M.A.R.R.I.E.D. (Jessie and Graham 1.5)

In rainy Seattle, Washington, Graham Kelly has won the heart of independent minded Jessica Jacobs. Wedding bells are near, yet nothing will stop Jessie’s overbearing mother from throwing a wrench into the plans.

When an unexpected situation expands the swelling tension between the two, matters arise uncertain. Graham loves Jessie. But will his endless affection and warm heart be enough to keep her? This trip down the aisle is going to be a bumpy one.

*Contains Spoilers*

Lindsay Marie Miller continues the story of Jessie and Graham in M.A.R.R.I.E.D., the sequel to S.I.N.G.L.E. With the wedding just ahead, Jessie and Graham must jump a few more hurdles before they can exchange rings and vows. In the first book, it took all of Graham's power to convince Jessie that they should be together, but life has a way of surprising even the most stable couples. 

Jessie is blissfully happy. She believes that Graham is her soul mate and will forever be by her side. Her happiness weighs the pages of this book as the story move closer to her wedding day. However, Jessie's mom, who is easy to dislike, disrupts her happiness as she suggests a little pre-wedding dental work for Graham. This doesn't seem like much of a wrench, but it works to upset Jessie as well as insult Graham, when he eventually finds out. Though this suggestion also works to define Jessie's loyalty, it also punctuates her strength that she stands up for her fiance and herself. 

One thing that readers get to see in this sequel, that wasn't as prominent in the first book, is Jessie's budding relationship with her younger sister. In the first book, Jessie fought to be able to see Ella, but her stepmother resisted the two sisters knowing each other. Now, Jessie's father allows Jessie and Ella to see each other consistently. The growing relationship between these siblings is nice to witness as a reader as it demonstrates the importance Jessie places on family. 

The biggest surprise that Jessie and Graham face (spoiler alert) is an unexpected pregnancy. They find out just a few weeks before the wedding and the uncertainty of whether they want this and are ready for this is a big focus of this book. This major twist allows readers to see how Jessie and Graham react as a couple to something unplanned and their reaction reveals a lot about their personalities. Graham's love of family dictates his reactions while Jessie's old fears about broken families seems to dictate hers. However, happiness does come out of this surprise and both Jessie and Graham accept their beautiful fate of being parents as they struggle with other obstacles that pop up. 

While this book is sweet and romantic, I feel like it fell short on building on the connection between readers, Jessie, and Graham. The first book did set up an initial connection based on Jessie's fear of being let down and disappointed by love and Graham's never-give-up attitude. Though, this book didn't do much for me in the way of expanding that initial connection. I don't feel like I learned anything new about Jessie or Graham and their characters seemed a little flat. It's almost as if the characters did all their growing (in terms of personality) in the first book. On the brighter side, there was much less arguing and bickering in this book between Jessie and Graham, which I appreciated. They seemed to be on the same side, for the most part, which helped show their deep commitment to each other. While I didn't feel much of a connection to the characters, I do think readers who enjoy the romance genre with a focus on the relationship and less on the evolution of the characters will enjoy this book. It's a light, easy read that shares the blissful happiness of being in love, and there's nothing wrong with that. 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Read the review of S.I.N.G.L.E.

Teaser Tuesday (257)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.




M.A.R.R.I.E.D. (Kindle 59%)
   - Lindsay Marie Miller

"But she's my mother," I croaked, on the verge of tears. "I just wish for once she could stop being so critical, stop judging everyone, especially me. I just..."

What's Next, Wednesday (47)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

M.A.R.R.I.E.D. by Lindsay Marie Miller. This book is a sequel to a book I reviewed last year, S.I.N.G.L.E. I'm interested to see the 'happily ever after' Jessie and Graham are finally together and their wedding is on the horizon, but it doesn't seem like they'll make it down the aisle before a few stumbles. The first book was a little repetitious in its events, so we'll see how this one goes. 

Mr. Jones & Me (Jones, #2)

Three years have passed since Finley O’Connell found love and heartbreak in the form of alluring, yet secretive psychology professor, Cabel Jones. Now a twenty-two-year-old graduate student, Finley hardly has time to fulfill her role as Cabel’s young new wife.

But when a voluptuous blonde bombshell from Cabel’s past arrives to fill a teaching position on campus, Finley feels immediately threatened. Jane Adams wants Cabel Jones back and will stop at nothing to rekindle romance with her former flame. Jealous and betrayed, Finley falls into a perilous trap that may cost Cabel his life.

*Contains Spoilers*

Well this sequel definitely had some twists and turns that I did not see coming. Mr. Jones & Me is the sequel to Me & Mr. Jones, that I reviewed a while back, by Lindsay Marie Miller. This novel takes place after Finley has graduated from college and married Mr. Jones, her undergrad professor. In the first novel, Finley and Cabel's lives were threatened when Cabel's Uncle wanted to run for office and needed Cabel and his twin brother, Seth, to stay quiet ... in a permanent way. Now, three years later, they thought they were safe, but sadly, they were wrong. 

Readers already have relationships with Finley and Cabel from the first book and this sequel builds upon those connections a little bit more. Finley is attending graduate school and working full time which has put a strain on her new marriage. Readers can relate to this because complications always arise in relationships. This makes Finley seem more down to earth. However, Cabel's relationship with readers becomes a little rocky when a woman from his past shows up... a woman he was engaged to. 

Meet Jane: beautiful, intelligent, and completely psychotic. She believes that she and Cabel still have a chance and will stop at nothing to win him back. She even teams up with her father to kill Cabel and Finley for more political reasons. But instead of killing Cabel (here's where the spoilers begin) she kills her father and physically attacks Finley, forcing her to miscarry. Now this woman is totally insane, but she does force certain truths into light. Truths that Cabel had been hiding from Finley since the moment they met. This doesn't work in Cabel's favor when it comes to garnering trust from the readers. Especially since, big spoiler here, Cabel is dead. The man that Finley is married to is Seth, Cabel's twin. Now this really complicates everything the readers thought they knew. Suddenly, there's a huge trust issue with Cabel and I don't know if the rest of the book rebuilds it. Though it was a brilliant twist by the author, I don't know if I could forgive my husband for lying to me since the day we met so I'm not sure how Finley could forgive Cabel. 

However, the biggest emotional connection with readers in this book comes from the blossoming hope of a baby. Finley's pregnancy is a complete surprise to the couple and it creates a larger problem in terms of danger and Jane. When Jane causes Finley to miscarry it is a severe blow to the emotional level of this novel. It goes from happy and full of hope to complete despair. It becomes another battle that Finely and Cabel have to overcome. It's hard and it's hard to read about, but Miller does a good job in bringing the novel out of darkness. 

Mr. Jones & Me does certainly focus on Cabel a little more than Finley, as the title suggests and I think readers who enjoyed the first book would enjoy this one. However, it tackles some bigger issues than the first book and doesn't have the same 'feel.' 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Read the Review of Me & Mr. Jones:

Teaser Tuesday (225)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm/Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



Mr. Jones & Me (Kindle 14%)
   - Lindsay Marie Miller

"Isn't it odd that Cabel would marry someone right after graduation?" Jane examined her cuticles as she spoke. "Someone, who only weeks before was a student? Someone, that at one time, was his student?"

S.I.N.G.L.E. (Still in Need of a Good Loving Equivalent)

Jessica Jacobs is a twenty-two-year-old finance major at the University of Washington, whose brief encounters with blind dating have left her a single, cynical woman. When her best friend, Sara, gets dumped by the love of her life on Valentine’s Day, Jessie proposes a pact boycotting all men for the rest of the semester.

But then Jessie meets Graham, a gorgeous, yet respectable gentleman with the body of a Greek god and a heart of gold. Torn between her commitment to the pact and an undeniable attraction towards Graham, Jessie remains guarded and distant, which only makes Graham want her more. As fate intervenes time and time again, Jessie must embrace the inner fear surrounding her heart or risk losing the only man who would never break it.

*May Contain Spoilers*

S.I.N.G.L.E. by Lindsay Marie Miller is the novel equivalent to the saying that as soon as you stop looking for love, it finds you. Or in this case, it runs right into you after you've had coffee thrown all over you. Miller takes a woman who pushes everyone away from her and introduces her to a man who refuses to give up. Sparks and fights fly as readers witness this blossoming romance. 

Jessie, as Jessica likes to be called, doesn't know how to trust people. Her father abandoned her to start a new life with a new wife and a new daughter when she was young. Jessie believes that her father never loved her and transfers those feelings onto any guy she dates. Jessie is stubborn, quick to anger, snappy, and afraid. Meeting Graham, a man who doesn't give up on what he wants, forces Jessie to see how she's hurting herself by not allowing happiness in her life. It's a tough road to travel but she attempts the trek. The good parts of Jessie make up the woman that Graham falls in love with. She's adventurous, loyal, understanding, and a great friend.

Graham is a man who also has a scar from his past. Though it hurts him everyday, he pushes toward the future. He's handsome, loves family, and is just as stubborn as Jessie is. This commonality leads to a lot of bickering between them, which sort of grows old after a while. The beginning of the book and the end of the book are the most interesting parts. The middle involves more fighting than I thought was necessary followed each time by a sexual make up session. The scene becomes a bit repetitive. Besides repetition, Miller uses a lot of foreshadowing to intrigue the reader. She hints at how this roller coaster of a relationship will end, pushing readers to wonder if Jessie and Graham will make it as a couple.

As a side story, Jessie's roommate has just gone through a difficult break-up and is heartbroken. Sara's single status leads her to meeting Sean, Graham's cousin. Miller offers readers another love story to take part in while also witnessing Jessie's personal growth through love and trust. The series of surprises does keep the story interesting as readers hope Jessie can open her heart to Graham. S.I.N.G.L.E. is a book that explores how trust plays into falling in love and how so much happiness can come from it. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (222)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm/Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers



S.I.N.G.L.E. (Still in Need of a Good Loving Equivalent) ( Kindle 20%)
     - Lindsay Marie Miller

"Nothing happened," I barked back. "We went to Dairy Queen, the washing machine exploded, and then he kissed me."

Me & Mr. Jones

Finley O'Connell is a shy, reserved college student, who has no intention of ever trusting another man. At nineteen, Finley spends her Friday nights alone, studying clinical psychology to ease her mind of the abusive childhood she has yet to overcome. Her new professor, the young, charismatic Cabel Jones, begins to take an interest in Finley, whose first instinct is to run. But when an ordinary experiment turns to bloodshed, Finley must rely on Cabel, as the two hide away in a rustic, secluded cabin in the wilderness. Plagued by deception and fear, Finley soon finds herself in the arms of the one man on campus who can never truly be hers.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Me & Mr. Jones by Lindsay Marie Miller was not what I expected... at all. The synopsis does explain what the book is about, but there's so much more. This psychological thriller turns into a search for closure followed by a happily ever after that is immediately threatened. Needless to say, I couldn't put it down.

 

Finley has finally declared a Psychology major in her second semester of college. Nineteen years old with a past that's bruised by an alcoholic father and a murdered mother, Finely definitely has the sympathy of readers. Her dream of helping others like her will likely gain their respect as well. For everything that happens to Finley, it's impressive that she has the will to continue fighting. She's a strong character with an extraordinary amount of determination.

 

Cabel Jones is a professor at Finley's college. At only 25 years old, his academic work is commendable. It's clear that he's intelligent and a hard worker. Readers might giggle at his 'golden boy' label, awarded by Finely, but they surely won't laugh when he rescues her from a mortal threat. Readers will enjoy the back and forth between him and Finley. Though I was unsure of their blooming relationship because of his professor status, I did start to like Cabel. However, he's not the easiest character to trust because he tends to be secretive.

 

The plot of Me & Mr. Jones begins with Finley's crush on her Psych professor. During a class experiment, the campus building is attacked by 'terrorists'. Cabel rescues Finely and they escape to a cabin in the woods. They lay low for a while, but are still found. Turns out that Cabel knows a little bit too much about a certain political candidate. Throughout this attempt at survival, Finley continues to have nightmares about her father. Each of them know that they're falling for the other, but Cabel knows that if he can ever have Finley in his life, then he must wait until she's no longer a student. Their love story plays out with heartache and fear and eventually, relief. Though the novel ends with a large cliffhanger that promises a sequel.

 

Rating: 4/5 Cups