Aya M. Productions

So if you didn’t know, I recently made the jump from part-time bookseller to full-time since I’ve no graduated and have no job in my field of study. & While I enjoy working in a bookstore, it can be extremely frustrating just like any other retail job. In particular, today I’d like to discuss book recommendations.

I do enjoy giving out book recommendations. I do work in a bookstore, and therefore, it’s a safe bet to say that I enjoy reading books. However, I do think there is a specific way requesting a book recommendation should be made in order to keep me happy and you as well.

What do I mean by that? Well basically, I ask that you not walk up to me and simply ask, “Can you recommend me a good book?” Then when I proceed to ask you if you have a genre preference or obtain some sort of additional information, respond with “I just want a good book.” That really gives me nothing to go off of. I can point you in the direction of the current best sellers, new releases, etc., but honestly, I have no clue how to help you. I can list off a bunch of books I enjoy, but if it’s not something you particularly like to read, then you probably will get upset at me. Please give me something to go off of such as if you’re looking for a specific genre or even a non-fiction or fiction preference. GIVE ME SOMETHING! There are thousands of books in the bookstore, and I’m sure you can pick up any random book and someone somewhere would consider it a good book and has enjoyed reading it. We all have different tastes.

Further more please do not get upset at me if I haven’t personally read something you’re looking for. You want a history book recommendation? Great! I can point out the best sellers in the section, I can show you the new releases, and I can even bring a bookseller that prefers to read history books into the conversation. Please do not get upset at me though when I answer your question “have you read this” with a “not personally, but I’ve heard good things.” Really, I don’t criticize your book choices. Please don’t criticize mine. There’s only so many hours in a day, and I’d like to use it to read books I personally know I’ll enjoy and not what you enjoy.

So what does the perfect conversation go like? Here’s an example:
Customer: Can you recommend me a good book to read?
Me: Is there a particular type of book you enjoy?
Customer: I read mostly contemporary teen fiction.
Me: Great! Are you specifically looking for something newer?
Customer: Yes. I tend to read a lot. So something new would be best.
*We walk over to the new releases for teen fiction.*
Me: Juniors is currently selling very well, and it’s actually set here in Hawaii.
Customer: Really?
Me: Yes. I haven’t personally read it, but I’ve heard good things. There’s also Everything, Everything, which is about a girl that is allergic to basically everything. This has also been getting very good reviews.
Customer: Thanks! Those are some great options. I’ll take a look at them.
Me: You’re welcome.

See. I can definitely give you recommendations of books that I have read and have not read and be pleasant about it. Please just help a bookseller out and have something in mind. Mostly though, please do not criticize me on my personal book choices. Now that would just upset me. Gosh, it’d probably upset any book lover.

Do you ever go into the book store looking for a recommendation? Feel free to tell me your stories in the comments.

Note: This post was originally posted on my main blog (http://ayamproductions.com).

Note: I received an eARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. I was not paid to write this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lowcountry Bordello by Susan M. Boyer was yet another exciting Southern cozy mystery. Between Liz’s wedding, dealing with her parents and the in-laws, and all the drama her friend Olivia ended up brewing up, Liz found herself very busy. Very, very busy.

Days away from Liz’s wedding, Olivia calls her up because she thinks she saw her husband dead at her aunt’s place of residence, which she co-owns. When Liz gets there, there’s no body, only a hysterical Olivia. It turns out her husband is alive and well. The next day, when a body does turns up, it seems Olivia may have been right about the dead body. However, as Liz goes ahead with her investigation, she brings up drama Olivia rather not have exposed. Especially the fact that the house she co-owns and inherited is actually a bordello with high class clients with a lot of weight in society and a lot to hide.

Talk about a story with a lot of twists and turns. I don’t think there was any way I could have figured out who the culprit was. There were so many suspects, quite a few bodies, and too many people with a secret. I think even I was suspicious of Olivia at some point in the story. She cared WAY too much about her reputation. She did seem a bit ridiculous at times and ungrateful.

As with most cozy mysteries, everything worked out, but the journey to get there was quite the page-turner. Furthermore, the shocking revelation that happened at the end of the book, means a big twist for the next one. I’m MORE THAN excited to see what happens next.

If you love cozy mysteries and stories with lots of Southern drama, definitely check out Susan M. Boyer’s Liz Talbot Mysteries. Don’t feel the need to start from the beginning. I know I didn’t. I’d say jump right in and read whichever one strikes your fancy. Hopefully you’ll be charmed to read them all much like I have by Liz, her fiancé Nate, and her ghostly best friend Colleen.

Note: I received an ARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own. I was not paid to write this.

To be honest, I’ve never read a Maya Banks’s KGI novel. I’ve wanted to. I love romantic suspense, after all, but I just never got around to it. After reading Darkest Before Dawn, I can’t believe I’ve waited so long before reading one! Darkest Before Dawn was quite possibly the best Maya Banks novel I’ve read thus far. It was gut-wrenching and suspenseful with a slow burning romance between a very resilient woman and a man that doesn’t see black and white.

One thing to note about this novel is that it does deal with something that may be a difficult topic for some. Honor, our heroine in the story, is a relief worker in the Middle East. Their shelter is attacked by a terrorist group known as A New Era (ANE), and she barely escapes. ANE, however, is hot on her tail, determined to save their reputation for letting an American woman escape. Hancock and his team intercepts Honor before she is caught by ANE, but he doesn’t capture her to rescue her. She’s just a pawn in his overall goal of taking down the terrorist group and a man in charge of funding groups like ANE.

From Chapter 1, the suspense in Darkest Before Dawn was high, all starting with the bombing and continuing throughout the book. My heart was desperate for Honor to survive and for Hancock to choose her. My emotions were high throughout the read, and it was so SO GOOD!

Both of the main characters stood out to me. Honor is a survivor. She may not be physically the strongest, but she has a strong will, which helped her evade capture and endure everything she went through. On the other hand, Hancock was a bit of a broken soul. He was trained to defend the “greater good” no matter what the cost, which included siding with the enemy to infiltrate their ranks and even sacrificing select few. He exhibited no emotions and didn’t let emotions enter his work… Well with a few exceptions. It was quite the ride watching the slow development of their relationship.

Hancock’s team was a great cast of secondary characters as well. My favorite being Mojo. They brought a bit of humor into the story and often voiced opinions that Hancock refused to admit aloud but often thought, especially when about Honor.

I think there was only one thing I didn’t understand in the book between Hancock and Honor. I’d say what, but I’d consider it a major spoiler. Therefore, I’ll refrain. If you read Darkest Before Dawn, however, please do leave a comment. I’d love to know what you think!

Overall, Darkest Before Dawn by Maya Banks was a top-notch romantic suspense in my book. Darkest Before Dawn was a gut-wrenching, suspenseful story that centers around a very current issue in society today. (I don’t even want to imagine what it’d be like to be in Honor’s shoes…) The romance was slow developing and got hindered multiple times along the way, but of course, Honor and Hancock finished off with a happy ending. I definitely recommend Darkest Before Dawn to any romantic suspense fan or Maya Banks fan.

Terri L. Austin’s Rose Strickland Mystery series is a fun cozy mystery with a cast of quirky and eccentric characters. Every time I pick one up, I know it’s going to be a good time.

In Diner Knock Out, Rose is working for Andre Thomas, a retired police detective turned PI. She want to do more field work, but of course, Andre doesn’t think she’s ready. Rose does end up taking a missing person case on her own, and finds herself thrown into the world of underground fighting ran by a group of wealthy businessmen, including her boyfriend Sullivan.

Diner Knock Out was extremely entertaining just as expected. It touched all the elements expected in a Rose Strickland novel: interactions with her quirky friends, her rich and unarguable mother, and her criminal boyfriend Sullivan. Beyond the mystery and the humor, however, Diner Knock Out had a lot of heart. Rose gets into a bit of a conflict with her friends and decides who her true family is. Sullivan also has a greater presence, establishing a larger relationship with Rose.

Overall, I’d highly recommend Diner Knock Out by Terri L. Austin to all cozy mystery fans. It’s fun and entertaining all revolving a round a mystery.

Note: I received an eARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. I was not paid to write this. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Breaking a Legend by Sarah Robinson was an entertaining read. It’s romance centers around Claire, a girl on the run from her ex-boyfriend and past, and Rory, a guy trying to deal with the fact that his dream is over. The romance was sweet, I found the characters to be entertaining, plus there was this really sweet dog. Sadly though, it fell a bit short.

I really liked Rory and Claire. I thought they were fairly well developed characters, and I enjoyed reading their story. They were entertaining and fun to be around. However, they had major issues, which I thought was just brushed over.

Rory abuses his pain killers and drinks excessive amounts of alcohol after his injury. Then all of a sudden when Claire comes into his life, he decides to quit cold turkey. That to me just seemed a bit unrealistic. Yes, he fell off the wagon once, but other than that, he seemed to be perfectly fine as long as he had Claire. It was definitely one of those moments where I just had to roll my eyes a bit.

Claire’s issues were quickly resolved as well. She was on the run from her ex-boyfriend, and as you can imagine, he eventually showed up. Through her altercation with him she just knew everything would be alright because Rory would come. As you can probably guess, Rory showed up and things were quickly taken care of.

So the development of Rory and Claire’s relationship was fun to read about, and all the characters are quite entertaining, including Rory’s large family. Breaking a Legend just falls short on delving into their issues, which I think could have used more development. I can be a romantic and love the idea that love conquers all, but this was just a bit too much of that.

I’d definitely recommend Breaking a Legend by Sarah Robinson for readers that desire a quick romance read that doesn’t delve too heavily into tough topics.

Note: I received an eARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. I was not paid to write this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Breathe by Abbi Glines is one of my favorite young adult reads by her, and I was excited to hear that she was starting a new young adult series. Until Friday Night is the perfect fall read, brining readers back to first days of school and Friday night football games. Granted none of my high school football memories were even remotely similar to Until Friday Night, but to be honest, my school was lucky if we’d even get a touch down. Contact sports just wasn’t our thing.

Anyway, getting back to the book. Until Friday Night centers around Maggie, a girl that just moved in with her cousin the star quarterback after her father murdered her mother, and West, the cocky, star running back with a dying father. Maggie refuses to talk to anyone, not wanting to talk about that night. With everyone thinking that she’s mute, West decides to confide in her about his troubles at home, only to have Maggie respond back.

I absolutely loved Until Friday Night. I thought the all of characters were well developed, and I loved the development of the relationships. Maggie and West’s romance was the center of the story. As friends they confided with each other, helped each other, and fell in love. It was a slow developing romance, and no one had any trouble stating their concerns about the relationship. Their individual tragedies is definitely a big part of their relationship. It brought them together, and together they cope. Ultimately the question of codependency between the two was brought up, which is definitely a valid possibility. West does exhibit some major jealousy issues.

I did also love the development between Maggie and her cousin Brady. There was a sense of blunt honesty with Brady in the beginning. I totally understood his frustration of having a suddenly mute cousin and feeling like he had to babysit her, when all he wanted to do was have fun with his friends. So while he may have seemed intolerant of her at first, I got it. His life was significantly altered in a way too. Eventually though Brady was honestly concerned for her cousin’s well being and seemed to want the best for her even if it meant arguing with his best friend and teammate.

All in all, I’d definitely recommend Until Friday Night if you’re a fan of young adult contemporary romance and love the spirit of Friday night high school football. Even if you’re not a huge football fan though, I think you may be touched by Maggie and West’s story. I know I personally can’t wait for the next books in the series, especially Brady’s story. And just so you know, this is definitely a more “steamy” young adult read, which is probably expected of Abbi Glines with her numerous new adult titles.

Note: I received an eARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not paid to write this.

I’ve heard AMAZING things about Emma Chase and her writing and have been meaning to read some of her work. So when the opportunity to read Sustained arrived, I didn’t hesitate at all. I’m so glad I did because I can’t believe I waited so long to read an Emma Chase novel. I LOVED IT! Sustained was a great mixture of romance, humor, and heartfelt moments all from a male point-of-view, which is definitely rare in the romance world. Plus it’s set in a place I called home for two short years – Washington, DC.

Jake a reformed bad boy turned lawyer is one of the best defense attorneys around. However, just because he’s a “reformed bad boy” doesn’t mean he’s a saint, and he prides himself of being a heartless, one night stand kind of guy. After all, he doesn’t need the baggage of a relationship interfering with his growing career. One day, he has a run in with Rory, one of the many children now in Chelsea’s care, and somehow he finds himself becoming more of a family man than the ruthless and heartless guy he’s known for being in and out of the courtroom.

A romance book entirely in the male POV is fairly rare, but I rather enjoyed being in Jake’s mind. It was a refreshing take on a romance book and quite entertaining. Now I have no idea if that is how a male’s mind actually works, but it felt very authentic and true to what a male quite probably is thinking.

The story itself was entertaining and heartfelt. Jake and Chelsea’s relationship has it’s up and downs. Chelsea struggles with the kids. Jake struggles with his career. & The kids are A HOOT! Seriously, six kids of varying ages from toddlers to teenagers are bound to get into some trouble. I absolutely adored the family dynamic in this story and the strong sense of love they have for each other.

All-in-all, I’d highly recommend Sustained by Emma Chase. It’s a story filled with amazing characters, romance, humor, and heartfelt moments all around. The male POV is also a nice change of pace. I know that I’ll be picking up Emma Chase’s other titles’ in the near future. :)

Okay... August is a pretty busy month. There's a lot of great reads coming out! Here are the ones I'm most excited for:

August Releases I Want:

1. Nothing Left to Burn by Patty Blount (8/4) - I loved, loved, LOVED her book Some Boys. I'm so excited for Nothing Left to Burn. The ladies at the Sourcebooks BEA booth also were excited for it. So I'm thinking good things.

2. The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick (8/18) - It's the long awaited for sequel to My Life Next Door!!!! Enough said.

3. Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell (8/25) - It's another fairytale retelling, but I love fairytale retellings. So YES, PLEASE! I love how all of the reviews I've seen thus far are like "This is not Cinder." LOL.

August Releases I've Read & Loved:

1. The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak (8/4) - This was definitely one of those cute contemporary reads. Absolutely perfect for summer! At times the main character was a bit annoying, but I adored her relationship and love for her sister. 

2. Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines (8/25) - I read the eARC of Until Friday Night ages ago. I also stood in line to get an autographed ARC copy of it at BEA because just look at that cover! GORGEOUS! (I am also totally planning on buying a copy, if you were wondering. :P ) This is definitely one of my favorite contemporary covers of the year. I also loved the story itself; all that romance and drama! I do plan on rereading it before writing my review later this month. 

Now I want to know. What books are you excited for this August?

Note: I received an eARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not affected by receiving this eARC.

Okay… Honestly Sweet by Emmy Laybourne left me thinking “WTF? What just happened?” Seriously. I enjoyed the writing style of Emmy Laybourne. I enjoyed Laurel and Tom as characters. & I obviously loved the idea of the plot. I mean diet supplement gone wrong? Yes, I want to read about that! Sadly, the plot itself and the romance definitely did not wow me… Shock me, yes. Wow me, not so much.

In the story, Laurel finds herself on a luxury cruise filled with celebrities and the rich all hoping to lose large amounts of weight using the new diet supplement Solu. Tom is the celebrity spokesperson of the cruise, there to share with the world why he or she should run to stores for Solu. Laurel is perfectly happy with the way she looks and is on the cruise accompanying her best friend Viv. Initially, seasickness prevents her from eating anything with Solu. So she just ends up not taking it at all. Tom, on the other hand, worked hard to lose all that fat he had as a kid. He’s not taking Solu because he’s skeptical of diet supplements and sticks to a strict diet. They end up being two of the few not addicted to Solu but end up fending for their lives.

Sweet truly did start off great. I was enjoying the fast paced plot and loved Laurel and Tom, even though Tom was a douche at times. I was excited to see how their romance was going to play out and the drama Solu was going to ensue. About midway through though the plot seemed to hit warp-speed and all of a sudden everyone is addicted to Solu, rioting, and bloodthirsty for Solu. Oh and Tom and Laurel are now boyfriend/girlfriend. Yeah, that escalated quickly.

I think I was just completely and entirely shocked and continuously thinking WTH is going on? I was not expecting that second half to occur the way it did, and for me personally, it didn’t work. It was all too sudden and crazy. Sweet, what I thought would be more contemporary/thriller, suddenly seemed a bit more dystopian, a “run for your lives/every man for himself” kind of situation. And although Tom and Laurel never really professed their love to each other that I remember, it definitely felt too insta-lovey and sudden for me. I didn’t feel the chemistry at all. Seriously, I was so confused!

I honestly think Sweet by Emmy Laybourne is something you just need to read and experience for yourself. I’d love to explain exactly why I’m so baffled by Sweet, but it’d be way to spoilery. So if you’re considering reading Sweet, go ahead and try it yourself. Maybe you’ll even end up loving Sweet more than I did. At the time of writing this review, Sweet does have a 3.52 rating on Goodreads.

Did you read Sweet by Emmy Laybourne? Did you love it or were you confused like I was? Are you thinking of reading Sweet? Let me know!

Up on my main blog I shared my Book Journals (link here).

Do you keep a book journal or have a system for keeping your thoughts and favorite quotes all together? I'd love to hear your process! & If you don't, share your secrets! How do you remember everything?

Note: I received a free eARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. I was not paid to write this. All thoughts and opinions are my own and was not influenced by receiving the eARC.

I was really quite skeptical going into Double Mint by Gretchen Archer. After receiving the eARC, I immediately proceeded to read Double Whammy, the first book in the series, and was sadly disappointed. I didn’t enjoy Double Whammy as much as I hoped I would and ended up shelving Double Mint for a while. This past week, however, I decided to give it a go and ended up enjoying Double Mint A LOT. After finishing Double Mint, I then purchased books 2 and 3, binge reading them all over the course of a few days. So what did I think of Double Mint? I loved it!

In Double Mint, Davis is now living at the Bellissimo Hotel with her husband Bradley, the new general manager/her new boss. She absolutely hates living there. Not only is the general manager apartment hideous, but she also lives underneath the hotel owners. Add in a disappearing events coordinator, leaving her to play acing events coordinator. Also, why not throw in millions of dollars of counterfeit platinum coins and U.S. currency, a crazy cat, and having to continue to cater to the needs and whims of the owner’s wife Bianca Sanders. Davis sure has a lot on her plate trying to keep the hotel standing and avoiding divorce with her husband/new boss. Too bad no one trusts her theories as crazy as they may sound.

As you can imagine, Double Mint was full of crazy and hilarious moments. Although Davis was able to figure out who some of the players were in the big heist, she had absolutely no proof. Hence, no one trusting her theories. So watching her run around in various disguises in attempts to obtain proof was hilarious. Ultimately the mastermind behind all the trouble was shocking and something I definitely could not have guessed. Somehow, as it tends to be with cozy mysteries, Davis’s actions have a way of saving the day, even in moments she wasn’t necessarily trying to. Granted, she got into a lot of trouble doing it all.

I’m still getting used to Gretchen Archer’s writing style, which is probably why I didn’t love the first book. There are just moments when I have difficulty differentiating between past and present, which can make the story line confusing. Luckily, there’s no need for extensive references to the past in Double Mint unlike the first book Double Whammy. So I could simply thoroughly enjoy the crazy, hilarious plot and all of the trouble Davis ended up stirring up. I still don’t understand how or why she puts up with Bianca Sanders though. Talk about a nightmare of a boss!

Overall, I highly recommend Double Mint by Gretchen Archer. It’s a great cozy mystery with a lot of crazy things going on in the plot. If you read Double Whammy and didn’t love it, I’d still suggest taking a gamble on Double Mint. It definitely made my opinion of the series much more favorable. I absolutely can’t wait to read what Davis gets into next, especially with the revelations at the end!

Note: I received an eARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not paid to write this.

Kim Karr’s Toxic was a second chance romance with a lot of drama. A LOT OF DRAMA. Phoebe and Jeremy had great chemistry but also major trust issues. As you can imagine, things did not go very smoothly.

Phoebe and Jeremy started off as a whirlwind romance one summer. Jeremy had a lot of animosity against the rich, and Phoebe was the rich. Secrets were kept, and ultimately everything fell apart. Fast forward years later, Phoebe is doing everything in her power to try and keep her family’s legacy afloat, and shockingly, Jeremy may be the only one that can help her. As much as they try to put the past behind them, it seems to have a way of always creeping up on them.

Phoebe and Jeremy’s relationship was definitely not perfect. They had amazing chemistry both then and now, but they continuously kept secrets and never could truly trust each other. It seemed as if an argument was always around the corner, but they couldn’t help but be together. As much as I love Phoebe and Jeremy, they were definitely one of those couples that I think could have avoided a lot of issues if they just talked more. I found myself rooting for them, but I also wanted to knock some sense into them. Granted, shocking family history also stirred the pot along with an ex-fiance that wouldn’t let Phoebe go.

Toxic by Kim Karr is definitely high on drama and very entertaining. It may just be a tad bit over the top. It is definitely something you should check out if you enjoy romance novels with high drama and that enters the world of the rich elite.

Note: I received an eARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not paid to write this.

I don’t know what it is about Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series, but thus far I’ve loved every one I’ve read. Kiss Me is probably even my favorite thus far. In Kiss Me, Phoebe, a woman with a heart of gold and the need to continuously help those in need, finds herself in a predicament, which may cost her her job. Her helping out her boss put her real-estate license at risk, and despite a vow to never help someone again, her best friend convinces her to head out to the great out doors and protect Chase from his supposedly mean older brother. At the Nicholson Ranch in Fool’s Gold, she meets Zane, the not so helpless Chase, and even befriends a few animals. While Kiss Meis a romance between Phoebe and Zane, it also brings up the issue of what defines a family, forgiveness, and what it means to belong.

My favorite part of Kiss Me was definitely Phoebe. She was such an endearing character. She truly had a heart of gold, and I don’t think I could have disliked her even if I tried. Despite all of the misgivings she’s heard about Zane from her best friend Maya, she made her own decisions about him and the situation. She befriended animals and had full on conversations with them. I also loved her sense of humor when things weren’t exactly going well for her. Phoebe was pure joy, and I loved her. I totally wish she was my bff.

I adored Zane as well. I truly think he was one of those misunderstood characters. His younger half-brother, Chase, seemed to hate him, and his ex-step-sister Maya (Yes, ex-step-sister. This is a non-traditional family for sure.) seemed to never take his side. Truly though, all he was trying to do was make sure Chase didn’t live with regrets like Zane did. And although Chase thought of Zane as a perfect guy, he truly wasn’t. He had his issues just like everyone else but tended to keep to himself. Unfortunately, keeping to himself alienated him, and made him seem like the bad guy to everyone in his family.

There was an added side story to Kiss Me that I didn’t fully understand. I truly loved the story of the couple that couldn’t conceive their own child and the two foster kids that ended up on the cattle drive. It was a touching side story. It just didn’t flow well for me in the beginning. It was in a different POV, and I was just very confused at first as to who this character was and how it was going to be incorporated in the story.

Furthermore, while I did enjoy the ending. Somehow I still get the sense that everything wrapped up too quickly. I’m not sure what it is, but I definitely feel like the ending was good but not fully satisfying. Perhaps, I need to read Thrill Me first, which is the next book. It does feature Maya. So I’m pretty sure we’ll see more of Phoebe, Zane, and Chase.

Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series is such a great contemporary romance series. Kiss Me really knocks it out of the park though, bringing endearing characters and a touching story all about family. Kiss Me  was definitely my favorite thus far. I simply fell in love with Phoebe, Zane, and all of the animals. It’ll be a tough one to beat.

I shared this over on the main blog, but I figured I'd share it with all of my lovely Booklikes followers. :) What have you been obsessed with this month?

1. Instagram

Instagram has been my saving grace this past month. I’ve spent so much time searching hashtags lately. It’s literally all I do during my down time at my internship. Some of my top hashtags: #bookstagram, #bookmail, and #travelersnotebook. Some of my current favorite Instagram accounts to stalk are @wordrevel, @novelheartbeat, @cbookaddiction, @seatledreams, @uppercasebox, and just because, @snoopygrams.

2. Planners

This is probably due to the 2015/2016 Erin Condren Launch, but I’m obsessed with my planner more than usual this month. I’m currently awaiting my reprint of my new Erin Condren planner, and I can’t wait! I love using it as my blogging/reading planner. It’s so gorgeous, especially when I add a ton of bookish things to it! :)

3. My Book Journal/Notebook

My book journal/notebook is currently a Moleskine journal in my Gryffindor cover from urbanwrist. & I love it! I’ve been trying to be more proactive at taking notes as I read since I tend to write reviews way after I’ve actually read the book. Let’s just say some reviews have been a bit difficult to write… So far I’m loving my journal, and it’s been working fairly well.

4. Traveler’s Notebooks

I have two Traveler’s Notebooks: a Moleskine sized Wide from Chic Sparrow and a pocket Moleskine sized one from TwoBootsTradingPost on Etsy. & I love them! I’m not currently using my Chic Sparrow because I have so many hard bound Moleskines right now, which don’t work well for traveler’s notebooks. Although once my hard bound Moleskines are done, I plan on condensing them into the Chic Sparrow traveler’s notebook. I do carry around my pocket sized one in my purse for general “brain dump” and jotting of random things. I actually just bought another pocket/field notes sized traveler’s notebook from @retrowtures on Instagram. Have you seen the photos? They’re gorgeous!

5. Dot Notebooks

I think it’s the science nerd in me, but I’m obsessed with dot notebooks. It’s like graph paper but not as obvious and distracting with lines everywhere! There’s nothing wrong with blank, lined, or graph notebooks, but I just currently prefer dotted notebooks. So I’ve been on the hunt! My book notebook/journal is a dot format from Moleskine, but I don’t believe they sell any other formats of the dot besides the one I own. So forget getting a pocket sized one from them. Field Notes, however, does and is the same size as pocket Moleskines. Plus they have one that’s supposedly “life proof”? I’ve ordered a few and will be testing them out.

Note: I received an eARC copy of this title in exchange for my honest review. I was not paid to write this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Safe at Last by Maya Banks was good but unfortunately not my favorite. I definitely enjoyed Keep Me Safe and In His Keeping more. It all stems down to me not liking Gracie very much…

Safe at Last is a second chance romance. I knew going in that Zack and Gracie had history and for some reason they weren’t together. The story is ultimately told in dual POV, starting with Zack. I love Zack. I absolutely adore him. I fell in love with Zack in the first chapter, and I felt his broken heart over Gracie. (Seriously, that first chapter was AMAZING! & That rich teenager Zack rescues a victim from is CRAZY… Totally, off her rocker. It was a WTH just happened kind of moment for me.)

However later, once Gracie’s POV came around, I just could not sympathize with her. I just couldn’t. I knew something bad happened to her. Something BIG that made her despise Zack. However, you don’t find out what it is until Zack finds out many chapters later. Therefore, I just could not stand her POVs. That unfortunately, made the story less enjoyable for me, and really this was the main issue I had with the story. It made it difficult to get through the first half of the story.

The suspense and Gracie’s ability to read minds definitely felt secondary in this story to me and possibly at times, like something that was just added in to cause certain events to occur. It didn’t bother me as much as my disconnect with Gracie, but it was a tad bit disappointing. To be honest, I’m also a bit shocked that Zack didn’t even have an inkling suspicion as to who was the mastermind behind Gracie’s BIG incident that sent her away. I thought it was quite obvious. I did enjoy how the plot played out though in the end.

All-in-all, while Safe at Last is a good story, it definitely wasn’t my favorite in the series thus far. Maya Banks wrote an amazing hero, which is definitely a key component of a good romance. (Seriously, I loved Zack!) Unfortunately, however, my dislike of Gracie for about half the book just made it difficult to get through. If you are a fan of Maya Banks or a fan of second chance romances, I definitely suggest you give reading Safe at Last a try, and let me know what you think!

Note: I received an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I was not paid to write this nor did receiving the eARC affect my opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There are days when I’m just dying for a cozy mystery, and Henery Press always delivers. So what did I read to satisfy my cozy mystery craving this time around? Lowcountry Boneyard by Susan M. Boyer. I’ve never read any of Susan M. Boyer’s books before, but the synopsis intrigued me. An heiress gone missing, troubling family secrets, conflict with her partner/boyfriend, and a dead best friend that’s still around? Very intriguing if you ask me.

Liz Talbot is the private investigator hired to look for the heiress along with her partner/boyfriend and ghostly best friend that’s tagging along. The case quickly gets troublesome dealing with the family of the heiress, threats against her, and relationship issues with her partner/boyfriend.

The story overall was quite entertaining but just a tad bit slow for my tastes. I did guess the  ending and culprit. However, in this instance I was desperately hoping to be proven wrong. Plus the Hayward family sure had their issues. Talk about a dysfunctional family dynamic! It all kept me very invested in the story.

Plus there was the issue of Liz and her partner/boyfriend Nate. You can see the love they have for each other, but they just don’t see eye to eye in regards to their life situation. I haven’t read the previous books, but you could clearly tell that they were torn between setting up shop in two different places. If Liz moves, however, it may mean losing her best friend for good. Liz had quite the dilemma on her hands even without the case.

Overall, I enjoyed Lowcountry Boneyard by Susan M. Boyer. It was entertaining and statisfied my need for a cozy mystery. I think I may even pick up the other books in the Liz Talbot Mystery series that I missed. I definitely suggest checking it out if you’re ever in the mood for a cozy mystery with a bit of southern charm.