Stacy Alesi

ALL FIRED UP by Kate Meader

January 16, 2017

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Hot in the Kitchen, Book 2

Cara was in the first book but it was all about her sister. Her sister is here but this is Cara’s story. And Shane’s.

Shane is a hot Irish pastry chef who’s been stalking Jack for a job, which he finally lands. Cara is Jack’s event planner, after he walked out on the TV show she was producing, costing her a job too.

Shane and Cara meet up in Vegas during her sister’s bachelorette party and end up talking all night – and getting married. Neither wants to tell anyone about their big mistake and they both are keeping all kinds of secrets from one another and the family. But their attraction for one another is undeniable, and goes way deeper than just the physical. There is a lot going on here, and slowly they learn about each other and their feelings grow.

A romance set in the restaurant world is a definite plus for me. Another hot read from one of my favorite contemporary romance writers.

1/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ALL FIRED UP by Kate Meader. Forever; Reissue edition (September 30, 2014). ISBN 978-1455599615. 416p.

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ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT by Stacey Ballis

January 15, 2017

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Stacey Ballis has turned into one of my favorite authors, and luckily there are several more books I haven’t read yet.

Lily Allen is a Chicago interior designer who lands her dream job on a fictitious (for now?!) Bravo reality show called “Swap/Meet.” The premise of the show is that a man and a woman get two rooms of their homes made over, then they each get a makeover themselves, culminating in a party with all their friends in hopes of finding dates. A sort of mishmash of way too many reality shows.

Lily has relationship issues but luckily her two best friends are always available to point out all her mistakes. And to push her into more productive relationships. But first she must suffer fling after fling until she finds her happy ending, avoiding backstabbing co-workers, producers from hell, and great sex with not so great guys.

All in all, a fast fun read for this Bravo fan. Hope Andy Cohen is reading too!

1/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT by Stacey Ballis. Berkley (June 6, 2006). ISBN 978-0425209820. 304p.

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TROUBLEMAKER by Linda Howard

January 14, 2017

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I read a Linda Howard book many years ago and didn’t love it, and haven’t picked up another one until now. I’ve never been a fan of romantic suspense but apparently I’m turning into one. First Nora Roberts, and now Linda Howard – this was a really good read.

Morgan Yancy works for a secret government agency and travels the world. Then he gets shot in his own backyard, and almost dies. His boss, Axel, decides he needs a safe place to recover so he sends him to his stepsister’s home in the tiny hamlet of Hamrickville, West Virginia. Isabeau “Bo” Maran is the police chief and lives alone in a house well off the beaten path with her beloved golden retriever, Tricks. Bo wants nothing to do with her idiot stepbrother Axel but when he offers her enough money to get out of debt, she agrees to help out.

Morgan is intrigued with the fiercely independent Bo and her insanely smart dog. Eventually they both drop their defenses and work to help one another. As Morgan heals, he is more and more determined to catch whoever shot him and sets himself up as bait to do so.

I loved watching their relationship develop, especially Morgan and Tricks. There is enough action to keep things moving and enough romance to make it all interesting. I will definitely be reading more Linda Howard.

1/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TROUBLEMAKER by Linda Howard. Avon; Reprint edition (December 27, 2016). ISBN 978-0062418999. 496p.

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8 Wacky Celeb Diets

January 13, 2017

Author Rebecca Harrington (I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING) undertook a perilous journey in the name of journalism: surviving on wacky celebrity diets, including those of Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marilyn Monroe, Karl Lagerfeld, and more.

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I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING: My Adventures in Celebrity Dieting by Rebecca Harrington

A hilarious look at the eating habits of the fit and famous–from Gwyneth’s goji berry and quail egg concoctions to Jackie Kennedy’s baked potato and Beluga caviar regimen–Rebecca Harrington leaves no cabbage soup unstirred in her wickedly funny, wildly absurd quest to diet like the stars.

Elizabeth Taylor mixed cottage cheese and sour cream; Madonna subsisted on “sea vegetables;” and Marilyn Monroe drank raw eggs whipped with warm milk. Where there is a Hollywood starlet offering nutritional advice, there is a diet Rebecca Harrington is willing to try. Facing a harrowing mix of fainting spells, pimples, and salmonella, Harrington tracks down illegal haggis to imitate Pippa Middleton, paces her apartment until the wee hours drinking ten Diet Cokes à la Karl Lagerfeld, and attempts something forbiddingly known as the “Salt Water Flush” to channel her inner Beyoncé.

Rebecca Harrington risks kitchen fires and mysterious face rashes, all in the name of diet journalism. Taking cues from noted beauty icons like Posh Spice (alkaline!), Dolly Parton (Velveeta!), Sophia Loren (pasta!) and Cameron Diaz (savory oatmeal!), I’ll Have What She’s Having is completely surprising, occasionally unappetizing, and always outrageously funny.

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THE RIVER AT NIGHT by Erica Ferencik

January 12, 2017

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Wini is at a bad place in her life; her marriage has fallen apart and her troubled younger brother has died. Pia is the alpha female, strong and successful, Sandra is in an abusive marriage, and Rachel is an emergency room nurse.

These women have been best friends for years, and take an annual vacation together. This year Pia convinces them to go white water rafting in Maine at an off-the-grid location with a new young guide. Only Pia is physically ready for such a trip, but she convinces her 40-something year old friends to go anyway.

Their guide, Rory, is twenty years younger than they are, and Pia quickly seduces him. After the briefest possible instructions, they take off on the raft and of course disaster strikes. To survive this trip, these women must fight the currents, the elements, and the mother-son duo who are living off the grid and don’t take kindly to visitors.

The action moves as fast as the white water rapids and should appeal to fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa Unger.

1/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE RIVER AT NIGHT by Erica Ferencik. Gallery/Scout Press (January 10, 2017). ISBN 978-1501143199. 304p.

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ONE FOR THE ROGUE by Charis Michaels

January 11, 2017

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Bachelor Lords of London Series, Book 3

I still haven’t found the first book in this series but if I stumble across it, I’ll definitely read it. Like most romances, they really don’t need to be read in order but it is more fun when I can do it that way.

Charis Michaels appears to be a new romance writer and she is definitely on my to-be-read list. In fact, I had stopped reading Avon Impulse books but I’ve changed my mind because of this author.

We briefly met Beau Courtland, Viscount Rainsleigh, in the Virgin and the Viscount. At the end of that book, Beau’s brother Bryson turns the title over to Beau, who has no interest in being a viscount whatsoever. He refuses to move into the mansion, instead lives on a small, dirty boat that he is working on.

Lady Emmaline Crumbley is in dire straights. Her parents married her off to a Duke who was forty-some years older than she was, and then they died. The Duke died shortly thereafter leaving her the Dowager Duchess and dependent on her stepson who is considerably older than she. She is also responsible for taking care of her teenage brother who is “simple”.

Emma is determined to get to America and sell off the books her father had published, it’s her only chance at financial freedom. But the new Duke wants to get his hands on the money in trust for her brother, and keeps them under close watch.

The previous viscount makes an offhand remark that he wished she would teach his brother the ways of proper society, and she offers to do so in exchange for passage to America for her, her brother and the books.

This is not as complicated as it sounds, and it’s a good story. Emma and Beau have a strong attraction and this is their love story – and it’s pretty good. A very enjoyable read.

1/17 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch™

ONE FOR THE ROGUE by Charis Michaels. Avon Impulse (January 10, 2017). ISBN: 978-0062412973. 416p.

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THE DRY by Jane Harper

January 10, 2017

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This is a thriller that is garnering a lot of attention and tons of starred reviews, and I did enjoy reading it. But I did keep putting it down, so don’t know that I’d give it a starred review myself.

It is set in rural Australia, which felt like it could have been rural North Dakota or some other area I’m not all that familiar with. A small farming town. A drought. And a family murdered in their own home, the father an apparent suicide.

The local sheriff is not comfortable with the scenario that the father did it. Something isn’t sitting right with him. So when Federal Agent Aaron Faulk returns to town for his childhood best friend’s funeral, he ends up staying to help with the investigation.

The story meanders off in several directions. Luke, the suicide and assumed murderer, was Aaron’s alibi when a young girl friend of theirs turned up drowned when they were in high school. A page was found with the name Faulk written on it in her room, making Aaron and his father prime suspects. Nothing was ever proven, but Aaron’s father felt it best to leave town. So that’s one unsolved murder. The family is another.

There are a lot of red herrings and suspicious characters, and the ending was quite suspenseful and a bit of a surprise, all the hallmarks of a good thriller. This is a debut so expect more from this talented author.

1/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE DRY by Jane Harper. Flatiron Books (January 10, 2017). ISBN 978-1250105608. 336p.

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THE SLEEPWALKER by Chris Bohjalian

January 9, 2017

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A prodigious amount of research has obviously gone into the writing of this novel by Chris Bohjalian, whose books cover a wide variety of subjects.

Many people sleepwalk; most fortunately without causing themselves severe harm. Others are not so fortunate and in their walks can do injury to themselves and even possibly kill themselves. Annalee Ahlberg has a history of sleepwalking and is enrolled in a medical project to try and help her. She is also taking medicines prescribed for sleepwalkers.

The novel is written from the viewpoint of Lianna, the oldest of her two daughters, and describes one instance where Lianna actually saved Annalee’s life when she pulled her back from the Gale River Bridge near their home in Vermont. Both Lianna and her younger sister Paige have had episodes of walking in their sleep although nothing apparently as severe as Annalee.

One evening Annalee disappears and just does not appear shortly afterward. After a massive search by neighbors, friends and authorities it becomes fairly apparent that she is dead, possibly drowned in the Gale River. Paige starts to swim the river fairly frequently looking for any clue or sign pointing to the whereabouts, dead or alive, of her mother. No trace is found.

Lianna has a meeting with the police to attempt to determine if they are still investigating her mother’s disappearance. In the course of attempting to get information she meets Gavin Rikert, a detective with the local police department. Lianna and Gavin develop an attraction for each other and it comes out that Gavin is a sleepwalker who is also being treated by the same doctor that worked with Annalee. Also discovered by Lianna is the fact that her mother and Gavin met for talks several times without her father being aware of it. Were they lovers?

Bohjalian has no problem keeping the reader glued to the book. He provides information about forms of sleepwalking, which among other things can include sleep sex on the part of one of the partners. A very intellectually rewarding novel as well as commanding the rapt attention of the reader, and certainly another well done book by Chris Bohjalian.

1/17 Paul Lane

THE SLEEPWALKER by Chris Bohjalian. Doubleday (January 10, 2017). ISBN 978-0385538916. 304p.

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Diana Gabaldon in Conversation with Julie Kosin

January 8, 2017

OUTLANDER author Diana Gabaldon speaks with Julie Kosin, editor at Harper’s Bazaar, about her books, writing process, and the Outlander TV adaptation. Filmed at the Random House Open House, 12/15/16.

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A personal note

January 6, 2017

Dear Readers,

I’m taking this time to let you know that I will be slowing down a bit with the blog. For most of my life, I’ve read a book a day. But a few years ago I started needing reading glasses, which I am not all that comfortable with, so that slowed down my reading. I do love reading on my Kindle or iPad sans glasses, but even that I find somewhat tiring as well. That slowed my reading down to 3-4 books a week. Yes, I can hear you laughing, I know that’s still more than most people read but for me it felt strange.

As I got used to that, I discovered another vision problem, this one a bit more serious than just aging eyes. I was diagnosed with a rare form of glaucoma called Narrow Angle or Angle-Closure Glaucoma. I am very fortunate to live near the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the best eye hospital in the country (US News & World Report) and had laser surgery called laser iridotomy. The ophthalmologist also has me using prescription eye drops.

A year or so later, I started having vision problems again. Blurry vision, night blindness, intermittent spots before my eyes, all of which made reading more difficult. I’ve now added another eye drop to my day which is helping a bit. I go back to the doctor next week and will see what he has to say.

Meanwhile, I’m down to reading just a couple of books a week and since my job keeps me on a computer for most of the day, which I find fatiguing to my eyes, it is also slowing down my review process.

Is there a bigger fear in life for a reader than losing one’s vision? Not for me. So I’m being prudent here, slowing things down, and I wanted to let you all know.

If you subscribe to the blog, you will be notified when I post a new review. Otherwise, check back when you can. I have some awesome videos to share, including an interview with Diana Gabaldon that Outlander fans won’t want to miss! And of course, I am still giving away books.

Thanks for your understanding, and hopefully this will just be a minimal setback. One can only hope for the best…

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