Review: Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Catherine takes us step in step into her dark past and the post-traumatic world she now lives in. Having barely escaped alive from an abusive man she lives with OCD and has some major trust issues. It was so interesting to see how her normal world changed into a scary one and now into a dysfunctional life where she spends her days checking and double-checking locks, obsesses over what to wear, when to wear and which days to buy groceries. All this is the result of her terrible experience with Lee, the man who tormented her and held her under his control during their relationship. I like seeing both Cathy's past and present. It was interesting to see how events unfolded and how she came to be. When Lee is released it turns suspenseful and I anticipated every move. It wasn't easy for her but I was proud to see Cathy begin to trust again and gain strength to face her future.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Genre: General Fiction, Thriller

Winner

The winner from the Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop has been randomly selected and contacted.

Congratulations, 

Ash, you've won The Perfect Game by J. Sterling

Best Love Stories

These are some of my favorite love stories. They made me cry, smile and fall in love. I know not every love story is going to be easy but that means they tend to be emotional and those are the kinds I enjoy best. In fact, I like for a love story to take work and go through good and bad times. I picked the ones that stayed with me long after.

The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred All I can say is keep plenty of tissues handy! It's a second chance story and these two are so tormented and desperately in need of a happily ever after.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers I don't read a lot of Christian fiction but this is one of those stories I wish everyone could read. It is dark at times and heart-wrenching. The hero is so patient and shows her what love is and how it can heal.

Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3) by J.R. Ward It's book three of the vampire series so it's probably best if you read them in order. I cried reading this. Zsadist is probably one of the most tortured alpha hero I've ever encountered.

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons It's a forbidden love story and the couple's journey towards love is a long but unforgettable one. You'll have to read the sequel to find a happy ending though.

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas One of my favorite romance by her. The woman faced domestic violence in a former relationship and the hero teaches her to love again. I love Hardy! He first makes an appearance in Sugar Daddy (the book before this one), although he's not a hero but it gives us a look into his life growing up.

  Annie's Song by Catherine Anderson Sometimes sad but mostly sweet. Alex is a wonderful hero and I love seeing him and Annie fall in love in a simple and touching way.

Paradise by Judith McNaught You can't really go wrong with a book by her and she writes some of the best second chance romances. Paradise is one of them.

Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips If you want a great romance with some humor then definitely try her books. Her characters are so much fun!

Giveaway: Random Acts of Kindness

Thank you to I Am A Reader, Not a Writer and Read For Your Future for co-hosting. Click on the image to check out the other participating blogs. 

Giveaway

A Kindle copy of The Perfect Game by J. Sterling that will be gifted from Amazon.com and is open to anyone who can accept a Kindle book.

 To enter the giveaway, follow me on GFC and comment once telling me what your favorite sport is. I will use random.org to select the winner. Good luck!

The Perfect Game by J. Sterling

He's a game she never intended to play.
And she's the game changer he never knew he needed.

The Perfect Game tells the story of college juniors, Cassie Andrews & Jack Carter. When Cassie meets rising baseball hopeful Jack, she is determined to steer clear of him and his typical cocky attitude. But Jack has other things on his mind... like getting Cassie to give him the time of day.

They're both damaged, filled with mistrust and guarded before they find one another (and themselves) in this emotional journey about love and forgiveness. Strap yourselves for a ride that will not only break your heart, but put it back together.

Sometimes life gets ugly before it gets beautiful...

TBR: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

I've been meaning to read this book for ages, and I really have no reason for why I haven't. It sounds so emotional and the time period is one that is interesting to me. I was reminded of how much I want to read this with Ms. Sepetys's latest release, Out of the Easy which also sounds great. I haven't read a historical novel in a while so it might be time to do so. Isn't the cover lovely?

TBR: My pile is huge and I have way too many books I want to read than I have time to. This is where randomly spotlight a book that I want to read eventually. It's my visual motivator.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Genre: Historical Fiction

A moving and haunting novel for readers of The Book Thief

Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life--until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive?

This powerful tale of heartbreak and hope is sure to haunt readers long after they finish the last page.

Winner

The winner from the Follower Love Giveaway Hop has been randomly selected and contacted.

Congratulations,  

nurmawati djuhawan. She won a book of choice and picked:

 

Thanks to everyone who participated. I now have a ton of books to add to my TBR! 

Series I Have Every Intention of Finishing ...

(Or at least get back on track with.) I enjoy both standalone books and series and probably read slightly more series books. What I love about series is the ease I can get into them especially after the first book. The world has been built, the characters have been introduced and I can focus on the plot. Even though I start many series it seems I have a hard time finishing them even when a series has been wrapped up. For series that are known to have major cliffhangers with the next installment being months or a year in the making, I often end up saving the book until a second release is closer. In other cases, I just stop reading and it's hard to get back into the series. So, these are a few series I have every intention of getting back on track with.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward

This was one of my first adult vampire books and I sunk my teeth into it right away. The way the characters talked and their over the top personalities really stood out. Plus they live in a pretty exciting paranormal world and the romance is hot! Hello, we're talking alpha vampire warriors here. I'm halfway through the series and I'm itching to get to Lover Reborn which I know is going to emotional. I've been trying to avoid spoilers regarding this book because I have a few more books to go.


       

The Night  Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost

Well, I love Cat and Bones together. They are one of my favorite paranormal characters. I only have a couple of books to go so I can definitely catch up if I can just find myself the time and mood to read it. I just have to remind myself of Bone's accent and their adventures to motivate myself.

The Lakeshore Chronicles series by Susan Wiggs

I actually started this series out of order but for the most part it was fine and they could be read by itself. I do want to fill in the missing stories from the characters. I like visiting this town and the stories are always so sweet. It's mostly the earlier books I need to read and hopefully I can get to the newest installment even though that character's story doesn't appeal to me like the others.

  

The In Death series by J.D. Robb

To be fair I only recently started this series and considering how many books are in it (36 books and counting), I know I won't finish it anytime soon. I do want to read more of the books and see what Eve and Roarke are up to. I'm still in the early books and am curious to see how the series develop.




 

The Colorado Mountain series by Kristen Ashley

I'm a big fan of Kristen Ashley's books and have already read the first two...only the last time I visited this series was months ago. Even though there are so far only four books in the series and I am halfway through, they are long books and I'm not a speedy reader. Still I know I'll get to them because her books are so enjoyable.

Review: Shiver by Karen Robards

Thrilling! I was in the mood for a suspenseful story with lots of action and some romance and this book had it. Within a few pages, the action starts and it continues like that almost the entire book. Some of the scenes were scary because they were disturbing and violent but it goes to show the kind of trouble Sam finds herself in. I like the way she came across, a bit down on her luck but working very hard to change that being a single mother to a young child. She is both vulnerable and independent. Then there's Danny, who's just plain trouble. Wherever he goes trouble finds him but he's strong and able to protect. They are both caught up in Danny's mission with bad guys chasing after them. Danny's mysterious and being secretive doesn't exactly help him earn Sam's trust, but she does anyway. I thought they worked well as partners. He gets his moments to protect her but in some situations she has her own strengths. I liked Tyler, Sam's son. He was adorable but also helped soften Sam and Danny's personalities and brought out their protective sides. Around the middle of the story I did wish the action would pick up since they were holed up in the safe house for a while, but overall when there was action it was memorable. It's not my favorite book by this author but it was good.

Shiver by Karen Robards
Genre: Romantic Suspense

When she swore off love, he was the last man she imagined would steal her heart.

If driving a piece-of-crap tow truck through the seediest part of town with a Smith & Wesson beside her means putting a roof over her son’s head, then Samantha Jones is going to be the best damn repo woman on the books. The streetwalkers, the drug pushers, the bands of looking-for-trouble punks haunting the mean streets at midnight don’t intimidate her. These are her people. The guy she finds bound and bloodied in the trunk of her latest conquest, a flashy new BMW, is a different breed entirely.

Daniel Panterro was certain he was going to die. Instead, by a stroke of luck, he was beaten to within an inch of his life and left for dead. But if he’s having a bad day, Sam’s day is about to get way worse. Danny knows he hasn’t seen the last of the vicious drug runners who kidnapped him from protective custody. His only recourse is to take his pretty savior hostage and force her to help him. There’s no going back for Sam and her four-yearold son, Tyler. They’re in way too deep.

With ruthless killers stalking their trail, Sam’s only choice is to trust this handsome, menacing stranger. But as she relinquishes control, Sam feels an unmistakable desire. Could she be tempted by Danny, who seems intent on protecting her and Tyler from even his own darkest secrets? And what is the price of falling in love with a man who operates on the edge of danger—her heart, her life . . . or both?

Other books by Karen Robards:
Pursuit
Sleepwalker
Shattered 

Follower Love Giveaway Hop

Hello all you wonderful followers from all around the world! This giveaway is hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and The Reader's Antidote. Click here for a list of the other participating blogs.  

Giveaway

 One book/ebook of choice up to $10 from The Book Depository/ Amazon.com

International, as long as TBD ships to you for free or you can accept a Kindle gifted book  

 Some ideas of what to choose...

To enter the giveaway, I want to know what book are you currently reading or last read? Please comment once along with your:

- GFC follower name (required)
- Email if it's not already located in your profile
- I will use random.org to select the winner. Good luck!