Monthly Wrap Up: May

May was another wet one in Texas. These storms are just killing us, I’ve been lucky so far but we are expecting more flooding rain this week and it just seems like we can’t catch a break. I just pray that the skies don’t do more damage we just can’t take that much more. On another note I celebrated my birthday on Memorial weekend it was nice I had a great time spending it with family and eating some good food. I’ve never been one to make a big deal about it, it’s just another day to me but I’m settling into my 40’s [41] and loving it so far. Enough about me here’s how my month went bookish wise.

Books Read

*25. The Choices We Make by Karma Brown

 24. First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

 23. The Island House by Nancy Thayer

 22. Untethered by Julie Lawson Timmer

*=Super Faves

Books Received via Publishers

The following via Goldberg McDuffie

The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

The Dinner Party by Brenda Janowitz

In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch

The Last Woman by Thelma Adams

Saving Abby by Steena Holmes

Where We Fall by Rochelle Weinstein

Daring in a Blue Dress by Katie MacAlister

The Education of Dixie Dupree by Donna Everhart

The Fallout by Tamar Cohen

The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan

Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank

People Who Knew Me by Kim Hooper

The Children by Ann Leary

Thank you so much to the following amazing publishers: Little Brown, William Morrow, St. Martin’s Press, MIRA, Kensington and Signet

Arcs by invite by publisher via NetGalley/Edelweiss

Kiss Me that Way by Laura Trentham

Then He Kissed Me by Laura Trentham

Till I Kissed You by Lauren Trentham

Purchased

Come Away with Me by Karma Brown

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

The Beach House by Jane Green

Personal Goals Update

Well no surprised my goals went out the window but I have a new summer TBR list goal that I’m starting this month until Labor Day weekend that I know I can do. I’ll be posting a blog post with the books that I want to read and keeping a report on my monthly post.

Non-Bookish things

Netflix

I’ve become obsessed with Fixer Upper. My mom got me into it and I’ve been binge watching on Netflix and trying to catch new episodes on HGTV. I love Chip and Joanna’s style and the magic that they do.

DVDs

I’ve been spending some major time with my sibs on the weekends and we’ve been having movie nights. We have our Friday night Dateline viewings [lol] and here are some movies we’ve rented from RedBox recently.

The Intern starring Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro

LOVED THIS! I thought this was a cute movie and I loved the interaction between these two. It's about Anne who has started a company and Robert who comes in as a senior intern. It’s funny and there are some touching scenes between them.

The Choice

 After watching it we were all very surprised by this one. We honestly didn’t think it would be that good but it was amazing! Let's be honest as much as I love Nicholas Sparks his movies/books are all sort of the same but this one was different and there were some surprises. This one is definitely at the top 5 of his books to movies.

Straight Outta Compton

I know I’m late on this one but its another winner. It shows the rise of the popular rap group N.W.A. I also loved how we saw a glimpse of how Ice Cube and Dr. Dre become the moguls they are today. Great music bio pic and the fact they had a hand in the movie made it so much better.

Room

Yes, FINALLY I saw this. I read the book and loved it and I’m so happy to say the movie totally captured the book! Brie Lawson was amazing [Oscar deserved!] and Jacob Tremblay was the star by far. The movie had me balling and it definitely deserved all the praised it received.

Upcoming Reads

Barefoot Beach by Toby Devens

The Sweetheart Deal by Polly Dugan

Here's to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Lost Along the Way by Erin Duffy

The Dinner Party by Brenda Janowitz

Well, that’s my month how was yours? Please feel free to link up yours I love to see all things bookish!

Book Blitz: A Reason to Stay by Julieann Dove

A Reason to Stay by Julieann Dove
Published: June 1, 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Elise Newton has it all—a dream job, a house that’s all hers, and a boyfriend who’s a cardiologist. Darren has been carrying an engagement ring in his pocket for two months, waiting for the perfect time to ask her to be his wife. He has no idea Elise has been waiting for the perfect time as well—to break up.
You see, Elise has a fatal flaw. She cannot commit to love.
An early-morning call from her sister gives Elise hope. She’s needed back home in Kentucky, to care for their mother who’s recovering from surgery. It’s the break Elise has been searching for, a reprieve from the strain of ducking Darren’s declarations of love.
But along with Kentucky comes seeing Ben—her first love, the one who came closest to being her happily ever after. Now a single dad, Ben has moved on with his life. But has his love for her moved on as well?
When Elise discovers a long-hidden truth about her family—and the reason why she can’t commit—she must decide which man will give her a reason to stay.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

EXCERPT:

Like A Wrecking Ball

Elise Newton sat across the table from Darren Masterson in Pierre’s, one of the swankiest places in town to eat, watching him like she would an ailing person in the hospital. Right after the doctor informed her he only had hours left to live.
She studied him, trying to remember everything about him that she could. Things that normally couldn’t be recalled if just the image of him popped up in her mind. Like a quick snapshot of a tall guy with a nice smile, dark hair, and an amazing set of blue eyes.
No, Elise wanted to remember the details. Like the lines in his forehead, and how there was one very pronounced one dead center over the bridge of his nose, etched deeper than all the others. And that solitary vein that pulsed on his right temple when he was either chewing or talking very seriously about something.
She took a sip of her expensive wine and swished it around in her mouth before swallowing.
It tasted dry; she much more preferred sweet. But this would do the trick. She needed just a few more glasses of it, though, to deaden the pain she knew would come after she told him what she had to say.
But first his lips. She needed to remember his soft lips. If they had a flavor, it’d be buttercream, like the kind found in the middle of her favorite doughnut from Margie’s Bakery, down off Ontario Boulevard.
She looked at him then, letting her eyes wander down to his perfectly shaped mouth as it took another bite. Lord, she’d miss that mouth … that tongue … that…
“Babe, are you all right?” he asked, chewing at the same time.
“Of course,” she said, blinking rapidly to get the image of him licking her lips out of her mind.
“It just seems like there’s something on your mind. Something you want to tell me.” He wiped the corner of his mouth with the linen napkin.
She shook her head and stared at his blue eyes as he drove his fork around the plate. Now, his eyes were a whole other story than his lips. Ones that she would miss the most. To describe them merely as being blue as the Arctic ocean would be like describing the Northern Lights as blurry thing-a-ma-bobs.
No, they were like two of the most devastatingly blue eyes that she’d ever seen in California, since moving there fourteen years ago. When she looked into them long enough, she discovered they were actually secret portals into the heart of his soul.
And Bam! There she had it. These thoughts about the man sitting across the table from her were the precise reasons why she had to end it. Nip it in the bud. Stop the presses. Lane four is closing, take all your feelings and emotions to the express checkout and get the H-E-double-L out of there.
Elise’s brain sent the cut-it-and-run messages through the loud speaker in her head, but her mouth was having a hard time with the command. She shook her head, trying to snap out of the trance she’d fallen into again. Like the one that caught her last week when she told herself that would be her last date with Mr. Perfect. So far, this was the fifth ‘last’ date she’d had with him.
What was her problem? Instead of studying him like an Adonis sitting front and center in a Petri dish, she had to saddle up for what she came to dinner to do. To break up with him. There was no way around it. It had to be done. Only she had to think of a way.
He wasn’t like the other guys she was used to dating. There was nothing that truly stood out to be a problem with him. Other than Elise was beginning to fall for him. She had been for the past couple of eight months.
She could hear her mother’s Southern-coated drawl play over and over inside her head. “Don’t ever think a man is the answer to your problems, little girl. There is no man out there that’s gonna do anything but destroy you. Destroy all your dreams, and destroy your future. End it with them before they end it with you.”

       About Julieann
Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!

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Waiting On [165]: Results May Vary by Bethany Chase

Waiting on Wednesday [Wow] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Results May Vary by Bethany Chase

Expected Publication: August 9, 2016

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Synopsis

Can you ever really know the person you love?

She never saw it coming. Without even a shiver of suspicion to warn her, Caroline Hammond discovers that her husband is having an affair with a man—a revelation that forces her to question their entire history together, from their early days as high school sweethearts through their ten years as a happily married couple. In her now upside-down world, Caroline begins envisioning her life without the relationship that has defined it: the loneliness of being an “I” instead of a “we”; the rekindled yet tenuous closeness with her younger sister; and the unexpected—and potentially disastrous—attraction she can’t get off her mind. Caroline always thought she knew her own love story, but as her husband’s other secrets emerge, she must decide whether that story’s ending will mean forgiving the man she’s loved for half her life, or facing her future without him.

Why I Can’t Wait

I became a fan after her last novel and this one sounds just perfect!

Mini Review: Frannie and Tru by Karen Hattrup

Frannie and Tru by Karen Hattrup

Expected Publication: May 31, 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Format: via Edelweiss

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

When Frannie Little eavesdrops on her parents fighting she discovers that her cousin Truman is gay, and his parents are so upset they are sending him to live with her family for the summer. At least, that’s what she thinks the story is. . . When he arrives, shy Frannie befriends this older boy, who is everything that she’s not–rich, confident, cynical, sophisticated. Together, they embark on a magical summer marked by slowly unraveling secrets.

My Thoughts

Where do I start with this one? At first, I thought this book was going to be about Frannie but Tru stole the spotlight. Tru comes into town after his parents send him away for the summer and when he does he helps Frannie come out of her shell. Frannie is determined for this summer to be different than any other, she wants to do things differently and she thinks her cousin is the right person to help her. There are times when I personally didn’t like Tru I just felt like all he thought about was himself. Frannie desperately wanted her cousin's approval and at times, I felt like he used her friendship when he had nothing else to do. I didn’t dislike this book but I wouldn't rave about it either. I gave it three stars because I’m literally split down the middle on this one.

Waiting On [164]: The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Waiting on Wednesday [Wow] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Expected Publication: October 18, 2016

Publisher: Knopf BYR

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Cohn and David Levithan are back with a life-affirming Christmas romance starring Dash and Lily.

Dash and Lily have had a tough year since readers first watched the couple fall in love. Lily’s beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition.

With only twelve days left until Christmas—Lily’s favorite time of the year—Dash, Lily’s brother Langston, and their closest friends take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the holiday magic of New York City in December.

Told in alternating chapters, The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily reunites two beloved characters and is bound to be a Christmas favorite, season after season.

Why I Can’t Wait

Yesssss! I really can’t wait to read this one because I love Dash and Lily! I can’t wait to see what they have been up to and see where these two are couple wise. This is definitely one that will make the top of my winter time list.

Review: The Island House by Nancy Thayer

The Island House by Nancy Thayer

Published: May 31, 2016

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Format: via publisher

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis

The charms of Nantucket tempt a woman to leave her established life in Kansas City—but with a piece of her heart, and a love interest, in each world, she discovers she must look within to choose the right path.

Every summer since college, twenty-nine-year-old Courtney has traded the familiarity of the Midwest for the allure of Nantucket. Now an established university professor in Kansas City, she finds herself caught between two lifestyles and two very different men. She chooses Nantucket and the glamorous life she associates with it, unaware that the summer will take an unexpected turn, and she will have to let her heart decide what it truly wants.

My Thoughts

In the Island House, we meet Courtney who gets swept up in the Nantucket life when her college roommate invites her to spend the summers with her and her family. She falls in love with the town and the family who takes her in as their own and soon she falls for their son. Summers come and go but Courtney never reveals her true feelings scared that she will lose her “summer family” if it doesn’t work out. We follow Courtney as she grows from a young girl to a woman and also see a glimpse of her life back home in Kansas with her friend Monty who has always been in love with her.

The novel mainly focuses on her recent summer in Nantucket when she is determined to find out where exactly her relationship stands…if there is anything there at all. We also meet her “Nantucket family” and while they seem perfect from the outside there are troubles they are trying to overcome. They are dealing with their oldest son’s manic depression and the toll it takes everyone. While I liked when they focused on the romance part I don’t get the whole bringing in Monty part. I mean there isn’t a real look on them as anything more than friends, so trying to make it seem as if he has a chance to steal her away is something I don’t buy. You don’t feel compelled to root for them as a couple.

All in all even though it’s a lot going on and tons of characters what I really enjoyed was when Courtney decided to go for broke. She took things by the horns and made her voice be heard. She knew what she wanted and went for it. Her doing that just showed how much she evolved and make me really root for her. While there are parts I felt dragged there all others that shined and that’s what makes this read enjoyable.

Review: People Who Knew Me by Kim Hooper

People Who Knew Me by Kim Hooper

Expected Publication: May 24, 2016

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Everything was fine fourteen years after she left New York.

Until suddenly, one day, it wasn’t.

Emily Morris got her happily-ever-after earlier than most. Married at a young age to a man she loved passionately, she was building the life she always wanted. But when enormous stress threatened her marriage, Emily made some rash decisions. That’s when she fell in love with someone else. That’s when she got pregnant.

Resolved to tell her husband of the affair and to leave him for the father of her child, Emily’s plans are thwarted when the world is suddenly split open on 9/11. It’s amid terrible tragedy that she finds her freedom, as she leaves New York City to start a new life. It’s not easy, but Emily---now Connie Prynne—forges a new happily-ever-after in California. But when a life-threatening diagnosis upends her life, she is forced to rethink her life for the good of her thirteen-year-old daughter.

My Thoughts

People Who Knew Me is the emotional story of Emily who is happily in love with her husband but with the stress of her husband quitting his job to take care of his sick mother she soon discovers that love can’t always conquer all. She struggles with having to put her life on hold while her husband makes his mother his top priority. In the process of it all and with her husband moving back home and her staying put she becomes lonely and takes comfort in an old acquaintance.

Emily never imagined that she could cheat on her husband when she becomes pressured to leave her husband then finds out she is pregnant she doesn’t know what to do. So what is one to do in this situation? She finds herself on Sept 11 held up in her lovers' apartment and finds out that her building has been struck by one of the planes. Her lover/coworker is in the building and never comes out. Her family and friends all try to find her but she takes this as a sign to start over and get a new identity. She feels that she can’t go back home and face the fact that she cheated and is having another man’s child. She starts her life over in California until the day she must confront her past in order face her present.

People Who Knew Me is a story that makes you think this can’t be possible. Something so out of this world that makes you wonder how bad things must be that you use 9/11 as an excuse to cover your cheating? I won’t lie I was kind of applaud by the notion of this but once you read it and discover all that happens your opinion of Emily kind of changes. You see her as a mother and the love and protection she has for her is breathtaking. I know this doesn’t make excuses for her behavior but some things aren’t just cut and dry. This is one read that is intriguing and definitely worth the time.