#FitReaders & General Update

Hello everyone! Jasprit & I have been a little scarce lately. Both of us have had a lot going on in our lives but we thought we'd pop in and give a quick update. 

Rachel

What I've been reading:

(click on cover for Goodreads link)

 

It's no secret that I've been addicted to romantic suspense lately, and even those these two titles fall into that category they're very different. Compulsion is the 2nd Max Revere novel (loved the first), she's an investigative reporter intent on finding justice and the truth for victims and families. This is very much a procedural crime investigation with a little bit of romance thrown in. I just got to a very scary part and I'm biting my nails nervously over what's going to happen!  Fan the Flames is the 2nd in the the Search & Rescue series and I'm loving it! There's a bit more romance in this one. Ian = SWOON!


Jasprit

Hi all, I hope you all haven't forgotten me, the two back to back family weddings that I've had, have me completely swamped! I've been acting like an Uber taxi driver taking family back and forth to the wedding house (my cousins), I thought that with the two weeks off from work, I'd be able to get a lot of reading done, but nope, I read 0 books in two weeks! Honestly I don't even know what I'm in the mood for anymore, so please hit me up with your book recommendations or even buddy reads!!

My cousin and I 

What I've been up to:

Rachel:
I've been on a lot of trips lately and while they were fun I'm happy to been home for a while! I won't bore you with details but here are a few pictures:

 Golden Gate Bridge

 

 Hawaii

 Southern California Coast

Jasprit

I didn't get to visit all the pretty places like Rachel did, I didn't even get to visit my gym in two weeks :( but the last month has been a manic but great one. The lovely Allie came to visit and we attended a wonderful chocolate making workshop, where we made our own truffles and chocolates, we stuffed our faces the entire day and then we got to revel in Leicester becoming Premier League champions!

Allie and I at the Leicester parade

It's been a celebrity sighting month for me too, I bumped into one of the Leicester players just before the parade in town, and an incredible DJ and Punjabi singer who I've been a fan of since ages! Of course like usual I was a mouse when meeting the Leicester player and DJ, but was able to squeak out some words when talking to the singer JK, one day I will be able to formulate a coherent sentence next time I'm with someone famous!

DJ AJD and JK 

Although I haven't been reading much, I was able to watch two amazing films back to back last week; Me Before You and X-Men: Apocalypse. Me Before You was everything I could have imagined it to be, the book to film adaptation was done wonderfully, the cast for me was spot on and I was delighted to see Brax from Home and Away cast as Nathan. Of course I was an emotional mess in the end, but the film was definitely worth it! And X-Men: Apocalypse reignited my passion for the X-Men comics and cartoons I had as a child, I wasn't  huge fan of the last X-Men film, but seriously this film went all out, that I had to go an order the box set of the films just so that I can watch them all over, also I can never resist Michael Fassbender! ;)

#FitReaders is hosted by Jen @That's What I'm Talking About and Felicia @TheGeekyBlogger.

Here's our progress for the last week:

Rachel:

I've been experiencing some knee pain so I took it a little easy with running. I looked up this article with exercises developed to strengthen areas of the body to take pressure off the knees and have been doing the exercises. I've also been taking a supplement to help with joints. Taking a rest has helped and I'm hoping the exercises will, too, because I've become addicted to running!

Friday:  21,267 steps

Saturday:  10,248 steps

Sunday:   5,960 steps

Monday:  12,989 steps

Tuesday:   17,025 steps 

Wednesday: 10,188 steps 

Thursday: 14,208 steps 

Total steps: 91,885 steps

Jasprit:

I barely hit my daily goal these last two weeks (except for the days of the reception hall party, where I smashed it with all the dancing!). But work decided to get busy straight after my break, but with two workweek hustles this week, they really pushed me to hitting more steps again!

Friday: 20,296 steps

Saturday: 8,227 steps

Sunday: 8,282 steps 

Monday: 15,513 steps

Tuesday: 19,282 steps

Wednesday: 16,969 steps

Thursday: 20,023 steps

Total steps: 108,592 steps

Short & Tweetish Review #7 Deep Dark by Laura Griffin

I'm back to doing a Short & Tweetish Review (There's no way I can keep it to 140 characters!).  This style of reviewing was introduced to me by Mary@The Book Swarm  and Karen's @For What It's Worth. 

Deep Dark (Tracers #10) by Laura Griffin
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication date: May 24th 2016
My rating:  4 stars Amazon | B&N | TBD | GRs

My Thoughts:

Loved the age difference and the opposites attract romance here!  Laney was only twenty-four and Reed thirty-eight, but they had instant chemistry and attraction.  Laney was a young, edgy computer genius, with pink highlights, not Reed’s usual type. Reed is a conventional clean-cut cop and definitely not Laney’s usual type, either, but, boy, Reed was very male in the best way possible, and they just clicked together!

As for the mystery, I was keep guessing and on the edge of my seat with lots of revelations, danger and twists! I loved all the crime procedural bits, and piecing together all the clues, technical and otherwise. The technical aspects, computer/software details seemed very well researched and cutting-edge.  Laura Griffin is writes top-notch mystery/romantic suspense and I plan on adding all her backlist to my TBR.

 

Review: Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle

Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue #1) by Katie Ruggle
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication date: April 5th 2016
My rating: 4 stars 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

 

In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...

As the captain of Field County's ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook is driven to perfection. But when he meets new diver Louise "Lou" Sparks, all that hard-won order is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he's never felt more alive...even if keeping her safe may just kill him.

Lou's new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she's determined to make it on her own terms...no matter how tempting Callum may be. But when a routine training exercise unearths a body, Lou and Callum find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who will stop at nothing to silence Lou-and prove that not even her new Search and Rescue family can keep her safe forever.

My Thoughts:

As a fan of romantic suspense I’ve read quite a few.  Some super addictive, some okay, and others not-so-much, so I’m always excited when I find one that’s really good!  Hold Your Breath had me hooked from the beginning, and I plan on gobbling up the rest of the series!

Lou Sparks is a new addition to the Search and Rescue dive-team in a tiny town in Colorado. Even though her team leader, Callum, is tough, stoic and barely cracks a smile, Lou can’t help the big crush she has on him or what a bumbling mess she turns into when Callum’s around.  He’s hot, strong, focused and so good at what he does, so how can Lou resist? 

While on a training exercise Lou dislodges a body from the icy depths and her quizzical side can’t let the mystery go.  Who was this man, and why did someone kill him?  In addition to that mystery, Lou is the target of some nasty, dangerous pranks that start to take on a sinister tone.  Surprisingly, Lou finds help in Callum.  He won’t leave her side once it’s apparent she’s in danger and also intent on solving the mystery behind the body that popped up. 

I thought Lou was a little ditzy at first, and she is a little clutzy when Callum’s around, but that’s mostly from nerves.  Anyone with a mad crush could relate.  I certainly can!  In reality, Lou’s pretty strong and intelligent, and displayed the courage to leave when her life in Connecticut was proceeding without her control, thanks to a possessive boyfriend and steamroller parents. Callum was a bit more of a mystery to me for a lot of the book because we didn’t get his point of view, and that’s the only reason I didn’t rate this book higher, but I still loved his character! He was protective and possessive, and his hard exterior cracked bit by bit spending time with Lou.

Lou’s situation becomes more and more dangerous as the story progresses, but she was smart in her responses.  It’s so frustrating when a heroine makes unbelievably stupid decisions and I was relieved this wasn’t the case with Lou.  The mystery behind the dead body isn’t completely solved, so I’m sure it will be picked up in the next book, Fan the Flames.  It’s already loaded on my Kindle and I’m excited that it will feature Ian, the hunky firefighter/motorcycle club member! Can’t wait!

 Connect with Katie Ruggle:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

 

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Publication Date: May 3rd 2016
My rating: 3 stars 

Feyre is immortal. After rescuing her lover Tamlin from a wicked Faerie Queen, she returns to the Spring Court possessing the powers of the High Fae. But Feyre cannot forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people - nor the bargain she made with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre is drawn ever deeper into Rhysand's dark web of politics and passion, war is looming and an evil far greater than any queen threatens to destroy everything Feyre has fought for. She must confront her past, embrace her gifts and decide her fate. She must surrender her heart to heal a world torn in two.

I’m completely torn as to how I feel about this book, I loved, absolutely loved A Court of Thorns and Roses and I loved both Rhys and Tamlin’s characters, they had the potential to bring so much more to the next book and honestly I couldn’t in particular wait to get more of Rhys, to see how his character would develop, he’d left me wanting so much more. But with this book I kind of was annoyed about the way things unfolded. I know I’m most likely to be the black sheep when it comes to this book, which I’m sort of angry with myself about, but honestly throughout all I wanted to sing was Neyo’s song Let me love you, because that’s really all I wanted to do.

Now major character changes is a big no no for me, there’s been so many series which I loved and backed a character from the beginning, only for the author to completely change said character in the next book and I’m like where the heck did that come from? And with A Court of Mist and Fury, I was slightly flabbergasted, okay so certain things I couldn’t believe this character was doing, like with everything they’d shown in the first book, their love and affection, where had it gone? I could understand them wanting to protect this person with all of their life, but other things I couldn’t understand. And then another character constantly shames that character for what they did, this really miffed me off. It’s like this persons missing for the majority of the book, they haven’t explained or been able to why they did those things and to be honest at the beginning, I only thought a few things were harsh, so the constant doubting of their relationship afterwards really got to me. The relationship was everything in A Court of Thorns and Roses and for it to come to this I really couldn’t understand how this was possible. Maas completely destroyed a character in my eyes. One of the best. Also before I was really looking forward to seeing the smartarse character I loved in Rhys came back, but even though we did get glimpses of this, he was a different character. I did appreciate this side that we got to see of him, it was certainly one that I wasn’t expecting, but I just felt things changed so quickly. Yes he was there, he gave the space that was necessary and let this person be who they wanted without completely trying to control them. But two months for it to go from that to this? It was just too much for me to wrap my head around. 

Now I’m not completely writing off this book, but the way that was dealt with was too much for me to deal with. But that aspect aside there was a lot of great things that was bought to the story that really kept this book going for me. Firstly the new set of characters I was a huge fan of. With the characters I’d already become to love in A Court of Thorns and Roses I didn’t think I could have room in my heart for anymore, but Cassian, Azriel, Mor and even Amren found their way in. They were such a diverse set of characters; strong, quirky but also so dangerous that at first I was a little unsure of them, but the more time I spent with them, the more I realised how much I missed them when they weren’t around. They were willing to risk their lives for someone they barely knew, and in my eyes that’s a massive thing for me.

I also appreciated Maas world building, at any one point I never knew what was around the corner, the story telling was immense! And that ending, after everything I’d been through it really did break my heart. All in all I’m still really conflicted about A Court of Mist and Fury, some aspects I loved the heck out of and others not so much, but like I said the way things were left I’m more than likely to give the next book a go, because of course I need to know how things end up.

Review & Giveaway: Only Beloved by Mary Balogh

Only Beloved (Survivors' Club #7) by Mary Balogh
Publisher: Signet
Publication date: May 3rd 2016
My rating: 4.5 stars 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

 

From the legendary New York Times bestselling author of Only a Kiss and Only a Promise comes the final book in the rapturous Survivor’s Club series—as the future of one man lies within the heart of a lost but never-forgotten love...

For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again.

Dora Debbins relinquished all hope to marry when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she’s left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then one afternoon, an unexpected visitor makes it come true.

For both George and Dora that brief first encounter was as fleeting as it was unforgettable. Now is the time for a second chance. And while even true love comes with a risk, who are two dreamers to argue with destiny?

My Thoughts:

Mary Balogh’s historical romance series has been lovely.  The past characters have come through the Napoleonic Wars with physical, mental, and emotional scars, but survived and triumphed with the help of the fellow Survivors’ Club members.  These members met and recuperated at Penderris Hall, and its owner George Crabbe, the Duke of Stanbrook, helped each of them. 

Forty-eight year old George didn’t fight in the war, but his son was killed and soon after his wife threw herself off a cliff because she was so overcome with grief that she didn’t want to live.  Twelve years later, George is at a point in his life where he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. The idea of marriage and companionship is something he can’t stop thinking about, but only with one woman in his mind: Dora Debbins.  George met Dora while at one of the Survivors’ Clubs yearly gatherings and was taken with her understated beauty, “serene dignity”, and amazing musical talent.  And so George goes to propose a marriage of contentment, companionship, and physical relations, but without the offer of romantic or passionate love.  George felt like he was past the age to offer that kind of fanciful romance, but of course, I was hoping he’d be proved wrong! Why should age exclude someone from that kind of love?

Thirty-nine year-old Dora is considered a spinster and has given up any hope of marriage at this point. However, she doesn’t regret putting her life on hold to care for her younger sister when their mother left while Dora was just seventeen and Agnes was five.  Plus, Dora has a fulfilling life as a music teacher, something Dora loves to do and makes a decent living at. Even if she is lonely at times, Dora still leads a mostly content and happy life.  But when George arrives and proposes, her stomach turns to butterflies, because she can hardly believe she’d have a chance to experience the joys of marriage, physical and emotional closeness, and with a Duke, no less! With George’s offer on the table Dora can now admit that she was impressed and infatuated with him when she met him all those months ago.  And it feels like her life has turned into a fairytale.

Dora quickly realizes that while George is an excellent and compassionate listener, deriving happiness from helping others work through their past pain, he is very tight-lipped about his own demons.  Dora wonders if he’ll ever open up to her and allow her completely in or will she have to accept that her husband will always keep a portion of himself closed to her?

This romance was very touching, and it was gratifying to see Dora get her happily-ever-after after putting her life on hold, and giving up on the idea of marriage.  George and Dora gave so much of themselves to help others, so I wanted nothing but happiness and love for them. This story was very much about how the past shapes us, and George was very instrumental in helping Dora reconcile with the past and move away from some of the hurt.  George just needed a little more time accepting reciprocal help.  I appreciated the patience and understanding Dora showed, not pushing too hard, but showing her willingness to accept whatever George told her without judgment.

Ms. Balogh skillfully creates multi-layered characters with an insightful look into what makes them tick.  I loved the gradual increase of respect, affection and love between George and Dora. I loved that it was a mature romance with older characters (yes, there is life after forty, thank you so much!). And as icing on the cake, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending and epilogue/update on the past characters in the series.  It was so very heartwarming to see how far everyone has come and their continued happiness in the future.  With that said, Only Beloved can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone. The entire series is wonderful, and I think it would be a winner for any historical romance fan.

Connect with Mary Balogh:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

The lovely people at Signet graciously provided a Paperback Copy of Only Beloved to one Readers Den Follower.  The giveaway is open to US and CA residents only.  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.