Bare Necessities by Marie Donovan

Confession- Bare necessities introduced me to the “brother’s friend are forbidden” unwritten bro code and I loved it. For a Harlequin novel this was sultry and sexy without being cheesy and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved the premise of Bridget being a lingerie designer with sinful curves instead of the stick thin figures the industry has been forcing down our throats (Yes you Victoria’s Secret!). Bridget’s major clientele happen to be of the sexier but still legit professional of stripping so it’s no secret that when Adam (her brothers smoking hot friend) comes for a surprise visit he mistakes her for a stripper.

Poor Adam….. he has always harbored secret feelings for for Bridget’s sexy curvaceous body and now that he gets a sneak peek, papa wants the whole package!

Bridget was nothing like he remembered…But everything he imagined

I liked that Bridget was relatable and her emotions were honest. We saw all of Bridget’s insecurities, her secret hopes and her wish for love. Overall, Bare Necessities was a quick and pleasant read full of big dreams, sassy strippers and family drama! .

Witch Dust by Marilyn Messik

If I had to sum up Witch Dust by Marilyn Messick it would be, “Family drama, drama, drama with a side of paranormal.”

Serenissma aka Sandra, our MC, has always been in the shadow of her performer parents and their temperments but when things take a turn for the worst, Sandra learns there’s no place like home. Never mind the fact that Sandra didn’t know this home existed, far less for its occupants who call themselves “family”.

As she navigates this new challenge of adapting to her newfound family and their idiosyncrasies while trying to salvage their livelihood, Sandra learns some shocking revelations that turn her world upside down.

Witch Dust is very “different” and as such may not be for every reader out there. The humor is witty and oozing with sarcasm that somehow works. Each kooky character possesses their own eccentricities that somehow cohesively work together without feeling disjointed. While all the characters certainly march to the beat of their own drums, they each add a certain depth and flair to the overall story that was quite enjoyable.

Thank you to Marilyn Messick, Books Go Social, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc for this book. All views and opinions expressed above are my own.

The Right Wedding Gown by Shirley Hailstock

The right wedding gown felt like a story I could hear from a couple on how they met and I love that feeling of authenticity and realism. Did it have a picture perfect plot where everything fell into place ? It definitely didn’t, but it featured a beautiful story of friendship and he harsh truth about coping with and moving on from divorce.

Samara Scott, ever the pragmatic MC doesn’t believe in happily ever after but rather head before heart. Never mind the fact that she buys a wedding dress without knowing, or that a divorcee is hot on her heels. Samara started off with an extremely clinical approach to love, which evolved as the novel progressed into something deeper and emotional. A major contributing factor to this development was her willingness to trust and open herself to a potential heartbreak. The risk created a beautiful moment of vulnerability that I quite enjoyed.

I read this back in 2002 during my Harlequin/ Romance binge phase and it was an enjoyable and quick read.

Publisher Information :Harlequin Kimani Romance; Original edition (May 26, 2009)

50th Blog Post !

So we all know the good ole adage “a walk down memory lane” but it’s COVID-19 pandemic and with all the home-time and solitary activities I have decided why not take a walk down my bookshelf? While reminiscing, I found some “omg what was I thinking buying that book” to “awww, I remember this book.” Throughout the entire experience I literally had to rip myself away from propping up in my reading nook and getting lost in the great books I discovered.

This had me thinking, its a crazy pandemic year, why shouldn’t I do something crazy and leave all my kindle books on “TBR-to be read”, bake some cookies, wash and pack my laundry and potentially join a cult? I know, washing and packing your laundry is crazy and unrealistic but everything else seems doable….ish?

So for the month of September, and what do ya know- my 50th blog post, I am only reading books that are already on my shelf and published 2015 or before (this is a walk down memory lane after all). Given my awesome estimation, and a quick peek at my calendar, I am hoping I can hit a book a week to allow for new book releases, book tours etc.

Feel free to join me on this journey using the #AReadDownMemoryLane in the month of September. Any and all genres are welcome once its a book already in your possession.