With summer not too far off and the weather getting warmer, I thought it would be a great time to start my Top Reads.
I read a lot of books and when they are released has very little bearing on my choices for these.
The beginning of every month I'm going to throw your way some books I personally LOVE and perhaps it can help you with your beach reading, snuggling up on the couch time, whatever.
So here are some suggestions (You really just need to trust me) for the month of June:
Floodgates by Mary Calmes
Tracy Brandt considers
himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a
dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who,
though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that
just might get Tracy killed.
Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants
nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a
reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the
player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything,
and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.
Tracy and Cord
have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a
blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target
on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break
through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord
is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to
hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult
recedes
Once again Mary Calmes writes a character I want to personally know! Tracy is phenomenal and I just adored this story. It's not heavy but it's far from fluff. I liked it when I didn't want to cry, I wanted to laugh and enjoy a little mystery.
Buy Links:
Amazon
Dreamspinner
See Jayne Play by Jami Denise
Jayne King lived in a
world of players. She’d been groomed by her father to win, taking no
prisoners in her quest to reach the top.
But, it was never
enough. She wanted out, and just when she finds her escape, she’s pulled
back into the underground crime world of Las Vegas. One phone call
spins her life out of control, and she once again has to live her life
behind a mask of lies.
Her body is for sale, but her heart is
off limits. Flynn Maguire, professional gambler and notorious ladies’
man, always wins. Always. As the son of the heir to the Emerald Hotel
and Casino fortune, he’s always had his desires delivered on a silver
platter. When he crosses paths with Jayne King, he will stop at nothing
to have her.
Nothing has ever stood between him and what he
wanted, and there wasn't an amount of money too high to pay to own her.
He realizes too late, that money can’t buy her heart, and he finds
himself in a place he never he’d be. In love.
I loved this book because Jami created a STRONG female character. Human and raw and just take no BS. I admired Jayne in this book A LOT... There is a book 2 to this series, Queen of Hearts, and if you are looking for a fire me up hard to breathe roller coaster ride of passion and suspense then I'd start here.
Buy Links:
Amazon
Kobo
Queers by AJ Rose
Within her walls are
stories. Love. Laughter. Tears. Lives lived to the fullest, and
sometimes cut short before they really get started. She’s seen it all,
from homelessness to super-stardom, boys dressed as girls, girls dressed
as lamps, and boy, does she have secrets she could tell. Her one truth
is that everyone who darkens her doors is accepted with open arms and a
song.
Her name is Queers, and for one of L.A.’s few
dueling piano bars, she has a lot of heart. On her stage, the beautiful
voice of Duff McKinley rings so true he captures the shattered heart of
his boss, Brad Mosely, who checked out of life three years ago. But
even lifelong dreams have untold consequences.
Duff came to
L.A. to chase his musical aspirations, but his best friend Garrett
Slater accompanied him to chase a wish of his own: finding The One, his
white knight. He believes Landon Kennedy fits the bill. Suave, handsome,
and powerful in the music industry, Landon can show Garrett a life he's
only seen in movies. But even as Landon helps Duff realize his dreams,
he brings Garrett into a nightmare he may never leave, one from which
Garrett's roommate, Jackson Moriarty, is determined to rescue him. If
Garrett repays Jackson by seeing his own charms, so much the better.
Yes, within her walls, Queers
has long history. Unrequited love, sinister intentions, fame, fortune,
and a group of friends and lovers who would do anything for each other
no matter the cost.
If you are in the mood for HEAVY, Angst and romance then this is for you. AJ is quite possibly one of the bravest authors out there. He tackles issues with an amazing amount of respect. I wanted to shove Garrett in my pocket and protect him and I wanted to steal Brad and call him mine! This is quite an ensemble AJ has created and just breathtaking. Put on your big girl/boy pants and dig in.
Buy Links
Amazon
ARe
Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander
A male prostitute, a
mangy cat, a murder and a maniacal mix-up that threatens his career, his
impending marriage and his life. Nothing is going as planned for Austin
Glass.
Austin — seems to have it all. At least on the surface. A
loving fiancee. A future with the FBI and a healthy sized trust fund.
He also has a grin and a wisecrack for every situation. But the smile he
presents to everyone hides a painful past he’s buried too deeply to
remember. And his quips mask bitterness and insecurity. Austin has
himself and most of the whole world fooled. Until he meets someone who
immediately sees him better than he sees himself.
As events
unfold and Austin’s world unravels, he finds himself pushed into making
quick life-changing decisions. But can he trust Peter or what’s
happening between them when each meeting seems to be just a series of
volatile reactions?
I won this book in a contest and I have to say, I would have paid for it easily. This was truly a fabulous book. I laughed, and wanted to pull my hair out. Peter and Austin are in a pinwheel relationship. They spin and spin and spin and do it all in the midst of trying to stay alive, figure what they are and solve a mystery.
Buy Links:
Amazon
ARe
Into the Storm by Melanie Moreland
She is a woman on the
run. Pain, loneliness and terror are what she is leaving. Where she is
headed doesn’t matter as long as it’s away from the hell her life has
become.
Joshua Bennett is trapped in a prison of his own making
by the memories of his past. Traumatized and isolated, he is a reclusive
writer, living a quiet, lonely life, his only companion his dog, Bear.
It is what he knows, what he has accepted to be his life.
One
dark night, one huge storm, and one ice patch brings them together. He
finds himself with an unexpected houseguest with no memory. She wakes up
a stranger to herself and the man watching her. Even more mysterious is
the lack of any sort of identification with her or in her car. She is
an enigma to both of them.
Trapped by the storm and isolated
from the outside world, they slowly open up, learning to trust and love,
until the world once again shows up, threatening the fragile peace of
their newly discovered world, and tearing them apart.
There are
many twists and turns as they struggle to find each other, overcoming
both the mental and physical elements that keep them apart.
A story about overcoming our fears, finding love and learning to live again.
If you are looking for a deep and emotional book this is what you want. Melanie connected to the characters feeling perfectly. You are entertained and curious all the while swept up in the moments and emotions.
Buy Links:
Amazon
B&N
So there you have 5 books that should keep you busy for June. I know there is a genre mixture in this, but I've said it once, made the blog name for it... I AM DIVERSE. Read the blurb and you will easily see if it's what you're looking for.
What EVER will I have for July? Who knows!!!
Thank you Meredith for including me! I am honored!
ReplyDeleteYou are wonderfully talented Melanie!!!
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