Some thoughts on a Sunday

1) I hung out with a good friend yesterday and it was so nice to catch up after a semester where I barely saw any of my friends. Also...

2) I'm finally done with my first semester of grad school! WOOHOO. I can sleep and eat and read peacefully now.

3) I started taking out some picture books from my job and they're so cute! I know that they're meant for a younger audience but I find them so charming. I also like to see how authors and illustrators come together to create meaningful messages within picture books.

4) I'm not going to BEA this year (my registration was rejected unfortunately) but I am going to attend BookCon with a friend. Debating whether I should bring my blue penguin with me. Is anyone else going?

5) Oh fanfic, I've found you late in the game but better late than never? Dramione. Dramione Dramione Dramione. It's a crack ship but I don't care. I'll be the captain of this ship forever and for always. (Yes, I'm a tad bit obsessed...)

6) I think I've been bit with the spring cleaning bug. Or maybe it's just good timing what with the arrival of spring...but I'm considering a few changes for myself and this blog. I've analyzed my feelings about this over and over again. I'm come to the conclusion that it's because blogging has completely changed how I read books. This isn't a bad thing; through blogging I've grown and I'm more familiar now with what I like to read vs what makes me scrunch up my face in angry scowls. Anyway I've decided to not accept anymore review copies for now. And I plan on eventually taking a brief hiatus so that I can recharge and come back re-energized about blogging.

So those are my thoughts this Sunday....how is everyone else doing?

Supergirl trailer :D

I'm not well versed in comics or DC or Marvel or whatever but... seeing this trailer makes me so happy! It's given me high hopes and I'm excited for its arrival this fall. Thanks to Alex for showing it to me ;)

Black Ice Winner

The winner of the BLACK ICE arc by Becca Fitzpatrick is....

#6 Michelle!

Congrats! You have 48 hours to claim your prize otherwise you won't get it ;( 

Anyhoo, thanks to everyone else that entered. No worries, I may have another giveaway in the future so stick around for that.

Mini-review: Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

Publisher: Small Cow Productions 

Release Date: May 5th, 2012 

Source: Bought from Amazon 

Synopsis: She thinks he's stuffy. He thinks she's spoilt. Then the gloves come off and so do their clothes!

For six years Violet Sutcliffe has known that Martin St Clair is the wrong man for her best friend. He's stuffy, old before his time, conservative. He drives Violet nuts - and the feeling is entirely mutual. Then, out of nowhere, her friend walks out just weeks before her wedding to Martin, flying to Australia on a mission of self-discovery. Back in London, Violet finds herself feeling sorry for suddenly-single Martin. At least, she tells herself it's pity she feels. Then he comes calling one dark, stormy night and they discover that beneath their mutual dislike there lies a fiery sexual chemistry.

It's crazy and all-consuming - and utterly wrong. Because not only are they chalk and cheese, oil and water, but Martin once belonged to her best friend. A friend Violet is terrified of losing. What future can there be for a relationship with so many strikes against it?

Review: Words. I'm going to try to come up with a string of coherent words to write this review. 

Because you guys I SERIOUSLY LOVED THIS STORY. I have been bored lately with reading and I needed something to pick me up and I've been so curious about this particular novella since both blogging buddies Angie and Alex had good things to say about HER BEST WORST MISTAKE. Dude, they were right. >_< 

The story doesn't take long to begin. After Elizabeth (Violet's best friend and sister for life!) dumps Martin, Violet feels an inexplicable pang of...sympathy...? and offers him a gift/peace offering in the form of peach schnapps. After that, things head in an entirely new direction when both Violet and Martin realize that they've never hated each other's guts...instead they've had this insane attraction to one another that they could never act on. 

And once they do....oh lordie. This novella has so many steamy moments. I'm not complaining fyi.

Dat mango scene though. *THUD*

What's great about HBWM is that Mayberry knows how to write hot sex scenes but she's just as adept at writing those heart-melting scenes too. My heart seriously burst whenever Martin or Violet said the cutest things to each other or did these small gestures that spoke volumes of their mutual respect for each other. UGH. So much adorbs along with the steam. 

Violet's friendship with Elizabeth is another constant thread throughout the story. Violet did take too long to admit what was happening but what Mayberry did with these two ladies made me appreciate the story even more. There is no bad blood between them, no harsh judgments or resentment. Their friendship is just as important as the romance--if not a tad more. I'm happy to see that Mayberry didn't vilify any character in this story; they were all grown-ups who faced the truth and dealt with the consequences.

Final Verdict: Honestly my only negative comment is that I wish this were a book and not a short, one-shot e-novella. I would love to revisit Martin and Violet. They're polar opposites at first, but like Darcy and Elizabeth, they can be very similar emotionally. HER BEST WORST MISTAKE gets an A+ for plot and steam, hehe. Definitely worth buying from Amazon or wherever else it may be sold. 

So in conclusion... 

The end. 

For more coherent and well-written reviews, check out these two ladies: 

Alex's review

Angie's review

Note: These GIFs were found via a Bing search. They do not belong to me. 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.  

Publisher: Gallery Books 

Release Date: July 21st, 2015

Synopsis: YOU'VE GOT MAIL meets HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE in this delightful novel about a talented chef and the food critic who brings down her restaurant—whose chance meeting turns into a delectable romance of mistaken identities.

In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances her demanding business and even more demanding fiancé…until the morning she discovers him in the buff—with an intern.

Witty yet gruff British transplant Al is keeping himself employed and entertained by writing scathing reviews of local restaurants in the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When an anonymous tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service—he unleashes his worst.

The day that Al’s mean-spirited review of Luella’s runs, the two cross paths in a pub: Lou drowning her sorrows, and Al celebrating his latest publication. As they chat, Al playfully challenges Lou to show him the best of Milwaukee and she’s game—but only if they never discuss work, which Al readily agrees to. As they explore the city’s local delicacies and their mutual attraction, Lou’s restaurant faces closure, while Al’s column gains popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the two fall in love…but when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past to chase her future?

Set in the lovely, quirky heart of Wisconsin, THE COINCIDENCE OF COCONUT CAKE is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring two people together. 

My reaction as a GIF: 

Drama with desserts? I'm with Dean--DUDE, YES. Thanks to my blogging buddy Alex for telling me about this title! I can't wait to read it in the future :D