Sunday, June 25, 2023

Sunday Skim




Week of 6/11/2023 and 6/18/2023:

Finished:







Currently Reading:




Looking Forward To:




It was a solid couple of weeks for some great books. If you love Southern Crime Fiction, you will not want to miss S.A. Cosby's newest release All the Sinners Bleed and listen to it on audio because the narrator is spectacular. Yours Truly is Abby Jimenez' best novel to date and that says a lot because all her books are wonderful. 

Sunday, June 11, 2023

Sunday Skim



Week of 6/4/2023:

Finished:






Currently Reading:





Looking Forward To:






I absolutely LOVED Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman. This book charmed me from the get go and I highly suggest you grab it. I'm not that far into S.A. Cosby's latest but it isn't for the faint of heart but I just love his writing! If you love historical fiction, do not miss out on The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel. 



Share/Bookmark

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Julie's Review: Charm City Rocks

Author: Matthew Norman
Series: None
Publication Date:  June 6, 2023
Publisher: Dell Books
Pages: 368
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction; Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Mr. Norman does it again
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Summary: Billy Perkins is happy. And why wouldn’t he be? He loves his job as an independent music teacher and his apartment in Baltimore above a record shop called Charm City Rocks. Most of all, he loves his brainy teenage son, Caleb. Margot Hammer, on the other hand, is far from happy. The former drummer of the once-famous band Burnt Flowers, she’s now a rock-and-roll recluse living alone in New York City. When a new music documentary puts Margot back in the spotlight, she realizes how much she misses her old band and the music that gave her life meaning.  Billy has always had a crush on Margot. But she’s a legitimate rock star—or, at least, she was—so he never thought he’d meet her. Until Caleb, worried that his easygoing dad might actually be lonely, cooks up a scheme to get Margot to perform at Charm City Rocks. It’s the longest of long shots, but Margot’s label has made it clear that any publicity is an opportunity she can’t afford to miss. When their paths collide, Billy realizes that he maybe wasn’t as happy as he thought—and Margot learns that sometimes the sweetest music is a duet. ~amazon.com 

Review: Matthew Norman is a can't miss author for me. His sense of humor is right up my alley and he always has clever insights on life. I have loved each on of his books and Charm City Rocks is no different. This one is a love letter to his home city of Baltimore and 90s girl bands. 

Billy Perkins loves his life. He likes teaching students music, loves living above a record store and really loves spending time with his son, Caleb. He doesn't even mind sharing the kid with his ex, Robyn. It works well for the 3 of them, 4 if you count the co-dad, Aaron. Things are going to change though even if none of them are completely aware. The biggest change will be set off by Caleb himself and lead Billy to meet his teenage crush, Margot Hammer. 

Unlike Billy, Margot doesn't love her life. Her daughter, Poppy, definitely doesn't think she's happy. In fact it's been a long time since she's been happy because she lost what made her the happiest...her music. Since her epic meltdown on the MTV Awards she's shielded herself from the world in her loft in NYC. Being thrown into a situation she doesn't know how to handle in a city she's not familiar with she goes into a bar and the rest it history. 

Except it's not always easy and being a famous rock star that is back from the oblivion has some drawbacks. Like thrusting Billy into the limelight and making Margot deal with issues she thought she buried. 

I just adored this book. It's about 2nd chances at life and love but it's also about family. It's really just a feel good book that I suggest you read. 


Share/Bookmark

Monday, June 5, 2023

Julie's Review: To Swoon and to Spar

Author: Martha Waters
Series: Regency Vows #4
Publication Date:  April 11, 2023
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 336
Obtained: Amazon First
Genre:  Historical Romance
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Clever romance 
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Viscount Penvale has been working for years to buy back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey, from his estranged uncle. And so he’s thrilled when his uncle announces that he is ready to sell but with one major caveat—Penvale must marry his uncle’s ward, Jane Spencer. When the two meet in London, neither is terribly impressed. Penvale finds Jane headstrong and sharp-tongued. Jane finds him cold and aloof. Nevertheless, they agree to a marriage in name only and return to the estate. There, Jane enlists her housekeeper for a scheme: to stage a haunting so that Penvale will return to London, leaving her to do as she pleases at Trethwick Abbey. But Penvale is not as easily scared as his uncle and as their time together increases, Jane realizes that she might not mind her husband’s company all that much. ~amazon.com

Review: This series just puts a smile on my face. Plus it's a good fill in after you've read or watched Bridgeton. The men are charming, smooth but not self-absorbed; the women are strong and opinionated. They also know what they want and go after it. Penvale and Jane are a bit different than the other 3 couples in the series as they aren't a "love match", meaning they are marrying for reasons other than love. In this case it is so that Penvale can buy his childhood home in Cornwall. Basically, if he buys it from his Uncle, Jane pretty much comes with it. Penvale agrees because after meeting Jane he decides that the house is worth the risk of her. Jane doesn't have much of a choice but does decide that Penvale is a step up from his awful Uncle.

I thought the haunting pranks were funny but I knew that Penvale was too smart to let it fool him for long. I enjoyed how he took that information and kept it to himself but it did make Jane think that he knew something but she wasn't sure what he knows. The games are cute but really it's just a distraction until they do bring them together. 

I liked Jane and I did feel badly for her because she never truly felt that she belonged anywhere and that caused her to become introverted or shy. She tended to lose herself in books, so of course extra points for here there. She admires Penvale for his thoughtfulness towards his tenants and his work ethic. He admires Jane for her wit and her ability to make people around her comfortable, even if she's not. 

If this is the end of the series, I'm happy with it. I've enjoyed all of the characters/couples and how they make their appearances in each of the books. 



Share/Bookmark

Sunday, June 4, 2023

Sunday Skim



Week of 5/28/2023:

Finished:




Currently Reading:





Looking Forward To:







Share/Bookmark