Who Knew I'd Enjoy a Golf-Centered Book

 

TITLE: Fangirl Down (Big Shots #1)

AUTHOR: Tessa Bailey

PUBLISHER: Avon

PUBLISHING DATE: February 13, 2024

PAGES: 380   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life. 

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash… 

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

MY THOUGHTS: I absolutely could not get into the first 50 or so pages of this book so imagine my surprise when I ended up loving it.  This is exactly why I have such a hard time DNF'ing a book.  I considered it with this one and if I had, I would have missed out on something I really loved!

Joey has always worked at her family's golf pro shop in Florida and secretly has dreams to amp it up to being the best in the state.  She lives, eats and breathes golf and loves following her favorite golfer, Wells Whittaker. Wells is the resident bad boy of golf and his negative attitude is quickly tanking his career.  He finds his number one fan extremely irritating until a hurricane ruins her shop and she lands in a predicament that only he may be able to help her with.  Together they team up and Joey becomes Wells' caddie.  She wants to help him revitalize his career and save her shop, as well as her health insurance.  Wells doesn't know what he wants from Joey, but he soon finds out it's much more to her than her annoying behavior.

While I thought Wells was a grade-A jerk, he quickly grew on me once the author helped me understand what made him tick.  And overall, this is a grumpy sunshine trope at its best.  I think what helped sell me on this book is how the author handled Joey's Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis.  The book really showed everything Joey did to manage her health and some of the decisions she had to make regarding it on a day-to-day basis.  Add in Wells' response to finding out Joey's diagnosis and everything just seemed to click. Of course, I also loved the banter between the two.

This book contains quite a bit of spice so if that isn't your thing, then you might bow out of this one.  Of course, if you've read Bailey's past books, you probably know what to expect.  I also think Wells comes across pretty cavemanish at times which might make some people hesitant but rest assured, it all plays out in the end. I would recommend this to any rom-com lovers as well as the tried-and-true Bailey fans.  Book #2 features hockey but I sure hope there is a football one planned somewhere because golf isn't the sport for me, but I loved this one, nonetheless.

MY RATING: 5 PAWS

Reading "Firsts" for 2024

I saw this tag over at Books, Bones & Buffy this week when Tammy did.  She credits girlxoxo for creating it.  I thought it looked fun so I'm jumping in with me answers as well! 

First Book Read in 2024

I am glad I held off and didn't read this one until AFTER Christmas.  It really isn't a Christmas read as it advertises and that's probably one of the reasons it worked for me.

First Review of 2024

This technically isn't my first review of the year but I didn't want to feature the Tessa Bailey book twice so here is the second one!

First Debut Read in 2024

I just read this one over the past weekend and will definitely be looking out for what this author writes next.

First "New to Me" Author of 2024

Reading this Kimberly Lemming book was so much fun.  And my hold just arrived for the second one last night!

First Book of 2024 that Slayed Me

When I say this book broke me, I mean I sobbed!

First Book of 2024 That I Wish I Could Get Back the Time I Spent Reading It

Is anyone really shocked here?  I'm not.

First 5 Paw Read of 2024

This book was so good it deserves to be mentioned twice.

So how has your reading year been so far?  If you decide to do this, let me know so I can check out your answers!

Demons, Werewolves and Lamias Oh My!

 

TITLE: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (Mead Mishaps #1)

AUTHOR: Kimberly Lemming

PUBLISHER: Orbit

PUBLISHING DATE: January 2, 2024

PAGES: 288   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Spice trader Cinnamon's quiet life is turned upside down when she ends up on a quest with a fiery demon in this irreverently quirky rom-com fantasy that is sweet, steamy, and funny as hell—perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and The Dragon's Bride. 

All she wanted to do was live her life in peace—maybe get a cat, expand the family spice farm. Really, anything that didn't involve going on an adventure where an orc might rip her face off. But they say the Goddess has favorite, and if so, Cin is clearly not one of them... 

After saving the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, all Fallon wants to do is kill an evil witch enslaving his people. And, who can blame him? But he's dragging Cinnamon along for the ride. On the bright side, at least he keeps burning off his shirt.

MY THOUGHTS: I would love to be able to explain why I picked this up but I can't.  I've seen the series here and there and one night last week my curiosity got the best of me and I snagged it from Libby.  I'm glad I did and now I'm eagerly awaiting my hold request for book two.  

Cin is a spice trader who lives in a magical land protected by a Goddess.  She tries to stay as off radar as possible in order to keep her life free from the Goddess's intervention.  One night when stumbling home intoxicated from a local fair, Cin stumbles across an individual trapped in a rockslide.  She manages to free Fallon and in the process, almost becomes demon food.  Soon she learns that the Goddess is not true and pure and is instead an evil witch using her powers to control the mythical creatures within the land and make it look like she is actually protect her people.  Cin is tasked by Fallon to help him free the others, as it seems the cinnamon she harvests actually breaks the spell and tames the creatures under the Goddess's control.  Cin never wanted adventure and never wanted to fall in love with a demon, yet somehow her path seems set on both.

I loved the dynamic between Cin and Fallon.  It's basically an enemies to lovers trope set in a fantasy world and I found myself all in.  I enjoyed their banter and it was interesting seeing Cin change her opinion of Fallon while they are on their quest.  The reader gets to meet some new creatures along the way and the book easily sets the stage for future installments while wrapping up its plot so no loose strings are hanging at the end.

If you like quirky books and don't mind a bit of spice, you might want to check out this series.  I can't wait to continue and am so glad I took a chance. 

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - This Cursed House

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" 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.

October 8, 2024

FROM GOODREADS: In this Southern gothic horror debut, a young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth. They’re under a curse, and they think she can break it. 

In the fall of 1962, twenty-seven-year-old Jemma Barker is desperate to escape her life in Chicago—and the spirits she has always been able to see. When she receives an unexpected job offer from the Duchon family in New Orleans, she accepts, thinking it is her chance to start over. But Jemma discovers that the Duchon family isn’t what it seems. 

Light enough to pass as white, the Black family members look down on brown-skinned Jemma. Their tenuous hold on reality extends to all the members of their eccentric clan, from haughty grandmother Honorine to beautiful yet inscrutable cousin Fosette. And soon the shocking truth comes The Duchons are under a curse. And they think Jemma has the power to break it. 

As Jemma wrestles with the gift she’s run from all her life, she unravels deeper and more disturbing secrets about the mysterious Duchons. Secrets that stretch back over a century. Secrets that bind her to their fate if she fails.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT:  New Orleans setting, cursed families, family drama (that isn't mine).  Sounds like a wonderful October read for me.  I may even preorder it!

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

Dells Are Scary!

 

TITLE: What Grows in the Dark

AUTHOR: Jaq Evans

PUBLISHER: MIRA

PUBLISHING DATE: March 5, 2024

PAGES: 304   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: In this chilling contemporary horror novel, a phony spiritualist returns to her hometown to assist in an investigation that eerily mirrors her sister’s death, forcing her to confront the secrets she’s been running from. 

Sixteen years ago, Brigit Weylan’s older sister, Emma, walked into the woods in their small hometown of Ellis Creek. She never walked out. People said she was troubled—in the months leading up to her death, she was convinced there was a monster in those trees. Marked by the tragedy, Brigit left town and never looked back. 

Now Brigit travels around the country investigating paranormal activity (and faking the results) with her cameraman, Ian. But when she receives a call from Ellis Creek, she’s thrust into the middle of a search for two missing teenagers. As Brigit and Ian are drawn further into the case, the parallels to Emma’s death become undeniable. And worse, Brigit can’t explain what’s happening to trees appearing in her bedroom in the middle of the night, something with a very familiar laugh watching her out in the darkness and Emma’s voice on her phone, reminding Brigit to finish what they started. 

More and more, it looks like Emma was right -- there is a monster in Ellis Creek, and it’s waited a long time for Brigit to come home.

MY THOUGHTS: I pretty much went into this book blindly after being asked if I wanted to be a part of a tour.  I remember reading the synopsis, thinking it sounded good, and then forgetting what it was about.  So, when I picked this up over the weekend, I was thinking it was a thriller.  While I would say this book is definitely suspenseful, it is actually tagged as a horror and horror is what I got.

Brigit and her friend Ian make a living going town to town and communicating with the dead.  Their spin is that Brigit is assisted by her dead sister Emma's spirit.  They manage to eke out a living but there is one main problem, they are fakes. Brigit has always been guarded due to something that happened in Ellis Creek, her hometown, when she was young which led to her sister's suicide.  Brigit has blocked out a lot of what happened but is forced to remember when her sister's high school girlfriend reaches out and tells Brigit more kids are going missing in Ellis Creek, and it may be tied to what happened to Emma.  Brigit and Ian return and not only is Brigit forced to deal with all the suppressed memories, she also soon finds herself battling the entity which lives in the dell.

I enjoyed this book but have to admit I never really felt a connection to any of the characters and in this case, I think that connection might have helped.  However, I was pleasantly surprised by the body horror aspects included and if you are a fan, then this is a book you should definitely consider.  I also felt the author did a great job of making this a very inclusive tale without giving the feeling that she was just checking of boxes to meet some guideline.  The ending was pretty dramatic, and it took basically the whole book for me to figure out what was happening in Ellis Creek.  This book is a strong debut, and I will definitely keep my eyes on this author.

MY RATING: 3 PAWS

Farm News - March 4, 2024

 

Man, it's been a couple of weeks.  I had every good intention of getting this up on Sunday morning but them Mr. Barb came down with the flu something awful so not a fun weekend overall (although I did get a lot of reading done somehow).  There have been some issues with my Stupid Uncle who has lost more brain cells the longer Grandpa has been gone, and the past three weeks at work have been odd to say the least.  But hopefully things are on the upswing.

The pups are doing fine.  Zeke continues to grow and is such a character.  He has become the family thief as he is always taking stuff he shouldn't and just walking away.  And I know I must say 10 times a day, "Zeke, what is in your mouth?"  The dog must have a death wish because the other day he was running around the backyard with scissors in his mouth (thank you Mr. Barb for leaving those within reach on the back porch).  Apollo loves his little brother and rarely needs time away from him, but we give him some time to time because Zeke has a way of wearing everyone out!

So on to the books!  A new month means new reads and here is what I am currently reading.  I've been reading Hunt on Dark Water for over a month.  It's not the books fault as I really enjoy it, but it's a book I tend to pick up in between other books.  It's library and I vow to finish it soon.  I almost read What Grows in the Dark in its entirety yesterday but have about 25% left so that should get finished tonight.  It's odd but I'm curious to find out how it ends.  And I think I'll grab the new Tessa Bailey, Fangirl Down, next.  

I recently grabbed a few books from Amazon for my Kindle when they were on sale.  I Killed a Werewolf for My Summer Vacation is supposed to be full of 80's nostalgia.  The Yacht is a locked-room murder mystery on sea which I think just sounds fun for a summer read - except it takes place on New Year's Eve. And finally, I've always been curious about Ghost Radio and none of my local libraries have a copy so when I saw it for $0.99 I couldn't pass it up.

And finally, I was approved for several ARCs through Netgalley.  As always, many thanks to the publishers.

Pardon My Frenchie - Farrah Rochon - 06/04/24

Daughter of the Merciful Deep - Leslye Penelope - 06/04/24

We Used to Live Here - Marcus Kliewer - 06/18/24

The Astrology House - Carinn Jade - 07/16/24

So I'm hoping everyone had a great week and thanks for visiting Booker T's Farm!

February 2024 Wrap Up

 

Another month down and let me be the first to say I'm glad February is in the rear-view mirror.  I had a pretty decent reading month even if my reviews here on the blog don't reflect it.  Hopefully I can get some of them caught up in March.  It's been a month, and I will share more in my Farm News this weekend.  In the meantime, enjoy looking at what I accomplished and my overall rating.

Drop, Cover and Hold On

The Woman in Me

If It Bleeds

Fatal First Edition

Beneath a Blood Red Moon

Episode 13

The Death of Prince Rogers Nelson 

Rosie and the Dreamboat

With Any Luck

Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues

The Last Days of Lilah Goodluck

Worst Wingman Ever

So, this month was definitely weird.  I only had one 3-paw read and instead had several 2-paw and 5-paw reads instead.  My overall favorite is probably a tie between Worst Wingman Ever and Fatal First Edition and the worst has to be Episode 13, only slightly beating out The Woman in Me for that award.

Did you read anything I absolutely should add to my TBR or have you read any of these and felt similarly or differently???