Around the Book Blogosphere #18 — Love Triangles, Bookish Gift Guide, and Holiday Generosity

• Once Upon a Twilight
• Snuggly Oranges
• Paradise of Pages
• Pop! Goes the Reader
• Lovin’ Los Libros
• The Book Belles

• Fiction Fare
• The Starry-Eyed Revue
• Great Imaginations
• Two Chicks on Books
• Lost in Literature
• Forever 17 Books

THE LAW OF MOSES by Amy Harmon — 5 stars
Reviewed by Three Little Birds Book Blog

“This story was a swell of feelings that expanded well outside the boundaries of the page and I experienced it. I lived it. I became it, and I learned from it.”

MAI TAI’D UP by Alice Clayton — 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Under the Covers Book Blog

“I loved the attitude of the hero, Lucas. He made Chloe feel comfortable all the time, at ease in his presence. A friendship quickly started and flourished thanks to him. Can’t say he was perfect, but he was pretty close to that.”

THE UNIMAGINABLE by Dina Silver — 4 stars
Reviewed by Brenna from No BS Book Reviews

“I enjoyed The Unimaginable from the very beginning; even with it’s slower pace at times. It surprised me with its ability to bring emotion out when I least expected it. The balance of adventure, suspense, and romance really worked and gave me a little bit of everything that I was looking for.”

NO PLACE TO FALL by Jaye Robin Brown — 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Erin from Fiction Fare

“If you are looking for a quick, contemporary read where music plays a major role, definitely check this one out. I thought the writing was well done and this was a story that I was quickly pulled into and made me want to know how things were going to end up for these characters.”

SAVAGED by Shay Savage — 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Beth from Lit Slave

“Savaged is a collection of five short stories that are straight up sexy times! These stories are HIGHLY sensual, erotic, and fantasy. Even though the stories are short, they were still packed with emotions.”

EASY VIRTUE by Mia Asher — 3 stars
Reviewed by My Book Muse

“The relationship and chemistry between Ronan and Blaire is sexy, sweet and definitely produced some butterflies on my end, but love isn’t enough for Blaire. Especially when Lawrence Rothschild finds himself in this methodical and disturbing web that Blaire has weaved. Lawrence who is richer than God, rivals Ronan sexually, and is willing to pay whatever price Blaire sets.”

STARTING FIRES by Makenzie Smith — 4 stars
Reviewed by Maryse’s Book Blog

“Thing is… Lucas has his eye on her, and it doesn’t take long for the flirtation to develop into something else. Something frequent. But you know how that goes… once she starts expecting more (even though she’s doing her best NOT to), the bevy of girls surrounding her crush starts getting old indeed. ;)”

SCENES FROM THE CITY by Penny Reid — 4 stars
Reviewed by Book Bumblings
**This is not a standalone**

“There’s a type of guy that I like to call “the lovable douche.” Lovable douches say things that normally, a guy couldn’t get away with. But they’re such good guys overall, and manage to say awful, offensive things in such a way (usually right before or after something sweet) that it works. And Greg is their leader.”

GENEVIEVE CLARE by J.B. Hartnett — 4 stars
Reviewed by Mostly YA Book Obsessed

“Her childhood crush, Ahren, comes back to town to check on Genevieve, he makes it clear that he’s ready for more than just friendship. As much as Genevieve wants that too, she realizes how quickly people can be taken away from her and she doesn’t think she can handle the pain of losing him so she pushes him away.”

OWNING VIOLET by Monica Murphy — 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lisa from The Reading Room

“Owning Violet is an exciting and super easy read that kicks off a new series I’m already loving. Ryder and Violet make an electric pair and I love that their predator and prey relationship flows back and forth.”

SHATTERED WITNESS by Anna DeStefano — 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Rachel from Waves of Fiction

“These are the kind of words I want to read with any second chance romance. But Shattered Witness was more than a second chance at love, it was a suspenseful mystery full of danger and excitement.”

DARK PLACES by Gillian Flynn — 4 stars
Reviewed by Giselle from Xpresso Reads

“The mystery is the biggest part of this novel, and it’s worked in with brilliance. With the alternating perspectives, you see how something seemingly innocent can blow up to be a game changer. How a tiny detail can easily be overlooked or deemed unimportant. I think I suspected every single person at one point, and my theories ran from the too-obvious to the too-wild.”

THE WINNER’S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski — 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cristina’s Book Reviews

“This is how a forbidden romance should be written. There’s no insta-love and it all started over a game of cards. There’s not even a mention of how handsome he is or how stunning she is, nothing. Feelings are developed over time and through secrets that are shared. And that, boys and girls felt incredibly genuine.”

THE KING by Tiffany Reisz — VIP
Reviewed by Belle of the Literati

“The story of Kingsley’s past that Tiffany Reisz weaves is one of betrayal, self-acceptance, love, sexual escapades, and the overwhelming message to let your freak flag, or rather kink flag fly.”

HITCHED by Karpov Kinrade — 5 stars
Reviewed by Three Chicks and Their Books

“While she is thinking of ways to get out of this sticky situation, Sebastian, is getting ready to woo his wife. While they may have started this stuff totally backwards, he knows she is the one for him.

He wants her. Period. Today, tomorrow, always.”

DIRTY ROWDY THING by Christina Lauren — 5 stars
Reviewed by Autumn from Autumn Review

“It’s not often that I get butterflies when reading anymore, but Finn…gave me butterflies. In fact, I love Finn like I love Max. And that’s a whole lot. Even more than his overall appeal that makes me gooey, he’s close to his family. I mean…who doesn’t love a caregiver, protector, and a generally good man?”

FOR REAL by Alison Cherry — 4 stars
Reviewed by Jen from Pop! Goes the Reader

“It’s a relative rarity to find novels aimed at the young adult audience that centre upon familial dynamics, all the more so to find those that focus on the relationship between two siblings. This is one of the things that makes For Real so special, all the more so because Cherry examines complex issues of sibling rivalry and unconditional love without ever compromising the focus, direction or pace of the novel.”

SOCIOPATH by Lime Craven — 4 stars
Reviewed by Kate from New Kids With a Book

“I can’t tell you much about the book without giving it away. I will say this, if you are looking for a redeemable hero in a dark romance, you are not going to find it in Aeron Lore. He remains steadfastly twisted. There is no happy ending here in the “normal” sense of the word. Yes, there is a man and woman that find their way together…but not in a way that makes you necessarily cheer for them.”

TOP TEN CLUES YOU’RE CLUELESS by Liz Czukas — 4 stars
Reviewed by Amy from Xpresso Reads
“The characters and how they interact, and learning more about them all was the thing that I was most interested in. This is the type of book that just leaves you with a smile on your face. Despite not getting to know the characters quite as well as I wanted, and the lists dominating my brain, I really loved this book for its entertainment value.”

HOLD MY HEART by Esther M. Soto
Reviewed by Lives and Breathes Book Blog

“Usually, I shy away from fantasy or paranormal, preferring a more realistic approach. But lately, I’ve been disenchanted with reading, tired of the same type of story, over and over again. I’ve been craving creativity and a different approach. Reading the prologue, I knew I was going to get just that.”

YOU WERE MINE by Abbi Glines — 3 stars
Reviewed by Mollie from Tough Critic Book Reviews

“The second half slowed down a bit and I found myself getting bored, almost like I was stuck on a plateau. I can’t really put my finger on exactly what happened but the pacing slowed way down and then the ending sped way up.”