After meeting over a surgical table in Devil in Spring, we finally have Dr. Garrett Gibson and Ethan Ransom's story!

Dr. Gibson is waylaid by rape-y drunk soldiers on the way home from helping deliver a baby. She has her trusty cane and her fencing skills, but three against one is still a tall order. Swooping in to "rescue her," depending on who's perspective you take, is the man who has secretly been making sure she makes it home every night.

Both annoyed at the enforced chivalry but wildly intrigued and attracted to Ethan Ransom, Garrett agrees to Ethan's request to give her proper self-defense training. He also gifts her a silver police whistle, just in case.

Ethan has been in love with Garrett since she saved Lady Pandora's life, but his dangerous occupation means he needs to stay away from her. He just can't and unfortunately his weakness is exploited by the man who hold's his very life in his hands.

A gunshot wound, a secret plot to blame Irish Nationalists for violence, and family ties make this an exciting and highly sexy continuation of the Ravenal Series.

I adore Kleypas's historical details, especially regarding Garrett's medical skills. It often reminded me of the Outlander series, just 100 years later in time. It was fun to see an Irish brogue-ed hero, and a Dr. Quinn-medicine woman type character find true love. All of the conflict made sense and I liked that lies did not create the drama.

I'm also super excited to read West's book! There is quite a lot of West, and he become quite endearing to me.

I did notice the problematic passage detailing how Ethan gained his sexual prowess, basically exploring the Kama Sutra with an Indian woman. Definitely did not need this for the story and frankly I'm tired of it. I appreciate Kleypas's statement on fixing this in future copies of this book.

Apparently there is not a universe where I can read about Luke Skywalker becoming one with the Force and not weep. Even while at work.

I always try to read the movie adaptation and I usually am pretty meh about them, but this one does a pretty great job of being the movie without being just like the movie. I still liked the movie better.

SPOILERS

Luke refers to Rey as "his niece" to the caretakers on Ach-To...? PLEASE LET THIS BE TRUE?!
The lightsaber Rey brings to Luke may not actually have been Luke's, or may have been his but was also a lot of others lightsaber?
I love movie Rose, I do not like book Rose.
I wish there was a bit more Holdo. She was just as glossed over here as in the movie. Boo.
I enjoyed reading Snoke's tiny bit and seeing a brief explanation of how the Emperor had planned for a downfall, which led to the creation of The First Order.
Luke and Leia know something. We don't know the something. What IS IT?!
Luke did not immediately start a new Jedi order because he was afraid, so completely contrary to the former canon (Legends). Only started training others because of Ben Solo.

Saga, you've done it again. I loved the space-y neon infused Western vibe that reminded me of a technicolor version of Stephen King's The Gunslinger and I also was so glad to see my favorites return to deal with various horrible situations.

Staples and Vaughan continue to surprise, delight, and wreck me. And someone find me a rainbow zebra to ride on, STAT!

True crime is not typically my genre because I'm a scaredy-cat, but I felt compelled to read I'll Be Gone in the Dark as both a fan of Patton Oswalt and to satisfy my Book Riot Read Harder Challenge of "ready a book published posthumously."

I only wish Michelle McNamara had been able to finish this book in her way, because the portions written completely by her were compelling and nuanced and I really feel like she could have solved the damn thing.

I did appreciate the very clear way the editors noted the sections that were either cobbled together from her notes or drafts or written by others and the introduction and post-script written by Gillian Flynn and her husband Patton Oswalt were also wonderful. Alas, because the book was not finished by McNamara, I felt the ending was sudden and not super fulfilling after reading about so much horrible rape and murder.

Definitely lock your doors people and be glad DNA testing now exists. Yikes!

I really need to stop reading books that make me cry while on lunch at work! I also wasn't expecting the tears from this super sweet story of two women who fall in love as young girls, are told they are abominations for their love, torn apart, but reconnect many years later as grandmothers.

I adored the bright and engaging illustrations but found the font to sometimes be just a *bit* too large. The dialog was also a little clunky and a little "tell-y" which is explained by the format of one of the character's telling someone her love story, but overall what a delight. Just have some tissues ready.

I don't like to say I read "guilty pleasure" books, because I don't really believe in the concept. Reading is reading and read what you like.

That said, this is a book I did feel guilty while reading. I felt a bit guilty for kind of being turned on by it (despite it being very very troubling). The story is basically a fuck-fest between a hot, sexy interior designer and a billionaire bad boy English Lord of indeterminate age, who, if he wasn't the hottest thing you ever met and so rich he could buy the moon, you would call the police on for his crazy, stalker, abusive behavior. He's controlling (no swearing, can't dress the way you want to, gets in fights, etc), he's kind of scary, he says he isn't a dominant which makes it worse (no rules for him thank you very much), and he may or may not be stealing the heroine's birth control pills. Someone definitely is.

There's slut-shaming, there's a scene with really unbelievable butt-sex, and there are so many repetitive lines and happenings that I felt like the author was using the "copy/paste" function to pad the book. The book is pretty damn large, so come one, cut out a few of the "watch your mouth" scenes. Also, he can swear like a sailor, but NOT FOR HER. I would understand this more if he did not like swearing? Just seems very weird.

From a plot standpoint, there is just a complete lack of communication between the two characters which leads to all of the drama and tension (boring), and a lack of character development. Also, there is a cliff-hanger. Blah.

So, I read it. It is a a good book for a wank, if that is what you're looking for. I also put the next book on hold because I'm a glutton for punishment and again, guilty pleasure.

Livvy and Nicholas meet for an illicit night of sex once a year. There are two rules - one night only, no one can know. Childhood sweethearts, they broke up after a terrible accident and a terrible deal broke their two families apart.

After a decade of one nights, Livvy doesn't text Nicholas. When he finds out she has returned to their hometown, passion, temper, and family drama threaten to either finally bring them together or forever end everything.

SO GOOD. Ugh. I need to process and will write a better review later.

Second Read - ALL THE STARS.

I'm so into the Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers, enemies to lovers tropes. Thank you Baz Luhrmann for forever marking adolescent Beth.

Alisha Rai grips you from the first pages of this splendid romance. It is highly emotionally charged, erotic yet tender, and so full of a cast of wonderful characters. I re-read this to prepare for [b:Hurts to Love You|35068637|Hurts to Love You (Forbidden Hearts, #3)|Alisha Rai|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1504987659s/35068637.jpg|56364085] and I am so happy I did.

I love that while both Livvie and Nicholas obviously had other lovers, they both had special things they kept sacred to their relationship. I love that Nicholas denied himself BJs because they were too personal, to connected to his feelings for Livvie. I also loved how Livvie used her love of tattooing to put a permanent tribute to every one of her birthdays spent with Nicholas on her body. When they both discover these things, I die.

Alaska can kill you in so many ways so Maddie still isn't quite sure why her father made them move to the harsh wilderness. Sure, his job as a Secret Service agent meant he was almost killed protecting her, the President's wife, and her best friend and first kid Logan, but bears are just as dangerous as Russian kidnappers right?

Now sixteen and a wilderness bad-ass, Maddie has come to terms with her life even though she's so bored she's bedazzled her favorite throwing axe and she hasn't heard one word from Logan for over six years. Not one letter.

So, when Logan is suddenly air-dropped back into her life as a punishment, Maddie is determined to keep him frozen out. But Logan is now kind of hot. And kind of really happy to see her. And also, kind of kidnapped, again.

Super fun and tight YA thriller that was a true delight to read. I loved all of the details about making it in the wild and loved Maddie's sparky, hard core character. While the romance was a *bit* insta love (I wish Logan would have had a week or two with Maddie before being kidnapped), I still found it believable and sweet.

Remember kids, control top pantyhose can save your life!

Rourke convinces work-a-holic Eve to take an extended honeymoon and finally gets her off-planet. Alas, as the honeymoon draws closed, a suicide brings Eve right back into the office. When other well-connected people begin suspiciously dying by suicide but with a smile on their face, Eve and Rourke find out there may actually be a murderer on the loose, a murdered that can tap into your fantasies, fantasies that lead to death.

I think I enjoyed the mystery of this book the best so far in the series, and Rourke and Eve are so stupid hot together.

Trigger Warning Spoiler -

There is mind control in this book and there is a scene where Rourke is under control of the murder and rapes Eve. It is brushed off quickly and Eve assures Rourke it wasn't rape, which I find suspect. I don't think a survivor of sexual assault would have gotten over that so quickly. I wish that would have been handled differently because it tainted in otherwise fun book.

A juicy character-driven tale about the consequences of one secret on the lives of three women.

I really found the narration of this book captivating and adored the Australian accent. The secret is revealed about midway through the book, so the first part is the buildup of the three main characters followed by the consequences of the secret in the latter half. I liked that this wasn't a twisty "gotcha" book. You weren't meant to be kept guessing, you were meant to have all sorts of feelings about questions about what you would do, if you knew. Or didn't know.

I've watched Big Little Lies and I was worried this would be too similar, but it wasn't in the most important ways. I could definitely see this as a mini-series or movie, for sure.

I listened to this for my upcoming Book to Art Club, and we'll be crafting "exploded flowers" while discussing.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

I was SO glad the secret wasn't a sexual one, or a secret paternity. That's what I was thinking, and then I was like oh. Nope. So good. I think Cecilia was my favorite character. I connected most with her and really enjoyed her moral struggles once she figures out her husband John Paul's secret. Tho, girl, I totes would have read that letter immediately. I'm bad at not knowing things. I also almost puked when Rachel hits little Poppy Fitzpatrick with her car. I hit a kid once, totally on accident, and she lived too, but you never ever ever forget it. Terrible. I wanted to punch stupid Felicity in her stupid face, but also understood why Tess didn't. But I still wanted her too. I'm glad Tess got to have some sexy times with Colin. Go girl.