Empty Net by author Teagan Hunter is the fourth book in the Seattle Serpents hockey team series. While I have enjoyed other books Hunter has written, Empty Net by author Teagan Hunter is the fourth book in the Seattle Serpents hockey team series. While I have enjoyed other books Hunter has written, this is the first book of this series I’ve read, and apparently according to team member Lawson, Keller is the dick, Hutch is the grump, Hayes is the protective one, Locke is the old man, and Fox is the good boy. I don’t know about the rest of them, but yes, Arthur Fox is the good boy. He’s a fine Southern gentleman, sweet, direct and good to his core. Also concerned about his performance as the goalie for the Serpents expansion team and getting them to the playoffs. He dates, or rather has encounters, but is a bit of a loner and not interested in a relationship. Been there, done that.
Lilah Maddison is so worn down by her family that she can’t utter a word to her mother without first thinking it over 50 times for fear of the consequences. It’s just easier to go along than to suffer through more cutting criticism and being told what a failure and disappointment she is and always has been. She has encounters, too, and all her relationships have failed. Her self-confidence is low, low, low and going along again is what she’s doing when Fox overhears her tell her mother that of course she has a date for a family event. Just wait, you’ll see. Except she doesn’t have a date and now she’ll have to confess and suffer more consequences, unless . . . she can beg someone to be her fake date.
She doesn’t even have to beg. Fox’s inner gentleman leads him to take the phone out of her hand and introduce himself to her mother as Lilah’s date. She tries to talk him out of it, to tell him just what he would be letting himself in for with her rich, snobbish, horrible family, but he insists. Once they are actually there he realizes she’s right � they are in fact horrible � and he feels an overwhelming desire to protect her. Telling her parents they are dating doesn’t seem like enough to him, so he tells them they’re engaged. Well, that simplifies things, doesn’t it?
Lilah’s mother immediately goes into wedding planning mode, assuming Lilah is either lying or having a fling or something and that this relationship will fizzle � after all, how could she actually bring someone so crude and beneath them as a hockey player into the family � and Lilah will then marry someone suitable, chosen by her family, of course.
Teagan Hunter writes the funniest, sweetest, sexiest stories around, with a thread of serious issues expertly woven in. There’s a lot to laugh about, but there is also a lot, like the way Lilah’s parents treat her, that will break your heart. They spend time together at first to be seen, for the engagement to be seen as real, but soon they want to learn more about each other and the dates Arthur plans for them are surprising and thoughtful and wonderful. He stands right beside her in dealing with her family, and she makes him wonder if it really is possible to have the kind of strong, long-lasting relationship his parents have.
Empty Net is an enjoyable, satisfying, heartwarming read, with tender moments, heated moments, funny moments. Lilah and Arthur’s developing relationship is a joy to watch, and every time they falter or misunderstand or fear things won’t work you want to reach right into the story and tell them everything will be okay. The characters are all well-written and multi-dimensional, the plot is strong and smooth, and the spicy bits are just wow. Empty Net worked just fine as a standalone but I am intrigued enough by the rest of the characters to go back and read the first three books in the series. And eagerly await whatever author Hunter gives us next. I received an advance copy of Empty Net. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
Escape to the Highland Retreat by author Elayne Grimes is an engaging story that will pull you in and keep you interested right up until the end. PerfEscape to the Highland Retreat by author Elayne Grimes is an engaging story that will pull you in and keep you interested right up until the end. Perfect pacing, interesting characters. Well balanced combination of action, danger, suspense, and mystery alongside relationships, secrets from the past and tough decisions to be made in the present.
Thanks to Storm Publishing for providing an advance copy of Escape to the Highland Retreat via NetGalley. Storm publishes such a satisfying variety of books across many genres. I’m always happy to receive another one. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
Author Lainey Davis writes a wide variety of terrific stories, but one of my favorite series of hers is the Forging Series, all about Pittsburg Fury hAuthor Lainey Davis writes a wide variety of terrific stories, but one of my favorite series of hers is the Forging Series, all about Pittsburg Fury hockey and that fabulous Stag family. Playing for Keeps is the fourth book in the series, and I think it just may be my favorite to date.
Gunnar Stag is the rookie goalie for the Fury. Strong, cut, Stag handsome with the manners and sweetness all those brothers have under their sometimes cocky and crude behavior. But Gunnar? There’s just an extra layer of sweetness about him. He’s young and vibrant and as eager and excitable as a puppy. He’s just trying to stay healthy, play well and learn all he can to earn a permanent position on the Fury and have some no-strings fun during his downtime. His family name and connections have certainly helped get him where he is, but it’s up to him to keep that place. He saw how fleeting it could be when he witnessed his brother’s career-ending injury and he’s determined to make the most of his opportunity.
Emerson Saltzer has been brought up wrapped so tight in expectations and conditions and non-stop criticism that she can barely breathe. Her family is well-known, well-to-do, well-placed and she hasn’t wanted for a thing. But wait, has anybody � anybody at all � ever asked her what she wanted? That would be a big no. Her father is Charles Saltzer, renowned Conductor of the New York Symphony. Emerson has been tutored and trained and taught to be a musician. She loves making music, but wants to play whatever instrument she chooses, compose, play for fun. There is no fun allowed in The Laws of Charles Saltzer and her parents just keep trying to push her farther and farther into that box (prison) they’ve created for her. When her father catches her busking, playing her cello in the New Jersey Transit lobby in Penn Station he loudly berates her in public, humiliating her. Something in her snaps and she gets up and takes the first train she can catch, which just so happens to be going to Las Vegas.
Being berated is nothing new for Emerson; it’s the story of her life. Everything about her is wrong: her body, appetite, hair, clothes, wishes, everything is wrong and her mother and father are beyond cruel in telling her so. They’ve done everything for her and she should be grateful, she should stop embarrassing them, she should stop being so common. It never lets up. Leaving as she does seems to be the only answer. She doesn’t know where she’ll go or what she’ll do, but she can’t take another minute living the life she has been, the life she’s expected to live for the rest of that life.
Gunnar is in Vegas for a pre-season game. When the game’s over he and his brothers go to a small bar to discuss endorsements with their agent. Emerson is in that same bar, playing her cello for dinner guests. And then it happens . . . their eyes meet. Cue the music playing, birds flying, stars shining, fireworks bursting. Over the top, right, but pretty much the reaction they have to each other. And what begins with him pushing his way through the crowd to introduce himself leads to a few, maybe quite a few, drinks, some discussion about her next steps and the possibility of her going to Pittsburg with him as a roommate to avoid her family until her plans are made ends with them waking up in a hotel room in the morning � married. Neither one of them exactly remembers what they did � or more likely didn’t � do. Gunnar’s agent insists they stay married for a while to avoid negative publicity for him, and the roommate idea seems plausible under the circumstances. There’s plenty of room; she can figure out what to do next, he can save his reputation and continue his career. They’ll pretend to be married but will just be roommates, nothing more. Easy peasy.
Except for that giant elephant in the room called attraction. It gets harder and harder to fake it, especially when his parents and other relatives welcome her to the family so genuinely. When they are so comfortable together and have so much in common. When what starts as a fake life begins to feel like a what-if real life. One thing leads to another, they get closer and closer, but neither wants to stand in the way of the other’s dreams. His protective husband vibe kicks in, though, when her father actively sets out to destroy her. And for the first time in her life she feels cherished and wanted and valued and beautiful.
Playing for Keeps is the perfect next step in the series. All the Stag boys are handsome and sexy, can be rowdy and exuberant and impulsive, but they’ve been raised to value family, to be kind and generous, and to love. The rest of the characters are multi-dimensional and interesting, the plot solid, the pacing smooth, and each story unique and satisfying. Emerson and Gunnar’s journey to their HEA is sweet and funny, heartbreaking, frustrating and just a great read. They’re young and in love, with a flaming hot desire and some not-so-insignificant problems to deal with. And Gunnar is the very definition of cinnamon roll golden retriever. He is so caring and considerate and protective and never wants Emerson to doubt for a second how strong and capable she is and how much she’s loved. Thanks to author Lainey Davis for providing an advance copy of Playing for Keeps. I thoroughly enjoyed it, recommend you read the entire series and then get in line to see whose story is next. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Still Burning and I devoured it in one sitting. You know how it feels when you are reading a book and youI couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Still Burning and I devoured it in one sitting. You know how it feels when you are reading a book and you just can’t stop, because you HAVE to know what’s next? But then you realize there aren’t enough pages left for all the details you need. Oh no . . . it’s like a TV show when all of a sudden “TO BE CONTINUED� flashes on the screen. That’s how it was with Old Flame, the first part of Rome and Salem’s story: heartbreaking, heartwarming, hopeful. And then Wham! The End. Leaving you desperate for the rest of the story.
Still Burning picks right up where Old Flame left off, and author Abbi Glines does not disappoint. Rome and Salem are finding their way back to a life together and it feels so good. The Boston widow and the motorcycle club member might seem unlikely on the surface, but they just fit. As they always have. There are still old wounds and some bumps, but all those years apart are falling away; each day is better than the last. Salem is surprisingly comfortable being with the Judgement MC, making friends and with a heart full at being with Rome again. Rome is so thankful to have found her again, he’ll never let her go. Their time together is spicy and steamy and very sweet.
But of course it’s not that simple. Author Glines introduced a lot of twists and turns and unknowns into Old Flame, and it continues in Still Burning. Glines has crafted a complex story populated with multi-dimensional characters and full of stunning surprises and connections. It’s complex, but the plot is well-crafted and logical; it’s peeling the onion, unraveling the ball of string, adding another puzzle piece � however you want to look at it � that reveals more and more bit by each tantalizing bit. Everything is related to everything else and everything is in question: Salem’s job in Miami, her life in Boston, shocking secrets, rival motorcycle gangs, involvement of the DEA and CIA . . . it all sounds dangerous and overwhelming and confusing, but trust me, uncovering it all as the story progresses � with no spoilers � makes for a very satisfying and rewarding read. Throw in a jealous, manipulative, spiteful ex-hookup of Rome’s and you’ll be turning the pages of Still Burning as fast as you can.
You could read Still Burning standalone but you really should read Old Flame first to get the full enjoyment, to see what Rome and Salem were like young and in love, what they went through and how precious it is to see them now, not quite so young but still in love. While you’re at it, read everything Abbi Glines has written; it’s all connected and it’s all riveting.
I was given an advance copy of Still Burning. It made my heart race, made me smile, made me cry, and made me love it. And there is just enough cliffhanger at the end to make you eager for whatever is next in this remarkable series. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
I See You’ve Called in Dead by author John Kenney is so original, so unique, so unusual, so fulfilling and so satisfying that I don’t even know where I See You’ve Called in Dead by author John Kenney is so original, so unique, so unusual, so fulfilling and so satisfying that I don’t even know where to begin a review or what to say about it. Except that this is must-read. If you don’t read anything else, read this.
Bud Stanley is a middle-aged obituary writer who has kind of given up on life. His wife left him, his blind date brought her ex, his obituary writing has become cliched and terrible and he doesn’t much care. Through the course of the story we discover he has friends, but at the beginning he just seems alone and lonely, unmotivated, uninspired, not actually a zombie but still the walking dead. And after a night of a little too much drinking he writes and publishes his own obituary. That breaks a lot of rules and angers a lot of people and puts him on the top of the to-be-fired list, except the company can’t fire a dead person. Bud cycles through a lot of emotions after this, but none of them is urgency. Where can he find a job, what will he do with the rest of his life? His friends and some of his coworkers seem more concerned about that than he is. Bud’s attitude: Something will happen. Or not. So what. But as he’s flailing around, Bud starts to look at things differently. To make connections. To realize he already has a lot of worthwhile connections and relationships.
I See You’ve Called in Dead is absurd, hilarious, often laugh-out-loud funny. It’s also touching and poignant and sad, and you’ll need to wipe your eyes from those moments as well as the funny ones. Time with Tim, with Leo, with Clara, “dropping in� on wakes and funerals, block parties. The book is full of references to literature and art and movies and history and current events; you’ll have many “Aha!� moments while reading
It starts out slow, but just when you think maybe it’s a book full of mostly humorous unrelated anecdotes, you suddenly “get� what author John Kenney is trying to tell you and you’re all in. Bud’s story will educate as well as entertain you and leave you thinking. Really, really thinking about the value of life.
Thanks to Zibby Publishing for introducing me to John Kenney’s work via an advanced reader copy from LibraryThing. This is one of the best books I have read so far this year (and is on my all-time favorites list) and I can’t wait to read more by this by this author. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. ...more
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