Book Club Friday {July 12}

Hey y'all,

As usual, it's Friday meaning time for the weekly roundup of books I devoured this week. I am kind of upset I didn't finish Awaken this week but I blame finishing watching season five of Gilmore Girls for that. I mean, Rory leaves Yale and Lorelei proposes. I had to get to the finale episode. Ok, onto the books:

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Fans of both contemporary romance and women's fiction will love this smart, witty, and beautiful novella from national bestseller Sharla Lovelace. If you like Susan Elizabeth Philips, Susan Mallery, or Sarah Addison Allen you're going to fall in love with this author.

She has nothing but time . . .

Twenty-four hours. That’s how long Andie Fremont has to say yes—or no. At forty-four with a daughter in college, she’s no young kitten with starry-eyed ideas of what love is. Still, when the man who is everything she should want pops the question with a ring he knows isn’t her style, during a party she didn’t want to have, Andie balks. Something tells her that it isn’t right. 

Looking to clear her head, Andie hits the Texas highway in search of an answer. And when she stumbles upon an old roadside diner she decides waffles might be it, at least for now. What she didn’t expect to find was Jesse Montgomery. The man who stole her heart and broke it all in one day, two decades earlier.

As a Texas-size storm takes shape outside, the electricity between Andie and Jesse builds inside. Suddenly Andie is faced with more than just yes or no. As the storm clears there are two men who will want answers.

I grabbed this story from NetGalley since I liked the synopsis and I was not disappointed. I liked this story of past loves,while the relationships were expected the various events in the story were not including the damage of the storm. I though it was a cute and a really fast read/novella.

3 of 5 stars.

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If you can grill it, smoke it, or fry it, Nora Henderson knows all about it. She’s been basting baby back ribs and pulling pork at her father’s barbeque joint since she was tall enough to reach the counter. When she’s accepted to Taste Test, a reality-television teen cooking competition, Nora can’t wait to leave her humble hometown behind, even if it means saying good-bye to her dad and her best friend, Billy. Once she’s on set, run-ins with her high-society roommate and the maddeningly handsome—not to mention talented—son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, mean Nora must work even harder to prove herself. But as mysterious accidents plague the kitchen arena, protecting her heart from one annoyingly charming fellow contestant in particular becomes the least of her concerns. Someone is conducting real-life eliminations, and if Nora doesn’t figure out who, she could be next to get chopped for good. 

With romance and intrigue as delectable as the winning recipes included in the story, this debut novel will be devoured by all.

I received this book from NetGalley as well as an advance copy since the book itself comes out next month. I loved the mix of Top Chef and a boarding/high school. I also connected to Nora since she was a North Carolina girl who knows her BBQ. Nora seems like a real person with a lot of strengths and weaknesses and I could imagine knowing Nora. The book is not all about romance I often find teen novels heading but there was a focus on other relationships and the food itself.

3.5 of 5 stars

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The heat is on, and a new threat to humanity has risen…

Nick has his driver’s license and he’s not afraid to use it. But turning sixteen isn’t what he thought it would be. While other boys his age are worried about prom dates and applying for college, Nick is neck deep in enemies out to stop him from living another day. No longer sure if he can trust anyone, his only ally seems to be the one person he’s been told will ultimately kill him.

But life spent serving the undead is anything except ordinary. And those out to get him have summoned an ancient force so powerful even the gods fear it. As Nick learns to command and control the elements, the one he must master in order to combat his latest foe is the one most likely to destroy him. As the old proverb goes, fire knows nothing of mercy, and if Nick is to survive this latest round, he will have to sacrifice a part of himself. However, the best sacrifice is seldom the sanest move. Sometimes it’s the one that leaves your enemies confused, and you even more so.

And sometimes, you have to trust your enemy to save your friends. But what do you do when that enemy  is you?

Ok, I have to preface this with the fact that Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of my favorite authors and I consumed her Dark Hunters Series a few summers ago and have been obsessed since. I loved the idea of a spin-off series focusing on Nick Gautier since we never really got a story from him. I know the Chronicles of Nick will eventually reconnect to the series but who know when that will happen. This is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Nick and none of them have disappointed me yet. I read the first three last summer and I have been waiting for this book ever since and it has been patiently waiting on my self until I had time. This book finally explained some of the charachter's backgrounds and motivations as well as helped to set up who Nick really will become. I missed Ambrose in this book and I was very surprised at the ending to say the least but now to wait for the next book, Illusion in 2014 (or the next book in the League series, Cloak & Silence that came out this week!)

4.5 of 5 stars

What have you been reading? As always suggestions/recommendations are always welcome!