Can't Wait Wednesday

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: Riverdale meets Stephen King in the terrifying new thriller from the author of Harrow Lake.

From its creepy town mascot to the story of its cursed waterfall, Burden Falls is a small town dripping with superstition. Ava Thorn knows this well—since the horrific accident she witnessed a year ago, she's been plagued by nightmares. But when someone close to her is brutally murdered and Ava is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction. Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there's a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns. 

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I still need to read Harrow Lake but I can't help but fall for the Riverdale/Stephen King comparison.  

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, enjoy walking their dogs, Tara and Sebastian. By this point in their marriage, it's routine. When out for one of their strolls, their simple ritual isn't so simple anymore. Across the street, a man is mistreating his dog. Three things happen at once: Andy yells, Laurie runs to stop the abuse, and so does a closer passerby, who so thoroughly beats the owner that both are arrested when the cops arrive.

Andy scoops up the dog and takes him to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that's always been his true passion. Meanwhile, at the police station, the passerby is identified as Matthew Jantzen, and he's wanted for murder. Andy and Laurie are struck by the fact that Jantzen, a man on the run, would nevertheless intervene to help a dog, and decide to find out more.

Dog Eat Dog, the twenty-second installment in the Andy Carpenter series, features the charming cast of characters - old and new - that David Rosenfelt is known for and the dogs that accompany them.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  I've given up all hope that Mom will ever read this series - even though she needs to do so.  So basically I'm featuring this one because it has a great cover.  Dogs and donuts.  What more can you want?

WHAT BOOKS CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

2 Bloggers 1 Book - Later by Stephen King

 

So I actually surprised Stormi with a copy of our buddy read when it released this month.  She didn't know what book was coming, but she knew we'd read it together.  I'm just a tad sad though because it ended up being a book she didn't really care for.  So read on for my review and then hop over to Stormi's @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and see her thoughts.

TITLE: Later

AUTHOR: Stephen King

PUBLISHER: Hard Case Crime

PUBLISHING DATE: March 2, 2021

PAGES: 248

SOURCE: Own Library

FROM GOODREADS: 

The son of a struggling single mother, Jamie Conklin just wants an ordinary childhood. But Jamie is no ordinary child. Born with an unnatural ability his mom urges him to keep secret, Jamie can see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. But the cost of using this ability is higher than Jamie can imagine - as he discovers when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a killer who has threatened to strike from beyond the grave. 

Later is Stephen King at his finest, a terrifying and touching story of innocence lost and the trials that test our sense of right and wrong. With echoes of King's classic novel IT, Later is a powerful, haunting, unforgettable exploration of what it takes to stand up to evil in all the faces it wears.

MY THOUGHTS: So I'm not going to hold back.  I absolutely loved this book... until I didn't.  And that actually happened in the last 15 pages or so so I guess you could say I was as shocked as you might be.  So in Later, we follow Jamie Conklin from a young boy on.  When he was six, he saw his first dead person.  His ability allows him to sometimes see the deceased for up to three days following their demise.  They fade a bit each day until they disappear and for some reason, when Jamie talks to them, they have to be honest with their answers.

Jamie's mother doesn't initially believe him and neither does her detective girlfriend.  However things start to happen and the people closest to Jamie start using his ability for their own selfish goals.  And that's when things go wrong.

I enjoyed the "crime" aspect of this book but will be honest, it's kind of light, especially for a book marketed primarily as a "hard case crime" book.  I did enjoy the paranormal aspect of the novel and having the tale told from Jamie's POV was an extra bonus.  So all this is great right?  I flew through this book, and then I hit the wall that is the last 15 pages.  

I LOVE King. But I think it's no secret that people often feel his ending are sometimes weak.  Yes, Under the Dome, I'm looking at you!  So I can't help but feel King is tired of that criticism so in Later, he decided "I'll show you!  I'll throw something in the ending to amp everything up."  But what he threw in was totally unnecessary and pointless.  And it kind of bummed me out.  

So needless to say, I do still recommend this book.  If for no other reason than I love seeing everyone else's thoughts on the ending.  If you are a King fan, then pick this up.  And if you want to start reading King, I think this is a great starting place because it's on the short side and not completely horrific and scary. Just remember that I warned you about the ending.  It dropped my 5/5 rating down a notch.

RATING: 4 Paws

Flame Tree Press Tour - Your Turn to Suffer

 

TITLE: Your Turn to Suffer

AUTHOR: Tim Waggoner

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: March 23, 2021

PAGES: 256    

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: 

Lorelai Palumbo is harassed by a sinister group calling themselves The Cabal. They accuse her of having committed unspeakable crimes in the past, and now she must pay. The Cabal begins taking her life apart one piece at a time – her job, her health, the people she loves – and she must try to figure out what The Cabal thinks she’s done if she’s to have any hope of answering their charges and salvaging her life.

MY THOUGHTS: I've read several books by Waggoner and if on this is for sure, the reader never knows what to expect and more likely than not, it's going to be one hell of a ride.  Lorelai is headed home from a tough day at work when she runs into a mysterious woman in the grocery story who claims she must confess and atone or suffer.  Soon weird and awful things start happening around her and to the people she cares about the most.  Lorelai takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of things and ends up traveling to an alternative dimension full of creepy cult members and strange creatures.  Can Lorelai figure out what she needs to atone for before it's too late.

Honestly, this really wasn't my favorite Waggoner book.  Everyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy an odd book and this one definitely fits the mark.  But I think it says something (probably about me but oh well) when my favorite character is a man who spews killer insects from his mouth and then welcomes them back "home" when their job is done.  I didn't mind Lorelai but clearly she had a lot of secrets which were uncovered the more the tale progressed and as they did, I found myself not liking her even more.  I will say the book did pick up for me toward the end and I can see where there might be a sequel in the future as the conclusion was a tad open-ended.  

If you love body horror and odd tales and haven't picked up Waggoner, you are definitely missing out.  I'm starting to think that author's mind is both brilliant and a scary place to be all at the same time.

RATING: 3 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tim Waggoner has published over forty novels and four short story collections, and his articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Digest and Writers’ Journal, among others. He's won the Bram Stoker Award and has been a finalist for both the Shirley Jackson Award and the Scribe Award. He teaches creative writing at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Visit him on the web at www.timwaggoner.com.

As an extra bonus, I read this book as a buddy read with my bestie Stormi.  Make sure you hop over to her blog and see her thoughts @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!

Can't Wait Wednesday (314)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS: What do you do when the undead comes knocking on your door?

Play pop music for her, of course.

Katya, a grieving suburban wife recovering from trauma, is shocked, to say the least, when a shambling, mud-covered girl shows up at her home claiming she took her heart. Once she finds out the girl means her no ill will, however, they become unlikely friends.

Having lost the memories of the life that led to her untimely demise, the girl soon recruits Katya and husband Vijay in a whirlwind quest of self-discovery and revenge. And drinking. The more they learn, however, the more mysteries they uncover about the nature of her death.

Supernatural abilities aside, this conspiracy may end up with more deaths than her own.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I'm not going to lie.  This was initially a complete cover grab.  But after reading the synopsis, I'm really curious and need to find out more.  

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: Thirteen-year-old Abby Hubble lives in an unhappy home in the Sierra Nevada foothills where her father makes life miserable for her and her mother, Mary. One day Abby witnesses a man dump a litter of puppies into the nearby river. Diving in to rescue all seven, she knows she won’t be able to bring them home. Afraid for their fate at the pound, she takes them to an abandoned cabin, where all she can offer is a promise that she’ll be back the next day.

To grieving widower Elliot Colvin, life has lost meaning. Looking for solace, he retreats to the hunting cabin he last visited years ago, before his wife’s illness. What he discovers is not at all what he expected: seven puppies and one determined girl with an indomitable heart.

As Abby and Elliot’s friendship deepens, Abby imagines how much better her life—and the puppies’ lives—would be if her mother were married to Elliot instead of her father. But when Abby’s father moves the family hundreds of miles away, Abby and her mother must decide how long they’re willing to defer happiness.

Seven Perfect Things is a story about joy, where to find it, how to know it when you see it, and the courage it takes to hang on to it once you have it.

WHY CASSIUS CAN'T WAIT:  First of all, since Mom did a cover grab, I'm going to as well.  Look at those adorable puppies.  And I know Mom really likes this author a lot so I'm excited for her to read this one!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Don't Understand the Hype

 

TITLE: The Cousins

AUTHOR: Karen M. McManus

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

PUBLISING DATE: December 1, 2020

PAGES: 337

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: 

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised... and curious. 

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is. 

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

MY THOUGHTS: I was really excited to finally get my hands on this book as it seemed to be quite popular at my local library. I've heard people rave about the author and finally wanted to give one of her books a go.  While I didn't exactly hate this book, I just don't understand all the hype.

Milly, Aubrey and Jonah are summoned by their estranged Grandmother to spend the summer at an exclusive island getaway working at her prestigious resort.  Many years ago Grandmother ceased all contact with her children and no one has spoken to her for years.  Her final contact included a letter simply stating "You know what you did."  The parents encourage (force) their children to go seeing it as a chance to get back in their mother's good graces and reclaim what they feel is their rightful inheritance.  However, when the teens arrive, the more time they spend there the stranger things seem to be.  Grandmother doesn't really want to have anything to do with them and they find themselves trying to unravel what happened so many years ago.

I know this is going to sound strange but the majority of the time I was reading this book I couldn't shake the feeling that this was a mystery without a mystery.  If I can clarify, and don't hold out hope, I knew there was a mystery present but just wasn't sure what it was.  There were a few surprise twists that I didn't see coming which is probably what actually raised my overall rating a bit.  Most of the action and reveals come in the last 20% and by then, I just wanted to book to be over.  I didn't mind Milly, Aubrey and Jonah as characters but as far as entitled, spoiled teenagers go, they didn't really stand out from others I've read.

If you love this author then I'm sure you'll want to grab The Cousins.  And I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy this book because I've seen tons of good reviews/hype. I just found it kind of middle of the line though.

RATING: 3 Paws

Can't Wait Wednesday (313)

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

FROM GOODREADS:  Ten years ago, disaster struck the remote town of Indigo Falls. A horrific event drove the residents underground, into shelters that keep them safe from the danger on the surface. No one speaks about what happened that fateful day, but even the youngest still remember the fear and, most of all, the searing pain when sunlight touched their skin.

Now, a handfull of families inhabit this bunker together, guided by a charismatic leader named Dr. Imogen Moran. There are many rules Dr. Moran has instilled to govern life belowground. You must always tell the truth. You must avoid the light of the sun. You must never touch skin to skin.

But the most important rule, the one that was drilled into their heads from the moment the hatch slammed shut all those years ago, was at the very end of the list. It rattled around in their skulls when all was silent, echoing in the quiet, lonely dark.

You must never go outside.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  I love the creepy cover and I always need more horror in my life.  

CASSIUS'S PICK:

FROM GOODREADS: The Man is happy. The Woman is happy. That means Gatz is happy. He'd like to forget about the trouble he made to get them back together--only slightly ashamed at his antics--and focus on the future. The Woman and New Man are about to get married, after all. But when The Woman loses her job because of some bad press about the two of them, her confidence is broken and she can't help but feel resentful towards New Man when his own career stays intact. Gatz has to give it to him; New Man remains as patient as a saint (of course he does).

The Man is doing better, too, thanks to the New Woman in his life, who just so happens to be a writer as well. But two authors in the same relationship can sometimes be one too many, and they find themselves getting quite competitive with each other. But Gatz has faith in them--The Man did learn from his mistakes, didn't he?

Gatz doesn't know what happened to these two perfectly happy couples, but he knows one thing is for sure: not all families are alike, and happiness can be found in the unlikeliest pockets--just like treats! 

WHY CASS CAN'T WAIT:  The first in this series is one of Mom's favorite books and I have to admit, Gatz is a pretty good dog.  I'm glad Mom doesn't have human children because she might sell one to get her hands on this book early.  I know me and Apollo are safe though - she told us!

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Random Things Tours - The Twenty Seven Club

 

TITLE: The Twenty Seven Club

AUTHOR: Lucy Nichol

PUBLISHER: Lark

PUBLISHING DATE: January 20, 2021

PAGES: 231

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: 

It’s 1994. The music industry is mourning Kurt Cobain, Right Said Fred have re-emerged as an ‘ironic’ pop act and John Major is the country’s prime minister. Nothing is as it should be. 

Emma, a working-class rock music fan from Hull, with a penchant for a flaming Drambuie and a line of coke with her best mate Dave down The Angel, is troubled. 

Trev, her beloved whippet, has doggy IBS, and her job ordering bathroom supplies at the local caravan company is far from challenging. So when her dad, Tel, informs her that Kurt Cobain has killed himself aged 27, Emma is consumed with anxiety. 

Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix…why have so many rock musicians died aged 27? And will Emma be next to join The Twenty Seven Club? 

The Twenty Seven Club is a nostalgic, often humorous, drug and booze-infused tale of friendship, discovery and anxiety as Emma tries, for once, to focus on life, rather than death.

MY THOUGHTS: I adore music and listen to all types of genres so when I saw the title of this book, and then read the synopsis, I knew it was one I would have to read.  I listened to a lot of grunge rock in the 90's and while I don't really remember where I was when Kurt Cobain died, I do recall the impact it had on a lot of people and the mourning of talent lost too soon.  

Emma learns of Cobain's death from her father during breakfast one morning.  This sets her off on a quest of self discovery in hopes of coming to terms with her own mortality and where her life is headed.  Emma is somewhat wild and crazy and time but it always contemplative about the direction her life is taking.  She has a close friend Dave, who I also enjoyed, and an adorable rescued whippet named Trev.

While the plot of this book doesn't necessarily slap you in the face, it's definitely there and will hit anyone who came of age in the 90's hard.  It takes a hard look at the price of fame from an outsider's POV and Nichol does a wonderful job of showcasing a young woman who is struggling just to get through each day.    There's some humor thrown in which I always enjoy and Nichol is definitely an author I'll be watching.

RATING: 4 Paws

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lucy is a mental health campaigner and PR consultant, and a former columnist with Sarah Millican's Standard Issue magazine.  She has written for The Independent, The I Paper, NME, Red Magazine, Den of Geek, Men’s Fitness, Metro and Huff Post.  Her first book, A Series of Unfortunate Stereotypes, a non-fiction mental health memoir, was published by Trigger in 2018. Lucy has worked with the media in PR and marketing for almost 20 years and has experienced Generalised Anxiety Disorder for even longer.  

Top Ten Tuesday - Books on My Spring TBR (library holds)

 

The top 10 weekly meme used to be hosted by The Broke and the Bookish they  handed over the reins to That Artsy Reader Girl who can be found HERE.  Each week she will focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading.

This week's topic is books on our Spring TBR.  I feel like I do TBR's a lot so I'm sharing books I have on hold with my library/Overdrive/Hoopla.  I mean, they'll probably all come in at once anyway!

Looks like I have some good reading ahead!  Are any of these on your Spring TBR????

I Love Lucy! No, Not THAT Lucy...

 

TITLE: The House in the Cerulean Sea

AUTHOR: TJ Klune

PUBLISHER: Tor

PUBLISHING DATE: March 16, 2020

PAGES: 394    

SOURCE: Library

 

FROM GOODREADS: 

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. 

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. 

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days. 

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. 

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

MY THOUGHTS: Let's just say that I've been burned by extremely hyped books in the past.  Add that to the fact that I'm not a huge fan of children (as in around me, not that they are necessarily bad), and I didn't really intend to pick this book up.  However, curiosity got the best of me and man, am I glad that I did.  The hype is real people!  Yes, I said it.  I loved this book in so many ways and it will certainly be on my "best of" list at the end of the year.

Linus is forty and works as a caseworker - I can relate to that.  He spends his days investigating cases at The Department in Charge of Magical Youth.  Now that's where the fun begins.  Linus is sent to investigate an orphanage on the island of Marsyas where only six children and their caretaker Arthur reside.  But these aren't your average magical children - they are supposedly the worst of the worst.  

So Linus departs with his cat in tow and finds himself on a fact-finding mission for Extremely Upper Management.  Not only does he fear what he might find, he is so dedicated to remaining objective that he almost misses what is in front of him.  

I don't want to give anything away but I will say I absolutely loved all of the children. They were so cute and ornery and perhaps a tad bit dangerous.  And most of all, they are highly misunderstood.  In fact, my favorite child of all, Lucy (short for Lucifer so are we really surprised my dark heart fell in love with him?) is probably the most misunderstood of all. 

This book has a lyrical fairy tale feel to it throughout.  I've not read any of Klune's books before but I already have my sights set on his newest release coming out later this year.  He made me fall in love with the house on the sea and all of its inhabitants.  And the character development for Linus was spot-on and in my opinion, couldn't have been done any better.

Go grab a copy of this book now guys!  That is if you are one of the few, like me, who hadn't already read it.

RATING: 5 Paws

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE LUCY QUOTES: 

"Do adults think about death a lot?" Lucy asked.  He cocked his head at an odd angle.  "That must mean I'm an adult too because I think about it all the time.  I like dead things. I would like you if you were dead, Mr. Baker.  Maybe even more."

"If the cannibals start chasing after us, they'll see you first.  We're little, and you've got all that meat on your bones, so it'll give us time to get away.  Your forthcoming sacrifice is appreciated."

Random Things Tours - Dog Days

 

TITLE: Dog Days

AUTHOR: Ericka Waller

PUBLISHER: Doubleday

PUBLISHING DATE: March 11, 2021

PAGES: 368

SOURCE: ARC 

FROM GOODREADS: 

George is very angry. His wife has upped and died on him, and all he wants to do is sit in his underpants and shout at the cricket. The last thing he needs is his cake-baking neighbour Betty trying to rescue him. And then there's the dog, a dachshund puppy called Poppy. George doesn't want a dog - he wants a fight. 

Dan is a counsellor with OCD who is great at helping other people - if only he were better at helping himself. His most meaningful relationship so far is with his labrador Fitz. But then comes a therapy session that will change his life. 

Lizzie is living in a women's refuge with her son Lenny. Her body is covered in scars and she has shut herself off from everyone around her. But when she is forced to walk the refuge's fat terrier, Maud, a new life beckons - if she can keep her secret just a while longer... 

Dog Days is a novel about those small but life-changing moments that only come when we pause to let the light in. It is about three people learning to make connections and find joy in living life off the leash.

MY THOUGHTS: Going into Dog Days I'm sure I expected a book completely different than the one I got.  I often thing of dog-centric titles as fun, chick-lit romances or quirkly talking/thinking pets solving mysteries or getting into trouble.  You will find none of that in Waller's book.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a disappointment at all, but I did find it somewhat depressing at times which is also okay.

In Dog Days we find meet three different individuals who are not friends but whose paths do cross from time to time because of their dogs.  And this book goes to show that I do not necessarily have to like the characters to enjoy the book because honestly, besides the dogs, my favorite character was a dead woman.  George is mad because his wife died without telling him, Lizzie is trying to escape an abusive existence and Dan is exploring real love for the first time in his life.  And each of them just happen to also be loved by a dog - whether they want to or not.

As I mentioned, these are extremely likable people.  The scary thing for me was the fact that I actually liked George the most and he was probably the worst.  He is mad at the world.  He is mad at his wife for dying, and he certainly is mad because she bought them a puppy before she died.  But the relationship between him and Ellen is truly beautiful and probably spoke to me the most.  Only in George's grief does he finally realize how much he loved his wife.  And Ellen was a gem.  Not only did she put up with possibly the world's grumpiest man, she anticipated his every move after her death and for months he found love notes around their home and throughout the town.

I enjoyed spending time with these three characters.  In a way, each were healed by the love of their dogs.  They found solace and comfort in their snuggles and affection.  It's try that at the end of the book I found myself saddened, but I don't regret reading the book and I would recommend it for people looking for a tale of love, loss, grief and rebirth.

RATING: 4 Paws

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ERICKA WALLER lives in Brighton with her husband, three daughters and pets. Previously, she worked as a blogger and columnist. Dog Days is the sum of everything she has learned about love, loss and the healing power of dogs. Twitter: @erickawaller1 Instagram @erickamary http://muminthesouth.co.uk/

ERICKA WALLER’S NOTE ON DOG DAYS: “One of the inspirations for Dog Days came from walking my own dogs. It’s this weird alternative universe - dog owners could by psycho killers, but we approach them alone on windy beacons, because they have a dog. Dog owners might be battered wives, addicts, cheaters, thieves. 

I also wanted to use dogs to reflect how we, as humans, are consumed by things we cannot control or change. Dogs live from one falling leaf to the next. Their emotions are simple. I wanted to set them against the lives of three characters battling with real life issues such as depression, anxiety, OCD and grief. 

I wanted to explore how people force themselves into a shape we can understand, that goes along with the stories we tell ourselves. I didn’t want to write a romance, but I did want the book to be suffused with different kinds of love: platonic, sexual, maternal. 

I wanted to explore how women are perceived by other women and the way we need to force them into a shape we can understand, that goes along with the stories we tell ourselves. Everything is always about how it makes us feel, so we alter reality or bend truths to make them fit in how we need the world to be.” 

2 Bloggers 1 Series - Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2)

 

Stormi and I are at it again this month reading the next book in the Virgin River series.  Neither of us could wait to see what Preacher's tale had to offer. So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's  at Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! to see what she thought.

TITLE: Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2)

AUTHOR: Robyn Carr

PUBLISHER: Mira

PUBLISHING DATE: May 1, 2007

PAGES: 399

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: 

For the second time in a year, a woman arrives in the small town of Virgin River trying to escape her past. 

John "Preacher" Middleton is about to close the bar when a young woman and her three-year-old son come in out of the wet October night. A marine who has seen his share of pain, Preacher knows a crisis when he sees one—the woman is covered in bruises. He wants to protect them, and to punish whoever did this, but he knows immediately that this is more than just instinct. Paige Lassiter has stirred up emotions in this gentle giant of a man—emotions that he has never allowed himself to feel. 

Then Paige's ex-husband turns up in Virgin River. And if there's one thing the marines' motto of Semper Fi—always faithful—has taught Preacher, it's that some things are worth fighting for.

MY THOUGHTS: I was really excited to read Preacher's book as he is easily one of my favorite characters from the Netflix show.  Although there are some notable differences, I found myself drawn into Preacher and Paige's story and couldn't wait to see the outcome.

Late one rainy night Paige and her young son Christopher, stumbles across Jack's bar and find Preacher working alone.  Preacher can tell that Paige is alone and scared and offers her a place to stay until her son, who seems ill, feels better.  Paige is hesitant but finally does what she feels she needs to do for her son.  As time progresses, Preacher learns just to what extent Paige was victimized by her husband and a he helps her regain her independence and get away from Wes once and for all, he begins to have feelings even he didn't expect.

Preacher and Paige is a very slow burn relationship.  If you enjoy that type of thing, this is definitely the book for you.  And while I definitely enjoyed the buildup, at times I wanted to slap Preacher.  I loved watching how comforting and tender he was with Chris and how protective he becomes of Chris.

This book still provides plenty of plot focused on other characters such as Jack, Mel, Rick and Lizzie.  I don't want to provide much detail almost all would count as spoilers but it definitely added a lot to the series development.

So I figure we will continue on with this series which is over 20 books long eventually.  We don't want to burnout, which is possible since neither of us read lots of romance so we are switching up next month.  However, Shelter Mountain was definitely a hit and I highly recommend the series. 

RATING: 5 Paws (mainly because it's Preacher - I won't lie)