Deception Island - Blog Tour Review

Deception Island by Brynn Kelly (Amazon Link)
Rating: Good
Source: Blog Tour

Description:  A stolen boy.  A haunted soldier.  A cornered con woman... Rafe Angelito thought he was done with the demons from his past - until his son is kidnapped.  Blackmailed into abducting an American heiress, the legionnaire soon finds himself trapped in paradise with a fiery, daring beauty who's nothing he expects ... and everything he desires.   But when he uncovers her own dark secret, Rafe realizes he's made a critical mistake - one that could cost him everything.  Playing body double for a spoiled socialite was supposed to be Holly Ryan's ticket to freedom.  But when she's snatched off her yacht by a tall, dark and dangerous stranger, the not-quite-reformed con artist will make a desperate play to turn her captor from enemy to ally, by any means necessary.  Yet as scorching days melt into sultry nights, Holly is drawn to the mysterious capitaine, with his unexpected sense of honor and his searing touch.  When they're double-crossed, they'll have to risk trusting each other in ways they never imagined... because in this deadly game of deception, it's their lives - and hearts - on the line.  (From Goodreads)

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Why I Picked This Book: I love a good romantic suspense story and the blurb grabbed my attention.

My Impression: I love a good romantic suspense book but sometimes they are a little light on the suspense or the suspense element feels like it's contrived for the sole purpose of getting the two main characters together.  This is not the case with Deception Island!  Right away we're in the middle of the action with a pirate kidnapping at sea and it doesn't let up.

The characters in this book - Rafe and Holly - are fully formed and seriously damaged.  Kelly does a good job of making Rafe a dangerous guy but not a bad one.  He's got a lot of demons and rightfully so and he's pushed into a situation that he doesn't want to be in again.  He's honest about his emotions and his motives and fights hard to maintain his code of honor in a circumstance that he's been forced into.  In her own way Holly is just as damaged as Rafe is.  She trusts no one and her past has made it clear that that's the only way to survive.  Just as she's seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of her bad luck she ends up in worse luck and in more danger than she's ever been in.  I really liked how the attraction was handled between the two of them.  Even when it wasn't the most appropriate it made sense and I loved Holly's inner dialogue.  Their growing friendship and connection also made sense and felt really authentic.

The suspense itself grabbed me and kept me turning pages.  I had no idea how it was going to work out and I couldn't wait to see how Rafe and Holly got themselves out of one disaster after another.  This isn't a suspense where their concern seems a bit over the top and it isn't really that dangerous.  The situation is literary life and death and at times even more is at risk.  The bad guys aren't just cardboard villains.  They're as bad as bad can be and as a reader I had no doubt the risk was very very real.

The pacing was solid.  Sometimes the story was gripping and made you hold your breath and at other times it was a little slower - particularly when Holly and Rafe were getting to know each other.  Overall, it was a fun read without being silly or unrealistic.  I enjoyed getting to know these two characters and watching everything come together.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes, I enjoyed this one and would definitely read more by this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Yes if you enjoy romantic suspense with some darker elements I think you would enjoy this one.

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I Picked Up on a Whim

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is Top Ten Books I Picked UP on a Whim.  This was harder than I expected because I don't usually pick up books on a whim.  I normally have a plan that I'm reading by so it's very rare that I'll pick up a book on a whim and just sit down and read it.  But as you will see the library is my greatest downfall when it comes to picking up a book on a whim!

1.  The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen - Sarah Addison Allen had been on my TBR for ages but the book I really intended to read was Garden Spells.  It was last summer and I was obsessed with all things peach and this book just about jumped off the shelf at me!

2.  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - This was one of my favorite books as a kid but I remembered virtually nothing about it.  I was between audio books - I had just finished one and was waiting to get the next one and going through my library's digital site trying to find something to listen to and stumbled on this one.  I'm so glad I did!  It was such a great listen and so different from what I expected.

3.  Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts - While I did plan on reading this book I had no intention of picking it up when I did.  For starters Roberts series books ha been very hit or miss for me and then I hate waiting!  With a trilogy or series that only has a certain number of books I like to have them all before I start reading so if I love it or really want to know what happens next I don't have to wait!  This is another that basically vaulted it's way into my bag when I saw it at the library.

4.  Sanctuary Island by Lily Everett - This one is another library book.  I think I had heard of this author before I picked up this book but only in a I recognize the name way.  I was meandering about the shelves and this book was kind of on its own.  I loved the cover and the feel of the book and took it home.  Luckily, I ended up really enjoying it!

5.  The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah - Another library book (seeing a pattern?) and a book I had no intention of reading.  This was Hannah's attempt at a Poirot mystery and while I'm a huge Agatha Christie fan I was a little leery about another author attempting to recreate Christie's most famous detective.

6.  The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs - This was the first book I ever read on a Kindle and I got it simply because I vaguely remembered reading a historical by Wiggs years before and mildly enjoying it.  I LOVED this one!

7.  The Tao of Martha by Jen Lancaster - Another random library find and one I was less than thrilled with.  I so loved the concept of living a year trying out Martha Stewart's tips and tricks but this one just fell a little flat for me.  I think it was one of those cases where it just wasn't what I wanted and really doesn't have that much to do with the quality of the book itself.

8.  Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - This wasn't actually even my library book it was my daughter's! She had left it sitting on the table and I thought it looked interesting and picked it up.  I think I spent the next day or two trying to figure out what was going to happen next!

9.  French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano - This was in the cookbook section and I was curious about it.  Somehow I hadn't heard of it when it came out so I had no idea what it was going to be about (other than the obvious!).

10. Baghdad Without a Map by Tony Horwitz - I actually didn't get this one from the library shelves!  Though I might as well have because I found it in the shelves at my Grandmother's house which might as well be a library.  I really didn't have a huge interest in reading this one but I liked the cover so I picked it up.  I LOVED it and immediately went out and tried to find everything else Horwitz has written - they're all great too though I didn't love Confederates in the Attic.

What books have you picked up on a whim?  Do you pick up books on a whim often or are you more of a planner?

Ramblings from the Stacks - Reviews and Ratings

I don't remember the first review I wrote.  It was probably on Amazon in the early days where you could find a book review by Harriet Klausner on basically every single book that existed (it was always 5 stars).  After that came Paperbackswap and Goodreads and finally here.  Early on all I knew was I wanted a place to say what I thought about a book I had read.

There's something about writing down what I think about a book that helps it stay with me longer.  I remember it a little clearer and begin to realize more what will make a good read for me.  When I don't I forget a lot of books instantly and in fact have read a book then picked it up again a year or two later and read 3/4 of it before I realized I had already read it.  It's one thing to realize 20 or 30 pages in but 300?  Even though I liked the book that did lower my opinion of it a bit!

Which brings me to the next thing - Ratings.  Before I started reviewing here I didn't think much about what ratings mean.  Amazon, Goodreads, and pretty much everywhere else use the star method so when I first started writing reviews in my own space I did too.  But I got to thinking.  What does 3 stars really mean?  What does 4?  If I read a book that I enjoy but doesn't stick with me at all should it really get the same rating that a book that I really hated in parts and really loved in others?  I tried doing half stars for 3 and 4 stars as that's where most of the books I read land but that didn't quite take.  I pondered a few things - letter grades, getting rid of a rating all together, a one sentence review instead of a rating with a longer review at the end.  And then as usual I thought of something simple.  Simple always seems to be better!

I got rid of the official ranking system and any kind of structure and boiled it down to one thing - what do I say when I finish the book?  My new ratings are - Not For Me, It's Okay, It's Good, It's Great, or I Loved It.   I don't have reasons or parameters but when I finish a book the first thing I think is "What did I think of it?"  and my answer is my rating.  What do you think?  What thought process do you use to assign a rating?

And my final subject today is about books with low rankings.  I think we all agree that honesty is the best policy when it comes to what we thought of a book and that means sometimes a book has to get a low rating.  I don't mind posting a negative review here but sometimes I feel a little more uncomfortable posting it on Goodreads or Amazon.  I'm not quite sure what the deal is there but I had a cozy mystery not too long ago that was just all right and I'm still stalling on posting the review to Amazon.  How do you act when you have a negative review in terms of other social media?  Are you the same no matter what or do you have different procedures?

I'm cutting off the ramblings here though I could go on for hours!  It's so easy for me to fall down the rabbit hole on this subject!

The Cookies and Cups Cookbook - Cookbook Review + Recipes

The Cookies and Cups Cookbook by Shelly Jaronsky

One of the very first food blogs I stumbled upon was Shelly Jaronsky's Cookies and Cups.  My Pinterest account was sparkling new and I realized that the yummiest looking desserts and the ones that came out the best when I attempted them all came from Cookies and Cups.  When I heard she had a cookbook coming out I absolutely couldn't resist - especially not with that mouth watering cover!

So I ordered it, sight unseen (which I don't do very much anymore) and after one flip through I knew I had made a fantastic purchase.  This book is crammed full of tempting recipes, the bulk of which are sweets.  Sometimes dessert cookbooks have huge sections on decorating or focus more on the looks of the food than the taste but this isn't one of them.  Jaronsky's cookies, cakes and pies are pretty to look at but that's just a byproduct of them being delicious!  I love that most of the recipes have a little twist or something that makes them unique but aren't so off the wall that you'll have any problem finding the ingredients or people to try them.  The dessert section is broken down into basic recipes, Cake, Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Cake, Frosting and Pie.  I'll be trying Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodles, Brown Sugar Blondies, OMG Pull-Apart Praline Bread, Glazed Lemmies, Peanut Butter Cup-Filled Brownie Cookie Sandwiches, Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Confetti Cake and a whole host of other yummies very soon!

Today I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes so far.  Key Lime Pie is one of my absolute favorite desserts so when I saw there was Key Lime Pie in cookie form I couldn't resist and I'm so glad I didn't!

Key Lime Pie Cookies

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Key lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  (I used a hand mixer and it worked fine)
Add the egg, vanilla, key lime juice, and lime zest and continue mixing for 1 more minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Mix in the salt and baking soda until incorporated.
Turn the speed to low and add the flour and graham cracker crumbs until the dough comes together.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.  Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.  Heat on full power for 25 seconds.  Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the chocolate.  Repeat this process until the white chocolate is melted and smooth.  Transfer the melted chocolate to a small ziptop bag.  Snip one corner of the bag off with scissors and drizzle the white chocolate on top of the cookies.  Allow the white chocolate to set completely.

My Changes: I had run out of the bottled Key Lime juice I usually had on hand and just used the juice from the regular limes that I had zested.  I also left off the white chocolate because nothing good comes from white chocolate.

My Results: So so so good!  If you love Key Lime Pie or know anyone who does make this recipe!

But this cookbook isn't all about the sweet!  The last quarter is dedicated to savory recipes.  They're on the quick and family friendly side but with a twist.  There's a Margarita-Marinated Skirt Steak with Pineapple-Avocado Salsa, Cashew Chicken, and a French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese that looks AMAZING!  I just had to share this recipe for Garlic Bread Pasta.  I made it as a side for a breaded chicken dish and it is so good!  It also comes togheter super quick and you could use it as a main dish if you wanted.

Key Lime Pie Cookies 

Garlic Bread Pasta

1 lb cavatappi pasta
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons salted butter
3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 large cloves garlic, minced

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat, continuing to cook the butter until browned and the color of deep amber, constantly swirling the pan so it doesn't burn.  Reduce the heat to low and add the breadcrumbs, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Stir the breadcrumbs to coat them in the butter and remove the heat.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter and garlic together.  This infuses the butter with the garlic.
Add the garlic butter to the bowl of pasta and toss to coat completely.  Then add the buttered breadcrumbs and toss to coat.
Serve hot.

My Changes:  Basically nothing.  I used a different kind of pasta but it was similar in shape so I don't think it made too much of a difference.

My Results: Yum!  This was quick and easy to make and worked great as a side dish but add a salad and it'd be a good main dish!

I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads

This Week in Reading - May 15

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders - This one was recommend for fans of Agatha Christie so you know I couldn't pass this one up!  There's a widow of an archdeacon who has become a private investigator.  It sounds like so much fun!  (NetGalley)

Address to Die For by Mary Feliz - This cozy mystery stars a professional organizer whose family inherits a 100 year old dilapidated house.  I love organizing and I love dilapidated houses even more so I'm super excited about this one!  (NetGalley)

Other than that it was a fairly quiet week in terms of acquiring books which is good because I definitely need a bit of a slow down!

Currently:

Reading: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer and Deception Island by Brynn Kelly

Listening: Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society by Ann Barrows and Mary Anne Shaffer (SOOO GOOD!)

Watching:  We're still watching and loving Blacklist but other than that there hasn't been much TV time.  I'm hoping to get back to Supernatural this week.

Off the Blog:

This week has been kind of a mess.  The Tornado had 2 school concerts that took some time.  He did great.  Thankfully he has no stage fright and seems to be fine with being on stage.  There's a little girl in his class who stood next to him and cried the entire time and I felt so bad for her and her parents as there wasn't much they could do.  Next week is the last week of school.  Since he's leaving the little school he currently attends they do a full scale graduation and I seriously fear I'm going to cry.  It's hard to believe that not only is he 6 but that he's done with kindergarten.

This weekend will be visiting Emma in her college town and I'm looking forward to it.  We haven't been there since we took her down in August and there was this Italian restaurant that had the BEST ravioli.  We will be going back!  

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday: Clouds in My Coffee - Blog Tour Review + Giveaway
Tuesday:  Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Non-Bookish Websites
Wednesday:  The Crossing Places - Mystery Review
Thursday: Prayers the Devil Answers - Fiction Review
Friday:  Friday Linkups featuring Excerpts from Me Before You
Saturday:  Cookies and Cups - Cookbook Review and 2 Recipes

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Ramblings from the Stacks - Reviews and Ratings

Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Picked Up on a Whim

Wednesday:Deception Island - Blog Tour Review

Thursday: Beyond the Books - Someone You Admire and Why

Friday: Friday Linkups with Current Book

Saturday: TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

Friday Linkups: Me Before You

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
Is there a reason you chose Blogger over WordPress or a different platform?

My Answer:
There wasn't a real reason for choosing Blogger over WordPress.  I have a Gmail account and so all I had to do was press a few buttons to set up a blog.

This week's book was one I've known about for several years but I've avoided because I heard it was an ugly cry read.  I'm not a fan of ugly crying so I really didn't have any interest in reading it UNTIL I saw the movie trailer and became obsessed with it.  So now I'm reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and loving it.  This is the first book I've read by her and unless it goes spectacularly wrong in the last quarter it won't be the last!

Prologue
When he emerges from the bathroom she is awake, propped up against the pillows and flicking through the travel brochures that were beside his bed.

Chapter 1

There are 158 footsteps between the bus stop and home, but it can stretch to 180 if you aren't in a hurry, like maybe if you're wearing platform shoes.

My Thoughts:
In the Prologue we get Will before the accident and get to see him in all his arrogant glory.  It doesn't tell us much about who he'll be when we see him again but we definitely get a picture of who he is.  I love the first line in Chapter 1.  It's definitely Lou's voice and I felt like I got to know her pretty quick off that one line.

The 56

"You don't have to behave like an arse."

The words rang out in the still air.

My Thoughts:
I'm past this scene but it was one of my favorites!  Lou's been trying to be nice and pleasant for so long and at this point she's just had it.

So what do you think?  Keep reading?  

Prayers the Devil Answers - Review

Prayers the Devil Answers by Sharyn McCrumb

Rating: Very Good
Source: NetGalley
Description:  Sharyn McCrumb, New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Ballad series, examines one of the most famous public executions in US history in her stunning and and powerfully written Depression-era novel.  Years later, after the tragedy, someone remembered the Dumb Supper and what had happened there.  That was the cause of it, they said, because the ritual wasn't a game after all.  It really was magic, but magic has rules, and she broke them.  Suddenly thrust into the role of primary caretaker for her family following the tragic death of her husband, Ellie Robbins is appointed to serve out his term as sheriff of their rural Tennessee mountain town.  The year is 1936, and her role is largely symbolic, excerpt for the one task that only a sheriff can do: execute a convicted prisoner.  Ellie has long proven she can handle herself.  But becoming sheriff is altogether different, and the demands of the role are even more challenging when she is forced to combat society's expectations for a woman.  Soon enough, dark secrets come to light, and Ellie must grapple with small town superstitions and the tenuous ties she shares with a condemned killer as she carves out a place for herself in an uncertain future.  (from Goodreads)

Genre: Fiction
Why I Picked This Book:  McCrumb has long been a favorite author but it's been awhile since I've read any of her books.  I was excited to get my hands on this one.

My Impression:  I remember the first Sharyn McCrumb book I ever read.  It was a book called She Walks These Hills and was about a girl named Katie Wyler who had been kidnapped by the Shawnee two hundred years before and now people were seeing her ghost.  In all of her Ballad series novels McCrumb starts with a folk tale - true or not - and weaves all these wonderful stories and characters into it and really makes it come alive.
This book isn't from her Ballad series but it has a similar feel.  McCrumb takes 3 people - Ellendor Robbins trying to get herself back up on her feet after the death of her husband for the sake of her 2 boys, quiet little Celia with her bad luck at the Dumb Supper, and Lonnie Varden a mediocre artist whose job is to paint a mural on the wall of the local post office - and weaves their stories together.  It takes some time to figure out how everything is connected but I wasn't impatient and I enjoyed watching everything unfold.
Of the three characters and stories, Ellendor's was my favorite.  She's a quiet reserved woman who isn't good at small talk and can't take charity.  Without her husband to handle the social aspect she feels adrift.  She's also tough and smart and loves her boys fiercely.    The book does seem to primarily on her for which I was glad as I found her story the most interesting.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the other 2.  With Celia in particular I wanted to figure out just what a Dumb Supper was.  McCrumb gives a good description so I understood what went on, what it looked like, and what the point was.  I also enjoyed Lonnie's POV because of his honesty about his art abilities.
McCrumb's writing never fails.  There's a musical quality to it and it feels like listening to the best of storytellers weave a complex and beautiful story.  I love seeing the ins and outs of these characters and really getting to know them.  If you haven't read Sharyn McCrumb before than this book is a wonderful place to start.  If you're familiar with her work you'll love this newest tale of life in the Tennessee mountains.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Definitely!  I'd love to reread her books and I'll definitely be looking for the next one.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Absolutely!  If you love a good story I think you'll really enjoy this one.