Archive | October 2018

Nightfall #newrelease #romance #dragonshifter

Oct30

Nightfall (Nightmare Dragons Book 2

Synopsis
Despite his beautiful, charming facade, Dare Lancaster is a walking abomination. Doomed to live in the shadows alone, Dare has survived on his hatred of humans and a desperate wish to find out more about who he is. Now there’s only one human who can help him do that, and though he tries to stay distant, he can’t help being possessive and protective, far greater than usual. And something inside him is waking up and saying, mine.

Sasha Harrington knows the dark secret of the Lancasters, ever since she was kidnapped by one of them but not harmed. When the monster whose lonely eyes she still thinks of shows up at her library, cocky and handsome and nothing like she remembers, she isn’t sure what to say. She knows she should run from him, until he offers her something she can’t turn down: help finding the love that has so far eluded her.

As Dare and Sasha travel deeper into the shifter underground, danger lurks around every corner. And as they work together, electric sparks quickly ignite into passionate flames. Soon, Dare is forced to face the truth about Sasha. He wants her, and he can’t possibly deserve her, as long as he has a monster inside.

Sasha Harrington has horrible taste in men. After her latest fiasco, she has sworn off relationships. But when a handsome man with striking features and a body made of rock-hard muscle wanders into her library, asking for her help, she starts getting ideas again. That is, until she finds out it’s Dare Lancaster, the same man who tried to kidnap her and her friend and who changes into an eight-foot tall monstrosity at midnight.

Dare Lancaster has only two goals in life: Keeping his and his brother’s identities as night-roving horrors secret, and tracking down the woman that made them and bringing her to justice. And with Sasha knowing what he is, Dare knows he needs to keep a close eye on her. Even if that means making a deal with the curvy librarian to aid her in return for assistance in something that only she can help him with.

But very quickly both lonely hearts find that keeping their hands to themselves is a more difficult prospect than imagined. And as much as Dare may think he’s helping, Sasha can’t help but see his overwhelming possessiveness as a sign of something more. And even though Dare knows he’s coming closer to the truth than ever before, he’s determined to do the right thing for someone else for the first time in his life. Even if it kills him.

Opinion
I was gifted this book in hopes I would provide an honest review.

I have been eagerly awaiting the receipt of this book because the first book in this series was so exciting to me. This series about nightmare dragons presents a different type of hero, and I am coming to terms with how much I love them.

We first meet Dare in the previous book when he kidnapped his brother’s mate. Of course, we know that all of his anger and angst is just because he is misunderstood and lonely.

He has been trying to navigate the world for the last hundred years and while he does it somewhat successfully, he has something missing. It is hard not to root for a guy that has not had it easy in life. Early on, I realized, for all of his bravado, this was a man who was lonely and did not want to put himself out there because he was scared of being vulnerable and rejected.

Sasha is always picking the wrong type of guy. I think it is because she has such a big heart and she is trying to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Most of all, she truly believes in the power of love. However, after her last horrible dating experience that ended up with her boyfriend at the time becoming nightmare dragon food (for good reason), she has decided to give relationships a break. And while she knows that Dare is emotionally unavailable and totally not the person for her, she cannot help but to be drawn to him. Even when he deliberately annoys her by calling her “snack”.

Sasha is rooting for love and looking for the good in Dare while he believes he does not deserve anyone as pure as Sasha. But several pushes from the right people and they both find what they are searching for in a HEA.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BUY. Overall, I loved this book because of Dare’s protective nature with Sasha. He always came to her rescue, and in the end her love did the same for him.

Book details
Series: Nightmare Dragons
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥
Print Length: 229 pages



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Dr Naughty #romance #KU

Oct15

Dr Naughty

3heart

Synopsis
I started partying on Friday. Saturday got kinda hazy.
And Sunday’ll cost me a million bucks to get back.
The good behavior clause in my contract wasn’t supposed to be real.
Just something to scare me straight.
Now the investors want to buy me out of my own company.
And the experimental cancer drug?
Yeah, they’ll cancel that too.
Yeah, messed up.
That’s where Diana comes in.
Sweet. Innocent. Pure.
And in one hell of a bind.
Lost her job, and her house isn’t far behind.
I can fix all that.
But it’ll take more than my magic ‘wand’.
And maybe Diana will fix me too…
I won’t just make her scream my name..
I’ll get her to call me Doctor.

Opinion
James seems to be one of those genius research scientists who has no common sense. Although he seems to calm down once he and Diana get married.

While it was a quick, spur of the moment decision to help his reputation, they both had good intentions to see that their relationship was successful. Diana has financial and emotional issues but that does not prevent her from displaying her bigheartedness from the beginning.

I felt like the book’s title did not adequately describe it. He was not “naughty” to me. And the synopsis made it seem more salacious than it actually was. That was fine though because I was expecting him to be a jerk. What I found was that James was genuinely a good guy that made a lot of bad decisions.

That being said, by the end, you understand why James is the way he is and I think all the loose ends are tied up nicely.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BORROW. If you stick with it, there is a plot twist that helps to explain everything. It was entertaining, but I do not think it is worth $2.99.

Book details
Series: N/A
Heat Level: 🔥 🔥 🔥
Print Length: 196 pages


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Foodie Friday: Ecco -Atlanta restaurant #foodiefriday #atlantaga

Oct12

It is Foodie Friday!!!!

If you are in Atlanta, GA, do yourself a favor and go to Ecco.

Located in Midtown at 40 7th Street NE. Atlanta, GA 30308.
For reservations, call 404.347.9555.

The cuisine for this nationally recognized restaurant is modern style European. The restaurant was dimly lit with an open kitchen, lending to the comfortable atmosphere. This is definitely the place to go after work for drinks and appetizers.

cocktails menu

There were plenty of well crafted cocktails to choose from. My favorite was Long Live the Queen- Bombay Sapphire gin with elderflowers, lemon, peach, and mint.

I felt so refined and fancy.

My all time favorite was the fried goat cheese topped with honey and cracked black pepper. I never had anything like it before and was skeptical at first. Now I am believer. It was delicious! I am thinking of making a special trip to Atlanta just for that! The balance of flavors was simple but complex at the same time.

fried goat cheese

While I am not usually one to eat ice cream, I was encouraged by my group to try the house made pistachio ice cream. Delectable! It was creamy with a subtle nutty flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. They have ruined me! Now that I have had the best, that is all I want.

pistachio ice cream

TOW Final Word: Everything about Ecco was outstanding! The food was excellent. The servers were welcoming and attentive. From start to finish, it was a great experience.

What Alice Forgot #bookclubpick #NYTbestseller

Oct10

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

 ♥♥♥♥

Synopsis
Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over—she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over…

Opinion
In the beginning I did not think I would like this book. I only read it because it was our book club’s pick.
As I was reading, the more I thought about it, I realized that I loved the premise. While reading, I thought that the way the family would withhold information was infuriating and annoying. I am a fan of open communication. But I was happy with the ending. Everything is sorted out in a satisfactory way.

I liked young Alice and it was interesting to understand all the factors that contributed to her transformation over the last 10 years. Sometimes we do not realize that the small things that contribute to subtle personality changes. But over time, we might not even recognize who we are or what we have become. That was Alice’s conflict and journey in a nutshell.

I felt that there were two stories in one because there was also a focus on Elisabeth’s struggles. I felt sorry for her because the years had not been kind. She experienced heartbreak and Alice had no idea how to be emotionally available.

After reading, I thought about how I would feel if I had a reset from the last 10 years of my life. Would I be happy about the woman I have become? The choices I have made? The friends and relationships I have cultivated? The relationships that are no longer?

One of the questions in the back of the book that is worth thinking about:
“If you were to write a letter to your future self to be opened in ten years, what would you say?”

Share your comments and thoughts below. And if you are inspired to write a post based on that question, share the link of your post.

TOW Final Word: Buy, Borrow, Pass?
BUY. This was a great book that evokes emotion and inspires thought. Are you living your life in such a way that the future you will feel accomplished or disappointed in the choices you made now?

Book details
Series: No
Heat Level: Not a romance
Page length: 432 pages

buy_this_book

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Try It Tuesday: Saffron Road Baked Lentil Chips #healthysnacks

Oct9

TRY IT TUESDAY

Saffron Road Baked Lentil Chips

I love snacks, especially chips. I know it is mostly habit, but when I eat a sandwich I love having a side of chips. My favorite snack combo is to eat tortilla chips with salsa.

Lately, I have been looking for a healthier option. I have been trying to modify my diet and switch to foods that are lower in fat, calories, and have more nutritional benefits.

That is how I found Saffron Road Baked Lentil Chips.

Lentil chips are lower in fat and higher in protein.

Here is how they compare with two of my faves Baked BBQ Lays potato chips and Tostitos tortilla chips.

Lentil (serving size 20 chips) Baked Lays (serving size 15 chips) Tortilla (serving size 7 chips)
Calories 120 140 140
Total Fat 3g 3g 7g
Carbs 19g 25g 19g
Sodium 135mg 230mg 115mg
Protein 4g 2g 2g

After comparing the numbers I decided to try and see if I liked the taste. I bought the Sea Salt ones and they don’t have much flavor on their own. The texture reminded me of kettle chips. Very crunchy.

Because they are thicker, I found that they great for dipping. I ate with hummus, salsa, and cheese dip.

While eating, I could tell the chips were different than what I was used to eating, but it was not bad.

This is not exactly a low carb option, but you will find this is for you if you want a snack that is lower in calories and fat.

TOW Final Word: Saffron Road Lentil chips are a good substitute for potato or tortilla chips. Good source of fiber, gluten free, and less fat.