destiny, and love is the greatest power of all…

    A PRISONER OF FATE
    As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Lia will do anything to keep her people free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…

    A PRINCE AMONG MEN
    Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Lia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?

    My thoughts: Jeffe is a friend, and I read this one for a cover blurb. If you like fantasy romance, you should check out Jeffe’s books. 😎 

    Blood of an Exile by Brian Naslund

    Out now

    First in the Dragons of Terra series, Brian Naslund’s Blood of an Exile is a fast-paced adventure perfect for comic readers and fans of heroic fantasy

    Bershad stands apart from the world, the most legendary dragonslayer in history, both revered and reviled.

    Once, he was Lord Silas Bershad, but after a disastrous failure on the battlefield he was stripped of his titles and sentenced to one violent, perilous hunt after another. Now he lives only to stalk dragons, slaughter them, collect their precious oil, and head back into the treacherous wilds once more. For years, death was his only chance to escape. But that is about to change.

    The king who sentenced Bershad to his fate has just given him an unprecedented chance at redemption. Kill a foreign emperor and walk free forever.

    The journey will take him across dragon-infested mountains, through a seedy criminal underworld, and into a forbidden city guarded by deadly technology.

    But the links of fate bind us all.

    My thoughts: I bought this for Wheezley, but I want to read it too.

    Smoke Eaters by Sean Grigsby

    Out Now

    When dragons rise from the earth, firefighters are humanity’s last line of defence, in this wild near-future fantasy.

    Firefighter Cole Brannigan is on the verge of retirement after 30 years on the job, and a decade fighting dragons. But during his final fire call, he discovers he’s immune to dragon smoke. It’s such a rare power that he’s immediately conscripted into the elite dragon-fighting force known as the Smoke Eaters.  Retirement cancelled, Brannigan is re-assigned as a lowly rookie, chafing under his superiors. So when he discovers a plot to take over the city’s government, he takes matters into his own hands. With hundreds of innocent civilians in the crosshairs, it’s up to Brannigan and his fellow Smoke Eaters to repel the dragon menace.

    My thoughts: I think the idea of firefighters battling dragons sounds really cool.

    The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

    Out on Nov. 19

    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.
    He will be the destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne

    Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

    Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

    Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

    And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…

    My thoughts: I’m looking forward to seeing how the Folk of the Air trilogy ends.

    What about you guys? What books are you looking forward to reading this fall?

  • Romance books in my TBR pile …

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    The warm spring weather puts me in the mood to read a good love story. This is shaping up to be a great year for romance and rom-com books, and I’ve added so many titles to my TBR pile recently, including the books posted below. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon.

    Getting Hot with the Scot by Melonie Johnson

    Available now

    “Playful, passionate, and positively unputdownable!”—New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren

    IT’S TIME TO FLIRT WITH A MAN IN A KILT

    Cassie Crow, a pop-culture reporter for a TV talk show, is focused on becoming a “serious” journalist. But when she stumbles into a kilted Highlander with a killer accent, Cassie decides that taking one night off from work and spending it with a sexy Scot couldn’t hurt. . .

    Logan Reid has built a career on his charm, hosting a series of off-the-wall hijinks on the Web. But when the Scottish prankster meets the all-American, equal parts intelligent and irresistible Cassie, Logan realizes that one night of fun won’t be enough. Could it be that this career-focused, commitment-phobic couple is finally ready to take a chance at true and lasting love?

    “Witty, sexy, and oh-so-fun. . .Melonie Johnson is an addictive new voice in contemporary romance.” —New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker

    My thoughts: I’m always looking for new contemporary romance authors to try, and the rhyming title caught my eye. Plus, the next two books in the series — Smitten by the Brit and Once Upon a Bad Boy — are coming out soon.

    Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

    Available now

    The New York Times bestselling author of Pucked and The Good Luck Charm delivers a Hollywood happily-ever-after where a famous heartthrob falls for his ultimate fangirl.
     
    “As charming as its title, but it’s also so much more… Fans of Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date and Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient will love Meet Cute.” —The Washington Independent Review of Books
     
    Kailyn Flowers was always calm, rational, and controlled–until she ended up sprawled all over Daxton Hughes, the former actor she totally crushed on as a teenager. Then she did the unthinkable: She became a mortifying fangirl in five seconds flat, which may or may not have included professing her undying love. And oddly, he didn’t run away. In fact, their meet cute led to a friendship she never saw coming. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming, either…
     
    Now Dax needs her help. As guardian to his thirteen-year-old sister, he’s in way over his head. And though Kailyn hasn’t forgiven Dax, she isn’t heartless enough to make him fend for himself, either. Soon their friendly meetings turn into flirty dinner dates, and Kailyn can feel their chemistry is as explosive as ever. But how can she possibly let down her guard again to a guy who has heartbreak written all over him?
     
    My thoughts: The cover and the description for this book grabbed my attention. It sounds like something I would enjoy.
     
    May 28
    “Perfect for readers who love the dishy women’s fiction of Candace Bushnell.” —Booklist

    From the author of the New York Times bestselling Stiletto and Oxford series, the first in a sizzling new series following the unlikely friendship of three Upper East Side women as they struggle to achieve their dreams and find true love and happiness in the city that never sleeps.

    For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite—the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants—but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.

    The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham—the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them…

    “Strong characters and relatable situations elevate Layne’s bighearted contemporary…[which] digs into class differences, emotional baggage, and the reality of dealing with aging parents” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). With the sexy combination of charm, heart, and snark, Lauren Layne’s new series is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.

    My thoughts: I think the heroine’s jewelry business sounds interesting. I always like reading about people with unusual jobs.
     
    June 11

    A brand new romantic comedy from New York Times bestseller Tessa Bailey!

    Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World… whatever that means.

    Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)

    Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)

    Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)

    Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

    Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite.

    Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…

    My thoughts: I’ve seen a lot of good reviews for Bailey’s books, and I’ve been meaning to check out her books for a while.
     
    Aug. 6

    Alisha Rai returns with the first book in her sizzling new Modern Love series, in which two rival dating app creators find themselves at odds in the boardroom but in sync in the bedroom.

    Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules: 

    – Nude pics are by invitation only 

    – If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice 

    – Protect your heart 

    Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and disappears. 

    Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…

    My thoughts: I’ve also seen a lot of good reviews for Rai’s books, and she is yet another author that I’ve been meaning to check out.

    What about you guys? What books are you looking forward to reading this spring and summer?