I just finished reading Julie Miller's BAD GIRL and as always with Julie's work
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I just finished reading Julie Miller's BAD GIRL and as always with Julie's work, I loved it! This book is from a new Harlequin line called NOIR which is a line with a bit more heat than her Intrigue books. I loved the carry over of some of the characters and the Kansas City setting. The plot includes a bad boy security guard, the bad girl heroin and a whole lot of heat between them as they
search for the missing sister.
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The Miller family has lived in Miller's Valley for generations. They have worked hard and endured and made the best of what they had. And though they are kind and friendly in their way, the years have also hardened them. Mimi Miller is a little girl when we first meet her, already keenly insightful and almost too observant for her own good. Like most of the people living in Miller Valley, Mimi's life doesn't give her much of a break, and over the course of the novel, we watch her grow up fast, as tough circumstances force her to take on a lot of responsibility at once. While other people seem to crack under the pressure, adversity only makes Mimi stronger and more determined to do something different, something better, with her life.

I loved reading this book. It's short, yes, and subdued, sure. But there is so much heart in here. The characters are wonderful--and not just Mimi. Her resilient mother, her endearing father, her quirky aunt, and her self-sabotaging brother, all interact together flawlessly. I felt tied to them, like I knew them. The mystery of what would happen to the valley kept me quickly flipping pages, but the substance of these characters forced me to slow down so I could savor the story and its players more completely.

I will acknowledge that Quindlen may have ended the book just a touch too neatly. She certainly wraps up all loose ends in a very clean and overwhelmingly positive way. (This is definitely NOT&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Every-Last-One-A-Novel-Random-House-Reader-s-Circle/dp/0812976886/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Every Last One: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)</a>...) But, truthfully, I really didn't mind. The more I thought about this ending--and I thought about it a lot--the more I appreciated seeing the perspective of an older woman looking back--considering her life, acknowledging the good stuff, mourning the bad, and then, ultimately, accepting and appreciating it for what it was. For me, Miller's Valley is a very satisfying and complete story. Maybe not everyone will see it that way, but, wow, I enjoyed every second I spent reading this book.
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As always, Liebert is an amazingly skilled writer who blends light hearted and dark, serious and hysterically funny in her new book. I'm a loyal reader and love devouring her books on the beach, on vacation or as a subject for our monthly book clubs. They always give our group of women plenty of subjects to discuss and her books are like a perfect sized treat.  Her writing style is sassy and witty, always keeps me guessing and leaves me content.  This book is an amazing read!
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In Another Saturday Night and I Aint Got No Body, we saw glimpses of another side of Maggie as she chanced giving into her interest in Sunnys failed date Jeremy.  And for a strong, successful woman like Maggie, Easy Like Sunday Mourning shows that Jeremy really is her perfect match.

Jeremys company is thrown into the spotlight, not just because they're releasing a hot new video game, but because one of his developers turns up murdered in the office.  Though Jeremy is entirely cooperative with the police investigation, he is, of course, a suspect, and its up to the Page Turners to help prove his innocence and solve the mystery.  Maggie wants to believe Jeremys got nothing to do with the mans murder, but as more and more pieces of the story are revealed, the evidence against him is pretty damning.  Couple that with Maggies reluctance to fully trust a man after her marriage fell apart, not to mention the busy blonde at the office whos suggesting her relationship with Jeremy is more than just business, and Maggies not sure what to believe.

Im always a little worried when I begin the second book of a series in which I absolutely loved the first book.  Theres always a good chance that the magic won't be recaptured, that the plot will begin to feel recycled, or that I just won't be as interested in the new character focus.  But it seems that isn't a problem at all with the Page Turners series.  While I liked Maggie well enough in the first book but never really warmed to her, I found her quite likable and easy to relate to as I got to know her in Easy Like Sunday Mourning.  Sure, shes an intelligent, often no-nonsense lawyer, but shes got a fun side that comes out when shes with the Page Turners, and shes got the same wants and insecurities as any woman when it comes to romance.

The mystery side of things was tons of fun as well, with clues leading every which way, and Edna providing the comic relief throughout.  Every time I started to cringe at their hi-jinks, I ended up laughing out loud instead, and there were so many red herrings thrown in that it was impossible to fully guess the ending until it was all finally revealed.  With bears, road rage, costumes at a comic book convention, plenty of hot men, and the always awesome Edna to keep things interesting, Easy Like Sunday Mourning is a great follow-up to the first book and a chance to see all our favorite characters in hilarious action again.

Unlike the standard definition of cozy mystery, the Page Turners series lets things get a little steamy at times, without going over the top, and I think that works great for those of us that prefer our romance less sanitized.  The series is probably perfect for lovers of romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, and contemporary romance with a fun side, and you can bet Ill be binge-reading the rest of the books just as soon as I can get my hands on them!

*I borrowed a copy of this book through the always awesome Kindle Unlimited program
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I am a huge fan of Fallowfields, whether it is her extremely spicy erotica or her silly romcoms, I know going in that I am in for a good read. Never the Bride is no exception.

Abbie just cant catch a break. A high school-ish (Im not sure what the UK equivalent is, sorry!) pact with more than a dozen girls haunts her over a decade later, as she looks at the growing pile of bridesmaids dresses shes been forced to endure. Some weddings were better than others, but when its all said and done, Abbie is still unlucky in love.

So when she meets Miller at a particularly terrible wedding, things seem to be looking up for her. Problem is, Miller is American, and Abbie isn't ready for a long distance relationship. She has far too many ties to her small village to allow her to pick up and move across the Atlantic. But as the two of them grow closer, they realize that the greatest sacrifices just might reap the ultimate rewards.

Abbie and the cast of characters make for pure comedy gold. Never the Bride is written in much of the same vein as some excellent British comedies, (think Vicar of Dibley in particular). It is laugh out loud funny and sometimes over the top, but it is truly hilarious. The story is told through Abbies POV and Fallowfield has definitely developed the secondary characters well, making transitions to the following books seamless.

This series is definitely a departure from Fallowfields erotic work, as this story isn't even technically fade to black. Fans of romcoms will definitely enjoy this one, its going to make for a sidesplitting series!
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I can't say enough about my love of her characters and what she sends them through
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This is a good read. Miller wowed me with it. I could abrely put ift down. She might be one of my new favorite authors.  This book has some twists and turns that make it al lthe better. I cannot wait for the next volume!
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This book was an emotional ride following Julie on her journey of independence and self-identity. I think the author does a beautiful job in writing and character development. Everywhere I Go is a great read for women young and old!
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Its one thing that she knows how to tease her readers with the perfect concoction of chemistry and friendship, its another thing altogether when it has multiple layers of current social issues and concerns about family relationships underneath such beautiful prose shes known for.

In Flow, Grip AKA Marlon met Bristol, Rhysons twin sister, when he was asked by Rhys to pick her up in the airport. And during her short stay in LA where she planned to reconnect with her brother, she also got to have the best, meaningful conversations with Grip. Some things were holding them back though from acting on their connectionlike how Grip was such an unapologetic playboy and Bris had trust issues on people. And how Bris was forbidden because shes the sister of his best friend and Grip knew he wasn't good enough for her.

The thing about Flow is that it isn't only about meeting the person you know would make an impact in your life in the long run but also its this brilliant short read that made it vital to try to understand the reasons behind each characters actions.

Like it got a glimpse of how painful the relationship between the twins has been but they were trying to fix the bridge they once burned. I was so glad to see Bristols heart on the line here. Her love for his brother was something very powerful for her to fly across the country to mend their relationship.

And then theres Grip who knows his craft (rapping and poetry) well. And while he had to juggle a lot of work on the side to pay the bills, the guy knew persistence like the back of his hand. He didn't downplay his talent; he embraced it and hes really good at it. I may not like his player ways because duh but I was absolutely enthralled by how much he could put up provocative exchange of thoughts about culture, race, anything under the sun even, with Bristol. Bristol, whos like my fictional twin sister or my fictional mirrorwhichever you prefer, was more than what I hoped for. Shes hurt when Rhyson left her but once she realized where Rhys was coming from, she understood and shed make sure to help him realize his dreams. This Bristol was also trained to keep her feelings in a safe box without a key in sight. On the outside, she seemed to be this spoiled little woman who knew nothing but to party all her life but within was like a woman with so much to show the world. Shes smart, strong, a little vulnerable (which she tried very hard to keep hidden) and an overall kicka$s heroine. Im sure Ill be putting her under my Ultimate WCW of All Time list.

If I could name only one book who would deliver a socially-relevant story without even compromising the romance and the steam that comes with it, that would be Flow. No contest.

How Flow has been a well-rounded little treat of a prequel (!!) I have no idea. Its more than what I expected and once again, Kennedy has rendered me speechless at the great lengths she set herself to go beyond in this story.
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I'm a fan of Vanessa Miller's novels and when I heard she had a new book out, I had to read it.  Being a PK (Pastor's Kid) I could relate a lot to Melinda Johnson in the book.  I love reading books where I feel I'm actually a character in the book, and with this book I was.  I highly recommend this book and all of Vanessa's books, because they are worth the money and your time!!!  Can't wait to the sequel!!!!
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This book is amazing. There's so much going on that you forget what the goal was. I didn't play guessing games on who did what because I was too busy going along for the ride.
Julie is still makes dumb decisions that had me calling her bad names, but I like her more this book. lol
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I am going to be blessed with reading more about her ways of having you guessing who really is the bad one involved.
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It's so good I just finished and I'm trying to rush through this rating to get to the next book
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I discovered Jeremy & Georgina and Darius & Marianne thru The Blackstone Affair Book 4 - Eyes Wide Open. I loved them both! Raine Miller is in an exceptionally great writer/author of erotica romance novels (I discovered her thru Katie Ashley - another great author). I recommend this book highly but you really need to read His Perfect Passion first then The Undoing of a Libertine. I'm counting the days until Ms. Miller's Blackstone Affair Book 4 comes out (Rare and Precious Things)...Hope the paperback comes out the same time as the ebook (I'm old fashioned and love having the actual book in hand). Love, Love Ms. Miller's work.
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Julie has accomplished something beautiful with this book. I got to know and appreciate each character enough to not be disappointed when the story would switch between them. Sometimes when a story is this style, I try to rush through some parts about character that I don't care as much about. This story makes me wish that the next book was due out very soon!  It was delightful, deep, enjoyable, real, and engaging.

It really is a departure for the most part from her usual style. I did not find this to be a bad thing at all. I would read more books like this any day.
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I answer her with my silence, understanding the full power of it for the first time. Words are weapons. Weapons are powerful. So are unsaid words. So are unused weapons.

I had a feeling I was going to like this book when I read the blurb and checked out the cover, but when I read that line above, it was like Emily Murdoch had me at hello.

It's not very often that I find a gem of a book that totally sweeps me off my feet and this month, I've found two. I hope this doesn't mean I'm headed for a dry spell. The other amazing book I read this month was All the Truth That's In Me I do see a pattern in the two books, as they are quite similar, but the most important similarity was that I fell in love with both of them, more than anything because of their unforgettable characters.

Just like in (Judith) in All the Truth That's in Me, our protagonist (Carey) is quite the girl. I fell in love with her immediately and I can't even count the number of times she made me cry. Her love for her younger sister Janessa was truly remarkable and written so well.

Another character that might not get a ton of attention is Melissa, the stepmother. I just have to say that it was refreshing to see a stepmother written in a way that was not an evil villain. Her encounters with Ness and Carey brought me to tears more than almost any other character. I just love Melissa.

This was a brilliantly written novel. It carried itself from beginning to end, evoking emotion seemingly almost on every page and causing me to cheer for every victory each of the girls accomplished and shed tears for every hardship they waded their way through.

The only minor complaint I had was the romance between Carey and Ryan. It seemed a bit forced and I find it could have been more endearing if it was left as more a mystery and something to be looked forward to in the future. A rose just blooming instead of fully exposed with no where to go.
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I love Julie Miller.  I love the Precinct books and simply can't wait for the next one to come out!  I haven't read all of the books, so I am buying them here and there when I can so I can better understand the backstories of the ones I've already read.  And being that the Precinct books are set in my home state, I don't think I could possibly love them more!