Publisher: Harlequin

The Weekly Recap (145)

Posted February 10, 2020 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

I’ve been a busy bee in the last couple of weeks so blogging has taken a backseat to all of that. Work’s been kicking my butt, but I’ve also had just a bunch of things going on. On top of work kicking my ass every single day, Caiden and his new baby sister Baby Matalasi have been visiting us in California so I’ve been spending a lot of time with the family. Lots of family dinners, family game nights and five crowns.

Caiden, Lasi and their parents are driving back home to Utah right now and already, I miss them tons. It’s been a loud and awesome couple of weeks with them in town but real life hit them hard in the last week so it was time for them to return home and help bury Markus’ brother. I miss that face on the left so much!

I’ve also been really busy with work. I’m a staffing manager at my job and I’m in charge of making sure each job that comes in for my regions (I cover all of the central states all of the states in the middle from Idaho to Kentucky and down to Texas). We get hella jobs in so I’m busy from the time I start work for the day until I clock out. I only have about 24 hours to make sure each job is staffed so I’m constantly mapping projects, checking project manager schedules, checking each PM’s monthly billing and just all manner of crap. I deal with all kinds of people throughout the day from pissed off PM’s to upper management trying to squeeze more work out of us and for the most part, I’m happy with my job. I’ve gotten to know a lot of people, I communicate with people across the country all the time and most of those people are nice and I enjoy making things work. On the other hand, it’s a lot of work. I work a lot. I’m salaried so I can work as much or as little as I want and still get paid the same but I find that I’m constantly wondering about jobs long after I’ve logged out so I’m still trying to find a healthy work and personal life balance. It helps that my bosses are happy with my work and that I’ve gotten another raise so woo hoo for that. It’s a consistent effort on my part to walk away from work so fingers crossed that I figure that shit out because my blogging life has dragged a bunch because I work so much. I miss yall.

Now, onto the books…

What I’m Currently Reading
The Weekly Recap (145)One Last Chance
by Therese Beharrie
Series: One Day to Forever #3
Published by Harlequin, Carina Press on February 17, 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Third Person
Pages: 262
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges:2020 A-Z Challenge, 2020 Goodreads Challenge, 2020 New to Me Challenge

Of all the charity events in all of Cape Town, Zoey Roux had to bump into her husband at this one

Six years ago, Zoey Roux secretly married her best friend Sawyer. But all that did was destroy the best relationship she’s ever had. They went their separate ways, but Zoey never could go through with a divorce. Seeing him again at her sister’s charity event is a shock, but also enlightening: no matter how much she still loves him, it’s time to let him go.

Zoey was Sawyer Wilson’s first love. She broke his heart, but his feelings never died. Love was never their issue—only timing. Seeing her again is a shock: in a perfect world, she would run back into his arms. Instead, she’s asking for a divorce.

But a lot can happen in twenty-four hours: old wounds can heal, first loves can be reunited. And a second chance might just lead to happily ever after.

This book is approximately 74,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

I’ve never read anything by Therese Beharrie but I need to fix that because I’m finishing this up and should be done by end of the day and I really liked this best friends to lover, fake relationship, and second chance romance. She mixes the tropes really well and I adored Zoey and Sawyer so much.

What I Read

The Witness by Nora Roberts (eBook) | 4.25 out of 5
Getting Schooled (The Wright Brothers #1) by Christina C. Jones (eBook) | 4 out of 5
The Kissing Game by Marie Harte (eARC) | 2.5 out of 5
I Wish You Were Mine (Oxford #2) by Lauren Layne (Audio) | 4.25 out of 5
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (eARC) | 3.5 out of 5
Yes No Maybe So by Becka Albertalli and Aisha Saeed (eARC) | 3.5 out of 5
Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels #6) by Lisa Kleypas (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
P.S. It’s Always Been You, Pt. 1 by Lauren Blakely (Audio) | 3.25 out of 5
House Rules (Uptown #3) by Ruby Lang (eARC) | 4 out of 5
The Upside of Falling by Alex Light (eARC) | 3.25 out of 5

I included all of the books that I read in the weeks since my last weekly recap post and of this bunch, my favorite read was Chasing Cassandra and my least favorite read was probably The Kissing Game. There’s a lot of good stuff in this bunch so you guys should definitely add them to your TBR piles because they’re good stuff.

What I Reviewed

The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan | 4.75 out of 5
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn | 3.75 out of 5
Headliners by Lucy Parker | 4 out of 5
Heartland by Sarina Bowen | 4.25 out of 5
Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones | 4 out of 5

What I Posted

The Weekly Recap (144)
My TBR Pile: January 2020

What I Got

Devious Lies (Cruel Crowns #1) by Parker S. Huntington
I Think I Might Love You (Love Sisters #1) by Christina C. Jones
I Think I Might Need You (Love Sisters #2) by Christina C. Jones
I Think I Might Want You (Love Sisters #3) by Christina C. Jones

What I Got for Review

First Comes Scandal (Rokesbys #4) by Julia Quinn
Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson
Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee

P.S. It’s Always Been You, Pt. 1 by Lauren Blakely

What Made Me Laugh

There you have it, my week in review. How was your week?

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The Weekly Recap (142)

Posted November 11, 2019 by Rowena in Features | 6 Comments

I wasn’t feeling too good this week so I spent a lot of it in bed, trying desperately to get better and to also read some damn books. Only one of those things happened and it wasn’t that I read some damn books. By Saturday, I was ready to get out of my bedroom and get out of my house. With my sister Helen being in town, we had us a sister weekend and it was great. All five of my sisters got together for lunch and we laughed the day away and really, it was the bomb. It was the best way to end a pretty crappy weekend, especially after missing three days of work and being all antsy about what I’m going to find when I get to work today.

My Lakers took an L last night so I really need to put last week behind me and turn things around. Wish me luck…

Now, onto the books…

What I’m Currently Reading
The Weekly Recap (142)Open House
by Ruby Lang
Published by Harlequin, Carina Press on November 11, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Third Person
Pages: 165
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges:2019 GoodReads Challenge

Love can take root where you least expect it.

Tyson Yang never imagined that one day he’d be the de facto spokesperson for an illegal community garden. But when the once-rat-infested-but-now-thriving Harlem lot goes up for sale, Ty can’t just let all their hard work get plowed under.

Even if he is irresistibly drawn to the lovely but infuriatingly stubborn real estate associate.

Magda Ferrer’s family is already convinced this new job will be yet another flop in her small but growing list of career path failures. But her student debt isn’t going anywhere, and selling her uncle’s historic town house and the lot nearby means a chance to get some breathing room.

Ty is her charming rival, her incorrigible nemesis, the handsome roadblock to her success.

Until one hot Harlem night blurs the hard line drawn between them, and the seeds of possibility in this rocky garden blossom into love…

This book is approximately 48,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the
Carina Press Romance Promise
: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

I picked up and put down a couple of different books last week so I’m picking up this book today in hopes that I’ll finally get something read. So far, so good. Wish me luck on the rest of the book.

What I Read

Nothing. You guys, I spent the entire week reading absolutely nothing. Nothing is catching my eye and everything I start, I’ve stopped reading. This isn’t a good place to be reading-wise since I’m so far behind in my Goodreads Challenge already so I’m really hoping and praying that shit turns around this week. I can’t keep taking these reading L’s.

What I Reviewed

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams | 4.25 out of 5
We Met in December by Rosie Curtis | 3.5 out of 5

What I Posted

The Weekly Recap (141)
Top Ten Tuesday: That Autumn Vibes

What I Got

Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue

What I Got for Review

Headliners (London Celebrities #5) by Lucy Parker

What Made Me Laugh

There you have it, my week in review. How was your week?

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The Weekly Recap (110)

Posted November 12, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 4 Comments

First and foremost, I’d like to thank all of our veterans for their service and for their sacrifice to keep us all safe at home. Happy Veterans Day! 🙂

This last week was another quiet one and honestly, I’m boring. I go to work every single day and then I come home and do the same shit every night. I do a thirty-minute workout, I mess around on my phone (browse Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and sometimes Facebook), catch up on my shows, and then I go to sleep. Sometimes, I read but most of the time, I’m either texting or browsing social media before bed. That’s it.

The highlight of my week was celebrating my Dad’s 77th birthday along with my sister in law and two of my nephew’s birthdays. Our family thing is we all gather around our dining room table and take a green wall birthday picture to post on social media and this is the picture for our November birthdays. My Dad shares a birthday with my nephew Chance, who lives in Utah and is attending BYU Provo. So I made four cakes for the birthday peeps. Three small cakes for my Dad, my SIL Les (pictured above in the UCLA sweatshirt) and my nephew Brody (pictured above sitting next to my Dad in the green shirt and glasses) and then a bigger cake for everyone to eat for Chance (pictured above on FaceTime in the iPhone on the right). Chance is sitting in his car with his sister Chach and they definitely posed for the green wall pics from Utah. Hahaha, I’m not sure if you can see it or not but they totally are and so is Chloe and Caiden, who are FaceTiming with us from their house in Utah on the iPhone on the left. Chance even blew out his candles with some help from Baby Rocky. Haha.

I also went to Meghan’s game on Thursday and she won! Her team scored over 100 points too so you know that the other team wasn’t that good. Meghan played well and it’s just so good to see her playing. This is her last year of playing at the college level and she’s fun to watch. I’m going to miss watching her play once she hangs up her playing shoes for good.

In other family news, Chase’s football team won their CIF playoff game on Friday so they are moving on to the semi-finals this week but it’s an away game so good luck to him and his team.

Now, onto the books…

What I’m Currently Reading
The Weekly Recap (110)Mornings on Main
by Jodi Thomas
Published by Harlequin, HQN on April 10, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads

From the beloved and bestselling author of the Ransom Canyon and Harmony, Texas series comes a powerful, heartwarming story about generations of family and the ironclad bonds they forge.

When Jillian James lands in the small town Texas community of Laurel Springs, she's definitely not planning to stay--except to find a few clues about the father who abandoned her and destroyed her faith in family.

Connor Larady is a single dad, and the only one caring for his grandmother, Eugenia, who has Alzheimer's. And now he has to close Eugenia's quilt shop. When Connor meets down-on-her-luck Jillian, he's out of options. Can he trust the newcomer to do right by his grandmother's legacy?

Jillian is done with relationships. But as she grows closer to Connor and Eugenia, she must consider giving up her nomadic life for a future with those who need her.

An inspiring family saga that asks us to consider what love and chosen family really mean.

I’m reading this book for my group review over at Book Binge. It’s Holly’s turn to choose our buddy review book and she chose this one. I’m not going to lie, it’s been really slow going for me because not much is happening and I guess I’m not in the mood for this kind of read. Small town romances used to be my jam but lately, not so much. *shrugs* I’ll push through and hopefully finish this up tonight. Wish me luck!

What I Read

Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson #5) by Patricia Briggs | 4 out of 5
Wait for It by Mariana Zapata | 4.5 out of 5
Archangel’s Blade (Guild Hunter #4) by Nalini Singh | 3.25 out of 5

My favorite read of the week goes to Wait for It by Mariana Zapata. This book was such a great romance and I adored every minute. So much so, that I read it all in one sitting and that sucker has 670 pages!! You know it’s all love when I read something that pagetastic in one sitting.

What I Reviewed

Diamond Fire (Hidden Legacy #3.5) by Ilona Andrews | 4.5 out of 5
Finding Dandelion (Dearest #2) by Lex Martin | 3.5 out of 5
Kissing Madeline (Dearest #3) by Lex Martin | 4 out of 5

What I Posted

The Weekly Recap (109)
The Monthly Recap: October 2018
Can’t Wait Wednesday: Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

What I Got

Nothing new this week.

What I Got for Review

Nothing new this week.

What Made Me Laugh

There you have it, my week in review. How was your week?

4 Comments
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Can’t Wait Wednesday: Flare Up by Shannon Stacey

Posted October 17, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 8 Comments

Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and it was based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Flare Up by Shannon StaceyFlare Up
by Shannon Stacey
Series: Boston Fire #6
Published by Harlequin, Carina Press on January 29, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads

Nursing a broken heart while everybody around him seems to be drowning in happiness has Grant Cutter wondering whether staying with Engine 59—or even Boston Fire—is in his future. It’s tempting as hell to pack up what fits in his Jeep and hit the road. But then a 911 call brings the woman who shattered his heart back into his life, and he knows he won’t ever be able to fully leave her in his rearview mirror.

For a few months, Wren Everett had thought the nightmare of her past was behind her and she might live happily ever after with Grant. Until she got the phone call letting her know the time her ex had spent in jail for assault hadn’t cooled his temper or determination that she belonged with him. Cutting ties with Grant was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do, but it was also the only way to keep him safe.

Now that Grant is back, he’s not letting Wren push him away again. And even with the trust issues between them, Wren dares to hope she and Grant might have a future together after all…if they’re willing to fight for it.

I’m really enjoying this series. I love how normal it is and how the entire series follows regular everyday people falling in love with other everyday people. I mean, sure, part of the everyday people couple are firefighters so they’re kind of superheroes in their own ways but I still enjoy this series very much.

You can read my reviews for each of the books here:

Heat Exchange
Controlled Burn
Fully Ignited
Hot Response
Under Control

I enjoyed some books more than others but overall, I’m enjoying each book as they come out. I’m pretty anxious to finally get Grant’s story. I knew that his heartbreak was forthcoming, at least I had a feeling it would happen and I’m pretty curious on how his story plays out. I can’t wait to read his book.

This book comes out on January 29th so we have a few months wait. Mark your calendars!

Pre-Order the Book

Flare Up (Boston Fire #6) by Shannon Stacey
Releases on January 29, 2019
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books

Boston Fire Series

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The Weekly Recap (106)

Posted October 8, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 2 Comments

It’s playoff time for baseball and right now, my Dodgers are leading their series against the Atlanta Braves 2-1. We lost last night and play again at 1:30 PM our time today to hopefully shut down the Braves for the rest of the postseason. I’m a giant ball of anxiety right now. I have faith but I’m still scared as all get out. Gah.

I went to the game on Friday night with Bren, Ken and my brother Pete. We had the best time, cheered with all of the Dodger fans around us and lost our car in the parking lot. It legit took us about 45 minutes to find our car because we all swore it was somewhere that it wasn’t. You would have thought that we were all drunk but nope. We were all just airheads. LOL.

I had zero reception at the stadium so I didn’t get many pictures at all but it was an amazing game and I was living more in the moment than playing on my phone so sorry guys. So Clayton Kershaw (our star pitcher) pitched 8 full innings and when he came out to warm up before the start of the ninth inning, the entire stadium erupted in cheers for him that turned to boo’s when the team manager Dave Roberts came out to wave him into the dugout to make room for our closer, Kenley Jansen but wow, can you imagine if Kershaw pitched all nine innings of a game? That would have been history right there. What a fun game and I don’t care what anyone says, Dodgers fans are nice dammit. Everyone that we sat next to were happy to be there and happy to cheer on our team. There were lots of strangers hugging and high fiving each other after great plays and at bats. I loved the atmosphere.

Now, onto the books…

What I’m Currently Reading
The Weekly Recap (106)Shadow and Ice
by Gena Showalter
Series: Gods of War #1
Published by Harlequin, HQN on October 23, 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 496
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads

Knox of Iviland, the most ruthless warrior in All War history, has spent his life fighting others to the death, winning new realms for his king. Now the stakes are higher than ever. If he prevails in the battle for Earth, his slave bands will be removed. Victory is his sole focus…until he meets her.

On an arctic getaway with her foster sister, street tough but vulnerable Vale London is shocked to stumble upon a cave filled with ancient gods waging epic combat. When she is inadvertently drawn into their war, she is forced to team up with an unlikely ally—the sexy god who makes her burn with desire.

Though Vale is his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can triumph, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.

I’m seriously hoping that this book picks up soon because right now, I’m mostly bored by what’s going on and waiting to feel something for the hero and the heroine. Pray for me.

What I Read

Rebel Hard (Hard Play #2) by Nalini Singh (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Fight or Flight by Samantha Young (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
Archangel’s Consort (Guild Hunter #3) by Nalini Singh (Audiobook) | 4.25 out of 5

What I Reviewed

Hot Winter Nights (Heartbreaker Bay #6) by Jill Shalvis | 3.75 out of 5
Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings #1) by Nalini Singh | 4.75 out of 5

What I Posted

The Weekly Recap (105)
My TBR Pile: October 2018
The One You Can’t Fight by Roni Loren

What I Got

My life is all about Dodger baseball right now so I haven’t bought any new books or downloaded new books to my kindle or even audible app. Maybe next week.

What I Got for Review

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

What Made Me Laugh

There you have it, my week in review. How was your week?

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