Review: Play of Light by Debra Doxer

I lived in paradise, and I loved Spencer Pierce.

At fourteen, my life was perfect. The beach was my playground, and the boy who stole my heart lived just around the corner. But perfect never lasts. In one horrifying moment, I lost it all. My family was destroyed, and the boy I believed in turned his back on me. Paradise became a nightmare.

That was five years ago. Everything changed when we moved from our home by the sea. I’ve changed, and I don’t like who I’ve become. I miss the smiling, carefree beach girl who disappeared that terrible night. I want to find her again. I want to face the people we ran from so long ago. Most of all, I have to face Spencer. So I can prove that when he broke my heart, he didn’t break me.

But when I see him again, Spencer Pierce is no longer the boy from my memories. He’s now a man who could devastate me if I let him. He watches me when he thinks I’m not looking. There’s regret written on his face when he’s near. Each time I see him, my heart aches for what might have been, and I think his does too. How can I convince myself I’m over him when I suspect he never got over me?

First of all, this cover is amazing. It's actually one of my favorite covers of the year! Everything about it just made me want to read this book. Yeah, yeah ... don't judge a book by its cover. But everyone does and we just don't talk about it. Well, we don't talk about it unless you're in one of those underground book clubs that meet in secret and sit around and drink rather than discuss books all the while judging adults who read young adult novels and only picking up books that are on the Oprah Book List. 

With derailment #1 out of the way, let's get this review started. I've never read anything by this author before but I would be open to another one in the future. This is a really nice coming of age novel and I enjoyed pretty much everything about it. Not all authors can successfully jump between past and present in a novel and keep the reader interested but Doxer did an amazing job of just that! Play of Light switches from past to present seamlessly and the novel couldn't have been written any other way.

The story as a whole was completely heartbreaking. The beginning of the novel just rips your heart out and then it continues to happen over and over throughout the entire thing - think Nicholas Sparks. Yeah. It was that sad. I just wanted the characters to catch a break. At any time. Any kind of break but they were dealt hardship after hardship. You would think that kind of novel would be horrible to read. And it was at times. There were some times that I just didn't think I could read any more because it was just too much. Too emotional, too sad ... just too much. The ironic thing was while I wanted to take a break from this novel because it was so charged that is what really pushed me to finish reading at the same time. I just had to know how this whole thing ended. I wanted to know if everything would be okay. I NEEDED everything to be okay. 

All in all, a pretty good novel and I'm looking forward to what the author has in store for future novels. 

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Review: Full Throttle (Black Knights Inc. #7) by Julie Ann Walker

She Needs a Hero...

Abby Thompson didn’t sign up to be the daughter of the President of the United States. The position was forced on her by the small matter of her birth. Preferring a quiet life of study, she’s content to leave the politics and the international intrigue to her father. Unfortunately, the most powerful man on the planet is sure to make enemies. When a group of armed thugs takes her hostage half a world away, demanding the U.S. government release prisoners in exchange for her safe return, she fears her father’s policy of “not negotiating with terrorists” means she’ll never see the shores of the Potomac again. Luckily, there’s one glimmer of hope. His name is Carlos Soto. And though she abruptly ended things with him years ago, she knows now he’s the only man who can save her…

 

 

Black Knights, Inc. to the Rescue...

Carlos “Steady” Soto has taken part in his fair share of dangerous missions working at the covert government defense firm of Black Knights Inc. But nothing prepared him for the emotional rollercoaster he faces when he’s tasked with rescuing the only woman he ever loved—who also broke his heart. Racing against time and outmaneuvering a group of trained terrorists will take everything he’s got. Plus there’s the heat simmering between them which is threatening to ignite into an inferno. While ruthless enemies stalk them, they must learn to trust each other again. Even if they do make it out alive, will Abby turn her back on him… for the second time?

 

 

 

Oh, where to start. I blew through this book. And not for any good reason. I just had to finish it so that it would be done. That's a little general and with so many people loving this book, I do owe a big explanation. I mean, I'm definitely in the minority here. So maybe I'm just being super sensitive or picky because I just read something that was not my favorite ... I don't know. But here it is. 

Let me start off from when I found this book. I haven't read anything by this author and I was looking forward to finding a new Romantic Suspense series to get hooked on. The premise of Full Throttle was really interesting and I loved the idea of the daughter of the POTUS falling for one of her "protectors" and all of that. But then I started reading.

Man. From the very beginning, I just got this undercurrent of immaturity just flowing VERY freely. Most of the comments coming from the characters and their inner thoughts sounded juvenile and ridiculous. There were all of these weird terms for shit and I just don't have time to check out the Urban Dictionary every five seconds to look up this awkward phrase when I should be enjoying a novel. Now, before you start in on me, yes. I realize that this is a New Adult novel. I get that. I've read dozens of New Adult novels and none of them have felt quite as patronizing toward that age as this one has. Come on. No self respecting twenty-year-old is going to talk like this and it just felt forced and completely insincere. 

There were also tons of weird substitutions for saying crap or shit. It's just unnecessary. Well, it wouldn't be unnecessary if this was one of those books that didn't curse. I don't have a problem with books like that. More power to you, saint authors! But not cussing and thinking up weird shitty words and phrases is kind of negated when you are talking about a dude's junk in every other paragraph.

And that's another thing. I'm beginning to wonder if this was actually written by a horny 15 year-old. Now that's saying a lot!! I read tons of Historical Romance novels, now THOSE are filled with smut. Old smut, mind you, but smut none the less. And I love them. I love those trashy romance novels but the thing is, you know what they are when you pick them up. You know it's going to be a trashy romance novel and that isn't how it was with this one. I thought I was picking up a suspense novel and instead, I picked up a novel about a chick who when she gets into danger isn't thinking about survival, she's thinking about getting laid and the "rescuer" is thinking about his raging hard-on that he's had for years. Every two pages, there was a reference to this dude's penis. I'm okay with dick talk. It doesn't bother me but what does bother me is when it feels like that kind of thing is derailing the story. When you're reading a book, you can kind of feel where the novel is going to go next ... there's just this natural flow of things and man ... this book was like watching salmon try and get up that river only to be stopped by some dude swatting at them like baseballs with his junk. 

Anyway ... not a fan. I probably won't try another one from this author. I've learned my lesson.

 

Like I said, I am in the minority with these views and the book comes out soon, so you should at least check it out. But keep in mind that I fully reserve the right to say "I told you so" if the need arises.

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Review: Louder Than Love by Jessica Topper

In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband...and discovers a love that defies classification.

It's been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth...the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian "Digger" Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids' TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it's unclear whose past looms larger: the widow's or the rocker's. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?

This is really the part of reviewing novels that I dread. I don't like saying that a book just isn't good for me. And I REALLY don't like saying that I just couldn't finish a book. It doesn't happen very often with me but it does happen. I could go on and on about how guilty I feel because this is what someone worked on for a long time. Novels don't happen overnight. They take tons of work and I'm sure worry over what is or isn't what the author is looking for. All of that is understood and while it doesn't change my views, I needed to say it just for me. So that whoever reads this understands that I really do this review with a heavy heart.

That being said, not every novel is made for every reader. And this one just didn't tickle my fancy. Right from the beginning, I could just feel a disconnect. I didn't really understand why the book was so slow to me or why it felt like I was riding shotgun with a student driver. It would just start getting good and then BOOM! Someone stomped on the brakes. Damnit. Those first 70 or so pages were just terrible for me. I really struggled to stay interested and to be perfectly honest, I started reading this one around the first of October and I had to put it down a few days later after only having read about 100 pages. Then I picked it back up after a couple of days and tried again. Same thing. I got about 20 pages and had to put it down. I finally progressed to about halfway through the book and that was it. What little interest I had left in the book was completely gone and I felt really guilty for giving up.

Like I said, I don't like having to just DNF a book. Reviewers really owe it to the author to put everything they can into a novel so that they can give their honest opinion. Well, honestly, I just can't go on. I would be lying if I said I would try picking this up again later because I probably won't. The writing isn't bad, per-say. It was just completely uninteresting. I didn't enjoy the flashbacks or the rapport between all (what seemed like) 700 of the main characters friends and their babies. I didn't really like any of the interactions between any of the characters because I just couldn't connect with them for some reason. For a split second, I really enjoyed what was going on when Adrian (the rocker dude) came into play in the novel but then that too, fizzled off. 

All in all, this was definitely not the book for me. 

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Review: Duke of Midnight (Maiden Lane #6) by Elizabeth Hoyt

WHEN A MASKED MAN . . .

Twenty years ago Maximus Batten witnessed the brutal murders of his parents. Now the autocratic Duke of Wakefield, he spends his days ruling Parliament. But by night, disguised as the Ghost of St. Giles, he prowls the grim alleys of St. Giles, ever on the hunt for the murderer. One night he finds a fiery woman who meets him toe-to-toe—and won't back down . . .

MEETS HIS MATCH . . .

Artemis Greaves toils as a lady's companion, but hiding beneath the plain brown serge of her dress is the heart of a huntress. When the Ghost of St. Giles rescues her from footpads, she recognizes a kindred spirit-and is intrigued. She's even more intrigued when she realizes who exactly the notorious Ghost is by day . . .

DESIRE IGNITES A DANGEROUS PASSION

Artemis makes a bold move: she demands that Maximus use his influence to free her imprisoned brother-or she will expose him as the Ghost. But blackmailing a powerful duke isn't without risks. Now that she has the tiger by the tail, can she withstand his ire-or the temptation of his embrace?

I was lucky enough to receive this book from Goodreads. I sure do love a good historical romance novel!! This is my first Elizabeth Hoyt novel but I've had my eye on a few of her works previously so I was pretty excited when this one arrived in the mail.

First impressions? Dude. There are similar names that REALLY threw me off at first. The only similarity was the first letter but it made it a bit confusing at first ... like Phoebe and Penelope, Artemis and Apollo, Blackbourne and Brightmore, just to name a few. Come on, I know that there are only 26 letters in the alphabet and that there are tons of first initials that are the same but when you're first diving into a book, you don't expect for there to be soo many that are similar right from the get-go. Well, at least I didn't. I think that it just added some unnecessary confusion at first until you get through the first few chapters and kind of have a handle on what is going on. 

Anyhow ... the novel is really well written. It held my attention and kept me interested throughout the whole thing. I didn't find any parts that were long winded or boring, I didn't have to skim anything and all in all, it was a good book. The characters were intriguing and I really enjoyed reading about Maximus and the journey that he has taken in his life. I do wish that there was a little more back story to the heroine, Artemis, of the story but that very well could have been in some of the previous novels of the series. That being said, I didn't feel the need to go back and read the previous 5 just to know what was going on in this one, it could definitely be a stand alone novel.

All in all, a good book. I'd be interested to see what some of the other Hoyt novels are like because I really enjoyed the mystery and intrigue in this one.

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Review: Hour of Need (Scarlet Falls #1) by Melinda Leigh

While fighting in Afghanistan, Major Grant Barrett receives devastating news: his brother and sister-in-law have been murdered in Scarlet Falls, the sleepy suburb of Grant’s youth. Emotionally scarred from war, the career soldier returns home on emergency leave to temporarily care for his orphaned nephew and niece. But when someone tries to kidnap the kids and their teenage babysitter, Grant knows it’s not a random act…and neither were the murders.

Already devastated by her neighbors’ violent deaths, Ellie Ross is shattered by the attempted abduction of her teenage daughter so she desperately turns to Grant for help. As they navigate a deadly search for the truth, they struggle with growing feelings for each other and Grant’s impending return to deployment.

But time is running out. The killer is growing bolder by the hour, and Ellie and Grant must find him before the children become his next victims.

This is the first book that I've read by Melinda Leigh but it most certainly won't be the last. If the rest of her novels are anything like this one, she is definitely one of my top ten favorites!! I just absolutely adored just about everything having to do with this novel. There is one exception but I'll cover that after the good stuff.

I really love the romantic suspense genre. To me, it has the best of both worlds! Other than that, I don't really have any reason to love it. I just do. Anyhow, I have super high expectations because of the sheer number of romantic suspense novels that I've read but this one is right up there with the best of them. Let's see ... first thing ... the beginning of this novel is going to rip your heart out and then stomp on it and just to had insult to injury, a bird flies by and craps on you. It was pretty shocking to have this kind of scenario happen in a book and then for it to be right in the beginning, I just knew that this author was made for me. 

My emotions were pretty much all over the place with this one. I was devastatingly sad and then mad and then scared and happy and everything in between. The author has really fine tuned her craft - to be able to elicit such STRONG emotions from a reader is, I would think, the main reason behind writing. And man. Melinda Leigh is good. She's REALLY good. 

Another awesome thing is that not only do you become extremely attached to the characters, but they are believable and you can't get enough of any of them. You know, some authors just can't get the voice of a child or teenager down onto a page ... they end up making the character sound ridiculous and unbelievable but Leigh was just completely spot on. She could go from the child talking to the Major to the teenage girl and the villain and you could really distinguish between each character's voice. It was refreshing. Love!!

Now ... there's that one exception to my love that I spoke about earlier. It's really  not that big of a deal but it is bothering me and so I have to bring it up. The cover. It's great. Until you look at the person running. For some reason, I can't look at the person's hair without seeing Chewbacca's face!!! It just really bothers me. Totally inconsequential but there it is. I hope that you don't see the same thing now that I brought it up. Well, that's not true. I don't want to be the only one.

Now Hour of Need doesn't come out until December 9th. Defintely put it on your list to read. You'll blow through it, I promise!!

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Review: Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

“There’s something hidden in the maze.”

Seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford has never forgotten the last words her father said to her, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.

For seven years, images of her parents’ death have haunted Imogen’s dreams. In an effort to escape the past, she leaves Rockford Manor and moves to New York City with her new guardians. But some attachments prove impossible to shake—including her love for her handsome neighbor Sebastian Stanhope.

Then a life-altering letter arrives that forces Imogen to return to the manor in England, where she quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind Rockford’s aristocratic exterior. At their center is Imogen herself—and Sebastian, the boy she never stopped loving.

Combining spine-tingling mystery, romance, and unforgettable characters, Suspicion is an action-packed thrill ride.

I was super excited to receive this book from the publisher a couple of months ago. Instead of picking it up right when I received it, I had to set it aside. Usually, I try to stay away from reviews of books I'm getting read to read because I don't want it to influence my own thoughts and feelings on it. But this time, one of my friends on Goodreads basically said it was a waste of time. That really made me take a step back and wonder about reading Suspicion at all. But a couple of days ago, I decided to give it a shot. And I'm glad that I did!!

Hopefully by this time, you've read the blurb for the book and you kind of know the premise of the whole thing. This girl (the main character, Imogen), looses her parents in a horrible fire and she moves to NYC then something happens and she's propelled to go back to England when she's older. There are tons of twists, turns and surprises along the way that really keep you on your toes. The characters are endearing and the plot is pretty good. 

And this brings me back to what others are saying ... I just don't get it. I had prepared myself for a disaster and that just isn't what I came away feeling like I had endured. I really enjoyed this novel. Far more than I had expected and I found myself sad that it was coming to an end. I was hoping that it would be open-ended so that the story could continue in a following novel but unfortunately, everything was buttoned up pretty securely. 

This is not a fast moving story, it's slow on the build up but I wouldn't want to have read it any other way. I think that it takes time with some stories to build up the suspense in a way that coincides with the characters and that is what Monir did with this one. I was just pretty impressed. I actually would have given this one 5 stars if I hadn't kind of picked out what was going to happen about 3/4 of the way through and even then there was a major twist in the end that really surprised me. All in all, a great novel, one I will read again and I'm excited to see what else this author has up her sleeve with upcoming novels!

This one isn't out until December, so keep an eye out!

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Review: Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her.

While police suspect Jeff of "instant divorce," Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won't even tell her his name. She's determined to escape him, and willing to take any risks necessary to survive.

Unexpectedly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can't turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law.

As her husband's deception is revealed, and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer.

Hands down, THE best Sandra Brown book, ever. Yeah, yeah ... I know that I said that last time but this time, I am totally serious. It's better. It's beyond better. To be honest, I was a little surprised with how much I loved this one because I'm a gigantic Sandra Brown fan and just when I think that her writing can't get any better, she shows me how little I know. 

First starting Mean Streak, my expectations were super high. But then again, how could they not be with my views on her other books. But then she throws this curve-ball ... oh, yeah. She withheld one of the main character's names for close to 300 pages!!! Dude. I just wanted to start flipping through the pages trying to find out this dude's name. It was pure torture. But that really made the suspense spike to all new levels for me. With each passing page, I was flabbergasted that Brown kept doing it, just not telling me what his damn name was. I just had to know. Gosh, I could go on and on about this but I don't want to give away any surprises. Well, any more than I've already given. 

As always, the characters were a mixture of endearing, hideous, repugnant, strong and about a million other adjectives. I never have any problem connecting to her characters, they are always so realistic and tangible that you can't help but find common ground with most of them. 

The rest of the book was just ... amazing. Fabulous. Supercalafragilistic-awesome. That's what it was. There was just one shocking detail after another in Mean Streak. Just when I thought I had something figured out, Brown would through this huge Godzilla sized monkey wrench into the whole thing and throw me totally off. And I'm not talking small little plot twists, I'm talking about hurricane type plot twists that just spin you around and drop you on your ass. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you can't go wrong with this one. I'll be re-reading this one more than once. And probably soon. I just adored it!! 

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Review: Wait for You (Wait for You #1) by J. Lynn, Jennifer L. Armentrout

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

First of all, I just adore J. Lynn (Jennifer Armentrout). The first book I read from her was Obsidian and I just fell in love with her style of writing. She has a way of making characters and stories seem so real that you feel like you're right there with them. Not very many authors I've read have been able to convey that type of realness. 

I won't lie, after picking up Wait for You, I had some pretty high expectations set in my mind. And that was purely based on previous works of this author. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed. At all. I was hooked on this book from the very first page and it stayed that way until the very last period. I think the word I'm looking for is entranced. I was completely and fully entranced in everything about this novel ... the characters, the settings, the villains ... everything. 

At first, I was really afraid that the main character, Avery, was going to come across as a bore. She's been through this traumatic experience in her past, she's trying to get away from anything and everything that could remind her of that time in her life and she's basically become a hermit/wallflower. But thank goodness, that isn't where the author went with this. Armentrout twisted Avery's shortcomings and turned them into endearing traits that her two new friends can connect with. 

Now on to Cameron ... my gosh ... Avery didn't stand a chance when Cam came into the picture. And what a GREAT potential love interest this guy was. I found myself smiling and loving each and every interaction that these two had. The relationship that these two characters formed was absolutely enchanting. It was easy to get swept up in the excitement of their relationship and find yourself getting antsy for more. 

I just really can't say enough about this book. I could go on and on but I am absolutely horrible about letting important spoilers/details slip when I get started, so I'm going to cut this review short. It was amazing. I will definitely read this one again. 

Oooh, wait ... I forgot to talk about why I loved this book but it wasn't a 5 star book for me. The last 20-30 pages just became a little ... not boring ... but the whole story just slowed down so unexpectedly for me that I really didn't know what to do. It was a little like when the crashtest dummies go on a bad ride ... I just hit this wall. Don't mistake what I'm saying ... this is still an amazing book and the ending really goes well with the story but it wasn't the IT ending that I was hoping for. I was hoping that from beginning to end that the excitement would stay as high as it was when I first cracked this one open and it just didn't. I have no idea how it could have ended any differently so that this wouldn't happen but that's okay. I think a book that is too perfect can make you go back and wonder if you had missed something. A few flaws are good. Even roses have thorns. Anyhow ... go pick this one up if you like romance or new adult or just a really good story. You won't be disappointed. Well, you will be a bit disappointed when the last page has been read and the Wait for You adventure for Avery and Came is over. 

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Review: Wicked Ways (Wicked #4) by Lisa Jackson, Nancy Bush

The Greatest Terrors

Elizabeth Gaines Ellis is an ordinary suburban wife and mother. That's what she tells herself as she flits between her realtor job, yoga class, and caring for her daughter, Chloe. But for months now, Elizabeth has worried that she's far from normal…that she's somehow the cause of a series of brutal, horrible deaths.

Are The Ones

Her mean-spirited boss. A bullying traffic cop. Her cheating husband. Elizabeth had reason to be angry with them all. She didn't mean for them to die. No one will take her fears seriously--except the private investigator prying into her past. . .

Too Close To See

The more scared and angry Elizabeth becomes, the higher the death toll grows. But those who wrong her aren't the only ones in danger. Because others have secrets too, and a relentless urge to kill without mercy or remorse…

I'm going to just jump right in here. No reason to draw things out. I have read a couple of other books by Lisa Jackson and I enjoyed them. I gave them 4 stars, I really enjoyed them and I just assumed that since I had enjoyed the others that I would enjoy this one. Well, you know what they say about assuming things. I guess that makes me a donkey. A great big one, too. 

I was so excited to pick Wicked Ways up that when I started reading it, it was almost as if I was being slapped in the face. Repeatedly. The writing in this book is NOTHING like any of the other Lisa Jackson books. Nothing. Do not get this book assuming that you will get the same type of magic as you did from previous Jackson novels because you will be totally pissed off when you find out that it's just not the same. On the other hand, this is just my opinion and it wouldn't be the first time I didn't like a book that later became wildly popular, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. 

Anyway ... where to start ... 75% of this novel is about the main character being talked into doing something with her friends and then bitching and complaining in her mind about how she doesn't want to be there. Elizabeth is so passive that it's completely annoying. I always felt like Jackson wrote a really good main character but Elizabeth was so boring and wimpy that it really brought the story down and not in a good or calculated way. She's that annoying girl that can never make up her mind or make a decision on her own. She's basically the worst kind of friend - after you spend an hour talking her into hanging out with you, she will act like a stick in the mud and completely ruin whatever time you have together until she can concoct an excuse to get away from you like you have some flesh-eating disease. Elizabeth felt shallow, not shallow like egotistical but she had no depth. After reading almost 500 pages, I felt like I didn't really know her at all. I had absolutely no connection and to be honest, I really could have cared less what happened to her. 

There are also WAY too many secondary characters, in my opinion. I had a hard time keeping up with all of her girlfriends and their husbands and kids and what support groups they were involved with at the time. It was just too much. Especially when the story dragged on like it did and with that combo, I was just beyond caring about any of it. 

Like I said, it was just boring. Not just boring but BORING boring. The kind of boring where I wanted to put down the book and just not finish it at all. It took me so long (more than a week) to push through this novel that it is ridiculous. I'm glad that I finished it though because the last 10-15% was actually interesting. But only enough to bump up my rating from 1 to 2 stars. And even then, I felt like I was being overly generous. Unfortunately, I think this may have really soured my view on Lisa Jackson completely. I don't know if I will pick up another one of her books after this.

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