Showing posts with label In Your Dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In Your Dreams. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

In Your Dreams by Ginger Scott

* * * 3/4



Casey Coffield has a growing list of personal flaws he keeps locked away in his head:
He’s never on time.
His list of IOUs to his best friend is endless.
Money is always short.
Goals are never in reach.

Oh, and he’s decided to add college drop-out to that list, too. He doesn’t really think that last one’s such a bad thing, but his family insists it is, so it stays on the list.

On paper, he’s a zero. But in person, when he’s mixing tracks for a sea of bodies at the hottest clubs and parties, he’s downright irresistible. Just-right stubble on his chin, body of a boxer and a smirk that stimulates all the right nerves—women have never been a problem. They flock to his swagger and fall for his charm…fast.

All except for this one.

Purple hair, gray eyes, a raspy voice and sass, Murphy Sullivan is a little bit country and a little bit rock-n-roll. And her and Casey? They have history. He can’t remember it, but she wrote a song about him—and it’s not exactly a love song. But it is good. Damn good. And uncovering her inspiration just might be the key to solving a few of his shortcomings—not to mention open doors to his own big break in the music industry.

But sometimes dreams get messy when they collide. Sometimes life changes patterns. A past paints the wrong picture and futures get cloudy. The only question that remains is who will you choose when the dust settles—you? Or the girl of your dreams?

** This book is a Falling Series spin-off. It can be read as a standalone. **


I’ve had a hard time writing this review because what can I say about Ginger Scott that I haven’t already said? I’ve read nine books by her including this latest one, and what I do know is that I return to her repeatedly because I admire her writing and I enjoy the stories she has to share. In Your Dreams, is an off-shoot of the Falling Series with characters that feel more grown-up than her previous ones in the series. It follows two individuals who approach their dreams from different directions. Casey, who wants to be a DJ, is told that his dream is fanciful and rubbish by his dad. Murphy, who’s on the quiet side, has her parents’ unconditional support to be who she is as she pursues her singing career. Alone, they’re a little lost. Together they’re unstoppable.

As Casey works hard at making his dream a reality, he's conflicted about the state of his relationship with his dad. I think anyone who’s ever butted heads with a parent about what an appropriate career choice is will absolutely understand where he’s coming from. This part got me. I’ve had toxic relationships with certain family members and I ultimately came to realize that I could only take care of my half. If the other person wasn’t going to meet me half way then I just had to walk away for the sake of my soul and sanity. I envied Murphy’s cozy little family unit. Her parents are awesome, her brother is a delight. Even though she prefers being under the radar, she shines so brightly. She’s comfortable enough about herself. It just takes Casey’s presence to give her a little nudge into the spotlight.

I think you all know that I’m recommending In Your Dreams. Ginger Scott doesn’t write half-heartedly. You'll always find emotion and depth. In Your Dreams offers inspiration for those of us who need that extra push. Persevere. Find your people who get you and your dreams. Hold them closest to you and shine away! 

~ Bel




Sunday, April 3, 2016

A Peek In The BiblioBin #194


Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely folks at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, dusted off from the bookshelf, etc.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (183)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating


Britt-Marie Was HereBy Fredrik Backman
Publication Date: May 3, 2016

From the bestselling author of the “charming debut” (People) A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, a heartwarming and hilarious story of a reluctant outsider who transforms a tiny village and a woman who finds love and second chances in the unlikeliest of places.

Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. She eats dinner at precisely the right time and starts her day at six in the morning because only lunatics wake up later than that. And she is not passive-aggressive. Not in the least. It's just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention.

But at sixty-three, Britt-Marie has had enough. She finally walks out on her loveless forty-year marriage and finds a job in the only place she can: Borg, a small, derelict town devastated by the financial crisis. For the fastidious Britt-Marie, this new world of noisy children, muddy floors, and a roommate who is a rat (literally), is a hard adjustment.

As for the citizens of Borg, with everything that they know crumbling around them, the only thing that they have left to hold onto is something Britt-Marie absolutely loathes: their love of soccer. When the village’s youth team becomes desperate for a coach, they set their sights on her. She’s the least likely candidate, but their need is obvious and there is no one else to do it.

Thus begins a beautiful and unlikely partnership. In her new role as reluctant mentor to these lost young boys and girls, Britt-Marie soon finds herself becoming increasingly vital to the community. And even more surprisingly, she is the object of romantic desire for a friendly and handsome local policeman named Sven. In this world of oddballs and misfits, can Britt-Marie finally find a place where she belongs?

Zany and full-of-heart, Britt-Marie Was Here is a novel about love and second chances, and about the unexpected friendships we make that teach us who we really are and the things we are capable of doing.
 


In Your Dreams (Falling, #4)By Ginger Scott
Publication Date: March 29, 2016

Casey Coffield has a growing list of personal flaws he keeps locked away in his head: 
He’s never on time. 
His list of IOUs to his best friend is endless. 
Money is always short. 
Goals are never in reach. 

Oh, and he’s decided to add college drop-out to that list, too. He doesn’t really think that last one’s such a bad thing, but his family insists it is, so it stays on the list. 

On paper, he’s a zero. But in person, when he’s mixing tracks for a sea of bodies at the hottest clubs and parties, he’s downright irresistible. Just-right stubble on his chin, body of a boxer and a smirk that stimulates all the right nerves—women have never been a problem. They flock to his swagger and fall for his charm…fast. 

All except for this one. 

Purple hair, gray eyes, a raspy voice and sass, Murphy Sullivan is a little bit country and a little bit rock-n-roll. And her and Casey? They have history. He can’t remember it, but she wrote a song about him—and it’s not exactly a love song. But it is good. Damn good. And uncovering her inspiration just might be the key to solving a few of his shortcomings—not to mention open doors to his own big break in the music industry.

But sometimes dreams get messy when they collide. Sometimes life changes patterns. A past paints the wrong picture and futures get cloudy. The only question that remains is who will you choose when the dust settles—you? Or the girl of your dreams? 



Knit Tight (Portland Heat, #4)By Annabeth Albert
Publication Date: April 12, 2016

It’s no secret that Portland, Oregon, has some of best restaurants, shops, and cafés in the country. But it’s the hard-working men who serve it all up that keep us coming back for more...

One of Portland’s hottest young baristas, Brady is famous for his java-topping flair, turning a regular cup of joe into a work of art. Every Wednesday—aka “Knit Night”—hordes of women and their needles descend on the coffeehouse, and Brady’s feeling the heat. Into the fray walks a tall, dark, and distractingly handsome stranger from New York. His name is Evren, and he’s the sexy nephew of Brady’s sweetest customer, the owner of the yarn shop down the street. He’s also got a killer smile, confident air, and masculine charm that’s tying Brady’s stomach in knots. The smitten barista can’t wait to see him at the next week’s gathering. But when he tries to ask Evren out, his plans unravel faster than an unfinished edge. If Brady hopes to warm up more than Evren’s coffee, he’ll have to find a way to untangle their feelings, get out of the friend zone, and form a close-knit bond that’s bound to last a lifetime…


Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Nat's Top Ten of 2014




It's that time of year again.  Time to share our favorites of 2014.  As always, it was a difficult decision.  But I forced myself to choose and I'm pretty happy with this list.  What were your favorite reads this year?  Share in the comments below!




Here Without You (Between the Lines, #4)

Here Without You by Tammara Webber 

An excellent ending to the Between the Lines series.  I've always loved how Webber made me fall in love with the one character I hated most.  In this final installment, Reid gets the opportunity to improve relationships with all the important people in his life - his dad, mom, Dori.  AND he has the opportunity to meet his very young son.







The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After

The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After by Julia Quinn

I had already read most of the 2nd Epilogues in this book.  And I won't lie.  Re-reading them was an absolute joy.  But the reason this book made it to my Top Ten is due to the included novella, Violet in Bloom.  I've always wanted to read Violet Bridgerton's (everyone's favorite matriarch) story and boy did Julia Quinn deliver. I cried and I laughed and it was so, so beautiful and heartbreaking and, and, and...So, yeah.  If you are a fan of the Bridgertons and you haven't read this one, you must.  You simply must.




The Bells of Times Square

The Bells of Time Square by Amy Lane

Oh, Amy.  I never think it's possibly for your books to get any more amazing. And then you throw this at me.  An exquisite story about the forbidden love between two American soldiers during the height of WWII.  You know from page one that there is no happily ever after for Nate and Walter.  But just as in the case of the Violet Bridgerton novella, the absence of a happily ever after doesn't take away from the beauty and wonder and hope of Nate and Walter's love story.




Oxford Messed Up

Oxford Messed Up by Andrea Kayne Kaufman

What a lovely surprise.  This one had been sitting on my TBR shelf for almost three years.  I don't know what made me pick it up but boy am I glad I did.  A captivating story about a young woman with extreme OCD and her new loo-mate that triggers her anxiety in every possible way.  They fall for each other over a mutual love of Van Morrison.  I loved that this book took the heroine's  mental illness so seriously and did not condescendingly try to make the reader believe that falling in love was a cure for her daily struggles.  Also, I learned to absolutely adore Van Morrison thanks to this author.  Thank you, Ms. Kaufman!


Take Me On (Pushing the Limits, #4)

Take Me On by Katie McGarry

I've loved every single Katie McGarry book to date.  But I never thought I would love one more than Pushing the Limits.  I was wrong.  This was amazing.  A young, female, non-paranormal MC that is both emotionally AND physically strong.  An entitled young man that has had enough of his dysfunctional home life and makes the decision to live without the privileges he is used to.  McGarry doesn't pull any punches when portraying the lives of people that struggle daily to have the very basic of needs met.




Unstoppable (Country Roads #3)

Unstoppable by Shannon Richard

This book was absolutely precious.  The heroine, Melanie, is the kind of girl I always admire.  The one that is both driven but also very domestic.  And the love of her life was stinkin' adorable. Shannon Richard managed to take the cluelessness of a Jill Shalvis' alpha male and the steady traits of my favorite forever boys and create an extremely likable and amusing hero. This one got an immedidate re-read and will definitely be one I go back to when I'm looking for a satisfying comfort read.




#scandal

#scandal by Sarah Ockler

This is a wonderful satirical look at high school and the pitfalls of social media.  #scandal was often funny and sometimes uncomfortable.  It was also fast-paced.  I found myself being anxious to see what happens next.  I would recommend this book to pretty much any reader of any age.







In Your Dreams (Blue Heron #4)

In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins

This was the first Kristan Higgins book I ever read.  And because of it, I quickly devoured the others in the Blue Heron series.  This one remains my favorite in the series.  Emmaline might be my favorite heroine of the year. Plenty of self-deprecating and physical humor in this one.  It was a great mix and had me laughing non-stop while still keeping me on edge with the romance.





What I Thought Was True

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Huntley Fitzpatrick has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary YA authors.  This is a realistic and thoughtful novel about how we can survive and move on from our mistakes and how those mistakes don't have to be the only thing that define us.







The Moment of Everything

The Moment of Everything by Shelly King

Yep.  I saved the best for last.  This was my absolute favorite book of the year.  A story about an unemployed woman discovering herself while forming relationships with the people that all share a love of the same used bookstore.  I could go on and on about how perfect this book is.  But, instead, I will just point you to my review of what I consider to be THE BEST book of the year.

Nat's Review of The Best Book of the Year

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins

In Your Dreams (Blue Heron #4)* * * * 1/2

Emmaline Neal needs a date. Just a date—someone to help her get through her ex-fiancé's wedding without losing her mind. But pickings are slim in Manningsport, New York, population 715. In fact, there's really only one option: local heartthrob Jack Holland. Everyone loves Jack, and he won't get the wrong idea…. After all, Jack Holland would never actually be interested in a woman like Em. Especially not with his beautiful ex-wife creeping around, angling to reunite ever since he rescued a group of teens and became a local hero. 

But when the wedding festivities take an unexpectedly passionate turn, Em figures it was just one crazy night. Jack is too gorgeous, too popular, to ever end up with her. So why is she the one he can talk to about his deep, dark feelings? If Em is going to get her dream man, she'll have to start by believing in him…










Review:

Warning!!!  If you don’t want to hear gushing over one of the best romances of the year you should probably not read on….

There are few heroines as awesome as Emmeline Neal.  Seriously.  I’m still trying to figure out how we can invite a fictional character to Shel’s BFF island.  It’s totally possible that Shel and Bel would replace me with Emmaline but I wouldn’t even be mad.  She is that cool.  She carries a gun and a stun gun.  She is proving to be an amazing cop and negotiator.  She has the cutest puppy in all the land.  She loves her sister.  She even loves and puts up with her insanely annoying parents.  She is confident in herself as a person.  She can dish it with the best of them.  Yep, Emmaline Neal is perfection.  I fully admit to falling in love with her just as much as I fell in love with Jack.

Jack.  Jack Holland.  Winemaker and local hero.  My favorite kind of guy.  The nice guy.  The honest guy.  The guy so genuine and humorous that everyone loves him.  In other words, a forever boy.   But I never thought I would ever say this about a forever boy…Jack is TOO nice.  It might be his biggest flaw.  The one flaw that might just cost him the chance of an amazing relationship with Emmeline Neal.

Put these two together and you have a highly likeable and entertaining couple.  But they aren’t without their problems.  Although he won’t admit it, Jack is suffering from PTSD after rescuing a car full of kids from a freezing lake.   He’s just going through the motions while battling flashbacks and panic attacks. And if that isn’t stressful enough, his crazy ex-wife is in town angling for reconciliation.  And Emmaline?  Well she is trying to come to terms with the fact that the ex that she was with for over 15 years is truly moving on and she hasn’t moved on at all.  But her ex can’t know that.  Which is why Emmaline gladly (or grudgingly) takes the very sexy and nice Jack Holland with her to the wedding.  Can’t have anyone thinking she’s still hurt and pining after being tossed aside for that evil personal trainer.   

Jack is more than happy to go away with Emmaline for the weekend.  He’s been the “fake” date before and doesn’t mind the job.  And the idea of getting away from his ex-wife sounds fabulous.   Add in the fact that the wedding is in California and Win/Win!  Jack and Emmaline might know each other but they aren’t friends so their growing friendship over the weekend is a lovely surprise to both of them.  But the thing neither of them planned was to add sex into the equation.  Add that awkwardness to their crazy lives back home and both are at a loss.  Fortunately they have a whole nosy town that is more than happy to help them figure it out.

I have to say that the minor characters provided just as much entertainment as Jack and Emmaline.  There are Jack’s three wildly inappropriate sisters (there really should be a series of short stories about Pru’s post-menopausal sex life) who are nosy and hilarious.  And thank goodness for them and the rest of Jack’s family.  Someone had to knock some sense into that guy at a few points in this book.  Police Chief Levi  (Jack’s brother in law and Emmaline’s boss), who isn’t fooled at all by Jack’s silence on the PTSD and who also puts up with Emmaline’s wonderfully snarky conversations.  There are also the members of the Bitter Betrayed Book Club that not only provide Emmaline with friendship but also set her up for one of the most embarrassing moments in wedding party history.  Ok, maybe I didn’t love every character.  I certainly didn’t love Jack’s ex-wife.  That girl was bat shit crazy.  But the rest of the people in Manningsport are amazing.  Even if they are all up in everyone else’s business.

The only complaint I had with this book is that I felt the resolution of Jack’s feelings and his subsequent actions were a bit rushed.  Granted this book is already 480 pages so maybe it needed to end soon. I just felt I wanted to know a little bit more what Jack was thinking at the end.  That being said, this is still one of the best romances I read this year.  Anything that makes me laugh out loud, pour multiple glasses of wine and crave Skittles is a winner in my book.


Nat

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday (118)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.


In Your Dreams (Blue Heron #4)
Title: In Your Dreams
Author: Kristan Higgins
Publication Date:  September 30, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin

Emmaline Neal needs a date. Just a date—someone to help her get through her ex-fiancé's wedding without losing her mind. But pickings are slim in Manningsport, New York, population 715. In fact, there's really only one option: local heartthrob Jack Holland. Everyone loves Jack, and he won't get the wrong idea…. After all, Jack Holland would never actually be interested in a woman like Em. Especially not with his beautiful ex-wife creeping around, angling to reunite ever since he rescued a group of teens and became a local hero. 

But when the wedding festivities take an unexpectedly passionate turn, Em figures it was just one crazy night. Jack is too gorgeous, too popular, to ever end up with her. So why is she the one he can talk to about his deep, dark feelings? If Em is going to get her dream man, she'll have to start by believing in him…









He's So Fine (Lucky Harbor, #11)


Title: He's So Fine
Author: Jill Shalvis
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

For Olivia Bentley, Lucky Harbor is more than the town where she runs her new vintage shop. It's the place where folks are friendly to strangers-and nobody knows her real name. Olivia does a good job of keeping her past buried, not getting too cozy with anyone . . . until she sees a man drowning. Suddenly she's rushing into the surf, getting up close and personal with the hottest guy she's ever laid hands on.

Charter boat captain Cole Donovan has no problem with a gorgeous woman throwing her arms around his neck in an effort to "save" him. In fact, he'd like to spend a lot more time skin-to-skin with Olivia. He's just not expecting that real trouble is about to come her way. Will it bring her deeper into Cole's heart, or will it be the end of Olivia's days in little Lucky Harbor?

Monday, July 28, 2014

A Peek In The BiblioBin #109



Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.