Waiting For Wentworth: 01/01/2018

Waiting On Wednesday (324) Where Death Meets the Devil by L.J. Hayward

Where Death Meets the Devil by L.J. Hayward

Expected publication: February 26th 2018 by Riptide Publishing

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, previously hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Jack Reardon, former SAS soldier and current Australian Meta-State asset, has seen some messy battles. But “messy” takes on a whole new meaning when he finds himself tied to a chair in a torture shack, his cover blown wide open, all thanks to notorious killer-for-hire Ethan Blade.

Blade is everything Jack doesn’t believe in: remorseless, detached, lawless. Yet, Jack’s only chance to survive is to strike a bargain with the devil and join forces with Blade. As they trek across a hostile desert, Jack learns that Blade is much more than a dead-eyed killer—and harder to resist than he should be.

A year later, Jack is home and finally getting his life on track. Then Ethan Blade reappears and throws it all into chaos once more. It’s impossible to trust the assassin, especially when his presence casts doubts on Jack’s loyalty to his country, but Jack cannot ignore what Blade’s return means: the mess that brought them together is far from over, and Ethan might just bring back the piece of Jack’s soul he thought he’d lost forever.

So, maybe my initial attraction to this book was the cover. But that synopsis sounds exciting, so I'm looking forward to reading this.

What are you waiting on this week?

Trick Roller (Seven of Spades #2) by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Published January 29th 2018 by Riptide Publishing
Page Count: 295
Genre: M/M, Romance, Crime

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.

But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.

One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.

The first book in this series, Kill Game, was one of my favorite reads last year. I'm placing Trick Roller right up there on a high shelf as my favorite read so far this year. I'm convinced the rest of this series will not disappoint!

I am loving the progression of Levi and Dominic's relationship. They are absolutely perfect for each other and I love seeing them together. They have the potential to be tremendously awesome! I'm still waiting for them to have the 'relationship talk', but neither is ready to admit just how much they mean to each other. I may have to guard my heart (and break out the tissues) if they have tough times ahead.

Levi and Dominic's working relationship is an important part of why I enjoy them so much. The professional attention they give to each other speaks volumes about their mutual respect. They are both dedicated to doing their jobs well, and I like that Dominic is 100% behind Levi and his theories regarding the seven of spades killer.

Once again, the writing was impeccable. The plot had a ton of depth, and I loved how the the author managed to intertwine Levi's current murder investigation together with the seven of spades investigation.

Trick Roller was quite an enjoyable and memorable read. The murder / mystery plot was very tightly-constructed and kept me interested right to the end. After such a shocking ending, I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of this 5 book series.

An arc of Trick Roller was generously provided by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Expected publication: February 13th 2018 by First Second
Graphic Novel, Young Adult, LGBT+

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, previously hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:

Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride―or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia―the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances―one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.

I haven't read a graphic novel in quite a while, and this looks like it will be cute.

What are you waiting on this week?

Kairos by Mary Calmes

Published December 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

Page Count: 154

Genre: M/M, Romance
Source: Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Sometimes the best day of your life is the one you never saw coming.

Joe Cohen has devoted the past two years of his life to one thing: the care and feeding of Kade Bosa. His partner in their PI business, roommate, and best friend, Kade is everything to Joe, even if their relationship falls short of what Joe desires most. But he won’t push. Kade has suffered a rough road, and Joe’s pretty sure he’s the only thing holding Kade together.

Estranged from his own family, Joe knows the value of desperately holding on to someone dear, but he never expected his present and past to collide just as Kade’s is doing the same. Now they’ve stumbled across evidence that could change their lives: the impact of Kade’s tragic past, their job partnership, and any future Joe might allow himself to wish for….

The first 75% of this book could have been a scene from early on in the Marshals Series. I love, love, love Miro and Ian, so I shouldn't have any complaints, but I wanted to read a new story with new characters. And Kairos just makes me really miss Miro and Ian. Sigh.

I'm still not sure how I feel about Kade and Joe. On one hand, the character type is so familiar to me. But on the other hand, I feel like I didn't get to know them very well at all. So you could say that I'm conflicted.

The secondary characters were all quite entertaining. I especially liked Declan. And Joe's ex, Evan, interested me. What are the chances of getting their stories?

There really was a lot going on in too short of a time period. I did enjoy the action and drama that Mary wrote here, but the characters and story were not fleshed out enough for me. I can't help but feel that this book could have been SO much more.

Overall, this book was not what I was expecting. It was too short and very familiar. So while I liked it well enough, I just didn't love it.

A few final thoughts:
Someone snickered in the 2nd paragraph. That was quick.
Peacoat mention at 19%, so that took a while to show up.
Please stop calling him Joe. His name is NOT Joe. It's Miro.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, previously hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Expected publication: January 30th 2018 by Harlequin Teen

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the new Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.

I haven't been reading too much YA recently, but I definitely want to read this one.

What are you waiting on this week?

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, previously hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Trick Roller (Seven of Spades #2) by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Expected publication: January 29th 2018 by Riptide Publishing

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.

But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.

One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.

The first book in this series was one of my favorite reads last year. I was approved for an eArc of this, so I'll be reading it soon!!

What are you waiting on this week?

Too many books, so little time! My holiday novella reading began in November, and I kept myself busy in December. I read a few other books in between to keep from getting burned out. Somehow, I still have a few Christmas books to get to in January, but it's all good!

I managed to read 27 books in December, which helped me kick ass on my Goodreads challenge for 2017. I usually set my goal at 60 books, which I passed pretty quickly. So I reset my goal to 100 books. I am very pleased that I read 176 books in 2017.

Books Read in December