THE AWAKENING by Nora Roberts

December 31, 2020

The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 1

From the publisher:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts begins a new trilogy of adventure, romance, and magick in The Awakening.

In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword―representing both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey. In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…

When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father―and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.

This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home, Breen Siobhan. It’s time you came home. Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies―through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny…

My reading history with romance is long but broken. I started reading paperback romances when I was in college. Kathleen Woodiwiss was my favorite. But I found that I was getting annoyed with my boyfriend at the time (now my husband.) There were no big romantic gestures that I could see (I was so wrong.) It felt like these books were interfering in my relationship, so I just stopped reading them.

Fast forward many years and I was a wife and a mother of two going back to work for the first time in about a dozen years. I started working at Borders Books & Music, and I loved it. My favorite time at work was when we hosted authors on tour, from local authors to big, bestselling authors. Like Nora Roberts.

I wasn’t much of a fan. I’d never read her, even though I recommended her books all the time. All her books were in the Romance section, which I avoided. But still, I knew how popular she was and sure enough, it was a standing room only crowd with a signing line around the building. She was truly lovely and kind to all the staff and patient with all her fans. She spoke about her new book (I don’t remember which one) and a bit about her writing process. That caught my attention. She spoke about doing all of her own research and editing and I sort of uncomfortably thought, are you printing the books in your basement, too? I guess I just didn’t believe that this woman who was pumping out book after book, series after series, was actually doing all that work herself in addition to the actual writing. I was an idiot.

Jump ahead a number of years and I was at Thrillerfest in NYC. Every year they host a debut authors breakfast, which is something I always look forward to. There are usually at least twenty authors, often more, and Steve Berry hosts it. He introduces the author, and they each get about three minutes or so to talk about their babies, AKA their debut novels. It’s always a fascinating mix of people from all walks of life, teachers, lawyers, veterinarians, historians, homemakers, you name it.

It was at one of these breakfasts that I sat next to an author I wasn’t familiar with, and I’m sorry to say I cannot remember her name. But I do remember this; she wrote mysteries under her own name, but she made her real living by writing paperback romances under the name Fern Michaels. Now there is a Fern Michaels, and she writes all of her own hardcover books and I imagine for many years she wrote all of her books, period. But at this point, she was uber-successful and basically had ghost authors writing her mass-market paperbacks. My brain is a bit fuzzy about all the details but I think it may have been before James Patterson started putting his co-writers’ names on his books. He had them; for instance, the Women’s Murder Club series that had only Patterson’s name on the first six or eight books but were actually written by another author, now a bestselling thriller writer under his own name. After that, there were two names on those books.

To reel this back in, I am telling you all this because that Fern Michaels ghostwriter knew Nora Roberts. She told me that the woman was a force of nature and a legend in the romance community because she did everything herself. She researched, wrote, and edited all her own books. I’m sure her publisher did their own editing but apparently, she was known for turning in completed books that didn’t need several rewrites.

I have read two other Roberts’ books since then, The Obsession, which was more romantic suspense/thriller and I loved it, and Come Sundown, more women’s fiction/romance and I thought it was just okay. Frankly, I would rather read new authors who need my little tiny bit of publicity than the bestselling authors who manage just fine without me. There are, obviously, exceptions, authors I love and will always read, like Michael Connelly, Lisa Scottoline, Lee Child, Lisa Unger, Diana Gabaldon, and those names have slipped my sieve of a brain at the moment.

So to this book. The Awakening is a fantasy crossed with the real world. I think the reason I requested it was that her publicist was comparing it to Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, which is one of my favorite series of all time. That made me take a look and while in many ways it is not like Outlander, I understood the comparison. Most fantasies are set in their own world. This one is set in two worlds, our known world, and the world that Nora Roberts created here.

Reading this book, I could immediately see why her books are all bestsellers. She is one hell of a storyteller. I was dragged into this story and it stayed with me for months. Yes, I read it several months ago but I wasn’t (and still am not) as good with keeping up with my reviews. Acedia. Ennui. Pick your poison, I have suffered from both during this pandemic.

So better late than never. I loved this book, this world that Roberts created. I especially loved that our main character, Breen, has a foot in both worlds. The characters are all interesting and since it is partly based in Ireland, I had to look up how to pronounce several of the names. Which I’ll forget by the time the next book is out. But still worth it.

I didn’t love the abrupt, cliffhanger ending. I understand that this is the first book of a planned trilogy (when writers create their own worlds, they tend to want to stay in them for a while.) A little more finesse would have made it better for me. That said, I will be first in line to read the next book in this series. And maybe even pick up another Nora Roberts romance sometime.

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE AWAKENING by Nora Roberts. St. Martin’s Press (November 24, 2020). ISBN 978-1250272614. 448 pages.

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HER WICKED MARQUESS by Stacy Reid

December 29, 2020

The Sinful Wallflowers, Book 2

From the publisher:

Miss Maryann Fitzwilliam is too witty and bookish for her own good. No gentleman of the ton will marry her, so her parents arrange for her to wed a man old enough to be her father. But Maryann is ready to use those wits to turn herself into a sinful wallflower.

When the scandal sheet reports a sighting of Nicolas St. Ives, the Marquess of Rothbury, climbing out the chamber windows of a house party, Maryann does the unthinkable. She anonymously claims that the bedchamber belonged to none other than Miss Fitzwilliam, tarnishing her own reputation―and chances of the dastardly union her family secured for her. Now she just needs to convince the marquess to keep his silence.

Turns out Nicolas allows for the scandal to perpetuate for his own reasons… But when Maryann’s parents hold fast to their arranged marriage plan, it’ll take a scandal of epic proportions for these two to get out of this together.

This author was new to me but we share the same first name and even spell it the same way so I figured I’ve got to check out my partial namesake! Plus the storyline sounded good and I liked the cover so, to be honest, that was what really drew me in. Plus the publisher, Entangled, runs very hot and cold with giving out the egalleys. If I sign up to review, I definitely get the book, while others are hit or miss. I ask, sometimes they say no, sometimes they say yes. Which may explain why I review so many Avon and Harlequin romances – because they always say yes. And I have found that invariably, I always like their books. With Entangled, that is not always the case. But they are a “Women-owned publisher” and I like that so I want to support them.

Berkley Books is the most annoying publisher I deal with, and every month I swear I’m going to just ignore their titles and avoid the aggravation. I haven’t quite taken that step yet but I am THISCLOSE. Weirdly, they are an imprint of Penguin Random House, who I have been dealing with since 1998 with no issues at all, until this past year, and only with this imprint. I don’t know who is making these decisions now because they also choose to ignore me when I ask. One of these days I will seriously follow up and try and find out what their problem is but I’ve just been too busy to bother. Or I’ll just stop reading/reviewing their books. Occasionally, I get assigned a Berkley Book from my editor at Library Journal. I’ll request the egalley (because of my vision issues, it’s more comfortable for me to read on my Kindle or iPad) and invariably get turned down by the publisher in one of the egalley apps, but I can get it in the other and of course Library Journal is always able to get it for me. Just takes a few more days. ANNOYING! So I really think there is one person behind this. Or am I being paranoid? Hmmmm…

Anyway, back to My Wicked Marquess. This is a fake engagement type storyline, and I usually like that plot device, and it works really well here. There is a lot of explicit sex so if you don’t enjoy that, skip this book. I will say I think the sex scenes were well written. The main characters were well defined and drew me into their story and I wanted them to find their happy ending. The secondary characters were developed enough to make their presence felt, and that is not always the case, so kudos, Ms. Reid! A very enjoyable hot and sexy romp.

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HER WICKED MARQUESS by Stacy Reid. Entangled: Amara (December 29, 2020). ISBN 978-1682815199. 400 pages.

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Best Books of 2020: Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

December 28, 2020

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Another year, another list of books. I tried very hard to narrow down my list to a reasonable number and realized I really suck at this. I did include a variety of genres, then threw in several contemporary and multi-cultural romances as they don’t usually get the love (pardon the pun!) on these best-of lists.

There are two authors, Michael Connelly and Christina Lauren (who is really two authors writing together) who had two books apiece this year, and all their books are on the list. I have two books, In a Holidaze and Love Lettering, that overlap with Caitlin Brisson’s list. There is one book that was published in 2019, The Nickel Boys, but I figure if it can win the Pulitzer in 2020, I can include it in my list, too. My list, my rules.

THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead: Even though it is a very short book, I took my time reading it. Some of the passages in the story are just heartbreaking, and I wanted to give it the consideration I felt it deserved. It is an emotional read for sure, with a shocking twist at the end. How can I love a book that tells such an overwhelmingly disturbing story? Because Whitehead is a superb storyteller, and he’s written an unforgettable book. Don’t miss it. (LITERARY FICTION)

TWENTY-ONE TRUTHS ABOUT LOVE by Matthew Dicks: a novel written in lists. Very clever, often funny, sometimes touching, just like life. I was completely immersed in Dan’s world, and didn’t pick up my head until I turned the last page. (EPISTOLARY NOVEL)

THE LAW OF INNOCENCE by Michael Connelly: A new Lincoln Lawyer book is always cause to celebrate! Lots of legal action here and with the twists and turns of the case, the pages fly by. Another terrific read from one of my favorite authors. (LEGAL THRILLER)

FAIR WARNING by Michael Connelly: an unputdownable book with intriguing characters, a familiar setting, and a fast-paced, twisty storyline with a shocker of an ending. If you’ve never read Connelly, this is as good a place to start as any. In my humble opinion, Connelly remains the premier crime writer of our time. (THRILLER)

ALL THE BROKEN PEOPLE by Leah Konen: The main protagonist is an unreliable narrator, but the twist here is that all the characters are unreliable, making this a fast-paced, unputdownable rollercoaster of a read sure to appeal to fans of Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins. (PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE)

28 SUMMERS by Elin Hilderbrand: Based on the film, Same Time, Next Year, this story is a decades-long romance based on the same premise. Mallory and Jake meet, have a long weekend fling, then repeat every year on the same weekend. A completely engrossing, beautiful, unputdownable read. (WOMEN’S FICTION)

THE CACTUS by Sarah Haywood: This story is filled with dry wit and humor, making me laugh out loud many times. It is also emotional and at times, heart-wrenching, and we can’t help but be drawn to these characters even though I was not always sure who to root for. But it doesn’t matter, I was immersed in this world and sorry to have to leave it. (BRITISH CHICK LIT)

HELLO, SUMMER by Mary Kay Andrews: more of a mystery and a family story but still has the touch of romance that I’ve come to expect. A happy ending, intrigue, and humor galore, making this a terrific escape and a thoroughly entertaining read. (BEACH READ)

IN A HOLIDAZE by Christina Lauren: This Christmas version of one of my favorite movies, Groundhog Day, is a terrific read. As in the movie, Mae understands that something has to change to get her back to real life, whatever that turns out to be. She keeps reliving the holiday until she finally gets it right – or so she thinks. Lots of angst mellowed by a lot of laughs make this a really fun holiday read. (CHRISTMAS ROMANCE)

Honorable Mention: JINGLE ALL THE WAY by Debbie Macomber

SAY YES TO THE DUKE by Eloisa James: Viola wants to marry the Vicar, and the Duke of Wynter wants to marry Viola. Shenanigans ensue, along with some heat. James excels at the witty banter the genre is known for, and this book is no exception. Sweet and funny, this is another excellent addition to her latest series. I loved it. (HISTORICAL ROMANCE)

WAITING ON A COWBOY by Jennifer Ryan: First book of a new series with the childhood friends to lovers plotline, with an a twist – an abusive boyfriend makes an appearance and Ryan makes it clear that something like that could happen to anyone. (COWBOY ROMANCE)

Honorable Mention: TOUGH TALKING COWBOY by Jennifer Ryan

SNAPPED by Alexa Martin: This latest entry into this terrific series is one of the best. In addition to a hot romance, Martin dives into some real problems in the NFL; the hero is a Black quarterback and his romantic interest is a biracial publicist. If you don’t follow football, just know that while the league is majority Black players, not so with the quarterback position. Or the coaches. Or the owners. Martin brings these inequities to the forefront, in addition to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy,) and the problems the older, retired players have with minimal pensions and no health coverage. That changed for the newer players, and I love how Martin makes a point of discussing how these old guys are trotted out for honors at games, while left to rot on the sidelines for the rest of their lives. Sorry, this really upsets me so I was thrilled to see it addressed here. An excellent read even if you don’t care about that stuff. (SPORTS ROMANCE)

THE MARRIAGE GAME by Sara Desai: Enemies to lovers is always a popular trope in romance, and this one is done exceedingly well. Throwing in a big, extended, nosy Desi=American family plotting an arranged marriage with its parade of kooky suitors adds a lot of laughs to this heartwarming and sexy story. It is a sweet and sexy and funny and total escapist read. (DEBUT ROMANCE)

LOVE LETTERING by Kate Clayborn: Released on the final day of 2019, Love Lettering quickly became one of my favorite books of the year. But was too late for 2019, so here it is! This is a love letter to New York City with interesting, well developed characters, and the romance seemed to bloom organically if you’ll pardon the pun. The art of hand lettering so intrigued me that I started down a rabbit hole, and first found this interview with the author, which led me to this article on Bullet Journaling, which I had never even heard of. (BOOK THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS)

SHIT, ACTUALLY: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West: Every essay is a gem. You can pick up the book and read any of the essays, and just know you will be laughing. If I could gift you all with this book, I would. (HUMOROUS NONFICTION)

A PROMISED LAND by Barack Obama: What can I possibly add to the accolades this book has already received? Obama is a beautiful writer, and I took my time reading this, enjoying every word. It was brilliant and funny and sad. a very emotional read for me. I loved it. (MEMOIR)

More, more, more!

Alphabetical by author:

LOVE HER OR LOSE HER by Tessa Bailey: a romance centered around an already married couple works beautifully here. Bailey is a terrific storyteller and writer – it’s not easy to put passion on the page without making it feel banal or hackneyed. The sex is definitely steamy, it works in the story and even has some funny moments thrown in, just like real life.

THE ROOMMATE by Rosie Danan: Can a socialite and a porn star form a meaningful relationship? This book will not be for everyone, but if you like terrific characters, an interesting storyline, real conflict, a strong feminist agenda, and well-written sex scenes as much as I do, then you won’t want to miss it. Debut.

THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST by Abby Jimenez: this book sucked me in and I just about cried when I turned the last page. I wanted to stay with these characters – they are interesting and fun and damaged and thoroughly brought to life on the page. My original review revealed that this is a terrific story that is bound for my best books of the year list. And here it is.

THE HONEY-DON’T LIST by Christina Lauren: this is about an über-successful husband and wife who renovate homes and have a hugely popular TV show and home renovation empire (Chip and Joanna Gaines immediately sprung to mind.) But the romance is centered around their assistants! This is a super fun read.

LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT by Suzanne Park: A terrific romance in an unusual and interesting setting, the video game industry. There are a lot of laughs and many a bump in the road until the happy ending is reached in this feminist love story. Debut.

MUSICAL CHAIRS by Amy Poeppel: the book revolves around a musician, her famous conductor/composer father, and her trio but is really a wonderful story of family dysfunction, sibling rivalries, professional jealousy, and one very independent woman. The setting is a wealthy Connecticut beach town and that pushes this book adjacent to the beach read genre.

THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT by Farrah Rochon: Samiah is a Black woman at the top of the tech pyramid, and trust me, she had no easy climb. But this brilliant woman is somehow fooled into dating a man who is dating other women and when he is confronted by three of them, it goes viral. This was one of the best romances I’ve read in a while; I loved how smart the characters were and how real they felt to me.

IF THE BOOT FITS by Rebekah Weatherspoon: Amanda and Sam are in love, but can their relationship survive the Hollywood assault? Happily ever after is guaranteed, but getting there was so much fun.

Happy reading!

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SHIT, ACTUALLY by Lindy West

December 25, 2020

The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

From the publisher:

One of the “Best Books of 2020” by NPR’s Book Concierge

**Your Favorite Movies, Re-Watched**New York Times opinion writer and bestselling author Lindy West was once the in-house movie critic for Seattle’s alternative newsweekly The Stranger, where she covered film with brutal honesty and giddy irreverence. In Shit, Actually, Lindy returns to those roots, re-examining beloved and iconic movies from the past 40 years with an eye toward the big questions of our time: Is Twilight the horniest movie in history? Why do the zebras in The Lion King trust Mufasa-WHO IS A LION-to look out for their best interests? Why did anyone bother making any more movies after The Fugitive achieved perfection? And, my god, why don’t any of the women in Love, Actually ever fucking talk?!?!

From Forrest Gump, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Bad Boys II, to Face/Off, Top Gun, and The Notebook, Lindy combines her razor-sharp wit and trademark humor with a genuine adoration for nostalgic trash to shed new critical light on some of our defining cultural touchstones-the stories we’ve long been telling ourselves about who we are. At once outrageously funny and piercingly incisive, Shit, Actually reminds us to pause and ask, “How does this movie hold up?”, all while teaching us how to laugh at the things we love without ever letting them or ourselves off the hook.

Shit, Actually is a love letter and a break-up note all in one: to the films that shaped us and the ones that ruined us. More often than not, Lindy finds, they’re one and the same.

Most people who know me never give me books.. Writers do. Publicists do. But most people know that I get tons of books and I am rarely in need of anything, and they figure I probably have what they want to give me anyway. My immediate family and a few of my closest friends give me books because they know I love books, and as they are coming from people who know me so well, they are usually fairly confident I’ll like the books they give me. My husband brought me back a beautiful book of photographs of Ireland and a book of Irish poetry when he was over there for work. I loved both of those books. Friends have given me cookbooks, and those I love. My son gave me a book called Haikus for Jews that was just adorable and I loved it.

I am telling you all this because my boss, who I have grown very close to through working with such an amazing woman, but especially during this pandemic, gave me a book. This book, by Lindy West. I was shocked. This just doesn’t happen to me! I took it home and immediately started reading. I was laughing out loud within the first couple of pages. This is some funny shit, actually.

West riffs on her perceptions of very popular movies. The title of the book comes from her essay on the film Love, Actually, which is one of my favorite Christmas films, but as much as I love it her interpretation had me in hysterics. It was amazing. She sets the standard with the first chapter entitled, “The Fugitive is the Only Good Movie.” She explains why and although I don’t agree with her analysis, she judges the rest of the films in the book by her unique rating system. For instance, Love, Actually rates 0/10 DVDs of The Fugitive. The essay on the film Twilight called “Never Boring, Always Horny” rated 5/10 DVDs of The Fugitive.

I absolutely loved her take on Harry Potter, entitled “Harry Plot Hole”. She proceeds to point out holes in the story that are so big you could drive a truck through them, as well as smaller foibles. Harry Potter was a big part of our lives for many years. The first book came out when my daughter, Ariel, was five years old. I was working for Borders and no one really knew anything about it, but we got a bunch of copies so I brought one home for her. We read it together, taking turns reading each night, and it took us most of the summer to read it. She went on to reread it several times, and read every book in the series as it came out. Borders did big book release parties at midnight on sale day and Ariel came to all of them, preferring to take her book and start reading over playing wizard games. So when I read this essay, I knew Ariel had to read it, and she just loved it. One of her favorite parts was when West pointed out that the wizards must be Christian because they celebrate Christmas!

Every essay is a gem. I love books like this, especially around the holidays, when not everyone has a lot of time to sit and read. You can pick up the book and read any of the essays, and just know you will be laughing. I had to stop reading while watching football because I knew I was disturbing my husband, not that he would ever say anything. But I felt guilty so only read during commercial breaks and halftime. I also hadn’t seen all of the movies she discusses, like Face/Off and Honey I Shrunk the Kids, but I’d heard enough about those films to understand where she was coming from. If you want a book to just escape into for brief periods of time, and need a little more joy in your life this holiday season, this is your book. I loved it. Apparently, I’m in good company:

NPR’s Book Concierge, “Best Books of 2020” (Staff Picks; Funny Stuff; No Biz Like Show Biz; Short Stories, Essays & Poetry)

Kobo, “Top Nonfiction Titles of 2020”, “Top 20 Ebooks of 2020”

The Buzz Magazine, “Best nonfiction books of 2020”

BookRiot, “Best Audiobooks for Nonfiction November” and Book Recommendations for October 2020″Fortune, “Five New Books to Read in October”

BookTribe, “Editors’ pick for October’s best audiobooks”

LitHub, “14 New Books to Treat Yourself To”

SeattleMet, “11 Localish Books to Read This Autumn”

Up News Info, “5 new books to read in October”

Writers’ Bone, “A book that should be on your radar”

TBR, ETC. “New Books for the Week!”

New York Times, Holiday Gift Guide

Bustle, Holiday Gift Guide

The Globe and Mail, Holiday Gift Guide

Finally, let me leave you with this snippet of a review: “Queen of keenly observed, hilariously rendered cultural criticism, West offers this delicious distraction from reality….a cathartic, joyful exploration of entertainment….in true West form she reads like your smartest, funniest, and warmest friend. A perfect blend of substance, escapism, and laughter – a gift from West to the rest of us.”―Booklist Review (starred)

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SHIT, ACTUALLY by Lindy West. Hachette Books (October 20, 2020). ISBN 978-0316449823. 272 pages.

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CORONAVIRUS DIARY: December 24, 2020

December 24, 2020

Christmas Eve

It finally feels like we may be turning that promised corner soon – not quite yet, but I can see the corner now. It’s called Vaccines Available Now. For some people. In Florida, I am pretty much at the back of the line. We have so many seniors living in nursing facilities and our idiot governor doesn’t seem to think we actually need to do anything about this pandemic and we are not getting anywhere near enough vaccines. And so far he’s just out and out lied about who is getting the vaccines; the vast majority have gone to people under the age of 55.

Despite that moron and the bigger moron in the White House, I am beginning to feel hopeful. The grownups will be back in power in less than a month and I can’t wait. No more conspiracy theories and/or pseudo science coming from the big baby in chief. No more Twitter tantrums. Well, there probably will be more but he won’t be president so I don’t have to hear about it. In my dreams, I don’t have to hear about it. He’ll be under regular person rules on Twitter, no more presidential pardons. In theory. We’ll see.

We don’t really celebrate Christmas at my house. I’m Jewish, my children were brought up Jewish, and my husband is an atheist. He was brought up with Christmas but not with religion, if that makes sense. The only time his family went to church was for his baptism. His family all celebrate Christmas but I don’t know if church is involved in any of their celebrations. My sister-in-law in California (Hi Anita! Merry Christmas!) sent us a beautiful card and a Christmas ornament. It is hanging on the menorah for lack of a better place for it. She said she felt like our Aunt Jean, who recently passed away, was telling her to get it for us. I can’t argue with that! It will always be special in my heart.

What we do at my house is eat like we celebrate Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we do the Italian version with seven fishes – although this year I think we are only doing four or five, but who’s counting. On Christmas day, I wanted to make a standing rib roast. We were in Costco, but all they have were really large ones. Whole Foods had them on sale for $10.99 a pound, so I ordered one along with some groceries. The way they had it to order was odd, though. Check this out.

Bone In Beef Standing Rib Roast

4.3 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

Price:	~~$13.99/pound~~
Price:	$10.99/pound
You Save:	$3.00/pound (21%)

The price of the item is based on weight.

About this item

The ultimate roast — cut to order and sure to impress with outstanding flavor. Animal Welfare Certified.
From cattle raised with no added growth hormones and no antibiotics, ever.
Each rib weighs between 1.5-2 lbs. Minimum order is 2 ribs. A whole roast consists of 7 ribs.
Reserve by the rib, sold by the lb.

That is what it says on the product page. But this is how you order:

There is no way to order by the rib, you can only order by the pound in two-pound increments. So it looks like I’m ordering two items. And guess what they delivered? I got two beautiful bone-in ribeye steaks. But that wasn’t what I wanted. Who makes steak for Christmas? Well, maybe some people do, what do I know. So I contacted customer support at Amazon/Whole Foods. I told them what happened, I copied and pasted the page just like I did above. I explained exactly what I wanted and they said, no problem, will you accept delivery between 9:00-11:00 pm. I said sure. At 10:50, they dropped off a bag at my front door with, you guessed it, two more two-pound ribeye steaks. Now I had four of these monsters and let me tell you with the upcoming holiday and my fear of food shopping more than twice a month, my refrigerators (I have two!) are packed full. And the freezers are even worse. Talk about first world problems. I know I shouldn’t complain, I am so lucky in a lot of ways, and believe me, I appreciate that. Yet…

I got back on the chat with customer care, and they told me they were sending my complaints up the chain to their fulfillment team or something and offered me a refund. So that was nice, but I still wanted the roast. I now have four enormous steaks that I guess we’ll eat eventually??? There are only three of us, I usually make a one-pound steak and have leftovers so I don’t know what I’m going to do with so much red meat. Not to mention it makes my husband’s blood sugar spike for some reason, so we don’t eat it that often. Hopefully, I’ll figure out a way to get it into the freezer sooner rather than later.

My husband suggested I somehow sew them together but I thought about it and remembered my friend Nora (Hi Nora! Merry Christmas!) had posted something on Facebook about Publix having standing rib roasts on sale. I checked and they were only $5.99 a pound, so about half the price of Whole Foods. Of course, if I had InstaCart deliver it, it would probably end up costing more than Whole Foods. My husband was planning on going to the Publix pharmacy the next day to get his first shingles vaccine, so I went with him and they had beautiful standing rib roasts that they bone, and then tie the bones back on so you get all the flavor from the bones but it is easier to slice. Christmas dinner is on! I’m going to make Ina Garten’s popovers (tip: make the batter in the blender!) and probably some green beans. Maybe a tiramisu for dessert? I’ll see how ambitious I’m feeling, although I can make that a couple of days in advance, like maybe when I’m done writing this blog post.

A couple of nights ago my husband asked if we could have one of those beautiful ribeyes for dinner. We pulled out the sous vide and two hours later, plopped that monster on the grill. It was a fantastic steak, probably one of the best we’ve ever had at home. So maybe worth all the aggravation? Larry thinks so. That’s more red meat than we usually eat in six months though.

Another Christmas tradition we have is my daughter and I make Christmas cookies. Well, usually we make Hanukkah cookies but I couldn’t find the cookie cutters. So Christmas it was. I have to say I missed my daughter-in-law, she was here last December and helped us decorate the cookies so it was a little bit bittersweet. After I’d rolled out the dough twice, I took all the scraps and rolled them into a circle and just cut them into triangles to use up the rest of the dough. Ariel took one look and asked if those were pizza cookies, so yes, that’s what they ended up looking like!

When I say we made the cookies, I mean I make the cookie dough, roll it out and cut it, bake the cookies and make the icing. Ariel helps decorate, and she is an amazing artist. I had tried one giant snowflake but it broke apart as it landed on the cookie sheet. She took that broken snowflake and turned it into this creature!

Covid-19 is still raging here in Florida, and I know lots of people are planning big family Christmases, not to mention all the snowbirds are still flocking here for some reason. I know it’s cold up north and there was just a blizzard, but honestly, I’d rather suffer being stuck inside because of weather than having to go out around here. Restaurants are packed, the tourist areas are mobbed, and judging by the traffic, no one seems to care that there is a pandemic. Our local hospital’s ICU is at capacity, as are many of the hospitals. There is an unsubstantiated rumor (so far) that doctors in my area are somehow putting themselves at the front of the line for the vaccine. These are doctors in private practice, who do not work in the ER or in the ICU or in hospitals; they work in their beautiful offices away from the Covid nightmares. I can’t wait to see which doctors are going to be outed because I have faith in our intrepid local news reporter, Andrew Colton at Boca News Now.

While I don’t celebrate Christmas, the religious holiday, I do enjoy the holiday season. I love Christmas romance books. And Christmas rom-coms; actually, all Christmas movies. Every year I kick off the holiday season by watching Miracle on 34th Street on Thanksgiving. I watch Elf, Home Alone, Love Actually, The Santa Claus (but not this year because of Tim Allen’s fondness for the mass murderer in the White House,) and whatever else I stumble upon. I watch some of the Hallmark/Lifetime movies, but I’ve been losing my patience for them. I even watched the actual Hannukah movie Hallmark did this year, Love, Lights, HanukkahI which was ok, but at least it wasn’t too offensive. I always finish up with It’s a Wonderful Life on Christmas Day. My husband loves A Christmas Carol, and one year I bought him a bunch of DVDs of the different versions, and we usually watch a few of those, too. My favorite is the Bill Murry version, Scrooged, and if you haven’t seen The Man Who Invented Christmas, I highly recommend it. If you guys have favorites or any recommendations, I hope you’ll put them in the comments!

I embrace the ideals of peace and joy. A friend was complaining that there are so many horrible people around, and my husband has been trying to tell me that for years, but I refused to believe it. I told my friend I always felt like Bonasera from The Godfather: “I believe in America.” But these past four years have really tested me. I have to concede there are more evil people in this country than I could ever have imagined. People who would wish me harm or worse because of my religion or my political beliefs or some sense of righteousness. I have experienced evil in my own family, and yet I always hold out hope. It’s just getting so difficult, and frankly exhausting, to keep doing that anymore.

This holiday season, I wish you all joy and good health. For those of you who are struggling, or know someone who is struggling, I wish things would turn around for you, and quickly. I wish you happiness and peace and love. And lots of good reading!

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

VIOLENT PEACE by David Poyer

December 23, 2020

The War with China: Aftermath of Armageddon

Dan Lenson Novels, Book 20

From the publisher:

World War III is over… or is it? Superpowers race to fill the postwar power vacuum in this page-turning thriller, the next in the Dan Lenson series.

In the next installment of David Poyer’s critically-acclaimed series about war with China, mutual exhaustion after a massive nuclear exchange is giving way to a Violent Peace.

While Admiral Dan Lenson motorcycles across a post-Armageddon US in search of his missing daughter, his wife Blair Titus lands in a spookily deserted, riot-torn Beijing to negotiate the reunification of Taiwan with the rest of China, and try to create a democratic government.

But a CIA-sponsored Islamic insurgency in Xianjiang province is hurtling out of control. Andres Korzenowski, a young case officer, must decide whether ex-SEAL Master Chief Teddy Oberg―now the leader of a ruthless jihad―should be extracted, left in place, or terminated.

Meanwhile, Captain Cheryl Staurulakis and USS Savo Island are recalled to sea, to forestall a Russian fleet intent on grabbing a resource-rich Manchuria.

The violent and equivocal termination of the war between China and the Allies has brought not peace, but dangerous realignments in the endless game of great power chess. Will the end of one world war simply be the signal for the beginning of another?

The next book in David Poyer’s series about a war between the United States and China with the drawing in of many other nations making it World War III. Millions have been killed and many others maimed for life. The war concluded on an armistice between the belligerents which left the same problem as had occurred in 1918 ending World War I. The German army later indicated that they had never surrendered and were not obligated by the treaty made by their leaders which opened the door to the next phase – World War II.

The action begins at a peace conference held by the former belligerents to fix terms and conditions and attempt to make sure that the combat does not begin again. Problems arise immediately when China attempts to fix the conditions for the armistice which could negate what the allies want to occur. In addition, the principal characters face the problems of peace bringing conditions of war-torn nations devastated by the fighting having to reconstruct their countries first.

Dan Lenson has been promoted to Admiral but instead of immediately assuming his position spends many weeks in attempts to find his daughter who has disappeared in the aftermath of the fighting. His wife Blair is working with the members of the U.S. peace committee sent to Bejing in order to try and set the terms of Taiwan reuniting with China as well as attempting to form a democratic government for the Chinese. Meanwhile, Captain Cheryl Stauralakis onboard the USS Savo Island and in command of a small flotilla is ordered to sail against a Russian fleet attempting to grab a Manchuria rich in natural resources.

On another front, Teddy Oberg, a US Seal, has made himself the leader of an Islamic group and leading a revolt causes the allies to consider terminating him as a means of controlling the area he presides over.

Poyer continues to draw his readers in with books featuring continuous action and well-delineated characters taking part in the action. This novel ends with the possibility of new combat against a Russia that has kept itself largely out of the fighting but demands to be allowed to take part in war reparations. The playing out on a world stage is deftly handled and cause and effect made logical. Would the situations evolve in a similar manner if really taking place? Probably, if not exactly. Certainly, it does place the blame for the war on leadership consumed with pursuing their own ends rather than looking for the common good.

12/2020 Paul Lane

VIOLENT PEACE by David Poyer. Oceanview Publishing (December 1, 2020). ISBN: 978-1608094004. 336 pages.

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Best Books of 2020: Caitlin Brisson

December 22, 2020

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Act Like It by Lucy Parker: The first in Parker’s “London Celebrities” series, Act Like It features a delightful, and banter-filled enemies to lovers romance between West End darling Lainie and the notoriously difficult Richard. The entire series is excellent but Lainie and Richard’s sizzling chemistry and emotional depth makes this entry the stand out.

Beach Read by Emily Henry: January is a best-selling romance writer who no longer believes in true love. During a summer getaway she makes a deal with literary author and nemesis Augustus, January will try her hand at literary fiction but Augustus must write something with a happy ending. A charming and thought-provoking contemporary romance.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: If I had to name the best romance I read in 2020, Boyfriend Material would probably get the title. The son of a rock star, Luc is reluctantly in the public eye and needs to try to improve his bad-boy image, and pretending to date uptight barrister Oliver seems like the perfect solution. Fake relationships are often-used premises in romance but Hall’s witty dialogue, engaging writing, character development, and the heartwarming relationship between Luc and Oliver mean Boyfriend Material will make you laugh-out-loud and maybe shed a tear or two.

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren: The authors of many outstanding rom-coms, it seems hard to believe this is Christina Lauren’s first holiday-themed novel, but it did not disappoint. After asking the universe to show her what will make her happy, Maelyn ends up caught in a Groundhog Day like time loop and keeps reliving her family’s annual Christmas trip to stay with friends at a cabin. Mae has to figure out how to set things right and maybe find true love along the way.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab: When Addie LaRue makes a deal with the Devil, she gains immortality but is destined to never be remembered by anyone she meets. Addie slips through life like a ghost until she meets Henry, the first person to remember her name in almost 300 years. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a haunting, suspenseful, and romantic novel.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner: In the aftermath of World War II, a diverse group of Jane Austen lovers, from a farmer to a Hollywood star, come together to save Austen’s historic cottage in the village of Chawton, England. This cozy novel is perfect for lovers of Austen and historical fiction. I also highly recommend the audiobook narrated by the talented Richard Armitage.

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn: Read on the final day of 2019 Love Lettering just missed being included on my list last year. Do not miss this beautifully written slow burn romance which is also a love letter to the city of New York and the art of calligraphy.

Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garten: I have been a fan of Garten’s for a long time and read all her cookbooks. Her collection of comfort food recipes is perfect reading for the end of the year. As always, her recipes look delicious and approachable and I was ready for Garten to come over to my house and make me the grilled cheese and tomato soup pictured on the cover.

Not Like Movies by Kerry Winfrey: Waiting for Tom Hanks was one of my favorite books of 2019 and this follow up featuring what happens to optimistic Chloe and gruff coffee house owner Nick after their relationship is turned into a movie was even better. It has all the charm and rom-com fun of the first book but even more depth and better-developed characters.

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler: During the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, The Tourist Attraction gave me much needed laughs and a free trip to Alaska. When Zoe takes a bucket list trip to the quaint town of Moose Springs, Alaska she encounters a chainsaw-wielding mad man, a moose, and numerous other misadventures, but she also finds romance with grumpy diner owner Graham. Morgenthaler also returns to Moose Springs in the excellent holiday-themed follow up, Mistletoe and Mr. Right.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

A TAIL FOR TWO by Mara Wells

December 21, 2020

Fur Haven Dog Park, Book 2

From the publisher:

All paws on deck!

Carrie Burns has a successful business, a young son, Oliver, and an energetic Jack Russell terrier. She doesn’t have time in her busy schedule for her ex-husband and his talk of working together again. But when she runs into Lance in the dog park, their lives are turned upside down.

Lance Donovan wants to promote his fledgling construction company by helping his brother Caleb with a big condo conversion. Lance even knows the perfect interior designer to make this project a success―his ex-wife, Carrie. But after a fateful meeting at the dog park, Lance finds himself not only petsitting both his brother’s dog and the beloved Jack Russell terrier he had to leave behind in the divorce but babysitting a young son he never knew he had while his ex-wife tries to get back into dating. How did life get this crazy?

Lance is determined to win back the love he thought he’d lost―but he’s going to need a lot of help from his furry friends.

Fur Haven Dog Park Series:
Cold Nose, Warm Heart (Book 1)
Tail for Two (Book 2)

I actually read the first book in this series (yay, me) and I liked it enough to read the next and here we are. This one is a little bit better, probably because I was already familiar with the background story and some of the characters. It’s a cute read with an underlying sweetness that just dragged me in. There are dogs and sexy men and a good “will she or won’t she take him back” kind of romance. And Miami is always good for me. Oh, and cranky grandparents, too, a South Florida stereotype that became one for a reason!

All I can say is if you want a sweet, fun read for over the holidays, you can’t go wrong here. Enjoy!

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A TAIL FOR TWO by Mara Wells. Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 29, 2020). ISBN 978-1492698616. 384 pages.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

Best Books of 2020: Paul Lane

December 20, 2020

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1) Miraflores by Keith Yokum: A novel of Panama and the canal built to allow ships to cross between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans without traveling all the way to the tip of South America. A new member of the recently forming CIA is sent to Panama tasked with finding bad guys looking to sabotage the “Big Ditch”. Filled with facts only a person that has lived in the canal zone would know. An enticing read to draw in readers.

2) Rock of Freedom by Noel Gershon: Fact-based account of the settling by the Pilgrims of the Massachusetts area of the new world. Written by an author with a huge number of historical novels to his credit. Now deceased with an apparent attempt to reselect his books and publish some. Try one – you’ll get hooked.

3) Germania by Harald Gilbers: The height of Nazi control over Germany with the systemic hatred of Jews and other chosen groups guided by Hitler in order to provide focus centers for the population that he was guiding into wars of conquest. The police are stymied by a serial killer loose in Berlin and due to whom they think it is being forced to rehire a Jewish detective to find the murderer. Filled with the forced hatreds pushed by a leader desperate to control his subjects. A very unique book.

4) The Palace by Christopher Reich: One well-done action novel written by a master of the genre. A book moving all over the world and featuring a man that picks and chooses problems brought to him, fixing them with no charge. You like action – get some coffee and plunge into a lot of it set up by a master of doing so.

5) Violent Peace by David Poyer: The next novel by the author about a war between China and the United States. There is a peace conference going on although no one trusts the Chinese to play fair. The stage moving from Russia through radical Islam and to the next probable enemy. Military sequences described by an expert. Very likely aim in real life is the desired annexing of Taiwan by China and this is very well played out in Poyer’s book.

6) Assassin’s Strike by Ward Larson: Any series of favorite books have just got to include the exploits of an assassin. And we have Larson’s David Slayton who at first worked for the Israeli Mossad. Migrating to the United States Slayton is asked to do the CIA a favor once in a while and agrees. In this novel, two women acting as translators at a conference between Russia and Iran overhear something they shouldn’t. One is killed and the other gets help from Slayton. I do so love action adventures and this book will satisfy anyone’s desire for the same.

7) Muzzled by David Rosenfelt: Of course, Andy Carpenter and his entourage must make an appearance in this list and so they do in this novel. Andy inherited enough money to live without working and of course, that’s the way he does at the start of most books. But the normal mitigating circumstances intervene and Andy takes a case aided quite well by his wife Laurie (his investigator) the very vociferous Marcus who requires translation services, Willy his partner in a dog rescue business, and other sundry characters including a few dogs and an office manager that has developed allergies to working. Formats of Rosenfelt’s books always include sarcastic comments, very astute and penetrating observations, and a happy resolution for all (especially the dogs.)

8) Home before Dark by Riley Sager: A novel that asks the question Is this a ghost story or not? It asks the question but doesn’t answer it. How can that be??? Seems that a young girl was murdered in a house that the principal character lived in years ago and the murder was never solved. Is the young lady hanging around hoping that her killer is discovered? Maggy Holt and her partner are in the business of restoring old houses and have picked the one that the girl was murdered in. What Maggy does not remember is that she lived in that house when younger and during the period of the murder. Ingredients of a great ghost story or something else??? Read it and get in line.

9) The Haunting of H.G. Wells by Robert Maselo: An author that has earned a place in writing well-done novels that feature a bit of the macabre to spice up the story. In this book, the very famous H.G. Wells investigates ghost sightings on the battlefields of World War one Belgium, meets a young lady that becomes his lifelong mistress with the underlying okay of his wife. Where do you get those type of women? His wife also cares for a downed German airman not turning him in for many years. The girl keeps soldiering on, doesn’t she? Finally, his mistress helps Wells to bust a man interested in launching a chemical attack on England. Wells not only writes them but also lived them.

10) Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Set in the country of Mexico when a rather spoiled rich young lady is sent by her father to check out the complaints of a newly married member of the family. That girl has taken up residency in her new husband’s mansion. Noemi, the young lady sent to investigate, goes through a growing up period, meets her husband, and helps her cousin in solving her problems with the new marriage. An interesting study of a class of well to do people in the country of Mexico.

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JINGLE ALL THE WAY by Debbie Macomber

December 19, 2020

From the publisher:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Love can transform even the best-laid plans in this heartfelt Christmas novel from the queen of Christmas stories, Debbie Macomber.

Trapped in the middle of five siblings, Everly Lancaster always had big dreams. Now a top real-estate executive, Everly finds her work is her life, leaving no space for anything (or anyone) else. Sensing her stress, Everly’s boss insists she take December off. At first, a month away seems crazy—how will the company survive without her? But Everly’s mother convinces her otherwise. She deserves a vacation—plus, when she returns, she’ll have no excuse to skip family Christmas like she did last year.

But after her vengeful assistant books a guided cruise in the Amazon instead of the luxury beach vacation she expected, Everly is horrified to realize that she’s about to spend the next two weeks trapped—with no Wi-Fi!—in the rain forest. Not even Asher Adams, the ship’s charming naturalist, can convince Everly that the trip will be unforgettable. Slowly but surely, she realizes he is right: the sights are spectacular. And with each passing day, Everly’s relationship with Asher deepens, forcing her to take a long, hard look at her priorities.

Everly and Asher begin to see magic in the possibility of a life together. But as the cruise nears its end, and Everly’s family Christmas approaches, both must decide if love is worth the risk. A merry surprise may be in store in Debbie Macomber’s newest holiday delight.

I have not always loved Macomber’s Christmas romances, so it was with a bit of trepidation that I started reading this one. In fact, I waited for a while and read a bunch of other Christmas books before finally getting to this one. I am happy to report that I loved it!

The characters were complex and likeable, and the setting on an adventure cruise through the Amazon made for an interesting backdrop. As usual, the secondary characters were very one dimensional and only used to advance the plot, but it didn’t bother me here as my focus was entirely on Everly and Asher.

Macomber has a way of stretching believability almost to the breaking point, but she manages to pull it back in enough to make it work. It is a short book and a fast read with enough drama, and some laughs, to move the story along nicely. And no sex, of course.

This book exemplifies why Macomber is the “Queen of Christmas stories”. Looking forward to the Hallmark movie (no, I don’t know anything but they have made films of many of her Christmas books, and this would be a good one with the Amazon as a backdrop.) Anyway, I recommend!

12/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

JINGLE ALL THE WAY by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (October 13, 2020). ISBN 978-1984818751. 272 pages.