​

Let me start off by saying, you do not need to read the first three books in the Hot in Magnolia series by Minette Lauren in order to understand and enjoy Gingerbread Kisses. However, I do HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you do because that’s basically what I want to do right now after reading this fantastic book!

If you’re new to my reviews, let me say HI. I LOVE ROMANCE NOVELS. Sometimes I’m rather picky with the ones I read, and sometimes I leave myself open for what may. Sadly, sometimes the latter comes out with less than desired results. But happily - that wasn’t the case with Gingerbread Kisses! 

This lovely book had so many aspects that I loved. It was steamy and swoon-worthy! I absolutely love when a romance story can give me the happy feelings. One would think that the focus of this story would be purely on Ginger and Roland, but there was a great mix of also having some focus on Noah and Lexie. Like a lot of readers who did not start with the earlier books of this series, I didn’t realize that Noah and Lexie had their beginning in a previous book at first. However, Lauren does a wonderful job in roping in their story with the present meaning that I didn’t feel slighted in the least when it came to their bits in the story. I definitely want to know more though, so I plan to revisit them when I am able to read the rest of the books in this series. 

I enjoyed the background of this story - the small town setting juxtaposed with Ginger’s “big time” problem made for a fun and entertaining story. There’s honestly nothing I love more in my romance books than a great combination of quirky characters, angst-lite drama, and just a great deal of chemistry between the characters. I am such a character-driven reader and Gingerbread Kisses gave me that and so much more with it’s small town feel. There is a perfect balance for me in this book, and I recommend it to all readers who love romance stories with quirky and lovable characters. 

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONESTAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH STOP ON THE TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, or visit the blogs directly:
5/25/21 
Excerpt 
Hall Ways Blog 

5/25/21 
Character Spotlight 
Forgotten Winds 

5/26/21 
Review 
StoreyBook Reviews 

5/26/21 
BONUS Promo 
LSBBT Blog 

5/27/21 
Review 
Julia Picks 1 

5/28/21 
Character Interview 
That's What She's Reading 

5/28/21 
Review 
Reading by Moonlight 

5/29/21 
Excerpt 
All the Ups and Downs 

5/30/21 
Bonus Scene 
Chapter Break Book Blog 

5/31/21 
Review 
It's Not All Gravy 

6/1/21 
Author Interview 
The Clueless Gent 

6/1/21 
Review 
Carpe Diem Chronicles 

6/2/21 
Sneak Peek 
The Page Unbound 

6/2/21 
Review 
Jennie Reads 

6/3/21 
Review 
Book Fidelity 

6/3/21 
Review 
Missus Gonzo 

 

​It Happened on Thunder Road
By Susan Antony
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
 
Brief description
 
When Emmy Russo returns to high school in Moncks Corner, South Carolina after summer break, she discovers some changes. First: Mom has a boyfriend. Second: the cute new student, Charlie Fields, is a Rockabilly greaser with a gang who obeys his every command. Third: attractive Keir Harper wants to be more than just her best friend. And fourth: a perplexed Emmy soon finds herself drawn to two extremely different boys. How do you choose between sweet and smoldering? Then tragedy strikes on desolate Thunder Road. Strange things start happening, with Emmy in the middle of it all. Intent on finding the truth, she must fight for her heart, her life, maybe even her soul. Because someone wants to possess all of Emmy. And they will be together, no matter what the cost. For eternity.

​About the Author
 
Susan Antony is an aspiring Renaissance woman who never shies from a challenge. Not only does she have a degree in the Liberal Arts, she has a degree in Automotive Technology. She currently works in the IT department at a local Charleston hospital. Susan lives with her teenaged son and two behaviorally-challenged Cairn Terriers. To maintain her sanity, she cherishes her Friday evenings dancing the night away!
 
FB: https://www.facebook.com/SusanAntonyCS
Twitter :https://twitter.com/SusanAntonyCS
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Happened-Thunder-Road-Susan-Antony/dp/1509235329
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57309229-it-happened-on-thunder-road
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/it-happened-on-thunder-road-susan-antony/1139026607
 
 
Excerpt
We faced each other for a beat or two. Then he placed his arm around my shoulder and took my hand in his, positioning his body a respectable distance away. We danced, slow and reserved at first, but as the singer’s wails intensified, so did Charlie’s moves. His hips swayed from side to side, and he inched closer to me, smidgen by smidgen, until his pelvis ground against my hipbones.
Our bodies melded, moving together in perfect synchronicity. Side to side. Back and forth. He moved his hand to my lower back and pulled me closer. I took in a quick, sharp breath. He
“You know, baby,” he murmured, “You and me have more than chemistry. We have fire. Not the easy kind of fire you can make from a box of matches, but the kind of fire you get when you rub two sticks together. I’m all yours if you want me.”
The world around me blurred as if I were watching it through thick lenses. I imagined Charlie’s lips against mine. I imagined him shirtless, propped above me, his triceps bulging as he slowly lowered his chest—mine rising toward his, beckoning him closer. He groaned a low animal-like sound. It drew me to him.
And I wanted him bad.
I wanted our bodies to burn in Hell together for all eternity.
What was happening? Had I lost my mind? I wasn’t ready. Was I?
No.
Spasms of panic surged from my loins to the deepest recesses in my brain. In a sharp snap, the imaginary lenses cracked, and through the broken glass was a clear image of a boy with kind eyes and a halo of yellow hair.
Keir was my angel, and I was dancing with the devil. A devil who would betray his brother. A devil who would convince me to betray him as well.
I shuddered and pressed my free hand, fiercely against his shoulder. He clutched me tighter.
“Charlie, please. We can’t do this.”
“Why not?” he demanded.
I took in a long, ragged breath. “Because I don’t want to hurt Keir. He likes me.”
He forced a laugh and loosened his grip. My hand  slipped from his, and he leaned toward me. His chin brushed against my cheek, and flesh bumps shimmied down my spine.
“That was the right answer, New Jersey,” he whispered in a throaty voice. “Welcome to the gang.”

I'm introducing a new feature to my blog to spotlight my favorite authors in various genres. Sometimes you come across an author that you cannot help but love everything they put out into the world. 

The author I'm bringing to you today is Talia Hibbert. She has become more well known with her Brown Sisters series, but she has been in the game for quite some time now. 

My love story with Hibbert's books began with a gorgeous novel called A Girl Like Her. It is the first book in the Ravenswood series. 
​

A Girl Like Her  is probably the first book I ever read that included a leading female character that was not only Black, but was also on the Autism spectrum. Ruth is considered the "black sheep" in Ravenswood and she's keen to stay away from the world in her apartment filled with comic books. Ruth's new neighbor, Evan, slowly and oh-so-patiently gets to know her and eventually, you guessed it, falls in love with her.

I loved this book for many reasons. Like I mentioned before, the MC is a Black female on the Autism spectrum. However, I also loved this book because Ruth has family that does not give up on her and are quirky and lovable on their own. And Evan. I loved Evan. I loved him for his emotions, for his patience (though, if you were to ask him, there was no thanks needed because he just is with Ruth), and ultimately for his ability to think about people other than himself. I love that in my imaginary and real people. 

Then there are the books that Hibbert has become widely known for, the Brown Sisters series. With this we have:  Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Take a Hint, Dani Brown, and ​Act Your Age, Eve Brown. 

The main characters in these three books are sisters, they are Black, and each has an internal battle. Chloe has chronic pain and feels she should live life more. Dani is a commitment-phobic academic focused completely on her academic career. Eve is constantly being told to focus on finding a career and never feels good enough.

Each of these books stole my heart for different reasons. If you look about Instagram and people's posts about these stories, you'll find that people try and identify which Brown sister they are most like. I, to my great amusement, am a bit of each for various reasons. However, if I were like any sister...I'm an Eve, through and through. 

These books are funny and heartfelt. Eve Brown in particular really hit me. It is not difficult to identify with feelings of doubt, not being good enough, or not trusting your own judgement because of what others have told you in the past. 

Just like in A Girl Like Her, the leading men in each of these stories has their own emotional journey. They are, or eventually become, comfortable with talking about their own fears and doubts. The men in Talia Hibbert's world are allowed to feel and communicate and I love it. 

Something to add about Hibbert is that her books ALWAYS have a list of possible trigger warnings at the beginning of the book (I wish more authors would do this). And also, do not let the cartoon covers fool you - these books are damn sexy and a bit dirty in the best of ways. 

Hibbert has many other stories that I have yet to read (and a novella entitled Mating the Huntress that I have read and thoroughly enjoyed. It's Halloween themed!). Believe me when I say this, I will read them all. And you know what? You should try them out too ;)

You know those gripping action movies that seem to have a little bit of everything? Factor 7 is basically that, right down to the thrills that keep you turning each page to find out more. Lucky for me, I've been looking for more of a thrilling read lately to cleanse my reading palate. 

I found the characters of the doctors, Sam Hawkins and Rainee Arienzo, to have been written so well and in a captivating manner. Anyone who reads my blog knows that I am a character-driven reader. If I don't like the characters, I basically can't really like the book. What I found in Factor 7 was a pair of characters I cared about and who found themselves unwilling partners in a grand adventure - so much of my reading catnip consists of this premise right here. 

The backdrops, each place that was visited, and the scientific background of the story were all so well researched. Don't let that make you think that the story reads sterile or cold at times - it does not at all! Instead, just like a thriller of an action movie, it adds seasoning to a very well told story. 

There is a love affair in this story. I mention this because it some people might see this as a hindrance. If you take a look at my blog, you will see that I most certainly see this as a plus (haha). 

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspenseful, gripping read. You will not regret it!

Get a Life, Chloe Brown
by Talia Hibbert

Synopsis

Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion. The next items?

• Enjoy a drunken night out.
• Ride a motorcycle.
• Go camping.
• Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
• Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
• And... do something bad. 

But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job. 

Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit. 

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…

You know - sometimes a book comes along that is almost everything you never thought you’d get in a book. That is what Talia Hibbert’s Get a Life, Chloe Brown ​has been for me. This book is full of all kinds of representation. Chloe is black, has a chronic illness, and deals with social difficulties. Red is a “tough” guy who has experienced quite a bit in his past (I can’t say because I consider it an important spoiler) and who has a tendency to be prejudice toward women who seem to have money and a bad/entitled attitude. 

I instantly fell for Chloe. She is so funny, caring, take no bullshit-say no bullshit kind of person.  This was made even more special because the author does not make chronic illness to be Chloe’s identity. It is a part of who she is, of course, but she is portrayed as a flesh-and-blood, determined, and truly just hilarious person who happens to have a chronic illness. There isn’t a magical cure and the road to happiness isn’t easy - just like I wouldn’t expect it to be. I took a little more time loving Red, but only because he got the wrong idea about Chloe from the get-go and I find that to be an annoying behavior. I might have also become so in love with Chloe Brown that I was feeling a bit protective of her haha! However! That was just a smidgen of a feeling against Red because he is quite lovable in his own way. Both characters have their walls built up and Talia Hibbert has written them in such a way that it’s impossible not to join them on their individual and joined journeys. Believe me, you will become invested in these characters and their stories. I mean, look at me! I talk about them like they’re real!

(Honestly, if Chloe were a real person, I would love to be friends with her. We can be funny and awkward together.)

I recommend this book to everyone. For some of us, we will hopefully feel “seen” and the perspective will help others get a hint of living on the other side of the coin. All in all, this book is hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. I might have cried while reading it. Maybe. 

Let me know what you think if you read it! I’m currently reading the second book in the series, Take a Hint, Dani Brown​ and loving it so far!