Audio Review ~ Hunting Season ~ Shelly Laurenston

Hunting Season by Shelly Laurenston
The Gathering #1
Narrated by: Alexandra Shawnee
Release Date: September 6, 2016 (audio)
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: Tantor Audio sent me a complimentary copy
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease
Goodreads

Synopsis
Stubborn, lethal, and from Jersey...what more could a Viking warrior want from his woman?

Neecy Lawrence, winged warrior for a Viking goddess and second-in-command of the fierce Crows, doesn't know what to do with a nice guy. As it is, making up for a past she'd sooner forget leaves her barely polite most days. But Raven leader and loyal Odin warrior, Will Yager, isn't just nice. He's gorgeous, hot, and a distraction she simply can't afford.

Yager has wanted Neecy in his life--and in his bed--for a long time. Not just for a night, but forever. And, like any self-respecting Viking, he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. So what is she's the most difficult, complex, never-gives-him-a-break woman he's ever known? She's more than worth the effort. In fact, she's worth everything.

And if it turns out that twenty-four hours of non-stop, any-way-she-wants-it sex doesn't work with Neecy? Then it looks like he'll just have to get a little more creative...

Overall, I enjoyed this introduction to The Gathering series. It was fun, steamy, and suspenseful. I'll definitely continue the series. Here's what worked for me, and what didn't work:

What Worked:

• Neecy Lawrence. She's tough, smart, independent, and loyal. Everything I want in a heroine. Oh, and she has wings!
• Wilhelm Yager. A big, brawny Viking, Yager is also tough, smart, loyal, and wily when he needs to be. He also has the patience of a saint, which he needs in trying to woo Neecy. Oh, and he has wings, too!
• Norse mythology. That Laurenston used Skuld's Gathering and Odin's Ravens was particularly exciting. The series apparently revolves around a war between gods which involves their warriors.
• Robust cast. Since the series is about The Gathering and the Ravens, we meet many characters from both groups. I enjoyed the camaraderie and dynamics within the groups as well as between them. I'm eager to see what happens next - who pairs up.
• Suspense. Even though the suspense element played second fiddle to the romance, I was still anxious about what was going on and who was behind it.

What Didn't Work:

• Neecy's continual fighting of her feelings for Yager got to be a bit tedious after awhile.
• Language. No, I'm not talking about profanity. At least, not exactly. There was an extreme repetition of certain words that became annoying since I was hearing it over and over. That said, it might not have been so irksome if I'd been reading it rather than listening.

As for Ms. Shawnee - I liked her voice and her delivery. She kept the story flowing. However, she lacked the range for such a large cast of characters. I think she'd be better suited for a book with fewer voices required.

#BookishResolutions 2017 ~ Signup/Goal Post

I'm once again participating in the Bookish Resolutions Challenge. This challenge is hosted by Michelle @Because Reading and Laura @ Trips Down Imagination Road. 

For complete details and to sign up, click the graphic above or here. These are the basic rules:

• Challenge runs January 1 - December 31, 2017
• Choose from 3 Main Categories: Blogging Goals, Reading Goals, Personal Goals
• You must choose at least 2 of the 3 Main Categories and you must have at least 1 goal per category (with the exception of Blogging Goals which must have 3 sub-goals)
• Post and link up an update on the 20th of each month. (29th for February)

There are Twitter parties and giveaways to inspire you in accomplishing your goals, too! Come on, join in the fun and reach that wonderful feeling of accomplishment!

**MY GOALS FOR 2017**

I've been moderately successful with the challenge the past 2 years but I think I've come up with some tweaks so that I'll be even more so in 2017. Mostly I'm making my goals more specific and therefore more quantifiable. :)

• Blogging Goals
• Comment back THREE times a week
• Visit TEN blogs a day
• Link up my challenge posts on the last day of each month (or last day of month quarterly for those updating quarterly)
• Keep track of my progress on my calendar
• Reading Goals
• NO BOOK BUYING without a gift card (that was gifted!)
• Read TWO Netgalley reads per month
• Read (at least) TWO books I already own per month
• Read ONE book from a series I'm behind in per month
• Listen to TWO review books per month
• Read books my kids *need* me to read
• Born to Run (Jax)
• Death with Interruptions (Jax)
• Everything is Illuminated (Sky)
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Jax)
• School of Good and Evil (Berk)
• The Book Thief (Sky)
• The Lightning Thief (Berk)
• Keep track of my progress on my calendar and in my book journal
• Personal Goals
• Exercise FIVE days a week
• Keep a food/exercise journal
• Spend an hour daily writing/editing
• Spend ONE day a month on a different hobby - paper crafting or knitting
• Keep track of my progress with writing/editing and crafting on my calendar

Are y'all participating in this challenge? Leave a link if you are so I can check out your goals. And good luck!

2017 Reading/Blogging Challenge Signup Posts ~ All the Rest...

This challenge is hosted by Julie and Lynn @Chapter Break and Terri @Second Run Reviews. For complete details, click the graphic above. Here are the basics:

• Sign up
• Read books you already own (books procured prior to January 1, 2017) 
• Responsibly grow your TBR
• Participate in the discussion posts, quarterly this year

My goal for 2017 is 51+ Books or My Shelves and I Are Going Steady. To help me in achieving this goal, I'm challenging myself to read 8 books I own before reading a new release.

Lexxie @Unconventional Book Views and Stormi @Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! are co-hosting this challenge yet again in 2017. And they made some tweaks to make the challenge a bit more, well, challenging. ;)

Since I'm aiming to show my shelves some love in 2017 and read books I already own, I'm only aiming for the New Release Pro status or 31-60 books. We shall see how I do! ;)

Herding Cats & Burning Soup is hosting this challenge meant to 'shame' me into reading all those many, many ARCs I've collected but haven't read. ;)

Goal

I'm aiming for getting 20 Review Books read and reviewed. I'm setting this goal without looking to see how many of these *forgotten* books I have...but it seems like a good goal to start with. :D

This is another challenge being hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup and I like this one because there's no finish date...just the finish line whereby I'll have read all the books by a particular author. The first author I'm choosing is:

Sabrina Jeffries

I'll update the graphic when I can find the one for 2017 but I'm once again participating on the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I've successfully met this challenge the past 2 years. For 2017, I'm setting my goal a bit lower (only by 25) in order to reduce stress. :) So my goal for 2017 is:

125 books

#2017HW Reading Assignment Challenge ~ Signup/Reading List Post

The Reading Assignment Challenge is hosted by Berls @Fantasy is More Fun and Michelle @Because Reading. Essentially, this challenge allows you to create your own "reading list" just like you wanted to do when you were in school. :)

For complete details and rules, click the graphic above. Here are the basics:

• Challenge runs from January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2017. You may sign up any time between now and July 1. 
• You may only participate for the months after you sign up.
• Create a list and commit to reading 1-4 books a month from that list.
• Any genre or format is acceptable but it must have been published prior to January 1, 2017 AND be more than 100 pages.
• Post your "report card" quarterly to let everyone know how you're faring.

There will be quarterly giveaways as well as a Grand Prize at the end of the challenge.

**MY READING LIST FOR 2017**

I've failed this challenge for the past 2 years but 2017 is gonna be a game changer! Why? I'm only aiming for ONE book a month. LOL 

Here's my Reading Assignment List:

Are y'all participating? How many books are you aiming for? How did you go about choosing them? Good luck! And I'll keep y'all updated on my progress. :)

Audio Review ~ One Ride ~ Chelsea Camaron

One Ride by Chelsea Camaron
The Hellions Ride #1
Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell and Joe Arden
Release Date: April 26, 2016 (audio)
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Tantor Audio sent me a complimentary copy
Rating: 3.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease
Goodreads

Synopsis
Roundman, president of the Hellions Motorcycle Club, has kept the chaos surrounding the Hellions contained for the last thirty years. When the dangerous side to their business comes knocking on his only child's doorstep, he realizes that his precious daughter-Delilah ("Doll")-isn't safe anymore. With Doll in danger from the association she has with him and his club, Roundman makes the only decision he feels he can-send her away. Calling on the one charter club president he trusts, he sets up a ride to keep her safe, all in hopes that trouble won't follow. Talon "Tripp" Crews has been ordered to take Doll on one ride away from the dnager while the club handles the threat. She's off-limits. His head knows this, but his body can't deny the attraction. She's feisty, fierce, and fearless. Constantly in close confines together, will they give in to the desire? Can one ride turn lust into love? Contains mature themes.

I picked One Ride because I was in the mood for an MC story. While One Ride didn't deliver exactly what I was looking for, it was still an enjoyable story.

Delilah "Doll" Reklinger is the daughter of the President of the Hellions. As such, she's treated as precious. Even though the MC life is all she's known and is what she wants for herself, her daddy isn't so sure he wants this life for her. He's done a good job of keeping his club clean and Doll safe but when trouble shows up at Doll's desk, invasive action is required.

Enter Tripp Crews. Tripp is a trusted member of the Hellions and Roundman's first choice in carrying out his plan to protect Doll. If only Tripp wasn't so attracted to her. If only she wasn't off-limits.

Overall, I liked this story. The characters were relatable and I did immerse myself in their story. But here's the thing - I felt Doll acted bratty quite often and it bothered me. Also, I would have liked more exploration of and dealing with the danger. It would have given the story more depth. And I was looking for the dynamics and camaraderie within an MC but it wasn't here in the detail I was hoping for. Of course, that's what I get for going in with expectations.

Mitchell and Arden were excellent though! They kept me engaged despite the story not delivering all I wanted. I will continue the series - I have to know what happens with a few of the secondary characters.

Audio Challenge 2017 ~ Signup Post

The Audiobook Challenge is being hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Although I've been listening to audiobooks going on 3 years now, I still consider myself an audio newb. I love them though! They're perfect for enticing me to clean, exercise, grocery shop, pick up kids...you name it! A challenge just sweetens the pot, so to speak. For full challenge details, click the image above. Here are the basics:

• Challenge begins January 1, 2017 and ends December 31, 2017. You can join at any time.
• The goal is to find love with audio OR outdo yourself by listening to more audiobooks in 2017 than you did in 2016.
• Books must be in audio format. (duh!)
• Re-reads and crossovers from other challenges are allowed.
• You don't have to be a blogger to participate. You can chart your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, etc.

There are seven levels you can aim for. Since I'm aiming to outdo myself and I listened to 28 audiobooks in 2016, I'm looking to hit 

My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted)

30+ audiobooks

I hope y'all will join in the fun!

That's What HE Said #71 ~ Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts #52

That's What He Said is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies @Chapter Break. Here's the deal: every Thursday, post a line from your book boyfriend to his heroine. Keep in mind, these are direct quotes from dialog in the books. The quote doesn't have to be romantic - just something our hunky hero said to his lucky lady. Be sure to link up over at Chapter Break as well.

My pick this week for That's What He Said is from:

Kaleidoscope by Kristen Ashley

***

"Emme, I'm lying in bed lookin' at your kaleidoscope sittin' on my nightstand, knowin' you've been with me every day for nine years. Which means I wanted you with me every day even when I didn't realize it. Which means you mean something to me and not a little something. You think I'd make that play tonight if I thought makin' it would fuck us up?"

...

"So, I made a decision and carried it out but I know what's at stake here and I'm gonna bust my ass to lead this careful, gentle so it doesn't get fucked up. I know this is fast, but from here we don't have to go fast. We just gotta go forward. And we gotta do it honest. So talk to me."

*~*~*~*~*~*

In this scene, Emme is making dinner for Jacob after not having seen him for quite a few years. I know there's no actual food eaten here but the scene is funny and swoony. :)

"I need to know if you don't eat anything," I lied.
Actually, it wasn't a lie. Although I remembered a lot about Jacob (most everything, in all honesty), I couldn't recall if there was something specific he didn't like to eat.
I could recall how beautiful he was, how tall he was, how strong he was. I could recall how smart he was and how funny he was. I could recall how cool he was with me. I could also recall how much I missed him. But I couldn't recall if he didn't like chicken.
But that wasn't the only think I needed to know. I needed to know something else too.
Much like last night, when he didn't make me feel like a psycho, in face, the opposite and sounded like he was happy to hear from me and would be willing to talk all night, he again sounded like my psychotically calling him yet again in a precursor to stalker way was no big deal.
"I don't eat it, I'll pick it off."
"You can't pick it off if I cook with it in it or if the mainstay of dinner on the whole is what you don't eat," I informed him.
"You makin' Indian food?" he asked.
"No. Don't you like Indian food?" I asked back.
"Love it," he answered.
'Then why'd you ask if I was making Indian food?"
"Cause I hoped you were."
I burst out laughing.
No, Jacob definitely didn't make me feel like I was being a psycho.
When I quit laughing, I told him, "Sorry, honey, I don't know how to make Indian food."
"Shame," he muttered, a smile in his deep, attractive voice, and if I was on an infrared scanner, specific parts of me would have shown up better.
...
"You haven't actually answered the question."
"I'll eat what you cook, Emme. Cook what you like."

Brandee's Bookish Babble #26 ~ To Freebie or Not to Freebie?

Welcome to Brandee's Bookish Babble. There are many, many similar posts to this one - but basically I wanted a place to discuss bookish and/or blogging stuff and I needed a title. :) 

***

I don't think I'm telling y'all anything you don't already know when I say, "Hi, I'm Brandee and I'm a book hoarder." It doesn't matter if it's digital or physical copies, I procure more books than I can possibly read and I do it lightning speed. Lately, I've been one-clicking freebies like nobody's business...like I *need* more books. And it got me to thinking... 

What are y'all's freebie-clicking habits? Do you automatically one-click because "hey, they're free!" Do you read the synopsis first before deciding whether or not to pull the trigger? Do you one-click only if it's an author you know? Or only if the rating is 4-star?

I'm really curious about your habits and here's why... I feel as though I use discretion with freebies because even though they cost me nothing monetarily, they cost me space on my ereader. (and y'all, I have FOUR!) I check the rating, read the synopsis, read a few reviews - both positive and negative - before I engage my finger. But I'm thinking this isn't enough - I don't know, caution? When I started preparing for the COYER Blackout challenge (which begins this Saturday) I created a shelf of freebies (and 99 cent steals) and I stopped when I realized I was already at 350 books! That's more than I can read in 2 years! So now I'm thinking I need a new filter - one to help me in refraining from all the willy-nilly one-clicking. Any ideas? Maybe a "will I read this within a few months?" approach where if the answer is "no", I don't click?

Opinions? Suggestions?? Therapy ideas??