Monday, August 20

Review: Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid


Title: Dr. Strange Beard (Winston Brothers #5)
Author: Penny Reid
My Copy: Author
BookWhisperer's Rating



Hunches, horse races, and heartbreak

Ten years after Simone Payton broke his heart, all Roscoe Winston wants is a doughnut. He’d also like to forget her entirely, but that’s never going to happen. Roscoe remembers everything—every look, every word, every single unrequited second—and the last thing he needs is another memory of Simone.

Unfortunately, after one chance encounter, Simone keeps popping up everywhere he happens to be . . .

Ten years after Roscoe Winston dropped out of her life, all Simone Payton wants is to exploit him. She’d also like some answers from her former best friend about why he ghosted her, but if she never gets those answers, that’s a-okay. Simone let go of the past a long time ago. Seriously, she has. She totally, totally has. She is definitely not still thinking about Roscoe. Nope. She’s more than happy to forget he exists.

But first, she needs just one teeny-tiny favor . . .
Oh, my dear, sweet, lovely, Penny Reid.  How I long to be your best friend in real life.  How I long to pay you in doughnuts and coffee (or tea) to hear all of your thoughts and plans for all of your future characters.  Because every book...every. single. book. does this to me.  I am so wrapped up in the Winston brothers and so happy that I got a sneak peek for all the lovelies that come for Roscoe and Simone.  She is back at home and working in her parent's diner (if that is not a tip-off that something is up then I don't know what is.)  And things are about to get stirred up with Roscoe realizes that Simone is back but just not for the weekend.

If I was being held at gun point and had to describe Simone in just one word (because I would want to describe her in so many words) it would be fiery. FI-ER-Y!  She's one of those women that you just want to be like when you grow up.  Simone knew what she wanted to do for a living and achieved it.  She has her life together and in general just rocks.  And really, I don't think I even have to mention how much Roscoe rocks - but if you need to know, he does as well. Their story is slightly heartbreaking, so sweet, a bit of danger, and filled with wonderful things.  I'm going to go ahead and admit this now, because I do not see it changing anytime in the future, all the Winston brothers are characters that I absolutely love and want to ball them all up into one man and then I want to marry that man.  


Penny Reid just knows how to write real, actual human beings who have problems, who struggle through them, and who may or may not overcome them - and that's okay.  But these fictional characters that she creates, with these interweaving Winston worlds, make bookworms like me happy to be a bookworm and happy to find joy in reading.

Sunday, August 19

Review: Circe by Madeline Miller

Title: Circe
By: Madeline Miller
My Copy: Book of the Month
The BookWhisperer's Rating: 




In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.




Ever since my high school Latin class, I have loved the stories of the gods and goddesses.  How they ruled and reigned with their strength and wraith.

Usually, in most stories, there are clearly the bad guys and the good guys (bad gods/goddesses vs. good gods/goddesses) however Circe led with a different approach.  Never a rotten bone in her, little Circe ran through her father's house with a sweet and naive innocence about her.  Growing up changed that for Circe.  Learning that while she could not be powerful like her father, Circe learned another way from her siblings on how to possess strength.  Using witchcraft, our goddess comes close to possessing what she longs for, however it all goes disastrously wrong.

There are many things that kept me drawn to Circe's story.  I seemed to develop a love for her and rooted for her throughout the whole book.  While not quite a normal goddess, she worked with what she could get and cultivated her island.  For living a life of solitude, Circe has plenty of visitors, some good and some bad.  These visitors tested her soul and wisdom in her witchcraft so that she could protect herself and those that she loved. Now Circe is no longer sweet and naive but vengeful.  But out of all of those visitors, Odysseus seemed to bring out the best version of her. I admire how her armor came off and a new Circe emerged.  Odysseus' stories let Circe live out in the real word, beyond the shores of her island.  It was like she could live a normal life.  No longer a prisoner to her island, it was a space that they could share.  I was overjoyed for her at this possibility.  But like always, the wind changes, Circe's life changes, and the book takes on a whole new chapter.

I will say that my favorite event is the very last page.  Pure perfection!

Wednesday, August 8

Cover Reveal: The Truth About Lies by Aly Martinez


Today we are sharing the incredible cover for the first book in The Truth Duet by Aly Martinez. Check it out below, along with the blurb for the title. The Truth About Lies will be releasing on August 23rd! The second title in the duet, The Truth About Us, will be releasing on September 13th!

Be sure to follow Aly's newsletter to be notified when the books are live.







The Truth About Lies (The Truth Duet, #1)

Coming August 23


Synopsis:

Truth: From over a thousand miles away, I watched on the screen of my phone as two men murdered my wife. And I was helpless to save her.
Consumed by hate and rage, I spent four years running from my memories.
Until a shattered woman gave me a reason to stop.
Cora lived in a nightmare, but through sheer force of will, she’d turned it into something beautiful. She had a smile that could pierce the darkest soul. And with one glance, she shredded mine.
Lie: I was only there for a fresh start.
Lie: I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Lie: There was nothing I could do to save her, either.
But that’s the thing about lies—you never know who to believe.



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You won't want to miss this amazing series! Click here to get the links as soon as they're live, and to hear about giveaways and events for this duet.

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AUTHOR INFORMATION:



Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four young children.

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, mystery leggings, and baked feta. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.




AUTHOR LINKS:

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