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Merissa (12684 KP) rated Heartbreak at Roosevelt Ranch (Roosevelt Ranch #2) in Books

Nov 14, 2019

Heartbreak at Roosevelt Ranch is the second book in the Roosevelt Ranch series, and this time we get to know more about Miss (Melissa), Kelly's sister. She is married to Rob who had recently had a promotion at work, but the cost of this appears to be their marriage.

I was a bit worried about this book before I started it. Call me sappy but I hate to read stories about a marriage gone wrong although I don't mind if they're already divorced or separated. Consider it one of my quirks! Instead, what I found was a story that had me invested from the very beginning. Yes, Miss and Rob's marriage was in danger. Yes, they BOTH had work to do to put it right. And yes, Rob did make some stupid decision's to do with his career. NEITHER of them was blameless, and it took both of them to see it and to try to work it through.

Celeste was the other woman and all I saw was a woman trying waaaay too hard. Every moment that Rob was thinking about her, he was comparing her to Miss, and Miss always came out first. Rob is married, that doesn't mean he stops seeing other women around him, or can appreciate their qualities. So long as he doesn't touch and doesn't wander, I don't see the problem. I can't remember who said it, but "I can look at the menu, honey. I just don't order anything anymore!"

There are some questions left after reading this, questions that Miss also has, so you never know, they may be answered in future books. I'm sure Miss and Rob will play a part in those, just like Justin and Kelly played a part in this one.

The pacing was smooth and the writing intricate enough to keep my interest. The characters build up from the previous book, and I loved the internal thoughts of both Miss and Rob. This was a great addition to the series, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

Kudos

The Apocalypedia: A Utopian Guide to What is and What isn't

Darren Allen

3.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Encyclopaedias and dictionaries are often boring, of no help when it comes to secretly filling train...

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated One to Watch in Books

Nov 12, 2020

One to Watch

Kate Stayman-London | 2020 | Humor & Comedy, Romance

8.5

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

With more than half a million Instagram followers and a popular blog, Bea Schumacher has a great life. But she doesn't have love--she's still pining after her best friend, who broke her heart. Bea also loves the reality romance juggernaut, Main Squeeze, where men vie for the affections of a beautiful women. When Bea's critique of Main Squeeze goes viral--why doesn't the show feature any diversity of size in its cast--the show comes to her. They want Bea to be the next star. Bea agrees, but she's adamant: she won't fall in love. This is just for her career. But once on set, Bea realizes this might not be as easy as she thinks.

"Life isn’t often a fairy tale, even on a show that aims to create one.”

I've never seen "The Bachelor" (Main Squeeze's equivalent) before in my life, but I found this book fascinating. (Probably more enjoyable than the actual show, ha.) It's frothy and entertaining but also tackles serious topics like body issues and racism. Once on the show, Bea meets a host of men: some truly awful, some quite lovely. It's quite the ride to watch her have her choice of eligible and handsome men.

I found Bea a little frustrating in her absolute unwillingness to open up, leading her to wallow in self-pity and a complete inability to even consider love. But, she had her reasons. The body positivity in the book was excellent and frequent. Bea is fearful of opening up and revealing herself and her body after being hurt. But she's also a successful and strong businesswoman (and now a celebrity!). The book draws you in to the episodes of Main Squeeze--it's honestly quite addictive. It sprinkles in excepts from Twitter, chats, publications, and more to tell the story--a very effective format. And there's true humor, romance, and heartbreak involved as well.

Overall, this was probably 3.75 stars for me--bumping up due to its strong coverage of serious and important topics. Oh and for Bea's stepdad! I loved him so much. Worth a read, for sure.

Kudos

Alex Kapranos recommended Kimono My House by Sparks in Music (curated)

Kimono My House by Sparks

2017 | Pop, Rock

7.5

(2 Ratings)

Album Favorite

"It was difficult to choose a Sparks record. I think Sparks are unique. Even though they’ve progressed through the early seventies ‘Visconti sound’ – it’s not glam rock, it’s something else. It’s of its time because it influenced so much of what came after it. I don’t think it was really like anything before it, but then they progressed and switched to Giorgio Moroder and those early 80s records like Angst In My Pants, and then they went Eurodisco in the nineties too. One of my favourite Sparks songs is 'When Do I Get To Sing ""My Way""'. That captures again that melancholy, it’s such a wonderful, wonderful song but wry with a sense of humour too. Lyrically I think it’s an incredible record because it was at odds with what was going around at the time. You had John Lennon doing the confessional ballad songwriting about 'this is the emotion I feel' and it’s very bare. And then you have the preposterous fantasy of prog rock. Whereas to me they approached lyrics more from the perspective of writing a film script or someone writing a novel, or even more from the Cole Porter type of lyric writing. It was based around characters and there’s extremes of emotion, like the song 'Equator' which ends the record. It’s about arranging to meet someone on a particular place on the equator at a particular time and it sets up this romantic premise, and the character gets there but the other lover isn’t waiting for him. You have this heartbreak and even though Russell is singing it in the first person, it seems to be written from a third person perspective. You have these characters created by Ron for Russell to articulate, in the way a scriptwriter would write to bring a character to life. It’s one of those records I literally wore the groove out to. Ron’s arrangements too, how he got a rock band into play how an orchestra would, but not in a pretentious way at all. The melodies are really direct and cool. It’s a real joy to listen to."

Source

Kudos

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Oct 26, 2020

Today on my blog, I'm featuring the Christian romance anthology THE KISSING TREE by Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese. Enter the GIVEAWAY on my blog to win a custom wooden sign and/or a print copy of the book - six winners total!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/10/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-kissing.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
In this Texas-sized romance novella collection, courting couples, decades apart, leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak's bark.

Regina Jennings: "Broken Limbs, Mended Hearts"
When a young man from her past returns and upends their small town with a new invention, schoolteacher Bella Eden is reminded of the heartbreak she suffered years ago under the old oak tree. When her job is on the line, can she trust the man who disrupted her life to help her fight for a brighter future?

Karen Witemeyer: "Inn for a Surprise"
Determined to keep love alive for others, Phoebe Woodward builds an inn that caters to couples. When her father sends a property manager to help make it a success, she finds her whimsical vision thwarted by his stodgy practicality. Finding the right blend of romance and reality is a challenge, and her spinster heart may be in for a surprise.

Amanda Dykes: "From Roots to Sky"
WWII airman Luke Hampstead found comfort in letters from the sister of a lost compatriot. When he visits Texas to thank her, he discovers her constructing a project with surprising ties to his letters . . . and that she herself is even more surprising. While a promising opportunity awaits him elsewhere, will what they've shared be enough to give their future flight?

Nicole Deese: "Heartwood"
Abby Brookshire's world is turned upside down when the historic tree she's strived to preserve as the head groundskeeper at the Kissing Tree Inn is put in danger of removal. Making matters worse, the only way to protect its legacy is to partner with the man she's been ignoring since he left town years ago. Will she have the courage to move on from the past and start a new beginning?

Kudos Comment

Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated I'll Give You the Sun in Books

Jun 24, 2019

Read the original review: https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/book-review-ill-give-you-the-sun/

(Self-portrait: Book Remakes Girl)

Oh my Clark Gable. I'll Give You the Sun is simply amazing. It's a piece or artwork in itself, a definite new favourite of mine.

Alternating between twins Noah and Jude, I'll Give You the Sun is two alternating stories that twist together in ways so unexpected and so perfect that you'll undoubtedly want to read to the end without putting the book down. The Invisible Museum of Noah, aged 13 to 14, and The History of Luck, 16-year-old's Jude's story, are amazing on their own, but then they start to fit together so tremendously, and every little thing makes so much sense... I can't describe how amazing I found this book.

Jude and Noah were close; Noah was always painting, inside his head and out, and Jude was out being a badass daredevil, and building her flying women in the sand. But a horrific accident involving their mother sends them both tumbling, and the relationship between them is ruined.

But although all hope seems lost, the now-boycotting Jude finds the answer in such an unexpected way and suddenly everything falls back into place.

And Noah, after having his heart ripped out by his own actions, has to decide between telling the truth about his mother or keeping her secrets hidden beneath lies.

I love the style and layout of this book. The cover alone is wonderful, but the pages themselves are all so unique and interesting, I loved it at soon as I turned to the first page. It's not too busy or intricate, just simple little doodles and such giving each page a bit of character. And every cover I've seen is nice and minimalistic too. (If you want to look the book up and see the over editions and covers you can look at it on Goodreads.)

A story of family struggles, individual troubles, love and heartbreak, I'll Give You the Sun is simply beautiful. I'm dying to read it again, even after finishing it just ten minutes ago! A full 5 stars for this gorgeous book.