The French Illusion - Stoic interlude between corridors of power and kidnapping nexus

 Have you ever immersed yourself in a John Grisham novel? A book where there is no sensational plot twist, no sudden cliffhanger.. a throwback to when storytelling dealt more with the minutiae rather than self flagellation of characters, which felt like you had to channel your inner vibe with the MC to feel the tale - this novel is none of that.

What it is , however, is a SLOW, SEMINAL, TEXTBOOK THRILLER - no lengthy back stories, just a matter of fact rollout of a series of events, their consequences, effects and repercussions, laid out in fascinating detail by a master!

It has been a while since I picked up a Grisham, and i was hoping for more legalese in this one - while that remained unfulfilled, the phenomenal unfurling of a kidnapping with political, prejudice based justice, was mesmerizing! I polished the chapters off, in quick succession, and completed the book in a day!

The core plotline spins around the kidnapping of honeymooners in Paris, with the ransom set at $2 million per person, the bride released without consequence, but the groom, with ties to the military is detained, even after the ransom is paid and subject to visceral treatment and numbing capture. The brutality of unmonitored captivity and the inhumane subjugation techniques are ruthlessly explored, as are the procedures and regulations governing the involvement and bureaucracy of governmental departments orchestrating a time sensitive negotiation. Grisham being the mastermind, doesn't soften any blows nor does he side with any ideal - he just states it as it is, like the stoic sea of intrigue that he so effortlessly embodies!

My thank yous to Netgalley and Double Day Books for this Arc - it has been a throwback thursday kind of feel!

#SeptemberReads #TheFrenchIllusion #Netgalley #DoubleDayBooks

Victorious - Vale and Ever - the EO version of Kane and Abel - back for one final showdown!

 What EPIC endings are MADE of!!!

When you finish a trilogy, particularly one form the masterful authorship of V.E. Schwab, your expectations are already sky high, add in an ALC boon, read by the immensely talented Jeremy Arthur, whose modulation and accent lilts just BRING the verve and authenticity to the zany non linear plot lines, you CANNOT, but, GUSH!!!!

First of my extra-ordinary thank yous to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for reviving me with this ALC - so fabulous I finished it over the weekend!! I COULD NOT STOP listening! Quoting the author, Every line is immortal, until it is overwritten - thank you for keeping the substance and core intact!

Onto the storyline, what is the grand crescendo of every trilogy - bring back what was lost, revive the memories, indulge in nostalgia and of course, have a totally new extrapolation to the original plotline.

Victor Vale and Eli Ever were the Abel and Kane of the extraordinaries - each locked in a battle of science versus belief and manifesting powers beyond the ken of minds. This book sees Mitch and Sydney trundle forth with their new positions, Victor trying to get back his powers and June, finding some extraordinary friends... While at the other end of the gameboard EON has a makeover and a new sinister plot to subvert EOs.

The advent of the new characters are also stellar! Wreaked with memories, facing new demons and forming new alliances, the characters interweave and the non linear timeline of zooming forward and backward really adds to the plotlines (i was always reminiscent of heroes!)...

Chapter by chapter, we are reminded of the eccentricities, prejudices and personal biases that each of these marvelous main characters bring to fore - their grit, drive and end game are all laid bare! There is a major twist, and my, what a knife driven into the back!! spectacular!!!

The audio production was par excellence and really rounded the storytelling. Jeremy is immaculate in his enunciation and 1brings in the vivid coldness of Victor, the flirty playfulness of June, the raw insecurity of Sydney and the beefiness of Mitch (I don't know HOW he did, but HE DID!)

If you are in withdrawal from Vicious and Vengeful, then this one brings the entire tapestry of EOs to a full circle, providing closure, with a quintessential Schwab swipe! the last line is my absolute favorite!!! 

#Octoberreads #Victorious #VESchwab #macmillianaudio #EOspectacular

A Study in Sparkling - Special serving of sommelier splashed with second chance love

 After An academic Affair, I was underwhelmed, wondering how the magic of that sizzling literary duo and the university machinations could EVER compare to Fiona and Satoshi - I mean, we're talking a sommelier and a single mom of three!! I was not thrilled to start this book...

BUT

Once I started, the magical binding to relish, read and revere Jodi's work of art was renewed!! With wine knowledge and the suggestive notes which translated to the academic equivalent of the PhD duo. The banter was delish, the tension fraught and thick, and the chemistry was ridiculous!!! From the sheer depression that Fiona embodies and the helplessness in the lieu of her separation, to the beautiful softness and amazingly unique blend that Satoshi embodies - this book flew by - joy, sorrow, lust, love and the tenderness of family were blended in perfect proportion, leaving me unsatisfied in the least!

If Chess was my go to in the previous book, this book went to Lex and their fascinating insight and matter of fact staidness. I will also add a special mention to Isamu, who grudgingly grew to accept and admire - similar to Satoshi's evolving feelings. The staging of the chapters with the stunning exchanges of text, really refreshed the reading experience. Emotionally, the book was like a rasberry tart - with the delicate softness of understanding someone, tangy from the ability to rise from ignominy and acknowledge your own unique flavor, sturdy - the ability to support unconditionally and refreshing - not shying away from the reality of mom constantly questioning her choices!

My thank yous are served with both hands, elegantly, to Netgalley and Atria and my invitation to enjoy a drink (crafted by moi) extends to the wonderfully talented Jodi McAlister! 

The book is best enjoyed with a long island iced tea - a blend of beautiful ingredients with a sparkle towards the finish, savored and not imbibed!

#Septemberreads #Astudyinsparkling #secondchancelove #sommeliervibes

The Twelve Loves of Christmas - Bouquet of holiday spirits wrapped in strands of love

 Are you a fan of the hallmark Christmas collection - brewing romance : from enemies to lovers, second chances, holiday mix ups, holiday flings, puppy love, letter swapping, ethnic, cultural and sweeping through all the ways to bring in Christmas , you name it, we got it!

This was like a bouquet of a dozen red roses - each one with a unique spin with spunk, heart and soul - cute and compact that you could stick it in your back pocket and carry it with you, the warmth, the glow and just the feeling of togetherness that the season evokes. Be it soulful conversations, familial angst or disfunction, the holidays truly bring a time for change, those random interactions with strangers which would not occur the rest of the year and the seasonal migration to the homing nest and family / friend time.

I thoroughly relished all these escapades and the sheer variety of the author's viewpoints and unique perspectives on their romantic fantasies was sizzling, resonant with connection and made my toes curl up in my floppy slippers, curled in front of the fireplace with my favorite sugar cookies, another reminded me of snow gazing and just enjoying the stillness of a quiet christmas, another reminded me of the boisterous celebrations and the heady expectations of gift giving, while another was just about taking a chance, giving your story a new spin! all in all each version of these loved up holiday specials were wonderful!

My sugarplum thank yous to Atria and Netgalley for gifting me this bouquet - its fragrance is still lingering in my room!

#Septemberreads #holidayanthology #thetwelvelovesofchristmas #atria #netgalley

TheDarkLordsGuideToHoneymooning - devastating, devious and deliciously deviant!

 What's mine stays mine

Tiffany brings back THE absolute BEST of the dark lord, imperious, overbearing, powerful and utterly putty at the hand of Arabella. In this edition, the past lives of both The Dark Lady and Lord are under the microscope - leading to moments of unabashed lovemaking and soul searing confessions, between rounds of explosive innovations, curt dismissals and the pinnacle of power struggles between the iron fist and the velvet glove, all under the watchful silver gaze of a certain purple fire spewing pink dragon!

From traipsing across the lands, to assassination attempts, collision course with the syndicate and the ensuing power struggles, to discovering Auremar's plan, finding new allies (a certain scone baking flower lord), to unmasking the pain of their respective pasts while trying to be honest with each other, and giving grace for the unconditional acceptance that they have been blessed with - Kaz and Bella are hurtled from one chapter to the next - at breakneck speed and the intricate plots keep the hairpin bends sharp and leaves you breathless!

The sharp retorts, weird activities and misguided kidnappings, and the stark normalcy that pervade the moments of togetherness interspersed by world ending chaos - Tiffany refuses to let us breathe - my jaws are aching from smiling, my soul is set adrift from the travelling, the secrets and the nuggets shared of Vex, Malphas and Amryska - I NEED the next book, stat!

The vibe that this series began with, the ruthless savagery punctuated by comic relief and the passionate throes of i-cannot-keep-my-hands-off-you are preserved, pickled and absolutely DELISH in this current installment. Tense, seductive, heartwarming and gut-wrenching all at once! I bend my knee to Tiffany, Mistress of the wicked humor syndicate and doff my hat to the chairs of Scarlett Press and Netgalley - my allegiance to this series is unwavering!

#TheDarkLordsGuideToHoneymooning #NetGalley #darkcomedy #miningpasts #foundfamily #septemberreads

Avalon Tower - Arthurian retelling with modern spikes

 If Arthurian legends, the enmeshing of modern technology and magic appeals to your innate sense of being, if miscommunications and crossed wires sizzle your inner romantic, if falling through a rabbit hole to a new world and rules bask your sense of wonder, if trials and tests and exposure to new powers capitulate your visceral sense of magic, if political gambits, cycling through legends and the proverbial lost childhood trope adds angst to your sense of a well developed character arc, then do pick up this series.

The author group does a phenomenal job of melding in the nautical and geographical aspects of the magical war into tangible physical proponents. Where I thought the plot fell flat was when we actually got to Avalon tower, I felt lost from the mappable quality that permeated ventures into the real world - it was underwhelming, despite the newfound friends and their quirky powers, the bully and the myriad challenges that ensued, the trials, the missions. What may have helped was a background into why the demi fae and the fae were actually estranged, and perhaps the next novel will lean further into that rift. To the extent that my favorite part of the book was the bonus chapter with Mordred - wish more of that literary magic seeped through the rest of the tale.

This was an enjoyable tale, best befitted with the trappings of high tea and a spray of flowers, for luck, and of course, lavender cake!

Thank you to Scarlett Press and Netgalley for furnishing the ARC!

#Septemberreads #Arthurianlegend #AvalonTower #Mythicalmagewar

Tempest - Slow, seductive swim into the Lyrian Sea

 Does a ingénue heroine who comes into her power, masterfully, regally and ruthlessly, appeal to your sense of self? Would tensions brimming between a tempestuous pirate captain, whose moods and freedom are vast and engrossing and a straightlaced, captain of navy with scruples and loyalty tested by their attraction to said femme fatale, beguile your senses? Would a teeming adventure of Kingdom versus rebels held on the high seas, where a tyrannical kingdom wishes to colonize all the islands and behead the criminalist piracy sing to your sense of wonder? Could a tale walking a tightrope between the protagonists in a past versus present flow mellifluously to the aforementioned spin of fatalism pervading the Meridian empire?

If the answers to all the above is yes, welcome to the Lyrian Sea duology by the impeccable Victoria Aveyard! 

Tempest was a study of tensions - from the get go - the palpable string was drawn tight around the Widow Rose and her interactions with all and sundry twist into a neat web - with want waging war with loyalty and lust wreaking havoc against strategy. I loved Cat - her moods and ownership and guilt over her past and her unapologetic row to safer havens, belying the destruction it would warrant.

This one is a keeper! An adult romantasy where the the slow burn simmers, sizzles and caresses you like the salt water and sand at your feet - never quite coming together but teasing all the same in the powerful undercurrents!

My humble thank yous to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for providing me with the arc! This one is best enjoyed with hearty rum or better yet tequila (taquil) in a not quite clean glass!

#sepetmberreads #tempest #piratesxmagic #slowburntensions