Oxygen Deprived By Lani Lynn Vale

Title: Oxygen Deprived

Series: Kilgore Fire Series

Author: Lani Lynn Vale 

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: August 6, 2016

Cover Model: Gary Taylor

Photographer: Furious Fotog

No take-backs.

That was the motto that Drew lived by in all things, including his love life.

He’s a player, pure and simple.

He’s learned the hard way that women aren’t all hearts and flowers. Sometimes their sexy bodies and beautiful faces are just a pretty shield to hide the crazy, and he’s so freakin’ over crazy.

Been there, done that. He has the divorce papers to prove it.

Karma hits like a bitch.

Aspen needs a break. A long one that doesn’t include anything with a Y chromosome. Not even one as tempting as her new neighbor who just moved in across the street. Men are trouble with a capital freakin’ T, and she has the ankle monitor to prove it.

The last man she gave her heart to was a police officer. A man whose life was dedicated to protection, and he was supposed to protect her heart—not break it.

She decides right then and there that she’s done with being the better person.

Everything happens for a reason.

A rash decision—undoubtedly regrettable, undeniably unforgettable. In the heat of the moment, Aspen’s actions with a tire iron and her ex-boyfriend’s brand new SUV land him in the ER getting stitches and have her seeing the inside of a jail cell for the first time.

It’s just her luck that the whole town is there to witness the result of her poor decision, including her police officer brother and the neighbor that already made it more than clear she was more trouble than she was worth.

House arrest never looked so good. 

Hide your crazy.

Drew enjoyed the show, though. For the first time in a year, he’s thinking about his life, and how it would be a lot more enjoyable with a woman like Aspen at his side.

Maybe crazy isn’t so bad after all.

My Thoughts…

Those Kilgore Firemen are so hot, sexy, and amazing.    From the very first book I have been in awe of their willingness to drop anything and everything to help each other and their community out.     I just cannot get enough of them and am anxious for more… much more.

Aspen and Drew get to tell their story in Oxygen Deprived.   Of course, they both have histories that get in the way of their budding relationship.    These histories include a psycho ex-wife and a crazy ex-boyfriend.    Both ex’s were realistic in their actions and attitudes and I enjoyed the trouble they stirred up.    I also loved how Drew and Aspen stayed strong and together when their ex’s caused the problems.  Even when they were not getting along they still stayed together and had a united front in all the problems.  

There were things, little things, in this book that made me go huh?   I hated the relationship between Aspen and her brother.   He was a jerk and knew he was but didn’t do anything to make it better.      There were times that I was confused on the timeframe or whose story I was reading.    I feel like when the point of view changed there should have been a chapter change or some notation about who was telling the story.   

Overall, I love love love Lani Lynn Vale and these Kilgore Fireman.   I know there is more to tell and I can’t wait for the next one.  

I slammed my fingers down on the keyboard, insanely annoyed that I now had to tell how fun the product was, despite the fact that the person I’d had the fun with was a douche bag.

A knock sounded at my door and I turned to glare at it.

“Who is it?” I yelled.

“You know damn well who it is. It’s the same person that’s been knocking at your door for the last twelve hours,” Drew growled.

I shrugged.  

“Go away,” I ordered him.

I could hear him sigh through the door.

“In my eyes, the marriage Constance and I had was over,” he started.

I picked up the nearest thing to me, which happened to be a half finished water bottle, and then launched it at the door.

“Go away!”

He left, but not without one last parting comment.

“I still have a few things left in that box that I want to try on you. When you’re ready, let me know.”

I glared at the box he’d just spoken about, and went back to my review.

If you’re looking for a fun, awesome thing to do with your significant other, this is the thing for you. It offers many benefits; but most importantly, it gives you time with your significant other. And, might I add, it’s totally fucking worth it. I’ve used it three times in the last two days. It’s like he’s here.

On a side note, the vibrator is not very proficient. It offers about two hours of battery life before they need replaced.

Not that I used it for two hours or anything.

Oh, who am I kidding?

I would’ve used it longer if I hadn’t run out of batteries.

I’m a married mother of three. My kids are all under 5, so I can assure you that they are a handful. I’ve been with my paramedic husband now for ten years, and we’ve produced three offspring that are nothing like us. I live in the greatest state in the world, Texas.

 

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Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley  is part of the SheReads Summer book selections.     SheReads is a community of bloggers that as a group help promote specific books.   We share reviews, thoughts, and our feelings after reading books suggested to us by the wonderful people who run the SheReadsOrganization.  

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published May 31st 2016 by Grand Central Publishing

From the Emmy, PEN, Peabody, Critics' Choice, and Golden Globe Award-winning creator of the TV show Fargo comes thethriller of the year. 

On a foggy summer night, eleven people—ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter—depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs—the painter—and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. 

With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members—including a Wall Street titan and his wife, a Texan-born party boy just in from London, a young woman questioning her path in life, and a career pilot—the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens. As the passengers' intrigues unravel, odd coincidences point to a conspiracy. Was it merely by dumb chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something far more sinister at work? Events soon threaten to spiral out of control in an escalating storm of media outrage and accusations. And while Scott struggles to cope with fame that borders on notoriety, the authorities scramble to salvage the truth from the wreckage. 

Amid pulse-quickening suspense, the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, human nature, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

My Thoughts…

A plane full of high influencing rich people crashes.   The survivors are a 4 year old boy and a painter, who is not one of the rich people.     I was hooked just reading this.   Who survives a plane crash?      The idea of life after a crash and the why of the crash had me having to read this.   One I started, I was anxious to get started, I could not stop.    Scott and JJ were people who I cared about.   I was invested in JJ finding a life again with his aunt.  Scott needed to be found innocent and not be blamed for the crash.     There was just so much that needed to be settled and solved.

The back stories of the characters that died in the crash were extremely interesting to me.    Noah Hawley did an amazing job filling in the holes.    I enjoyed how the characters were made real.    They were characters that I could see with their families, I could see them running their companies and working their jobs, and I could see how people would miss them when they were gone.      It was also interesting to see how the government agencies were forced to work together to solve the mystery.   They had to decide if there was a crime or if it was an accident.   I had my ideas, my hopes, and my prayers on what happen on that plane.    I am happy to say that I did finally figure it out before the ending.

While this wasn’t a thriller of a book, this is a have to read book.    I am going to ask my friends to read this just so I have someone to discuss it with.  

Book Links

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Watching Edie by Camilla Way

Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: July 28th 2016 by HarperCollins UK

Beautiful, creative, a little wild… Edie was the kind of girl who immediately caused a stir when she walked into your life. And she had dreams back then—but it didn’t take long for her to learn that things don’t always turn out the way you want them to.

Now, at thirty-three, Edie is working as a waitress, pregnant and alone. And when she becomes overwhelmed by the needs of her new baby and sinks into a bleak despair, she thinks that there’s no one to turn to…

But someone’s been watching Edie, waiting for the chance to prove once again what a perfect friend she can be. It’s no coincidence that Heather shows up on Edie’s doorstep, just when Edie needs her the most. So much has passed between them—so much envy, longing, and betrayal. And Edie’s about to learn a new lesson: those who have hurt us deeply—or who we have hurt—never let us go, not entirely… 

My Thoughts…

Watching Edie is a thriller.   I enjoyed every page, some of the more than others.

 The characters of Edie and Heather were not characters that I could relate to or feel something for.    I am not exactly sure why as they were both realistic.   They were teenagers with home lives that were not “normal.”  The parents of these girls brought them up with high expectations, no or little support, and other family issues.    While I don’t always believe parents are responsible for their adult children they are responsible for their teenage children.      These parents pushed their teenagers to act out and this caused their adult lives to not be good. 

 I did enjoy that the book was written in two timeframes.   Heather’s story is told from the past.   Edie’s is the current story.    I liked that I knew why their relationship is how it is.   I also enjoyed how Camilla Way didn’t just spill all the secrets right in the beginning and pulled the story out until the very end of the story.   There were times that I had guesses as to what the fall out between the two of was.   The twists and turns were wonderful.  Keeping me guessing, keeping me reading, keeping me turning page after page.  

I believe that every book has its readers.    This one will have some that love it and some that don’t.   Watching Edie is not a book for everyone.

Book Links

Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble   |   Goodreads

“WATCHING EDIE is a very devious suspense that author Camilla Way ends with an extremely interesting twist.”—Suspense Magazine

“Way expertly explores the dark side of friendship in her psychological suspense debut….The shocking revelation about what happened to change these two women’s lives casts a surprising light on each character’s motives.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"Odds are you'll need to read this one in a single sitting….Sure to make you look twice at the people you call your pals.”—Bustle

“…a psychological thriller that is impossible to set down.”—Booklist

The Angel's Share (The Bourbon Kings #2) by J.R. Ward

 Kindle Edition, 432 pages

Expected publication: July 26th 2016 by NAL

#1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward delivers the second novel in her Bourbon Kings series—a sweeping saga of a Southern dynasty struggling to maintain a façade of privilege and prosperity, while secrets and indiscretions threaten its very foundation…

In Charlemont, Kentucky, the Bradford family is the crème de la crème of high society—just like their exclusive brand of bourbon. And their complicated lives and vast estate are run by a discrete staff who inevitably become embroiled in their affairs. This is especially true now, when the apparent suicide of the family patriarch is starting to look more and more like murder…

No one is above suspicion—especially the eldest Bradford son, Edward. The bad blood between him and his father is known far and wide, and he is aware that he could be named a suspect. As the investigation into the death intensifies, he keeps himself busy at the bottom of a bottle—as well as with his former horse trainer’s daughter. Meanwhile, the family’s financial future lies in the perfectly manicured hands of a business rival, a woman who wants Edward all to herself.

Everything has consequences; everybody has secrets. And few can be trusted. Then, at the very brink of the family’s demise, someone thought lost to them forever returns to the fold. Maxwell Bradford has come home. But is he a savior...or the worst of all the sinners? 

My Thoughts…

As I finished Bourbon Kings, book one of this series, (my review HERE) I had so many questions.   There were so many characters that I wanted to know more about.    When I picked up The Angel’s Share I was hoping and praying that this would be Edward’s time to share his story.   While there was a lot about Edward there was also a lot about the other characters that I had grown to care about.   Lane and Lizzie were able to have their relationship grow, Gin is still being interesting, and Max is still mysterious. 

J.R. Ward has such a way with words that I didn’t always realize how long I had read.  I sat down to read a chapter or two and ended up reading for over an hour because I was so into the story.     The descriptions of the characters made them seem so realistic to me that I was in the rooms they were in, I was invested in the issues they were dealing with, and I was hoping for happy endings for them all.    I am not sure that I have ever seen a more dysfunctional family yet they are a family I would love to be a part of. 

The Bourbon Kings Series is phenomenal.    I am already pulled into this series and anxious for the next book to be released.     The Bradford family is wonderful, the southern setting is breathtaking, and the story is magnificent. 

Book Links

Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   Barnes and Noble

Praise for The Bourbon Kings

“Breathless fun! J. R. Ward moves her trademark dark and sexy from the world of warrior vampires to the halls of the Kentucky elite, where the family members’ claws are just as sharp and the consequences just as deadly. I couldn’t stop turning the pages!”

—New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner

“With more devious characters than Dynasty, The Bourbon Kings is juicy soap opera at its finest.”

—The Philadelphia Enquirer 

“Soapy elements abound in this Dynastyesque tale, from lavish wealth to feuds, dirty secrets, and forbidden love…Ward is a master of pacing and world building, and readers will love that the cliff-hanger ending guarantees at least a second helping of the Bradfords.”

—Booklist (starred review)

RS Lit Cool Contemporary Reads Contest

Rock Star Lit is pleased to announce our Cool Contemporary Reads contest for Summer of 2016!

Enter below to win ebooks, signed books, gift cards or a beach bag filled with cool items!
Featuring these great authors:

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She Poured Out Her Heart by Jean Thompson

Hardcover, 432 pages

Published May 31st 2016 by Blue Rider Press

National Book Award finalist Jean Thompson traces the complicated friendship of two very different women who meet in college. In the tradition of her bestselling novel The Year We Left Home, Thompson has crafted a novel of remarkable psychological suspense, cast with the kinds of deeply realized characters that have been heralded as “emotionally fluid” and “deeply familiar.”

The night that Jane and Bonnie meet on a college campus sets them on paths forever entwined. Bonnie, the wild and experimental one, always up for anything, has spent the past two decades bouncing between ill-fated relationships; while Jane, whose seemingly perfect life, perfect husband, and perfect children appear to have materialized out of a fantasy. But these appearances contradict the quiet, inescapable doubt Jane feels about her life. One night, in the middle of her own Christmas party, she steps outside into the snow, removes her clothing and shoes, and lies down in the backyard. When she is discovered, nothing is the same for anyone. As Jane begins to have visions and retreat into a private inner world, Bonnie finds herself drawn inevitably into an affair with Jane’s husband.

Thompson’s mastery of complex emotion begets a novel of desire and the nature of love—who we love, how we’re loved, and, most important, that we reach urgently and always for a higher love, regardless of our circumstances. She Poured Out Her Heart is a finely wrought, haunting story of female friendship and deception, and the distance in between. 

My Thoughts…

Jane and Bonnie, friends since college, are leading very different lives.   Their lives are still intertwined but they have gone in different directions.  

I could relate to Jane’s life with the husband, kids, and running the household.      The stress, the exhaustion, and the hum drum of the same day after day are all things I could understand.   What I couldn’t understand is her feelings about being pregnant and raising the kids.    She struggles, she doesn’t ask for help (maybe she didn’t know she needed it), and she pretends all is well.    This explains so much of why her life changes.     There are major changes.  I was worried about her.   When her story ended I still continued to worry about her.  

Bonnie I could not relate to.   She lived a wild life.  She never settles down, except in her job which was chaotic to say the least.   While sticking her nose in everyone’s business, she didn’t hold herself accountable for her actions.      I value my friendships with my family, friends, and co-workers which is something that she did not do.      Even her best friend is not valued.     Her ending redeemed herself somewhat in my eyes although I think she still has a lot of  growing up to do.  

She Poured Her Heart Out is not a book for everyone.   I started it unsure of what I was going to read and found that I could not put it down.    

Book Links

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