Book

Destiny’s Surrender (Destiny #2)

Destinys Surrender

Destiny’s Surrender (Destiny #2)

By: Beverly Jenkins

Blurb:

The child he didn’t know he had . . .

Andrew Yates has come to a decision: it’s time to stop sowing those oats and start a family. But searching for a bride isn’t as simple as he’d hoped, and many of the respectable women of his acquaintance feel . . . lacking. Then beautiful, feisty Wilhelmina “Billie” Wells arrives at the family ranch with a toddler in her arms, claiming Drew is the father!

The woman he didn’t know he loved . . .

Billie had no choice but to show up at Destiny in search of Drew. For the sake of their child, she’s willing to leave him with his father so the boy can have a better life, but then, before she can blink, she’s saying “I do” in front of a preacher in a marriage of convenience. All Billie and Drew have in common is the heat that brought them together, but can their sizzling passion lead to an everlasting love?

Review:

Billie and Drew were a different couple. Billie was a whore, and Drew was her customer. At the end of Destiny’s Embrace, we saw her have a baby, which turns out to be Drew’s. Before that though, they were both a bit in love with each other, but because of her job, neither acknowledged it. Things, of course, change.

Billie was an interesting character to read. She was a prostitute. In westerns, there’s the trope of a hooker with a heart of gold. They may be good, but they never have a happy ending. It was nice to see that trope changed.

Drew was a lawyer that was starting to have issues practicing law due to racism. Then when he finds out he’s a father, things get worse for him. He’s not really my favorite hero, he came off as a pretty rich boy, but he could have been worse.

Like the Destiny’s Embrace, their romance was pretty quick. They did have years of buildup prior to the book, but once they were forced together, things went super-fast.

One of my favorite parts of the series is seeing their mother’s romance blossom. The conversation she had with Billie about sex was amusing. I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

3/5

Destiny’s Embrace (Destiny #1)

Destinys Embrace

Destiny’s Embrace (Destiny #1)

By: Beverly Jenkins

Blurb:

Gentleman Seeks Housekeeper. Must be willing to travel.

Desperate for another life away from Philadelphia, headstrong and beautiful Mariah Cooper answers an advertisement for a housekeeper at the other end of the continent. Waiting in California is the most breathtaking—and arrogant—man she has ever met…and he’d like nothing better than for Mariah to go back home!

Logan Yates has run Destiny, the family ranch, since he was a boy. He doesn’t need this Eastern miss his stepmother hired, though his home’s chaotic state suggests otherwise. Still, he’s secretly pleased that Mariah gives as good as she gets—and he must fight the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her whenever she proudly stands her ground. But when he’s in danger of losing her, Logan will have to choose between pride…and his heart’s true desire.

Review:

Finally, the justice I wanted! Lol

Mariah is abused by her mother, emotionally and physically. It’s heartbreaking. At the age of thirty, after basically doing everything for her mother, she finally realized the woman would never love her. So she left.

Logan lives in California and desperately needs a housekeeper. For whatever reason, he is pretty lazy when it comes to doing anything domestic. He lets his house become a pigsty and doesn’t build a bunkhouse after a year of not having one. Honestly, I don’t know why that was such a big hurdle for him. It was odd.

Their love story was fast, lasting just about a week. Not too surprising since it happened in the old West and women were very scarce. There were multiple fights, feisty banter, a loving mother, and good friends. All things I love.

I did find Mariah’s almost complete change in temperament a bit hard to believe, but honestly, I enjoyed it. The image of a woman trapped in such a horrible situation; being able to stand up and conquer everything in her way is beautiful.

As soon as I finished this, I immediately downloaded the next in the series. I’m excited to plow through Beverly Jenkins catalog.

4/5

Girl Gone Viral (Modern Love #2)

Girl Gone Viral

Girl Gone Viral (Modern Love #2)

By: Alisha Rai

Blurb:

OMG! Wouldn’t it be adorable if he’s her soulmate???

I don’t see any wedding rings [eyes emoji]

Breaking: #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl went to the bathroom AT THE SAME TIME!!!

One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a hot guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire episode with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae is the new hashtag-du-jour. The problem? Katrina craves a low-profile life, and going viral threatens the peaceful world she’s painstakingly built. Besides, #CafeBae isn’t the man she’s hungry for…

He’s got a [peach emoji] to die for.

With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard, friend, and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina’s ever seen, comes to the rescue and whisks her away to his family’s home. Alone in a remote setting with the object of her affections? It’s a recipe for romance. But after a long dating dry spell, Katrina isn’t sure she can trust her instincts when it comes to love—even if Jas’ every look says he wants to be more than just her bodyguard…

Review:

I enjoyed most of this book, but the ending left me a bit disappointed. The plot was something new and made me think about the people behind viral moments and how it affects them. I found that part of the book very fascinating.

I also enjoyed the characters. Katrina had panic attacks and was scared a lot. While Jas had PTSD that he didn’t want to treat. They had both been in love with each other for a while but hadn’t talked about it. Lack of communication is a big romance trope. It usually mildly annoys me, but because of their issues, it made sense and was probably the healthier route for them.

There was a ton of buildup in the book. It wasn’t romantic suspense, but it had some aspects to it. Which is possibly why the ending disappointed me? All that buildup and the payoff was lacking. The couple never really had a big sit down and discussed their future; it was sort of rushed at the end and spread out a bit. Also, you didn’t get to see the “villains” get their due. I realize Katrina was a very positive forgiving person, but she actually paid her father’s blackmail. Yes, she got him on tape admitting to doing stuff, but come on! That was it?? She made a statement about the people who took advantage of her with the viral moment, but you didn’t see anything about them afterward either.

I was disappointed. Unlike with Get a Life, Chloe Brown I don’t feel like I’m missing out on revenge, though, maybe I am. I want the bad people to get told off. Something! Maybe it’s a me problem…

3.5/5

Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up

Humans A Brief History of How We Fucked It All Up

Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up

By: Tom Phillips

Blurb:

Modern humans have come a long way in the seventy thousand years they’ve walked the earth. Art, science, culture, trade—on the evolutionary food chain, we’re true winners. But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, and sometimes—just occasionally—we’ve managed to truly f*ck things up.

Weaving together history, science, politics and pop culture, Humans offers a panoramic exploration of humankind in all its glory, or lack thereof. From Lucy, our first ancestor, who fell out of a tree and died, to General Zhou Shou of China, who stored gunpowder in his palace before a lantern festival, to the Austrian army attacking itself one drunken night, to the most spectacular fails of the present day, Humans reveals how even the most mundane mistakes can shift the course of civilization as we know it. Lively, wry and brimming with brilliant insight, this unique compendium offers a fresh take on world history and is one of the most entertaining reads of the year.

Review:

A depressing subject matter that was made entertaining and not as dark as it could have been. While I didn’t learn much new, I did enjoy reading this book and look forward to reading more by the author. Maybe Phillips will write a book about the times we accidently didn’t fuck shit up?

4/5

The Oracle Code

The Oracle Code

The Oracle Code

By: Marieke Nijkamp

Ilustrated By: Manuel Preitano

Blurb:

After a gunshot leaves her paralyzed, Barbara Gordon enters the Arkham Center for Independence, where Gotham’s teens undergo physical and mental rehabilitation. Now using a wheelchair, Barbara must adapt to a new normal, but she cannot shake the feeling that something is dangerously amiss. Within these walls, strange sounds escape at night; patients go missing; and Barbara begins to put together pieces of what she believes to be a larger puzzle.

But is this suspicion simply a result of her trauma? Fellow patients try to connect with Barbara, but she pushes them away, and she’d rather spend time with ghost stories than participate in her daily exercises. Even Barbara’s own judgment is in question.

In The Oracle Code, universal truths cannot be escaped, and Barbara Gordon must battle the phantoms of her past before they swarm her future.

Review:

I’m a fan of the entire Bat family, but Barbra is one of my favorites. The story reminded me some of Gwenda Bond’s Lois Lane stories, in that Babs is strong and modern and all around badass.

Babs has just had her accident putting her in a wheelchair. In this version she isn’t Batgirl yet, or possibly ever, but also isn’t yet Oracle. She’s a hacker. Her strong desire to help those in need is there as well. Still, she’s dealing with the aftermath of her accident and trying to figure out if she’s still the same person.

I thought the super creepy bedtime stories paired with the equally creepy art was fun. Which is odd cause I am not a fan of horror at all.

What I loved most about the story was that the girls were able to take down the bad guys on their own. They weren’t defeated by their disability, they were just as capable as before.

4/5