Waiting On Wednesday #17

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Accidental Reader and it features upcoming book releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

We can't wait to put our hands on:

Expected Publication: January 6th 2015

Publisher: Gallery Books Pages: 208

From NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton, known for her “deliciously addictive” (The Book Vixen) novels, this Cocktail series novella reunites readers with Caroline and Simon from the wildly successful Wallbanger.

Simon and Caroline are back for another round of baking, banging, and big life changes. Settling in, but never settling down, Caroline has finally struck a balance between the professional and the personal. As one of the top interior designers in San Francisco, she travels all over Northern California between nook time with Simon.

Perpetual globetrotter Simon has cut his frequent flyer miles in half over the last year, preferring to balance his professional and personal life, as well.

The next step in their lives seems preordained—toasts, veils, and the aisle of rose petals. But when an accident on a photo shoot in Southeast Asia brings Caroline the most terrifying phone call she could ever imagine, she has to ask whether “till death do us part” is a more realistic prospect than faces most couples.

Challenge #4: Agatha Christie's Miss Marple

Agatha Christie's books were one of the first mystery books I ever read, and even today they remain close to my heart because they are amazing. The characters are beautiful and there is always some humor in their pages. Miss Marple remains one of my favorite mystery characters, thus this year I plan on reading all of the 12 books dedicated to her. You can find the list in the link below. You can find this challenge under our Challenges tab on our menu above. All progress will be posted here.

Miss Marple Series

Waiting On Wednesday #16

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Accidental Reader and it features upcoming book releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

We can't wait to put our hands on:

Expected Publication: January 13th 2015

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Adults

Pages: 336

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

2015 Book Challenge #3: The Jessica Sorensen Project

This year I read two books by Jessica Sorensen and I intasntly fell in love. I loved the writing, the realistic characters and of course the plot, the way her stories came to be. For 2015 I plan to read all of her series and yes it is not a challenge, more like a proect because it can take a lot more than a year to read all her books. 

These are her series and books I intent to read:

1. The Coincidence Series
2. Unbeautiful Series
3. The Secret Series
4. Nova Series
5. Sins Series
6. Unraveling You 
7. Fateful Alure
8. Shattered Promises
9. Death Collectors X 

Waiting on Wednesday #15

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Accidental Reader and it features upcoming book releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

We can't wait to put our hands on:

Expected Publication: January 27th 2015

Publisher: Viking Juvenile Pages:288 

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss. 

2015 Book Challenge #2: Paperbackville Pop.50

Bookstores are in decline, Amazon and ebooks in general on the other side are on the rise. Reading the Bookshop Book made me realize that actual books and bookstores were and are and hopefully will continue to be an important part of my life. So, because of this book I was inspired to read at least 50 paperback or hardback books this year out of my goal of 150 all bought from my local bookstore.

You can participate by doing the same and emailing your progress at theaccidentalreader@hotmail.com or by commenting below. There is only one rule and that is to read as many actual books as possible. No ebooks. Because we can all help our local bookstores. Progress will be posted here and also you will be able to find this post under the Challenges tab on our menu.

2015 Book Challenge #1 : The Peculiar Case of The Unfinished Series

This challenge is dedicated to all those who start new series but are unable to finish them. For 2015 one of my challenges will be exactly that: Finish the series that I left hanging from the year before and the year before that. 

The rules are simple: Just read the remaining books in the series you never finished (with or without the novellas), whatever format you like. You can comment below your progress or email it under the title challenge at: theaccidentalreader@hotmail.com

You can find our unfinished series under the Book Series Archive tab on our menu. Completed series will be displayed here. You can also find this post under the Challenges tab on our menu bar.

Book Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Author: Gillian Flynn
Release Date: June 10th 2010
Publisher: Phoenix
Pages: 424
Format: Paperback
Buy on: Waterstones, Barnes and Noble
Add to: Goodreads, Leafmarks

Rating: 5 stars

Libby Day was just seven years old when her evidence put her fifteen-year-old brother behind bars.

Since then, she had been drifting. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben's innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard her brother's? Ben was a misfit in their small town, but was he capable of murder? Are there secrets to uncover at the family farm or is Libby deluding herself because she wants her brother back?

She begins to realise that everyone in her family had something to hide that day... especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, the truth is going to be even harder to find.

Who did massacre the Day family? 

My Thoughts:

Dark Places is one of those books that linger in your brain for a while. You keep thinking about it again and again until your brain bleeds from the feeling of: That was fucking amazing.

I think this is my favorite book of the year, highly disturbing and dark with a pitch of macabre and thrilling detailing of the most chilling events.

It all starts with Libby Day a survivor from the Day family massacre back in the 80's. All these year she lived off the money people donated to her because they felt sorry for her, but money run out and she is in need of those, although, not too willing to either hear her lawyer or do something about the situation.

One day she is being contacted by a guy who participates in the Kill Club. A group of people who research various murders throughout time and they believe that her brother – who is in jail for her family's murder – is innocent. At first, Libby seems reluctant enough to go there and see what all this is about, because she is sure that her brother did it but soon enough those people will make interested because they are willing to pay for any information she can provide -and she needs the money- and also because they have some interesting theories about the real killer. And that's where the awesome story takes starts.

I was thrown in a world so complex and twisted and macabre that I could not believe what I was reading. Everyone seemed like the perfect killer. The story was told in alternative points of view, from present day Libby to deceased mother and brother back in the 80's before the murders. What unraveled in front of me was a mystery so mesmerizing that had me turning the pages like crazy.

The book covers everything from Satanism and sacrifices to drugs, to child molestation, to teenage pregnancy. It covers the theme of abuse and how a troubled teen can hide so much rage inside of him but at the same time be the most quiet and shy child out there. How someone can be completely paralyzed from fear that cannot even defend his own self and can easily be manipulated to do things he doesn't want to do or seem right to him. I love the fact that people who are afraid, are not actually afraid to point fingers to people they consider to be somehow weird and turn someone innocent into a murderer, a child molester etc etc, I like how the book shows you that nothing is what it seems to be and judging by fear is the worst one can do.

The characters are all really complex even the supportive ones play a role in the story and while reading this book you need to be really careful of details because they play a huge role in the development of the story. Libby was unique to me. The complexity and development of her character was truly fascinating and the same applies to her brother Ben. I felt like the characters reached their goal in the end and found peace.

The writing was magnificent. I could not put the book down, I felt every agony, every fear and every confusion in this book because every scene was so vivid, like I was in the book. You wont see the ending coming thats for sure, it was so unpredictable and jaw dropping that I was asking where it was coming from and did not see it. It gave a great closure to the book.

If you love mysteries and suspense then Gillian Flynn is the author for you and its sure my new favorite author.

Book Talk: Bookstores vs. Amazon and other online retailers (and the importance of bookstores)

Reading the Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell brought a feeling of warmth and joy but at the same time made me think (again) of all the bookstores out there that they are either closed or they are struggling with sales. Despite the fact that bookstores can actually organize amazing events and host author signings , people still choose to shop online (including myself) rather on said bookstore.

Bookstores were always fascinating to me and I bet to a lot of people as well, they are quiet and promise you the discovery of a great adventure. I worked in a famous bookstore in the States and I had customers from every walks of life coming in the store looking for their next favorite book. As booksellers we did everything possible to sell a book or recommend something new to the customer but despite our efforts and love for books in the end around 60% of the customers decided to buy the books online. It was funny how we dreaded the moment the customer would look at the price in the back and how we would wince. I had a good discount on books working there but I never bought anything from the store and I chose Amazon because of the better prices (yes even with the discount that I had, Amazon was still cheaper).

Moving in England around a month ago, I came to realize that British do it differently. Books here ARE cheaper than in the U.S. and they have exactly the same price as Amazon.co.uk . I think that within this month I bought 30 books (planning a post on that) and it was pretty cheap. I love how bookstores here have great promos like buy one get one half price and seem to antagonize online retailers. People actually shop in store rather online. I understand that America is a vast country and you need a car to go everywhere and the taxes aren't helping either so people prefer to shop online but that needs to change and I plan to change that bad habit myself.

Brick and mortal bookstores are needed. Kids discover great books in there, they go on adventures and lets face it is a lot better to actually browse the books on the shelf rather on a screen. Booksellers and other shoppers can give you recommendations and you can actually feel and even smell the books as you open them to discover whats in there. You can't read the entire book or just open it on a random page online, can you?

So, one of my challenges for 2015 (sneak peak everyone) is to read as many paperbacks as possible and all bought from my local Bookstore.

This Week's Book Releases: December 1st - December 6th

Mai Tai'd Up by Alice Clayton

City of Eternal Night by Kristen Painter

Universal Alien by Gini Koch

French Kissed by Chanel Cleeton

The Road to Ruin by Brownyn Stuart

Book Review: The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell

Author: Jen Campbell
Release Date: October 2nd 2014
Publisher: Constable and Robinson
Pages: 273
Format: Hardcover
Buy on: Amazon, Waterstones
Add to: Goodreads, Leafmarks

Every bookshop has a story.

We’re not talking about rooms that are just full of books. We’re talking about bookshops in barns, disused factories, converted churches and underground car parks. Bookshops on boats, on buses, and in old run-down train stations. Fold-out bookshops, undercover bookshops, this-is-the-best-place-I’ve-ever-been-to-bookshops.

Meet Sarah and her Book Barge sailing across the sea to France; meet Sebastien, in Mongolia, who sells books to herders of the Altai mountains; meet the bookshop in Canada that’s invented the world’s first antiquarian book vending machine. 

And that’s just the beginning. 

From the oldest bookshop in the world, to the smallest you could imagine, The Bookshop Book examines the history of books, talks to authors about their favourite places, and looks at over three hundred weirdly wonderful bookshops across six continents (sadly, we’ve yet to build a bookshop down in the South Pole).

The Bookshop Book is a love letter to bookshops all around the world.

My Thoughts:

I don't know where to start and what to say about this beautiful book. It's a book for book lovers out there and those who are just starting to read.

For me the Bookshop Book was a travel guide. It lists the most amazing bookshops in the world, from chains like Blackwells and Foyles to small independent both new and used bookshops. For the three hours that I dedicated to reading this book, I discovered bookshops around me that I will soon visit and books that I now want to read like crazy. 

You read stories from customers, bookshop owners but also from authors. Everything from how each person started reading and their first impressions books and bookshops and how would their own (bookshop) look like if and when they opened one. 

Prepare yourself for a trip you will never forget and make sure to have a notebook next to you so to mark all your new destinations and books that you may want to read. 

A great great book that I recommend to everyone who love books and stories.

Waiting On Wednesday #13

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Accidental Reader and it features upcoming book releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

We can't wait to put our hands on:

Author: Jessica Sorensen 

Expected Publication: December 23rd 2014

Series: The Coincidence #7

Emery

You want to know my secrets? What lies beneath the pretty? The scars I can’t let anyone see? The scars tied to my secrets?
On the outside I appear normal. Some might even say perfect. 
They say that I’m a pretty girl. They say I should be happy. They say that I have nothing to be angry about. That I’m popular. A cheerleader. The perfect student. 
Perfect. Perfect. Perfect. 
But all they see is what’s on the outside.
On the inside I’m raw, open, bleeding. Scars that can’t seem to heal the wounds. 
And it’s slowly killing me.

Ryler

Tattoos. Piercing. Scars. The guy who can’t speak.
Gothic freak. Mute. Punk. I’ve heard it all.
They say that I’m probably dangerous. That the scars came from myself.
They say people should stay away from me. They say that I’m not worthy to be out in the world.
They say. They say. They say.
But who are they anyway?
To decide what I am.
They don’t know what’s hidden beneath the scars. Beneath the piercings and tattoos. 
Beneath the silence.
Maybe if they did they wouldn’t fear me so much.
Then again, maybe they’d fear me more.

Book Talk: Compulsive Buying

 So, Compulsive Buying Of Books.

 Here is the thing, I think we all in one moment or other browsed through a bookstore searching for some good book to read. Then we see a book with a beautiful cover and an inteeresting sypnosis. We go ahead and buy it. Till this moment- We have the "normal" way to buy books. 

But then it turns out this book is part of a series. Now there are a few options. 

This is where compulsive buying comes in, You see- most times whether I read the book or not I will probably buy all the books in the series. Only for someday read the first book or the second book and realize that I do not love this series and I really do wish I didn't buy it. 

Another option is that I will read the first book and love it and I will buy the other books in the series, just so that one of them in some point will disappoint me and I'll feel like I just wasted my money buying a series of 7 books when at least 3 of them I have no intention to read whatsoever. 

Of course, sometimes you actually do end up liking or even loving the series. Still, I'd say this is about 30% of the cases for me. 

Another aweful thing I do sometimes is buying all the books by the same author just because I read one book and loved it, Sometimes I do find an author to love. Other times I find I wasted money. 

And I wonder.....How can I deal with this problem? 

Right now I try my best to be more careful and buy the other books in the series one at a time. It doesn't always work. 

There are also thos times when I read the sypnosis and I know with great conviction that I'm going to love this book (sometimes I'm wrong), there are also the times when I buy a book and I feel uncertain. Then I do not buy the other books in the series. 

What about you? 

List Land: 10 Paranormal Books We Should Have Read Already

It's been sometime since we left the ''Teen Era'' of our lives, along with emo hairstyles and emotional instability but one thing that we will always love and cherish is Paranormal Themed Books. Despite the fact that we are over twenty we still hold a special place in our hearts for vampires, werewolves, mermaids and everything magical and dark. So we present to you 10 Paranormal Books We Should Have Read Already (both new and old).

1.  The Evolution Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. 
2. Shatter Me by Tehereh Mafi
3. Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
4. Wake by Amanda Hocking
5. Providence by Jamie McGuire
6. Burn for me by Ilona Andrews
7. On The Edge by Ilona Andrews
8. Mind Games by Carolyn Crane
9. Dragon Unbound by Thea Harrison
10. Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Book Review:His by Aubrey Dark

Author: Aubrey Dark
Release Date: October 23rd 2014
Pages: 256
Format: ebook
Add to Goodreads

Rating: 3 stars


I never meant to be here: tied up in bed next to a serial killer. When I followed him home, I was just playing Nancy Drew. Trying to find out
his secret. His kiss was intoxicating, and I thought he was harmless.

I was wrong.

Nancy Drew never ended up in a basement, handcuffed to a radiator, teased to the edge of insanity, begging to be let go.Soon, I stopped begging to be let go. Soon, I started begging to be HIS.

Author's Note:
This is a dark romance novel with mature themes that might make some readers uncomfortable. 

My Thoughts:

To be honest, I don;t know what I expected from this book. I don;t know if I expected more violence, more abuse, more sex or just more. Despite the fact that Kat was an idiot and indecisive, I found myself enjoying this book a lot.

Meet Kat, twenty something university student, working at the local public library with her friend Jules. Kat in contrast to Jules, is simple, introvert and simple...or so we think. We get to know the background story of Kat as the book progresses. The author cuts to the chase pretty fast, when Jules dares Kat to kiss the first guy she will see in front of her...Gavriel.

I really wanted to like Gavriel a little more than I did, but something was missing.[ Lately, it seems that a lot of books miss something and I start to wonder about the quality of the books that I read.]

He was dar and disturbed and a total psycho with a dark background, pretty much the same as Kat's, but I think he softened pretty fast and easy.

There is a lot of attraction, pretty much since page 5, but despite all the tension there isn't anything huge there. It was kinda of insta love,for me at least, which I hate but the story progressed steadily. If that makes any sense. The annoying thing was that the days in the book seemed like they were the same. Same routine for Gav and Kat, only some actions changed and the conversations that were pretty interesting. Gav had some interesting ideas for what each person is and how he sees humans. Also, I don;t think I will see a doctor with the same eye again.

The characters were complex but Kat turned me off a lot with her indesicive character and what she thought she knew and what she didn't. She did not know if she pretended to like the murderer or not for pretty much 80% of the book. The story is told in alternative POV's which is awesome and something I L.O.V.E.

The writing was very good and the sentenced inviting and I really enjoyed reading this book. Some sentences and phrases seemed to repeat themselves over and over in both POV'S as well.
I don;t want to discuss the ending which was explosive and then a little weird and dump.

So, 3 stars for this good dark romance!! Hope you enjoy.

Waiting On Wednesday #12

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by the Accidental Reader and it features upcoming book releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

We can't wait to put our hands on:

Amour Amour by Krista and Becca Ritchie

expected publication: December 12th 2014

Love is a circus

"Every day,” he says lowly, “I hold a person’s life in my hands. The circus is based one-hundred percent off of trust. I give it all to someone, and they give it all to me.”

The best aerial technique won’t land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she’s out of her element the second she meets Amour’s leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova aggravatingly lives up to his nickname as the “God of Russia.”

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai’s after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That’s what Nik calls their “non-existent” relationship. It’s not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future--acrobaticpartners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world. 

Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she’s destined to be “just background” to his spellbinding show.

This sexy and exhilarating New Adult Romance can best be described as Cirque du Soleil meets the steamy, athletic romance of Center Stage.

*standalone & no love triangles—recommended for readers 18+ for mature content*

Mini ARC Review: No Regrets by Claire Kent

Author: Claire Kent
Publication Date: July 22nd 2014
Pages: 280 approx.
Format: ebook/ e-galley
Add on Goodreads, Leafmarks

Rating: 2 stars

On my last birthday, I made one vow for the year. Live with no regrets. Eleven months have passed, though, and nothing has changed. I still sleep alone, spend my life working, and never move out of my comfort zone.

Then the loss of my dog throws my whole life out of orbit, and I end up in bed with a very hot and slightly-too-young veterinarian, who has recently made a vow of his own. Live with no strings. Josh is more than happy to help me with the things I’ve been afraid to try. Semi-public sex. Spanking. Anal sex. He’s a willing partner for everything I’ve wondered about, as long as I don’t demand more.

He’s serious about his no-strings philosophy. As serious as I am about living with no regrets. I can’t help but fall for him, even though I know better. So my biggest regret might be a broken heart.

My Thoughts:

I received this title by the author/publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will sum this book in one word: Predictable.

Meet Leslie, a thirty something well off woman, single, with a dog who just died and a vow not to have regrets about anything she does anymore. She meets the sex god Josh and together they share a passionate night (they only met that very morning).

I get it that this is a short story but it was really stupid and predictable. I finished the entire book with difficulty since I could not even concentrate. The writing was good but it lacked something important that I cant place. Although, the sex scenes were sexy and hot, for me personally, it lacked something. 

I mean from the book description you can actually tell what's this story is all about. I give this book two stars because of the writing and for the author's attempt to write a book.

Book Talk: To Be Read Listing Chaos

From the first book an avid reader holds to the very last he will read he pretty much follows a list...or not.

I had a huge tbr list a little while ago, that listed more than 400 books. Yes, that is pretty much on the amount of books that I have already read all these years.

The thing is to actually read those books which, for me, it's insurmountable. The problem is that a lot of new books come out, the one after the other and I want to read all of them, or at least most of them. The thing is that I read slowly because I don;t have a lot of time to do so, so the list continues to accumulate books.

I realized that from the books that I had on the list, the past two years, I only read 16 out of 400 and then I decided to cut it down...a lot.  I started looking up the books on goodreads and at the same time crossing items out of the list. I found myself wondering how some books came to be in the list, or how could I be interested in a book like the particular one I was looking at at the time. My taste has changed dramatically from what I used to read when I started the list.

Right now, on my list consists of only 50 books, some of which I am currently reading and for the future I will try to stick to it as much as possible.

Did you ever have a similar problem with your reading list? Leave a comment below.

Blog Announcement

Dear Readers,
from today the Teaser Tuesday weekly meme will stop, instead, there will be a weekly announcement of the currently reading books on the right side of the blog.

We have a lot of weekly posts on the blog and we try to keep it as simple as possible and that, unfortunately results to the deletion of  Book Boyfriend meme as well. There are not any book boyfriends we like enough in order to create a post for.

Previous posts for both Book Boyfriend and Teaser Tuesday will be available under the Weekly Memes tab on the blog menu until the end of the month. After that they will be deleted and the name of the tab will change to Waiting on Wednesday.

Thank you for your understanding,
The Accidental Readers,
Efterpi and Sharon.

Guest Post: Black Rose by Kris Thompson

So, we asked Kris- Why is this book so special to you? What inspired you to write this book?

And  her answer was-When it comes to inspiration for Black Rose there are many things that come to mind. One was that I wanted a semi-crime story in the victims point of view. With stories like Black Rose (crime genre) you predominantly get the cop/detective/private investigator's point of view, and I was always left wondering about the victim and their family. So Black Rose was my way of trying to touch on that.

Another reason was that lately a lot of reality television shows peg women against each other for the sake of ratings, and for me this is very upsetting. I wanted to write a book, not only about a woman finding power within herself to fight back, but about a group of women finding strength within each other to survive and fight back as a team. Call me a child of the 90s, but this was my version of saying "Girl Power".

And I guess that within itself is why this book is so special to me... that, and it's my first book. LOL! So it will always be special in my heart.

Thanks Kris- we are also supportive of  "Gril Power!"

Blog Tour: Black Rose by Kris Thompson

 

Black Rose

by Kris Thompson

It's better to die on your feet than beg on your knees.

Release Date: November 13 , 2014

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Genre: Fiction/Romance/Suspense/Thrillers/

ISBN e-book: 978-1-61213-247-1

Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS PH

 

~~SUMMARY~~

Lillian Locke had the perfect life in Boulder, Colorado. She had the boyfriend of her dreams, a wonderful family, awesome friends, and a spot on the track team at a great college. There wasn’t anything life could throw at her that she couldn’t get through . . . until he found her. Lillian never could have imagined being abducted and chained up in the dark. Worse yet, being just one of many girls kidnapped and held captive by a madman. All she can do now is hope that she survives the brutality of their captor long enough to find a way to free herself and her new captive friends. When Richard Haines’ girlfriend goes missing, he makes it his personal mission to find the woman he loves and bring her home to the safety of their loved ones. Seeking the help of friends and family, Richard abandons everything except for his pursuit of Lillian. But when someone else close to Richard goes missing, and the bodies of the abducted girls start showing up in the hills outside Boulder, the only thing he can do is hope that he finds her before it is too late.

Goodreads * Add to Want To Read List

 

~~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~~

Kris Thompson is a veteran of the US Navy and single mother of three. When she’s not knitting scarves, chasing her children around or baking, you’ll find her enjoying a good book or writing down notes for her own upcoming stories. Writing has been a passion for Kris for many years, and seeing those stories printed on paper is a dream come true.

~~CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR~~

Twitter * Facebook * Website

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

~~Praise for Black Rose~~

"There are just not enough words to describe how great I thought this book was! I completed it in one sitting, refused sleep till I was finished. 

A psychotic killer is abducting women, holding them hostage for days and days while raping and torturing and killing in a most horrendous way. Except you know this by reading the back of the book. What you dont know is the story inside...there is so much more."

Goodreads Review

Book Review: The Day That I Met You by Lena Manta

Author: Lena Manta
Publisher: Psihogios Publishing House
Release Date: 2001
Pages: 378
Language: Greek
Add to Goodreads

Rating: 3 stars

When did she stop being happy? She didn't remember anymore
When did she begun being unhappy? Was she?

She was 35 years old. She was married. She was a mother. She was beautiful. She was rich. Ingredients for happiness and success. He was 40 years old. Good looking. Faithful husband. Rensponsible father. He never forgot any anniversaries or birthdays. Maybe because of his well organised agenda and secretary. Organised and careful. The key to their succesful life. 

Can laughter and routine become a reason to divorce? And what will happen laughter comes back to her lips...from the window of the neighbor next door? What will happen when she will have to choose between the life she knows today, the recklessnes, the need not to know what will happen tomorrow and the life she has scheduled up next years vacations? And moreover between a crazy love, filled with challenges, in addition to an old one that has nothing to offer to her anymore?

My Thoughts:

It's been sometime since I read a book in my native language- Greek. I forgot the beauty of the words and the sentences and how different it can actually feel to read a book that you can fully understand.

This book tells the story of a 35 year old housewife in the bring of breakdown. She is a wreck emotionally and she wants out. She wants something different because she is tired with the routine and the chores and her life that lacks romance and walks under the stars. In other words, she wants what every married woman wants after 10 or more years of marriage- a change.

Her husband is simple and a man of few words. He plays an important role in the book as to how his wife will choose the company of the neighbor next door. Although, he doesnt say much in the book he changes a lot while the book progresses and he becomes more understandable.

Although, the neighbor that will have an affair with the housewife plays an important role in the book we dont know anything about him except the fact that he loves her and that he can make an amazing Greek coffee.

You will want to know their names but they dont have one. Throughout the book you won't read their names once, it doesn't matter, this is a story that needs to be told and people need to understand that routine can be destructive for any marriage or friendship.

The emotions were vivid at some points of the book and flat at other but the words that the author used were simply beautiful. The story progresses fast enough for the reader to feel anything other than confusion...thats what the wife feels in most of the book. Confusion and lack of interest in anything.

Its a story about forgiveness, the power of love, understanding and the fact that birds and butterflies wont last forever once reality and every day life kick in.