The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia

Selasa, 08 November 2016

Imprint | October 2016 | 384 pgs

Source: Purchased 

The Lovely Reckless is a YA contemporary romance filled with complex characters, fast street racing scenes and enough suspense to keep me racing through this book from beginning to end. 

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux is a cop's daughter. Her father works as an undercover with the Regional Auto Theft Task Force and his job is to bring down those car thieves and cracks their operations. Frankie leads a privileged life in the Heights with her mother and her stepdad until a reckless drunk driving forces her to leave her beautiful life behind. Frankie is a good girl who lives by her parents' standards but the death of her boyfriend haunted her and she wishes she has remembered the face of the assaulter who had killed Noah. Her reckless behaviour leads her to moving in with her dad; where she will transfer to a public school in the Downs where fistfights and illegal street racings are not uncommon within the neighbourhood. 

Marco Leone is the complete opposite of Frankie's perfect late boyfriend. He is tough, but he also oozes charm and confidence which Frankie couldn't ignore. Frankie doesn't want to get involved with him, but an incident has thrown them together and Frankie begins to see a new side of him the more they spend their time together. However, Marco does some wrong things but for some right reasons and this has put a strain to their relationship. After all, Frankie's dad is a cop and he has all the rights to put Marco behind bars no matter whatever his reasons are. Then, there is the case which Frankie needs to remember who had murdered Noah and what risks she should undertake to make things right again. 

The Lovely Reckless has a nice combination of romance and actions enough to set my heart racing. Issues like stereotypes and misconceptions are presented into this story so that not everything is black and white as we see. This was a wonderful love story but the emotions it evoked is more memorable.

� 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Always On My Mind by Jill Shalvis (Lucky Harbor Series #8)

Rabu, 10 Agustus 2016

Grand Central Publishing | September 2013 | 352 pgs

Source: Purchased 

When was the last time I've read a contemporary romance? I love thrillers, but there are also times I need my comfort reads and for this I chose Always On My Mind by Jill Shalvis. You know, Ms. Shalvis really knows what a romance reader wants and she has all the right elements packed in this story.

Leah Sullivan returns to her home town, Lucky Harbor, after learning that her grandmother needs help at her bakery shop after her knee surgery. Leah tells herself she won't be staying long, and that she needs to accomplish something in her life after hearing all the negative remarks from her father since young. She takes part in a baking competition and if she won, she would have her dreams come true - using the prize money to set up her own pastry shop. As much as she misses Lucky Harbor, she isn't ready to meet her long-time best friend, Jack Harper. Jack and Leah used to be there for each other on many occasions; and there might be a time where they could be more than just friends but Leah chose to run away. And she had sure ran far, leaving town and left Jack very hurt.

Jack, on the other hand, has always lived in his father's shadow. Since young, Jack looked up to his father as a firefighter and when his father died in his job he felt he should carry on his father's legacy as a hero and strives to be the best firefighter he can be. After his father's passing and seeing how his death affects his mother still, he decided relationship would be the last thing on his mind, not especially when Leah had left him and fled.

As fate could have it, Leah blurted in haste to Jack's ailing mother to cheer her up; that she and Jack are together so she could rest her mind and concentrate on her cancer treatments. Although Jack isn't enthusiastic about the pretend relationship, truth is he does have feelings for Leah all this time. It is Leah who keeps having doubts, be it her own self or their relationship. It didn't take long for both Jack and Leah to find themselves questioning about their relationship, since the pretence feel more like reality the more they are with each other. Will Leah admit to her own heart this time around?

Aside from the romance, there is a little mystery about a serial arsonist case which has a few Lucky Harbor old buildings in ruins. Although this didn't take up too much of the story, I was still surprised by the outcome (and the culprit) in the end. Of course, Jack being a firefighter led me into thinking about all the brave firefighters out there and how they risk their lives to save ours. Overall I had a fun time reading this book. And if that's not enough, I also ordered two more books of this series, featuring Leah's best friends, Ali (It Had To Be You) and Aubrey (Once in a Lifetime). Although they are part of the Lucky Harbor series, each book could be read as a standalone.  

� 2016 Melody's Reading Corner, All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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Troublemaker by Linda Howard

Selasa, 07 Juni 2016

ISBN-13: 9780062418975
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: May 2016
Format: Hardcover, 400 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Morgan Yancy is an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group. During a break after a mission, someone ambushed him and nearly had him killed. Determined to find out who is after his squad member, his supervisor, Axel, decided it would be best if Morgan stays in a low profile while he discreetly track who is behind the attack. That "low profile" place happens to be Axel's ex- stepsister's house which is situated at a remote location at Hamrickville, West Virginia. 

Isabeau "Bo" Maran is the part-time police chief at Hamrickville. Her life is simple, blissful and she's a few good friends and a lovely, devoted dog named Tricks. When Axel called her one day about "housing" his mate, she couldn't say no because as much as she hates the idea of sharing her house with a stranger, Axel's offer for financial assistance to her house loans seems too good to be true; plus Morgan has already showed up on her doorsteps looking quite sickly. 

Bo knew something is up with Morgan's situation since he barely talks about his job and when he does they are usually vague. However, she trusts Axel's decision despite they are not the closest step-siblings. And the more Morgan gets close to Tricks and her as the days go, she realises that Morgan isn't entirely a cold and secretive person as he looks and there might even be a future with him if she decides to accept his job and all. 

Troublemaker begins with a big bang with someone targeting Morgan but the thrill and suspense ended once he lived in with Bo and there begins his recuperating days. However, that intensity is shifted more towards the romantic and warmly side as readers get to read more about his interaction with Tricks and getting to know more of Bo and the Hamrickville residents. As much as I enjoyed reading the interaction between Bo, Morgan and Tricks, there are times I find they are a tad too much, especially how Bo fussed over Tricks (although it's a joy to read from a dog lover's perspective and I really learned a lot more about a dog's behaviours here.) Other issues such as a domestic brawl of one family clearly demonstrated Bo's and Morgan's abilities of solving an intense situation (it was a complicated family with power, wealth and all) but instead I was expecting something more surrounding Morgan's killer and his/her motive. The suspense part did come eventually but it was towards the last two chapters which I felt was too quick and well, a bit anti-climatic. 

While this isn't Linda Howard's best, it was still considered a good read in the romantic department (and then there's Tricks who's adorable and intelligent.) 

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Running Fire by Lindsay McKenna

Minggu, 03 April 2016

ISBN-13: 9780373788934
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: April 2015
Format: Paperback, 384 pgs
Source: Library 

I was in the mood for a military romance. If you are watching Korean's current hottest drama series, Descendants of the Sun, you'd know what I am talking about. Anyways, Lindsay McKenna's Running Fire rightly stands on its own and I was glad to read it; and it's been a long while since I have read a contemporary romance with characters in uniform. 

Running Fire is part of the Shadow Warriors series and I was glad it could read as a standalone. The story opens with Chief Warrant Officer and pilot Leah Mackenzie surviving a helicopter crash after her crew is assigned to pick up a SEAL team from the Pakistani border. The black ops team had been out for a week hunting high-value-target Taliban leaders and with nothing but mountains and caves around the borders, the crew knew it would be a challenge to find an open, flat area without alerting the Taliban. And the rainy weather was making it harder for the rescue. Unfortunately, it wasn't the bad weather but the Taliban who had taken down their helicopter. Leah was the only survivor. 

SEAL Kell Ballard was on a mission when he saw a rescue helicopter being shot down by three Taliban. He couldn't believe his eyes when he found out it was a female pilot he had rescued, considering the position was mostly dominated by males but he didn't care as long as the pilot was alive. Leah did live, and they were forced to stay hidden in the caves till a rescue team has transported them back to camp. During those waiting moments Kell and Leah had come to know a lot about each other; and the reason why she was intimidated by men outside duty. It wasn't a fast and easy confession and it took her some time to open up to Kell as thinking of her abusive ex-husband still give her nightmares. Not only did Hayden Grant physically abused her but he had every intention of ruining her career, too. 

Running Fire, no doubt was an intense read but it also has a fair share of tender moments as I read about the emotional intimacy shared between Kell and Leah. Kell may be a tough SEAL but he understood Leah�s feelings when it comes to her vulnerability. Leah may appear vulnerable in Kell's eyes but when it comes to flying she has became a different person and took full pride in her job. Part of the reason is she was trying to prove her capability to her father, who is the battalion commander of the squad. She lost her brother and mother when she was young and her father has never paid any attention to her. Instead, her father has focused all his attention on her ex-husband and was oblivious of the abuse she's been getting from Hayden during their three years of marriage. This is not only a story about love but also having the courage to stand up to a bully, in which this case is the abusive Hayden Grant. The closure was a heart-warming one, and I liked what Kell and Leah have chosen for their future plans. All in all, it was a great escapism read to me. 

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Our Song by Dani Atkins

Senin, 15 Februari 2016

ISBN-13: 9781471142246
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: January 2016
Format: Paperback, 512 pgs
Source: Purchased 

Ally and Charlotte are not supposed to meet under any circumstances, not when they had an unpleasant exchanges over a guy back during their university days, and definitely not at the same hospital where their husbands are being admitted under emergency circumstances. 

David, who is Charlotte's husband, used to date Ally then. Despite different personalities, David and Ally loved each other and they were very happy. Charlotte came between them unexpectedly and unintentionally after she shared the same dorm with David and two of his friends. Although Charlotte knew of their relationship, she couldn't help being attracted by David all over again. She first met David when she was seventeen; it wasn't a pleasant encounter considering they'd almost died in a skiing accident but David's bravery and his looks are forever etched in Charlotte's mind all the way towards adulthood. When David and Ally broke up due to lesser time together and some misunderstandings, Charlotte ended up getting her dream man and married him eventually. They are happy but Charlotte always have this fear that David might go back to Ally if they have the chance to meet again. 

Ally is devastated over her husband's accident. On top of the bad news, the least person she wants to meet is having to face Charlotte in person after all these years. Despite the awkwardness, Ally and Charlotte share the same grief and worry over their husbands' lives as both of them are in critical conditions. David suffered from a serious heart problem while Ally's husband, Joe, is unconscious after he had fell into a frozen lake while rescuing a dog. Charlotte and Ally might not be the best of friends right then, but this circumstances has brought them a chance to speak of the past while they waited for news of their husbands. 

Told from Ally's and Charlotte's perspectives and with chapters alternating between the past and the present, this novel is about four different people and how one fateful night had decided their past, present and future. While this is a love story, there are also friendship and families elements which have made this book a moving read. What makes this book a worthy read to me is aside from the story, it is the author's ability of bringing her characters to life. Each of them is unique and memorable, but I have to say Joe is my favourite character among all. He is kind, funny and most of all, his selfless attitude which has not only won Abby's heart but mine as well. 

While some of the premises aren't new, this book is still an absorbing read and will take you on an emotional roller-coaster 'ride'. I may have gone past the height of the intense emotions it had evoked in me, but it is the act of selfless love as well as hope that still lingers in my mind. 

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Suddenly One Summer by Julie James

Rabu, 29 Juli 2015

ISBN-13: 9780425273760
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication Date: 2 June 2015
Format: Paperback, 304 pgs
Source: Purchased

I love a light, cozy romance once in a while and Julie James' latest release, Suddenly One Summer, comes into mind. I've always enjoyed reading her books; not only her heroes are sexy and her heroines are smart and witty, too. The dialogues between the characters made me giggle at times, and I know I could always rely on James' books for a perfect escape read. 

Suddenly One Summer is a story about two different people coming together and falling in love unexpectedly. Victoria Slade is a successful lawyer dealing in divorce cases; she also owns the firm and as much as she is single and attractive, she has seen enough unhappy marriages to not committing a relationship with its ultimate path to a marriage. On top of that, when she was ten her father left her and her mother for a younger woman and started a new life, leaving her mother into depression and almost died from sleeping pills overdose. That fear and the anxiety still linger in her mind all the way to her adult life, and that feeling has worsened after some burglars broke into her house one night, forcing her to move out from her home and look for another. 

Her new neighbour, Ford Dixon, who's also in his thirties and an investigative journalist, thinks Victoria is attractive but off-limits since a few occasions they've encountered have left a bad impression in each other's eyes. Nevertheless, that didn't stop Victoria from helping his sister, Nicole; after learning that she's a single mother with a four-month-old baby and is ditched by the man who'd got her pregnant in the first place. 

Despite Victoria's unwillingness to team up with Ford initially, she wants to help Nicole and she knew through her legal expertise, she will fight for Nicole's rights but before that, they need to find the man. On the other end, Ford knew there would be sparks flying, good or bad, but he is confident that they will nail down the guy very soon through his resources working with the Tribune. Plus, Victoria is great when it comes to roles playing during their 'missions'. 

Playing amateur sleuth with Ford isn't what Victoria has expected in the first place. She thinks clashes and snarky comments are unavoidable when Ford is concerned, but as the more they work together she noticed a softer, vulnerable  side of Ford which she finds irresistible and sexy. Likewise, Ford sees Victoria in a new light that under her confident, businesslike personality she is simply an ordinary woman who has her woes like any other women. Witnessing her panic attack on a subway has unleashed the protective streak in him and allows him to think again of their relationship, but Victoria is skeptical of relationships and marriages, considering the cases she's dealt with and seeing her own parents' marriage crumbles until it finally struck her how miserable and foolish she has been after turning Ford down for good. 

Although the premise isn't new, what I liked about this book (in fact all Julie James' books) is the heroine and the witty dialogues which have become her signature elements. I like reading stories about relationships which start from friends, and also relationships whereby both the hero and heroine dislike each other initially but how their feelings have changed as the time goes. These premises always interest me and I find Ms. James is good in writing them (though I've to admit it's always her writing style which have made me a fan of hers.) Highly recommended if you love a good contemporary romance with a combination of great dialogues and sizzlingly romance. 

Here's my thoughts on other Julie James' books:

Just the Sexiest Man Alive

Practice Makes Perfect

It Happened One Wedding 

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