Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

August Buddy Read

Hi Samantha! I sent you a friend request since you have a private profile. =) Looking forward to reading with you in August!

If you want to take a look at my shelves, my to-read-asap shelf is my short list.

Hi MountainKat. Thanks for the friend request. I look forward to reading with you.

I'll look at your shelves. Mine may not be as organized as yours but I am sure we will figure it out.

I looked at your short list and I saw...

Rebel Heir
Fatal Justice

I saw some other books on your shelves and mine. I just didn't know if you wanted to get to any of these pretty soon.

Rebel Heir is one of my M&G books for August/September so that is one I definitely want to read soon. Same goes for Fatal Justice - it is a carryover from another M&G round, so long overdue in getting read. Either of those would be great for me. I am open to other options too though.

Both of them are fine with me.

I'm torn - always good to check off a challenge book, but then a reason to go back and pick up one that is a carryover is good too.

I am leaning slightly towards Rebel Heir though.

I know that feeling. I have been meaning to go back and finish the Fatal series though.

So how about we just read Rebel Heir. I'm not sure how fast of a reader you are but if there is any time left over, I can read Fatal Justice with you as well. Is that a fair compromise?

I read pretty fast - actually I would be listening to both of those. Rebel Heir is just shy of 7 hours so that is most likely 2 days, could be one or maybe three - depends on the timing and what is going on in real life. And Fatal Justice is about 10 1/2 hours so that is probably two or three days.

So I'm good with starting with one and seeing where it goes - hopefully we can both get back to the Fatal series!

Yay. Do you want me to notify KarenH in the other thread of Rebel Heir?

I can do it, since it is late for you and I just saw this. =)

Thanks.

I'm not sure when you would want to start or how you would prefer to discuss the book. I am flexible.

I'm flexible too. I can start anytime, might be easier to read it in the first half of the month, but not necessary.

How to read? Since I will be listening, I am as likely to be out as home while listening. But it is easy enough to stop after a few chapters if that is how you prefer to discuss. (I'll just have another book ready to go for the drive home!) Whatever works for you is good with me!

I agree about reading it during the first half of the month.

We can aim to discuss as we go along.

Dang, I thought I hit enter on my comment last night. Obviously I didn't and then closed the page. Sounds about right for this week...

Do you just want to start on the first? And discussing as we go along works great for me! I will say where I am and use spoiler tags if necessary when I comment - don't want to ruin anything if I happen to be ahead. =)

Sounds like a plan.

Hi Samantha - were you able to start the book? I didn't get much reading done yesterday, but was out today so lots of listening time in the car. I am almost 60% - in the middle of chapter 14. I am really enjoying getting to know the characters and I love their banter!

Hi MountainKat. I didnt get to start it but plan to do so today. This was a hectic week. I am glad you like it. That encourages me. Don't worry. I will catch up.

No worries Samantha - I hope you enjoy it too!

I was listening during the night - got a love/hate relationship with insomnia - got to the end of chapter 17. OMG - I don't know how it is going to work out!? I mean, I know it will - it is a romance, but I did not see this coming at all!

I just finished - can't wait until you catch up!

I will say that, once again, I was blindsided at the end. I saw it coming as it was happening, but didn't even imagine things would end like that. I don't think I will be waiting until next month the read Rebel Heart like I originally planned!

So does that mean you like it, MountainKat?

I am on Chapter 20. I wonder what will happen next. That twist threw me for a loop for sure. I wonder can i handle the last 20%. Lol

As we got to that ending, I was putting the pieces together. How can they bounce back from that?

Samantha wrote: "How can they bounce back from that?"

Right?! I felt like I was watching an accident in slow motion as I was reading the end - I just wanted to tell them to stop! Not that it would do any good... And now you understand why I said I needed to read the second book soon. =P

But overall, I loved it! The characters were great, both were adults and even acted like it! I loved their banter - the way they communicated just drew me in. I got involved in their story and felt like I was on the ride with them. It was just great - even with the cliffhanger! Those don't usually work for me, at least without warning, but maybe this is ok since I already have the second book and planned to read them both.

There was one weird discrepancy that must have just slipped through the cracks with the two authors, but it bugged me. (view spoiler)[Throughout the book, Rush is talking about his mom and grandma with much love and respect. The angel in his car is the one thing he took when his grandmother died. And he is even named after his grandfather. But when his mother comes to visit for his birthday, I think it is on page 116, there are a few sentences that contradict all of that. "Looking at her, people would never know that she had a tough life. The youngest of four children raised in rural Canada by an abusive father and an alcoholic mother, she moved to New York City at only eighteen." It didn't ruin the story for me, but I did keep thinking about it and thought it was weird that it got missed. Unless I missed something else that explained all of it? (hide spoiler)]

I have book 2. Glad I have it.

I think the discrepancy was odd.

Samantha wrote: "I have book 2. Glad I have it."

Me too!

Samantha wrote: "I think the discrepancy was odd."

It had to have been just an editing error - like they changed his backstory and missed that one comment or something.

Haha. Maybe. So do you want to read book 2 together?

That would be great! I should finish the book I'm reading on Friday. We could start then or anytime after that. =)

I will be ready saturday morning. Is that good?

Yes, that works.

Great!

Hi Samantha - I was able to start today, but didn't get that far. I read the first four chapters and boy are we off to bang of a start! Can't wait to see how this goes. =)

Hi MountainKat, I am starting today. That gives me hope :)

Hi - how's it going? Did you get to start?

I finished in the wee hours this morning, couldn't sleep so I read. =) I'm not going to say anything more until I hear back from you.

Hi MountainKat. Sorry I got bogged down with real life stuff. I finished yesterday.

I am so on the fence. It started off strong. I was worried about Rush finding out about Elliot. Now I am not a fan of love triangles or cheating so I was worried about my feelings. Good thing this had neither and my emotions stayed checked.

It just somehow started to dragged. I really liked Rush and he was a saint to deal with all of that. He really loved her.

So, so sorry - first life got you and then it got me!!

I was on the fence about this one too. It started great and ended well, but the middle where was Rush was ruminating on whether he could live with the circumstances went on way too long! I thought Oak's advice was spot on - did he love her more than he hated his brother. Hard to get to the point where you REALLY know, I'm sure. But that part of the book dragged. Overall though I liked the story and how it was all handled, because it could have hit triggers for most romance readers! Didn't hurt that I was listening and the narrators were great. =)

Ha. I felt bad like I was messing up our buddy read.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have to agree that the middle was very slow. Rush did drag it out with his emotional dilemma.

Another thing that annoyed me was that the heroine never fully developed. She never learned to stand on her own. I think the hero kept playing a knight on white horse kind thing to her. She tried but it never lasted long.