2 Bloggers 1 Series - Enjoy of View

 

This month Stormi and I decided to continue on with the Moose Springs series.  I was in need of a comfort read and this has to be one of my favorite series of all time.  And yes, I loved this one as much as the others and am thrilled to see there is a #4 in the works.  So check out my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's  at Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! to see what she thought as well.

TITLE: Enjoy the View (Moose Springs, Alaska #3)

AUTHOR: Sarah  Morgenthaler

PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Casablanca

PUBLISHING DATE: January 19, 2021

PAGES: 352

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: 

A grouchy mountaineer, a Hollywood starlet And miles of untamed wilderness... What could possibly go wrong?

Former Hollywood darling River Lane's acting career is tanking fast. Determined to start fresh behind the camera, she agrees to film a documentary about the picturesque small town of Moose Springs, Alaska. The assignment should have been easy, but the quirky locals want nothing to do with River. Well, too bad: River's going to make this film and prove herself, no matter what it takes.

Or what (literal) mountain she has to climb. 

Easton Lockett may be a gentle giant, but he knows a thing or two about survival. If he can keep everyone in line, he should be able to get River and her crew up and down Mount Veil in one piece. Turns out that's a big if. The wildlife's wilder than usual, the camera crew's determined to wander off a cliff, and the gorgeous actress is fearless. Falling for River only makes Easton's job tougher, but there's only so long he can hold out against her brilliant smile. When bad weather strikes, putting everyone at risk, it'll take all of Easton's skill to get them back home safely...and convince River she should stay in his arms for good.

MY THOUGHTS: I always enjoy the grumpy/sunshine trope so I had no doubt this would turn out to be a great read. And I swear, every grumpy male in Moose Springs, and seriously, there seems to be quite a few, always put me in mind of Luke from Gilmore Girls.  And I've ALWAYS been a Luke fan.

River Lane has come to Moose Springs for her directorial debut on an Alaskan documentary.  However, no one warned her how hard it would be to get filming permits in Moose Springs, a town that definitely doesn't want any added attention.  River and her minimal crew end up getting kicked out of most of the town establishments, so she decides to take the crew and summit Mount Veil, a mountain peak known to locals as "The Old Man."  And while her first run-in with Easton didn't go off as planned, he winds up being the guide tasked with making sure River and her crew make it off alive.

I adored the banter between River and Easton and I have to say, even though the attraction between the two was almost immediate, the author never ventured into insta-love territory.  The relationship developed over time and it was never a given conclusion.  The side characters of River's crew were also hilarious, especially Jessie, who clearly had no business scaling a mountain, even on a good day.  Easton's patience often runs thin, but in the end, he had a giant heart and he doesn't want to let River down.  We also get to see Graham and Zoey from book #1 a fair amount and seriously, they will probably always be my favorite couple in Moose Springs.

And finally I have to mention the marmot.  On the way up the peak, Easton is befriended by a love-struck marmot and I never knew I could get attached to him almost as much as I was Easton and River.  Morganthaler has a way with animal additions and this one was no exception.  I can't wait to see what book #4 brings. Will it be about Easton's sister Ash?  Or Ben, Easton's assistant?  Or maybe Jax, who I have to remember I don't remember too well.  Come on, I NEED ANSWERS!

If you are in the mood for a little romance, then definitely give this series a go!

RATING: 5 PAWS

TBR Jar of Horror #1 - Bite

 

So Stormi and I were kind of striking out with our Retro Horror feature.  It seems the books we picked were never as good as we hoped.  So we revamped the feature and are now doing a TBR jar where we're each putting horror titles we've always wanted to read - no matter of their publication date.  And now, every other month, we will draw a pick out and that's what we'll read and review.  So read on to see how this worked for me this month and the hope over to Stormi's to find out what she read.

And don't you love our new graphic?  It was created by Michelle over at Lima Bean Designs!

TITLE: Bite (Wastelanders #1)

AUTHOR: K.S. Merbeth

PUBLISHER: Orbit

PUBLISHING DATE: July 26, 2016

PAGES: 376

SOURCE: Own library

FROM GOODREADS: 

Kid is trying to survive in a world gone mad. Hungry, thirsty and alone in a desert wasteland, she's picked up on the side of the road by Wolf, Dolly, Tank and Pretty Boy - outlaws with big reputations and even bigger guns.

But as they journey across the wild together, Kid learns that her newfound crew may not be the heroes she was hoping for. And in a world that's lost its humanity, everyone has a bit of monster within them

  MY THOUGHTS:  Let's just say that I spent years thinking this was about vampires despite there clearly being a license plate on the vehicle which indicated cannibals.  However, I was glad to knock it off my shelves and give it a go.  And man, what a fun ride this one was!

The novel takes places in a post-apocalyptic world where everyone is struggling to survive. Think Mad Max, because honestly, that's probably the best comparison for this book.  Kid is 14 and has been struggling to make it on her own since her father died.  She ends up meeting a ragtag group which consists of Wolf, Dolly, Tank and Pretty Boy.  While she is more than a little afraid of them at first, she ends up running with them.  There's just one small issue - they are considered "sharks" meaning they cook and eat human flesh.  Wolf leads the group on some crazy raids and trades and gets them into some pretty sticky situations.  And someone new named Saint is trying to take over the Wastelands, but they must go through Wolf to do it.

Never in my life did I see myself cheering a group of cannibals on to succeed, but cheer I did.  This was the most likable group of characters I've read about in a long time.  I loved them all and I loved how little by little Kid began to fit in and began to find a place where she belonged.  This book had action, blood, gore, humor, friendship and a riveting plot.  There's really nothing to complain about here.  I really think more people need to pick up this little hidden gem and hang on tight.  I can't wait to get my hands on book #2!

RATING: 5 PAWS